Tell us the tale of the worst golf shot you've ever seen in person

[BlackDiamondPar5]

Shanked a bullet badly about 45 degrees off line. I watched in horror, yelling fore loudly at least 3 times as the ball flew like a bullet hitting the side of a house with a loud thwack about 15 feet from where the family was eating dinner.   He was not happy and walked over to yell at me. I apologized profusely and said at least I yelled fore. He grumbled, threw my ball back onto the course and walked away.  Still my most embarrassing moment in golf ever. 

[RSinSG]

On 9/4/2021 at 3:25 PM, MikeW2 said:

Two come to mind, one awful and one hilarious.

1- my friend had just asked his girlfriend to marry him and to celebrate his future father in law asked him to play. D hits a tee ball on the first hole that took off at a 45 degree angle and hit a marble hole marker. It ricocheted straight back and hit his FIL to be squarely on the forehead, knocked  him out cold, bleeding everywhere. Nothing permanent but did have a concussion and needed a couple of stitches. 
2-another friend who hits the ball a mile hit a drive that was a pace or two shy of 400 yards. Wind aided but it was CRUSHED, out drove all of us by at least 120 yards. Talking junk and really pooping all over us as we drove up to our balls and hit our shots, which to be fair, I would’ve been doing if roles were reversed. He’s got a 125 yard sand wedge into a par 5 for his second shot. What happened next I will never understand. He must’ve topped it or something but the ball went 10 feet BACKWARDS! His face was lobster red, the 3 of us are crying laughing at him instantaneously. Worst shot, situationally, I’ve ever seen.

You didn’t specify which one was hilarious and sadly I laughed at both. 30 years as a LEO = graveyard humor.

[FredZollner]

Round 4 on 9th tee in a tourney. 454 par 4. Guy tees off and hits a huge oak tree 30 yds in front of and next to the tee. The ball hits it flush and rebounds directly back at us and lands 20 yds BEHIND the tee box in the greenside rough on the par 3 we just played. He's now hitting 2 in a thick lie in 4" rough on a hole that is now playing approx 475 yds for him. The three of us just looked at each other not saying a word and slowly proceeded to give him a wide berth for his next shot. No one said a word about it finishing the whole nor the rest of the round. It was like it never happened. The odds of hitting that tree were low. The odds of hitting the tree so flush (round ball hitting a round object) to have the ball rebound directly back in a straight line were virtually nil. It was the most surreal scene I have ever witnessed in a tournament. 

[Briggs2158]

My first college tournament - I was 2nd up for my team so every player and coach from 5 teams was on the tee box watching except the 4 guys that went out first. I was extremely nervous to the point I was shaking. I thinned the ball into this thick brush that sat between tee boxes....I lost my ball in front of everyone. Took a 7 on hole 1. Was able to redeem myself on 18 with a 2nd shot dart and tap in birdie for an 83. 

[slocagolfer]

It was in a tournament. The player had a very short tap in putt. He backed handed it with an Anser type putter. Ended up double hitting it which knocked it away from the hole. It was before the no-one-stroke-penalty rule was in place. Ouch.

Edited September 12, 2021 by slocagolfer

[RichieHunt]

Guy on the first tee hits a toe shank which hits the tee marker and goes over the cart barn into the parking lot.  It looked liked this.

 

 

This happened during league night with just about the entire league watching.

 

 

 

 

 

RH

[MattM97]

I didn't see the initial shot but I saw the second shot. You know how we've all ended up on the next fairway over? What about 2 fairways over while clearing some high trees and a very large waste bunker? I have no idea where this guy was aiming or how bad of a hook he has but it was actually quite impressive how bad this tee shot was and how funny it was watching him cross 2 fairways to get to his ball. 

 

Must have been a ProV1 he didn't want to waste. 

 

 

[TheSphynx]

Does it have to be on the course? One night a friend was demoing drivers at golf galaxy and I took a couple of cuts… I stopped after I hit the worst snapper of my golfing life. The ball rocketed into the corner of the simulator bay, somehow got through said corner, hit something, and ended up tearing through the club repair area that was down the line from a player as he’s hitting. It bounced around and had workers scrambling like someone tossed a live grenade back there. 

Edited January 21, 2022 by TheSphynx

[smashdn]

On 9/8/2021 at 6:22 AM, BlackDiamondPar5 said:

Shanked a bullet badly about 45 degrees off line. I watched in horror, yelling fore loudly at least 3 times as the ball flew like a bullet hitting the side of a house with a loud thwack about 15 feet from where the family was eating dinner.   He was not happy and walked over to yell at me. I apologized profusely and said at least I yelled fore. He grumbled, threw my ball back onto the course and walked away.  Still my most embarrassing moment in golf ever. 

 

You live on a course it will happen.  I think you did all you could do.

[RSinSG]

21 hours ago, TheSphynx said:

Does it have to be on the course? One night a friend was demoing drivers at golf galaxy and I took a couple cuts… I stopped after hit the worse snapper in my golfing life. The ball went into the corner of the simulator bay, somehow got through said corner, hit something, and ended up tearing through the club repair area that was down the line from a player as he’s hitting. It bounced around and had workers scrambling like someone tossed a live grenade back there. 

This reminds me of something one of my sons did. Prior to college he got down to legit scratch but then rarely played for years.  His golf was pretty much limited to a couple of scrambles a year as he was WRX long. One day he decided to go try the newest drivers at a local store. He said it was very busy and he had to wait for a bay and thus everyone hitting had a gallery.

 

When it was his turn he said he thought to himself he was going to put on a clinic as all those before him were clanking and shanking. He gets up and proceeds to top several drives that never register on the simulator. He puts the driver down and makes the walk of shame directly out of the store.

[TIM929]

Our range has a lower and upper level that stretches out into a slight C shape with automatic balls that come from the ground(kind of like top golf for individuals).

 

I was in the lower level in a stall behind an older man dressed like a tour pro(at the range that only has a 9 holes for a golf course) who is hacking away mad because his shots are off. There is a 25 and 50 yard net bucket with a yardage sign for short game I guess.

This tour pro sends an unintentional stinger with his driver into the 25 yard sign and the ball bounces back towards us straight into the 2nd deck and you here a young kid scream “WHAT THE FREAK MAN”.
 

I look in front of me after I witnessed this IG trick shot masters work and he disappears and is fixings something in his bag…

 

everyone looks at me and like I was the one who sent it. 

 

what a stud, wish I had an award to give him.  

Edited September 13, 2021 by TIM929

[Ball Topper]

Just last week, playing my 4th round ever at a muni course a few towns over after work. The course is back behind the town's police station. Being only my 4th round, I'm very much a noob and while I've improved quite a bit after a few sessions at a driving range, I'm still wildly inconsistent especially with the driver. Well I tee up on the first tee box, take a couple practice swings, and proceeded to slice the ball directly into the side of the police station next door.

[MattyO1984]

The worst shot I have ever seen I saw really close up as the ball hit me. 12th hole of my home course. Stood at a 90 degree angle from the guy that I was playing with. Somehow the ball came flying straight at me. Fortunately for my playing partner it didn’t go too far but it hit me right in the chest. Got to admit, it hurt. A lot! The bruise was quite something. You could see the dimples from the ball on it.

[MattyO1984]

Oh and an honorary mention to Patrick Reed missing a 2 footer on the 16th green of the Saturday afternoon of the 2014 Ryder Cup. Just incredible to see with so many people watching it. Didn’t see him doing his ssssh thing at that point 🤔

[caniac6]

Played in a tournament, and a guy complained about a tee aiming right. He then hit 2 ob right.

[TCGolfer35]

On 9/4/2021 at 5:25 PM, MikeW2 said:

Two come to mind, one awful and one hilarious.

1- my friend had just asked his girlfriend to marry him and to celebrate his future father in law asked him to play. D hits a tee ball on the first hole that took off at a 45 degree angle and hit a marble hole marker. It ricocheted straight back and hit his FIL to be squarely on the forehead, knocked  him out cold, bleeding everywhere. Nothing permanent but did have a concussion and needed a couple of stitches. 
2-another friend who hits the ball a mile hit a drive that was a pace or two shy of 400 yards. Wind aided but it was CRUSHED, out drove all of us by at least 120 yards. Talking junk and really pooping all over us as we drove up to our balls and hit our shots, which to be fair, I would’ve been doing if roles were reversed. He’s got a 125 yard sand wedge into a par 5 for his second shot. What happened next I will never understand. He must’ve topped it or something but the ball went 10 feet BACKWARDS! His face was lobster red, the 3 of us are crying laughing at him instantaneously. Worst shot, situationally, I’ve ever seen.

Omg. Situation 1 is a straight nightmare.

[sittingbull]

Had a guy playing behind us and we are playing the next hole that is playing right next to theres which was divided by a pond. Well one of them sliced his shot in to our fairway clearing the pond about 50 yards we tell him go ahead and hit well he winds up and takes a full swing and hits his cart and the ball comes back and hit him high in the shoulder and goes 75 feet in the air and lands in the pond. Funniest shot i ever saw

[ShowMe]

34 years ago, the day before my wedding, my buddies and I played a round.  First tee, long Par 4.  I swung my driver and hit the ball off the heel, not the heel of the club face, literally the heel of the club.  I guess I had a lot on my mind.  Ball bounces up towards me and hits me square in the nads.  I go down like I've been shot.  My buddies are rolling on the ground laughing.  The next group waiting to go off is laughing.  I'm laughing and also crying at the pain.

 

Turned out to be a metaphor for my marriage.  Got divorced a few years later.  Also played golf the day before my second marriage.  Shot one of my best rounds ever.  Also turned out to be a metaphor for my second marriage.  We've been married for 27 years.

[MikeW2]

10 hours ago, TCGolfer35 said:

Omg. Situation 1 is a straight nightmare.

In a shocking twist, after about a year engaged, they broke up…but Mr L stilled golfed with us from time to time. No hard feelings at all.

[RmoorePE]

I actually won an award at a charity scramble for (one of) my worst shots of all time. I won a case of "Flying Lady" golf balls.

 

We were group 10B teeing off on #10 and #18 green was roughly 80 yards right and 10 yards ahead of the tee box, obscured by trees etc. You can see #18 if you squat down and look through the maintenance parking lot and trees. I teed up driver and hit way under the sky mark was 1/2" behind the club face and nearly off the toe. None of us saw where it went, but assumed in the tree area right of the green. Thick brush in there and so I was not going to look.

 

We didn't know at the time, but the ball flew over the trees landed on #18 green, right in the middle of a group putting. The ball had sidespin so it looked like it was flown in with a wedge, and spun out of it's pitch mark. The people on the green assumed it was one of the guys in the group behind them waiting in the fairway, and ran out to scream at them for hitting into them. As we moved up to our chosen ball I could see the melee out in 18 fairway, but just assumed it had nothing to do with me.

 

As the day went on, someone in my group and the other groups pieced together what happened without my knowledge, and I was surprised when they added the "worst drive" category as the first prize announcement and I won it.

[iknowbagu]

High school golf tryouts a million years ago.  Had a buddy who had just taken up the game, and in all honesty, picked it up pretty quickly, but he was also the type who GREATLY overestimated his own ability.  You know exactly who I'm talking about.  Walks, talks and acts like he's scratch, but lucky to break 85-90.  Anyway, buddy steps up on the first tee of the first day of tryouts.  Short par 5, very reachable, tiny little creek that runs up the right side and then crosses right in front of the tee box.  Buddy swings, hits the worm burniest of worm burners, hits a rock in the bank of the creek no more than 20 yards in front of him and this ball just rockets back over all of our heads, over the putting green and across the road into a neighboring back yard.  Tee shot traveled -70 yards and found OB on a hole where it really shouldn't be in play.  Three off the tee on a hole that should literally be impossible on.

[ZAP]

Worst I ever saw was like a three in one.

 

Full swing chunk that basically just popped up a foot or so.  As the club comes out of the ground the ball hits the shaft and goes forward.  Then the club head hits it about waist high and the ball goes about 75 yards straight left.    Absolutely incredible.

[stinger_gc]

This happened when I was only 12 years old, but it is still the worst tee shot I've ever hit. I was playing this golf course in Minnesota called Oak Marsh about 20 minutes east of Minneapolis. First hole is about a 460-470 yard par 5 so not crazy long and the fairway is pretty wide/very little rough with no trees. I step onto the tee and hit a low smother hook onto the roof of a house which was probably a good 60 yards left off the fairway. I didn't follow the ball all the way through, but I heard a huge thud. This tee shot probably had an apex of 50 feet max. I'm just happy the owner didn't see me because I bolted to the 2nd hole since that was out of the houses view.

[BTE0816]

12:30 tee time on a Sunday at the club in high school. First tee is overlooked by the clubhouse and packed dining room for lunch buffet. Lots of people sitting in rocking chairs watching people go out. Putting green just to the right of the 1st tee box looking down the hole.

 

A guy I went to high school with steps up to the 1st tee dead shanks one right into the side of the head of a guy on the putting green. Absolutely folds the guy. Pretty sickening sight but thankfully the guy was OK, just shaken up with a big knot.

 

Its been 20 years now and I still think about that every time I am on the putting green. For some reason the new PRO keeps sliding it further from the clubhouse down towards the 1st green making another event much more likely.

[smashdn]

My typical driver miss is a top.  I can't count the number of ugly shots due to that I have had.  Nothing quite like playing your second from about 30 yards in front of the box.

[D0ch0l1d4y]

First hole of a scramble starting at 8am on a Monday.

 

8th hole, Par 5 that can't be described as a dogleg as much as a wraparound.

 

Everyone can see where this is going. "Normal" line shown. Hit the fairway on that line and you have less than 200y in. I'm standing on the 17th tee (bottom right of the pic). Hear a LOUD crash.  Mr. LD America tried the hero line.

 

 

He got the line right to his credit. Just lacked the elevation required.

[LegendJeff]

My first shot in a junior tournament. I didn't have a driver so stepped up with a very old 3W from dad's vintage set. 

Swung so fast almost missed the ball completely, but topped it and it ran 10' left, across the cart path into a creek hazard that wasn't even in play. Still haunts me to this day 🤣

[playit]

I must admit that I get belly laughs from these stories and cry happy tears, I am laughing so hard. I dunno why these stories are so funny to me. Here's mine, hope it's funny to someone.

 

=

 

Me and a buddy are bored, start hitting shag balls at his house. From his front yard to the grassy boulevard in between one-way streets that lead into and out of his subdivision. After awhile, Buddy says he’s tired of hitting wedges, heck, let’s hit drivers! So, we agree that we can negotiate a line of flight through the trees at his house, across the neighbors, and that the target is the stop sign on the other side of the highway that runs by his subdivision. This is the stop sign for someone wanting to cross that highway and come into his subdivision.

 

We proceed to get real lubed up and are smacking ‘em pretty good. But we soon find that it’s a pretty good hit to that stop sign, about 260 yards. Well, I absolutely nailed one and immediately announced that I had crushed it. It felt SO good! I was winning! No sooner had I said that, a long blue Cadillac comes into view, easing up to that stop sign ever so slowly. Buddy says, “OMG, you are going to bean the Cadillac.” It was the prettiest draw you ever saw, dead online for that stop sign. It was a sickening feeling, watching the Caddy ease into position. “SMACK!” That sucker dead centered the driver’s side of the windshield. Couldn’t have been more accurate if I shot it with a rifle. We watched all of this in slow motion and I swear, the windshield shattered and cracked in slow motion.

 

The slow motion continues and we are quiet as church mice. A little old lady about 90 years old eases her head out of the Cadillac driver’s side window and looks all around, including up. Doesn’t see anything, slowly opens the door. Eases out of her Caddy. Looks all around. Looks up. Scratches her head. My buddy and I are walking in circles, like, “Oh shite! This is terrible!” He’s feeling just as guilty as I am. We continue to watch the little old lady look all around with her hand on her precious Caddy, looking all around, looking up, scratching her head. Finally, my buddy says, “What are we going to do?” I stumbled for a couple of seconds, the devil ahold of me, thinking we are home free, because there is no way she suspects we have anything to do with it. Heck, she can’t even see us! There is no reason for her to look way down into that subdivision. Finally, I said, “Aw, heck, we gotta go tell her.”

 

We hop in the truck and I’ll be danged if Granny doesn’t get back into the Caddy and proceeds down the highway. Where you going! Apparently, she was not coming into the subdivision, she was going into the nearby town. It was unreal, I couldn’t catch her! After awhile, I decided I was going to have to boogie to catch her, she’s motoring and I floored it.

 

A good mile and half down the highway, I see that she is turning left onto a 4-lane road, so, I follow, and that’s my opportunity to get aside her. I do and my buddy rolls down his window and is waving at her and shouting and she will not dare look over at us. I go to honking and swerving and she finally looks over and he convinces her to roll down her window so she can hear us. She slows down, so do I and he lets me fess up, hollering, “Ma’am, you just got your windshield crashed, right?” She’s confused, “What?” I repeated the question and added, “Well, that was me. I hit a golf ball into it.” She stops the car, and says, “A golf ball?” She busts out in a grin. Finally says, “A golf ball! Well, sakes alive, I could not figure out what in this world had hit me! It sure did destroy my windshield, didn’t it! Young man, you are STRONG. That was a mighty big shot you hit!”

 

My friend lived about 3/8 mile from a golf course on down that highway. The little old lady thought I hit her car from the golf course! That would be, what, at least a 660 yard drive? I never told her different. I just apologized profusely and told her I would pay for it. I got her phone number and address and she got mine. She called me a couple of weeks later and told me the amount, bragging that she was able to negotiate a pretty good deal with the insurance company and the windshield place, lol. I sent her a check.

Edited September 16, 2021 by playit

[Schley]

A friend who is a former all big ten offensive lineman is a decent athlete and takes a big swing, but it doesn't really go anywhere. He masters a swing where with his driver the ball is topped and ricochets off the ground directly up into the air in front of him 4-6 feet in the air. He can catch it right in front of him, like the ball is moving in slow motion.

 

We were playing out in California and he did it on one of the tee boxes. A few holes later he did the exact same thing. I had seen him do it maybe one other time.  But twice in the same round he does this, wow.

[tungstenplug]

.

Edited October 31, 2022 by tungstenplug