The Greatest Shot you have ever hit.....

Played 9 on Monday evening with a friend. The 16th (played the back 9) is a long par 5 with about a 20 yard wide fairway lined by huge trees either side (meaning it looks like you are playing down a tunnel) a pond which runs from 150yds out all the way to the green on the left and the right handside of the green has a sharp run off with 2 deep bunkers.
I always play a long/mid iron off the tee - lay up with a mid iron and then have a short iron or wedge 3rd shot in.
My playing partner (a 3 handicapper to my 4) were playing matchplay and I was one up on the tee. I hit a solid 3 iron down the middle which meant that unless I 3 putted or hit a terrible 3rd from 100 yards the worst I was really going to do was par. Knowing he needed a birdie to get back into the match he hit driver and pulled it slightly into the trees leaving himself about 230 out of rough over the pond with a large oak tree blocking his view of the green. Sensible shot would be to punch out to 150ish. But he went for the green with a 2i. He struck it pure, started over the pond and cut back about 10yards before pitching just short and running up to about 10feet. he turned and said to me "That's the greatest shot iv ever hit"

It got me thinking... whats the greatest shot iv ever hit? Personally I would go for a shot in a more pressured situation than a matchplay 9 holes with a mate for a few quid. eventually I cam3 up with 2 but for different reasons..
1.) A holed Gap Wedge on our 13th in the final round of our club champs 9 years ago. I was 2 behind at the time with the trophy being between me and playing partner who had both shot 69s to be 5 clear of the field after day 1. I had bogeyed the previous 2 holes and was starting to fall away with holes running out. Playing Partner hit it to 40feet beyond the pin which was cut on the front of a green that slopes back to front. I remember saying to myself "this has to go close" I had 130 no wind from a nice lie, hit a full GW which never left the flag, one bounce and in. I made eagle to his 3 putt bogey and went on to win by 3 in the end. I think it was my greatest shot because despite it being a GW from 120 from the fairway to an easy pin, I hit the ball absolutely perfect (line distance) and it was in a pressure situation with everything (at my level) on the line

2.) A 5i out of heavy rough to about 10feet in a friendly sunday morning game last summer. I blocked my tee shot on 17 and had 180ish to the green blocked out by trees on the right with more trees left of the green and jungle long. Really a pitch out and a wedge on was the shot but I didn't really have a score going so went for it. Ball at the back of my stance I drilled a low stinger out under the branches started the ball about 40 yards left of target and cut it back towards the green, it pitched on the front and rolled up to about 10feet.
I think this was one of the greatest because of the difficulty... horrible lie, had to move the ball miles in the air and had to keep it low for the first 50 yards. If I played it 100 times I would probably not hit the green again.

I cant pick which is my best shot because they were both for different reasons and under different circumstances. (That's probably another thread about "what makes a great shot!"

Anyway.... lets hear them then.......... What is your greatest shot!?!?

...then there's the how much luck/skill involved, purity of strike or result? Good thread Longgame. I think for me they have to be in competition (except for 1 - my Captains drive in - probably the best drive I've hit off our first tee and did it in the most pressured of situations with a sizeable crowd). Apart from that 4 others spring to mind...
1. Hole in one at our 6th 8 iron 148 yards - I was 2 down in a last 16 singles match, the guy never won or halved another hole.
2. A 208 yard 24 deg rescue 2nd shot to our 1st par 5 to leave a 2 inch tap in eagle.
3. 8 iron 3rd shot to the 2nd at Pebble beach from 138 yard, canned
4. A punched 9 iron 105 yards into a breeze to gimme distance on the first extra hole in the first round of the handicap matchplay at the Tassie at Carnoustie last year to win the match.

Going all zen

My greatest shot is yet to come...

Greatest shots are what I love about golf. No matter how good (or bad) you are everyone will occasionally hit a shot that is better than the big boys would have done on telly, the "worldy". What I also like is that often they come after a poor shot leaving you requiring the miracle rescue. These are what make me come back year after year.

Some of these (both rescues and straightforward great)...

Hole in 1 (a) Wedge 165ish downhill lands past the hole, grips and spins back 2 yards in. (in comp)

Hole in 1 (b) 185is 7 iron (downhill, downdraft) yardish short of the pin, 1 bounce 1 foot roll in (in comp and first time I'd ever hit the club too)

250 yard approach from the semi rough to par 5 3 wood to 18 inches (club scratch match)

185 yard 5 iron at an away course from rough to 15 foot. Strong right to left wind, was in rough on left hampered by trees so had to start it left of trees and cut it back in against the wind. Actually called it ahead of playing too. (in comp)

Not perhaps an obvious great, but I am notoriously hit and miss off the tee, both ways! So, 300 yard drive straight up the middle on the 1st hole in the penultimate round of a social tour in front of the then leader, just to set a psychological marker for him. Uphill par 4, tree lined and narrow all the way up (I think El Chapparal). Drilled. Pick up tee, turn to leader tell him that's how you do it, stride off (3 putt bogey ha ha!). (social comp but worth more than most club comps)

I've canned a few monster putts and holed out from the fairway a couple of times, but number one is easy for me...

18th at Littlestone, down wind par 5, launched a driver down the middle to leave me 190 to the middle of the green. Flag was right at the back, fired a 7 iron right at the pin. The green is elevated so I lost sight of the ball as it rolled up to the back of the green. When we got up to the green there was no sight of the ball, so we started looking for it over the back, I was about to give up when I thought I'd look in the cup, and there it was - ALBATROSS!

My favourite/greatest shot was on one of our groups trips to St Malo, on the Par 4 16th at Dinard, long dog-leg left to right hole (playing off the whites). Found the back of the right side bunker from the tee and left with 200 odd to the green with a tree blocking the straight line. Managed to hit a 5 wood off a downhill lie over the lip and cut it around the tree to about 12 feet - missed the putt but then I miss most of them.

Favourite putt came in our local summer league (9 local clubs, 7 per team) when playing against a good mate who plays for another club. Luck of draw had us together and I was down all the way to the 18th where I had to hole a 25 footer and hope he missed his 10 footer to get a half. When he asked if I wanted the flag attended I said "yes, so you can watch this go in" and then actually canned it for a change. Rewarded by him missing his and getting a much celebrated half. Possibly the tastiest pint I've ever had too.

The one that sticks in my mind was the semi final of the club knockout. I was giving plenty of shots, including three in the last four holes against a guy who was getting better and better as the round went on. On the 15th, I was one up, but struggling, over the back of the green looking at a downwind, downhill shot of about 30 yards over a bunker from a hard, bare lie. Plenty of grass around the ball, and none under it. It was my third shot, he was 10 feet away in three, and in receipt of a shot.

So I decided to play the Mickelson flop shot (as best I could) - not a shot I practice and not one I play very often. So, 60 degree wedge and the face wide open, and a full swing. I remember thinking - commit to the shot, like Phil says. And I did. Really committed.

The club hit something hard just behind the ball and bounced up, hitting the ball about on its equator and it went off like an Arnold Palmer one iron. I was fearful for the group about 200 yards back down the fairway - just about to yell FORE when the ball hit the very top of the pin like a bullet. I mean the absolute top bit where there's a little domed thing near the loop for the flag. There was a metallic clang you could two counties away.

The ball went about 100 yards vertically upwards, and then eventually straight back down again, even getting caught up in the flag on the way down. It settled right on the edge of the hole for enough seconds to allow me to put the club in my bag and walk to the hole, before it apologetically fell in for a birdie three.

My opponent missed, putting me two up instead of the all square which had seemed inevitable, and I held on to win on the last green.

I still have the ball, I decided to keep it! It was such a difficult shot - I've tried it several times since and haven't been able to recreate it!!   

Playing in a pro-am on the National course at the Belfry. Standing in a bunker facing a difficult shot, made worse by a thumping hangover after a couple of 'quiet drinks' the night before. The resultant shank was a thing of beauty, as it fizzed with perfect right-angled trajectory and with laser guided accuracy to smack our Pro just above his left eye.
 
Clearly a shot that I will be hard pressed to ever surpass... 

Remind me to keep to the left of you Blue when we next play....

George, that is absolutely incredible. Awesome story thanks for sharing.

Can't compete with George.....but
Second shot at the 18th at Carnoustie - Championship Course. I don't hit the ball far so it was a 3 wood. Bounced and bobbled over the burn, ran onto the green. 6 foot putt for birdie. Nailed it. Every time I see Van De Velde make a mess of it on TV I sit there all smugly. One of my best rounds as well.

Please sell your PC and close the internet. George wins. Nobody can compete with that (Mav where are you?)

I've holed a couple of full shots including one for my only ever eagle (a tee shot on a par5 that went right on a dogleg left, followed by a scuffed 3 wood that still left about 200 yards to go which I holed) - but the one that gave me most pleasure was a 15 foot, downhill right to left putt on the hardest hole on the course for a birdie in a club match (where I was getting a shot too!) to win a match. Only time I've ever birdied that particular hole I think!

George that's special.

Playing partner once thinned a chip that smashed into the flagstick about half way up and snapped it, the ball finished a couple of feet away.

George, that's fantastic! Wodehousian, even, but better because it really happened!

Not really what I'd call the greatest shot I've ever hit but in keeping with the themes of previous posts of holing out and calling the shot - on my birthday a few years ago I was playing my home course.The 10th is a dogleg right to left which has the first hole to its left over some trees. I hooked my tee shot onto the first, leaving me with 180 yards back over the trees, uphill and into the breeze. I semi-thinned a 4 iron which cleared the top of the trees by millimetres. No sign of it when I got back onto the correct fairway, playing partners didn't see it but eventually one of them found it in the cup. Fast forward two years and I'm playing a singles match against a guy from another club, and thanks more to the difficulty of our course than to my golf I'm something like 4 up at the turn. Chatting to the chap on the way to my ball on the 10th I had cause to relate the above story to him. This time, I've missed the 10th fairway to the right and my ball is just at the edge of the trees with some overhanging branches in the way. Being up comfortably and with my opponent in good shape I decided to try to punch-fade an escape, and not only did I pull it off but minutes after telling him about my eagle (I promise I don't tell everyone I play against, maybe I should?) I went and made another!

i could be the only person on the world to have ever birdied a hole after hitting 3 of the tee.
duck hook off our par 5 17th into the cabbage followed by a drive that smacked of "alot of anger in the one". hit a 3w up over the hill, low and behold i found my ball at the bottom of the cup for an abatross (well almost!)

Georges' post reminds me of this "The hardest shot in golf is a mashie at 90 yards from the green, where the ball has to be played against an oak tree, bounces back into a sandtrap, hits a stone, bounces on the green and then rolls into the cup. That shot is so difficult I have made it only once."- Zeppo Marx

i love how this has descended into "luckiest shot you have ever hit"

In that case i will offer up a one.... Its not so much one shot but one hole...

Men's Scratch open @ a local club a few years ago. 36 hole event, had been tied for the lead with one of my playing partners at -2 after the morning (next best was +2 i think) and we went shot for shot in the afternoon until i bogeyed 16&17 to his par birdie to mean he was 3 clear on the last tee.

Stood on the 18th (par 5 right to left easily reachable) He hit an iron safely up the right but about 300 yards out so no way of getting on in 2 (if i was 3 clear i would have done the same)
knowing i needed an eagle or at very least a birdie i absolutely smashed a drive about 340 yards... unfortunately i hit it 340 yards and about 100 yards left into the trees and jungle.
Found it and told myself that i could definatley hook a 5 iron through a letterbox sized gap 80 yards away and still make 3 or 4..... Piped it into a tree about 10 yards away which kicked it sideways though the fairway into the garbage on the other side.
Playing partner had layed up about 100 short by then.
Hit a 6 iron from about 200 and thinned the hell out of it, it was bulletting through the green out of bounds into the car park as i was about so start abusing myself when it hit one of the OB posts long of the green and softly came back down the sloping green to within 2 feet of the pin.

Playing partner got cute with a wedge and dumped it in the front bunker, splashed out to the back of the green and 3 putted for 7. I made 4 and we both finished level for the day.

Strode off the green ready for a play off sure i would win because the golfing gods were obviously smiling on me only to see some b*gger had shot 64 (-7) to be -3 for the day meaning our Hollywood style last hole was completely irrelevant!!

You lost me at "I smashed a drive about 340 yards"

This is not a lucky shot, and probably the best shot I've ever hit. Mid length Par 5 downhill, with water in front of the green. I can sometimes get on in two, but not often. Thought I'd give it a go so really went for the drive, pulled it into trees on the left. All I could do was chip out, which I managed to mess up so I was still in some fairly lush rough, about 220 yards out. It would still be a tricky lay up to avoid bunkers or running into the water so took a 23 degree rescue and hit it pure. As soon as it came off the club I knew it was good - high and travelling hard. Pitched about 10 yards short of the pin and rolled up to about 3 feet. Knocked it in for a birdie.

Kudos to your shot George - can't top that!

Can't think of any amazing ones really. Really pleased the other week when playing Hollinwell (near Nottingham) and hit a career shot into the long par-4 15th during a singles match (if you've ever played it, you'd remember it).
Good drive up the centre and faced with ~190 to the green. 4-hybrid (ignore the gorse all round the green meaning no forgiveness for a mishit), flush it with a baby draw right down the flag, pitched pin high and finished about 12 feet past the hole. Missed the birdie putt but kept the smile from the approach shot for some time.

Bob_the_Job wrote:You lost me at "I smashed a drive about 340 yards"

This is an internet golf forum. If you can't smash the ball over 300 yards (preferably with a 3wood) then you have no place here. The old BBC forum used to be even worse. Take about 20% off the estimates and you might be about right. Unless your name is Maverick in which case you can probably add 10% onto his estimates as he was over modest

No, no Davie.. I meant why did he need to smash it to get it to only go 340 yards....   

I hit a 360 yard drive last week.  It's amazing how far a ball will bounce up a tarmac'd driveway.

I had a look at the yardage on the hole in question.. 518 off the blacks so based on the fact I had roughly 200 in with my second, my drive was somewhere in the region of 300-320 (allowing for a my "assumption" that I was 200 out) So NO It probably didn't go 340 in this instance.

But..... Is it really that unfathomable that a scratch golfer (at the time I would have been off either scratch or possibly 1) could hit a 340 yard drive on a downhill right to left hole in the middle of the summer when fairways tend to resemble runways?

Anyway - I digress and I don't want this to become a "no you didn't" "yes I did" thing as there is no actual way of proving the point and it would ruin what seems to be a fairly decent thread..

No, not unfathomable at all. But I'm off 12 not scratch, hence being lost

It was more admiration than doubt. That said, I can "get it out there" as the US commentators are fond of saying, reasonably well.

But while we're sort of on the topic of distance, is the length of a hole not measured down the centre of the fairway rather than line of sight? So on a curve or a dog-leg, it would be possible to reach a say 550 yard hole with two shots of 240 yards?

Good point on measuring the length of a hole - Im not sure if there is a standard way and how they account for doglegs...

The hole in question is 518 and is banana shaped, curving about 45 degrees to the right all the way down from about 300 out. So im not sure now! ha

There are only 3 holes at my club where you can really accurately asses how far you have driven it. 6,7,10 - they are all arrow straight and go out some evenings and play 1,6,7 hitting Dr,3wd,2i,3i off 6&7 when its quiet so I can asses how far im hitting each club.

Would be interested to hear if there is a "standard" measure for holes

I can measure my shots because I have one of those Garmin Approach GPS wrist watches and it has a "measure shot function".  I don't measure them all that often because at the end of the day, it's about how many, not how long.

from the USGA Website wrote:A hole with a dogleg must be measured on a straight line from the tee to the center of the fairway at the bend. If the pivot point is not easily discernible, select a pivot point that is approximately 250 (men) or 210 (women) yards from the set of tees played by the majority of golfers. The measurement must continue from that point on a straight line to the center of the green or to the next pivot point if applicable.

Given the right conditions it's perfectly possible to hit over 300 with relative ease, even with a three wood.

super_realist wrote:Given the right conditions it's perfectly possible to hit over 300 with relative ease, even with a three wood.

If by "right conditions" you mean a gale tailwind and bone-hard fairway, then yes, it's relatively easy to hit 300+ with a 3-wood. It's not relatively easy and you know it. The Tour average is probably less than 300.
I'm off 3 currently and although I would never have described myself as properly long off the tee, I GPS measured a few flushed drives the last round I played, in still conditions. I reckon my average was about 255-260 and they were seriously striped. Then again, I am getting older! I think most people would be surprised how far 300 yards is.

Given the "right conditions" being the operative phrase.
A moderate breeze, dry, short fairway and slightly downhill no problem.

I wish people would desist in thinking that because the tour "average" is below 300 that a club golfer can't attain the occasional one over 300 or even moderately regularly.

In still conditions I'll hit 3 wood about 260 and driver about 280, but there is room for extending that in "right conditions"

Of course the odd club member can occasionally go over 300. There are very, very few who do it regularly. No-one says it can't be done but the idea that it's relatively common is bunkum. It's not. In fact, qualifying it with the "right conditions" makes it a bit meaningless doesn't it?

super_realist wrote:Given the "right conditions" being the operative phrase.
A moderate breeze, dry, short fairway and slightly downhill no problem.

I wish people would desist in thinking that because the tour "average" is below 300 that a club golfer can't attain the occasional one over 300 or even moderately regularly.

In still conditions I'll hit 3 wood about 260 and driver about 280, but there is room for extending that in "right conditions"

Super, are those distances carry? or are you including roll?

Longgame, that is impressive power. Not so much the 340 yard drive, but rather your approach. So if you had 200 to go, that would be what 220 to the back of the green let's say 230 to the OOB? And you hit that post with enough force for it to rebound 30 yards back to the pin. So that's 260 yards with a 6 iron without allowing for the lost energy from the ball striking the post. Maybe you should hit 6 iron from the tee more often.

Yes raycastle I always hit a 6iron 260 yards if that how you want to look at it.

In dry conditions with 200 yards downhill I fail to see what is unbelievable about a scratch golfer hitting a 6 iron. Or the same scratch handicapper thinning that 6iron and it skipping into a post sending it back 20/30 yards down a steep green.

Your right - its the stuff of Xfiles and totally astounding.

Iv no idea what standard of golf you play but can you say you have never thinned a club and had it not go 10/20% further than usual?

It's taken me ages to come to terms with and trust the difference uphill/downhill and with/against the wind makes to distance/club selection. I remember reading an interview with Clarke after he'd won the Open (and sobered up) and he talked about in the space of a few holes he'd hit a sand wedge downhill and down wind 169 yards, but it'd taken a belt with a 6 iron to go 139 yards uphill and into the wind.

I used to struggle (mostly due to misplaced macho pride) to add more than one club for virtually any wind or uphill condition which led to a lot of coming up short and muttering about "not really catching it".

We haven't got a practise range (to speak of) and have a few elevation changes and it takes a few holes to work out how many clubs the wind is, by which time my score is usually toast (although it has been toast with no wind recently too!)

Having not thought of a decent 'greatest shot' the other day, had a pretty good contender in a singles KO match last Wednesday.

Playing a guy off 11 so giving up 8 shots. Really, really good standard game in progress but I've just lost the 14th to a 3, net 2 (it's the index 2 hole for Heaven's sake!), to be pulled back to level. 15th is a par 5, ~490 but with a sharp l-to-r dogleg at about 120 yards out. Index 8 so he gets a shot (he had one more on 18 if we get there). Good matchplay hole.
Both hit good drives and he hits a lovely mid-iron layup. Decide I have to go for the green which requires a good shot over ~40-50 foot trees with a fade (not my strong suit) onto, what were on the day, very hard greens so little chance of holding anyway. Hit a decent enough (touch thin) 4-hybrid, faded round corner quite well but didn't hold the front of the green and ran over into some nasty fluffy light rough. Oppo hits a lovely floated pitch to about 8 foot.
Got to my ball and at least it had a decent lie but green elevated, pitching to narrow bit of surface and flag near enough to make it difficult. Anyway, decided I had to get up and down to have any chance of a half. Set up for a Phil flop shot, opened my 56° way out (don't carry a lob wedge) and went for it. Ball popped up beautifully, right on track for the hole and toppled in at a perfect pace. Eagle! Take that my friend!
Oppo misses putt (it's a tricky surface) so now I find myself 1 up instead of the expected 1 down. Stiffed a wedge at the next to make it dormie and closed it out on 17 with a nice up/down par.

Interestingly, when we got in and thought about the game, the scores were ridiculous. Assuming a couple of 2 foot gimmes on both sides, I shot 30 on the back 9 for about -4 (never been that low round Wollaton) and only won 2&1. The other guy was only a few over off 11 as well. Bet my next round is more typical of this season i.e. rubbish!

navyblueshorts wrote:... but I've just lost the 14th to a 3, net 2 (it's the index 2 hole for Heaven's sake!),

Repeat after me ... SI is NOT an indication of degree of difficulty.Biggest myth in club golf

Ummm. You think I don't know that? Since you don't know Wollaton, I'll let you off   . The 14th is arguably SI 2 but it's never easier than the 5th hardest hole when you look at the hole difficulty breakdown after a comp.
It's ~423, uphill and it plays all of it. I don't normally expect an 11hcp player to (almost) stiff his second and walk off with a net eagle!

I'm sure you did know it NBS - you're one of the few on here that possibly does, No I don't know Wollaton but the context of your post still implies (to me at least) that the difficulty of the hole was indicated by its SI

Sometimes, the low indexes ARE indicative of difficulty but it's often coincidence .. for example at my own home course, the index 1 and 2 and 3 and 13 .. suitably close enough to the middle of each nine to be worthy of the index by the published guidelines - as it happens they are the two longest par fours on the course and so probably a fair choice. Our course had the SIs recalculated a couple of years ago as it didn't conform to the guidelines. The 1st was index 4, the 10th was index 5 (I think) - both of those indexes went against guidelines even though in terms of "difficulty" they were possibly correct.

Now the course conforms to recommendations on SI we actually have a fairly easy par5 (the 3rd) as index 3 .. and a (tough) par3 as index 5 ... the good, low handicappers love to get a shot on an easy par5 or any par 3 but when it comes down to it, it doesn't really matter where you get (or give) your shots as long as they are unlikely to be on playoff holes

Greatest shot of somebody else that I saw and quick rules question.

Inter club scratch match, foursomes last night. 2 guys I usually play with were a hole behind on the 17th an uphill 180 yard tough par 3 blind green from the tee. First guy tees off and sticks it in the hay. Provisional required. Oppos miss green, other guy tees up provisional. Launches it up onto the green, lands, releases and pops into the hole. A bittersweet three. Oppos fervently hunt for, then find original ball, which our guys then play and lose the hole with.

They ended up winning the match (won the last to go 2 up) so it didn't matter (although the 17th loss added pressure), but as the hole had been finished with the provisional (albeit unexpectedly) did the original ball cease to be in play or was it correct that they played it once found?

I don't really get this obsession with p!ssing around with the SI of holes. I don't care if my opponent gets a shot on 18 or that there might be 3 or 4 difficult holes in a row somewhere. If handicaps in a match are about right, it makes chuff all difference in my mind.
What's wrong with shots on playoff holes? If a hole indexes as tough, I don't see the problem in, say, a Cat 1 golfer conceding a shot to a Cat 2 on the 19th.

Roller, no. The provisional will only become the ball in play once the first ball is not found within the five minutes permitted to search. If they never mentioned the word provisional then it would have been the ball in play and the hole was finished regardless of whether the original was found.

The whole "giving of strokes" puts me right off Handicap Golf competitions.

Sups: dare I suggest that's a typical Cat 1 golfer reaction? If handicaps are kosher, what's the problem?

Mac would enjoy this talk of 'giving strokes'...

I thought he was a bit higher handicap. I'm sure he said he'd take strokes from Adam Scott. Must have been some Pro Am matchplay comp.

Cheers Grumps. Makes sense. I know they were only kind of looking for it versus some almost hands and knees forensic investigation by the oppos so I presumed the result was correct.

Roller_Coaster wrote:Greatest shot of somebody else that I saw and quick rules question.

Inter club scratch match, foursomes last night. 2 guys I usually play with were a hole behind on the 17th an uphill 180 yard tough par 3 blind green from the tee. First guy tees off and sticks it in the hay. Provisional required. Oppos miss green, other guy tees up provisional. Launches it up onto the green, lands, releases and pops into the hole. A bittersweet three. Oppos fervently hunt for, then find original ball, which our guys then play and lose the hole with.

They ended up winning the match (won the last to go 2 up) so it didn't matter (although the 17th loss added pressure), but as the hole had been finished with the provisional (albeit unexpectedly) did the original ball cease to be in play or was it correct that they played it once found?

once the ball had dropped, would the hole not be complete?!

Had a look at R&A after Grumps confirmed (as I originally thought that might be the case - honest!) and I saw that the hole would be complete once they had removed the ball from the cup following the 5 minutes search time.

"27-2b/2 When Provisional Ball Holed Becomes Ball in Play

At a short hole, A's tee shot may be out of bounds or lost, so he plays a provisional ball, which he holes. A does not wish to look for his original ball. B, A's opponent or a fellow-competitor, goes to look for the original ball. When does the provisional ball become the ball in play?

In equity (Rule 1-4) the provisional ball becomes the ball in play as soon as A picks it out of the hole, provided his original ball has not already been found in bounds within five minutes of B starting to search for it."

I presume (as I'd tee'd off and was hunting for my next shot in cabbage by this time) that the original was found within 5 minutes and, therefore, was the ball in play.

I guess this makes sense as on a blind par 3 there would be nothing to stop the unscrupulous from simply declaring a provisional ball in the (mostly vain) hope that it goes in and so guaranteeing a 3. OK it's a very long shot but it wouldn't be fair if it did happen. Our guys did help look (albeit not in a very committed manner) but they would have been in their rights to carry on and have a sunbathe in the hope the oppos couldn't find it (although that would be very unsporting).

So, sounds like you should take five minutes to remove the ball from the hole and hope the opposition don't find the first one then...

Well, in this case I suppose one of them could have legged it up to the rough area the first one went and so started the 5 min countdown before the oppos (who were a tad portly) could get there. That would have wasted 1 - 2ish mins and increase the chance of a lost ball while the other guy walks to the hole and removes the ball.

In the end it didn't matter as they won the 18th to win 2 up anyway but it would have saved a squeaky bum going down 18.

navyblueshorts wrote:Sups: dare I suggest that's a typical Cat 1 golfer reaction? If handicaps are kosher, what's the problem?

He might have to play against a muggle.

It's either the handicap system or competitions would have to be run in ability bands (the golfing equivalent to weight divisions in boxing).

Personally the handicap system is part of what attracted me to golf in the first place (although sometimes it is open to abuse.  Insert your Jimmy Saville jokes here). In  match play I've played where I've been giving shots to my opponent and where I've been getting shots.  I've met a wide variety of people I otherwise wouldn't have, the bulk of whom have been interesting and/or fun to play with.  I think being limited to only playing people of the same standard as me to have a chance of winning sounds very boring.  I regularly play with a guy who is +1, and should really be +3 if he had the time away from business to practice, and with the shots in play we've had enough closeness in the match for it to be entertaining and worthy of some gentle banter. Without getting shots, it'd have all been over by about the 12th each time.  That said, I've not beaten him yet, because, you know, he's a bandit.