Your best shot of the last 12 months.

I thought that everyone must be getting bored of sharing their epidemiological expertise so imagined it would be good to regale what you think is your best shot of the last year.
Doesn't have to be a pinseeker or massive drive, it could easily be a great bunker shot, escape from the trees, perfect chip etc.
Let's here them.

Nice idea sups.

Here are my contenders, which one do you think should be crowned my best?

Up and down from the trees on the 16th on the way to a -2 scratch (this thing had double or triple written all over it)

hybrid from 200+ from a very sloping lie (well wide of the ideal line) to a tough green during the club champs knock out . It doesn't sound like much but I had a good start and I think this shot shocked the guy I was playing against and kept up my momentum). It flew all the way to pin high and stopped dead. It was only the front nine but it set the tone. I got a par and he bogied from the middle of the fairway.

Chip in at A/S during a team match (on 12th). I really should have been up on this guy but he was hanging in well and then I missed the green well right on a par 3 while he had a decent birdie effort. He missed and I holed, the match was over 4 holes later. I won 3 up.

Rescue sounds the best one. Great shot from that sort of distance when your opponent is in the middle of the fairway.

super_realist wrote:Rescue sounds the best one. Great shot from that sort of distance when your opponent is in the middle of the fairway.

I was playing to run it on at best but adrenaline must have been going and it made it all the way.

What about your best shots of the year?

I had a hole in one in last year Mac, but although it was a great shot there's always a bit more luck as to whether the ball will actually go in. It was on a top tier too so I can't take credit for actually judging it perfectly.

Probably my most memorable shot was on 7 @ TOC. I was in between the bunker on 11 and Shell bunker. Probably had about 80 yards and pitched to where I thought the ball would roll out from. The ball continued to track and with a couple of rolls left ended up in the hole for an Eagle 2. The good thing it was part of a well played round and my best TOC score to date of 66.
Still never had a bogey free round. Have come close a few times but still one hole which gives me one.

Yeh your shot on 7 sounds better than the hole in one. As you can tell from my list I think the context matters and getting an eagle on the way to a 66 makes it a more important shot.

Just realised Super said of the last 12 months so i have deleted my post. I'll think of another one

McLaren wrote:Yeh your shot on 7 sounds better than the hole in one. As you can tell from my list I think the context matters and getting an eagle on the way to a 66 makes it a more important shot.

Some of my favourite shot this year have simply been six irons. It's a club which I seem to hit better than any other and the easiest to shape. The contact has been in a different class to the others.

I'm never wrong wrote:Just realised Super said of the last 12 months so i have deleted my post. I'll think of another one

Doesn't have to be 12 months, just that they are fresher in the memory and less prone to embellishment

I think I have posted it before Super, so I'll try and think of a different one.

This is not a hole winning shot, or one that decided a match, but one that just came off how I wanted it. My drive was offline, so offline that it went left down the previous hole that ran parallel to the one I was playing but in the opposite direction. (Luckily no one in the way). Now for my second shot I had to navigate a high mound on the fairway I was on, and a clump of about 6 silver birch trees alongside the front left of the green. As I don't hit it long, I was left with about a 5 wood for me. Hit a lovely fade over the mound and it curved around the trees onto the green. As there is a long mound between each fairway, none of my playing partners saw it. I think I three putted as well.

Got 3 realistic contenders as well.
1. 3 wood 2nd shot from 192yds on the 2nd at Carnoustie into the teeth of a good 3-4 club wind to 2feet.
2. From a swale left of the 9th green at Machynys, tight flag, I nipped a 56deg with a LOT of check into a bulging knuckle toward the back of the green, got the check bang on and it eased off the knuckle to the right
to about 9 inches. The derisked shot would have been to putt but I wouldn’t have got a putt inside 8-10 feet
3. A low drilled drawing 4 iron from a relatively bare lie through a gap in trees (that’s why it had to be low) to about 12 feet. Don’t you find making a birdie when a bogey or worse is expected after the teeshot is an absolute dagger through an opponents heart in matchplay :-p

Wow, three wood into the second at Carnoustie, must have been a hell of a wind. That's usually a pretty short shot. Great sounding shot and agree that making birdie when bogey looks likely in matchplay is fantastic. It's a dangerous mindset to hold that you're going to win a hole, and a very difficult one to get out of.

I'm never wrong wrote:This is not a hole winning shot, or one that decided a match, but one that just came off how I wanted it. My drive was offline, so offline that it went left down the previous hole that ran parallel to the one I was playing but in the opposite direction. (Luckily no one in the way). Now for my second shot I had to navigate a high mound on the fairway I was on, and a clump of about 6 silver birch trees alongside the front left of the green. As I don't hit it long, I was left with about a 5 wood for me. Hit a lovely fade over the mound and it curved around the trees onto the green. As there is a long mound between each fairway, none of my playing partners saw it. I think I three putted as well.

Sounds like the 11th hole to me :-)

5th on the robert the Bruce course last august. Chipped in from a bunker just before the green, great birdie. My mate with putter in hand thought he would have a putt to win the hole!

Last November played early and still foggy, hit a 5 iron on par 3, just felt nice. Ended up about 2 foot away, and I made the putt.

Davie wrote:

I'm never wrong wrote:This is not a hole winning shot, or one that decided a match, but one that just came off how I wanted it. My drive was offline, so offline that it went left down the previous hole that ran parallel to the one I was playing but in the opposite direction. (Luckily no one in the way). Now for my second shot I had to navigate a high mound on the fairway I was on, and a clump of about 6 silver birch trees alongside the front left of the green. As I don't hit it long, I was left with about a 5 wood for me. Hit a lovely fade over the mound and it curved around the trees onto the green. As there is a long mound between each fairway, none of my playing partners saw it. I think I three putted as well.

Sounds like the 11th hole to me :-)

You got it Davie.

super_realist wrote:Wow, three wood into the second at Carnoustie, must have been a hell of a wind. That's usually a pretty short shot.  Great sounding shot and agree that making birdie when bogey looks likely in matchplay is fantastic. It's a dangerous mindset to hold that you're going to win a hole, and a very difficult one to get out of.

Aye, I can remember hitting a wedge 2nd shot one year. Its usually a mid iron in normal conditions. Back of the tee box to a back pin can be deceptively long though Super, it’s a long long green. It was the kind of wind where you’re looking at the front middle bunker and thinking will I get over it?

Super

You also have to consider that jas is a teens handicap golfer. It makes his shot all the more impressive.

McLaren wrote:Super

You also have to consider that jas is a teens handicap golfer. It makes his shot all the more impressive.

Troll. Or you're not paying attention

Davie wrote:

McLaren wrote:Super

You also have to consider that jas is a teens handicap golfer. It makes his shot all the more impressive.

Troll. Or you're not paying attention

Not trolling. Just defending jas after super questioned using a 3 wood in. For longer hitters that might never be necessary but jas still executed a great 3 wood regardless of what super would have hit in the same conditions.

McLaren wrote:Super

You also have to consider that jas is a teens handicap golfer. It makes his shot all the more impressive.

I think JAS is lower than you are Mac.
I didn't question JAS, I said it must have been a hell of a wind that day, which makes it even more impressive if its a 3-4 club wind. I wasn't in anyway implying that I'd had hit less or that it somehow wasn't a good shot. I presume you haven't played Carnoustie Mac.

McLaren wrote:

Davie wrote:

McLaren wrote:Super

You also have to consider that jas is a teens handicap golfer. It makes his shot all the more impressive.

Troll. Or you're not paying attention

Not trolling. Just defending jas after super questioned using a 3 wood in. For longer hitters that might never be necessary but jas still executed a great 3 wood regardless of what super would have hit in the same conditions.

JAS is nowhere near a teens handicapper

Good shot jas :thumbsup:

Anyone else going to contribute their shot of the year?

Playing in a Charity day at Braintree GC last August. Got to the 9th, relatively easy par 4 dog-leg to the left but pretty short. Play a low iron/rescue to point of the dog-leg and then you're left with just a fairly short iron in. I hit a shocking drive, hooked into the trees on the left, position Z.

Tried to punch a six iron out of the trees. Proper thinned it, came out like a scalded cat on drugs, hit the downslope on the sun-baked fairway which shot it forward like Linford Christie after a dodgy curry the night before. Raced up on to the green, smacked into the pin and dropped into the hole. Eagle 2. Embarassing!

Barely hit a shot of note due to hip issue but holed some lovely putts.However story - just looking at a glass tankard on the window 1989 Pointon York finals day - runner up sadly.This was a matchplay 4 ball knockout comp for businesses in the area and started with 128 entries so we played several teams from different clubs first named played at home very nice won some matches made a few new friends and we get down to last 4 at Kirby Muxloe GC ( probably noted for Gary Wolstenhome and a ridiculous hole where you walk up a footpath into a cow field and there is a tee with a fence around it and you cannot even see the golf course you were on 5 minutes earlier) Safely go through the morning with a smallish gallery and then the afternoon round with around 50 walking along side -im off about 14 and partner of 12 ish similar for other pair.Won par 5 17 to get level and par 3 18 over water in front of crowd and clubhouse.My partner and one of the others put it in the drink other guy misses green about 30 yards left and its windy across left to right.I got the 3 iron out only about 160 yards down the grip hood the face and nobbed it on maybe 25 feet left but safe and happy really goodshot .we didnt do high 5 in those days but it was worthy. Strolled across the bridge feeling happy just got to finish the job now.Stood to one side to watch the chip on which took one bounce and in for a 2 .I 2 putted hence the runners up glass.
Great experience full on golf character building which Im sure is good for any of us.

McLaren wrote:

Chip in at A/S during a team match (on 12th). I really should have been up on this guy but he was hanging in well and then I missed the green well right on a par 3 while he had a decent birdie effort. He missed and I holed, the match was over 4 holes later. I won 3 up.

I was thinking about this last night because something didn't feel right about how I set it out and realised that my recollection wasn't quite correct. I actually had to take a penalty because I was up against a boundary fence post so I had to take a penalty drop.

So I chipped in for par. He 3 putted.

Last autumn, I hit a good drive and then a 2 iron to the 11th green at Troon. The 2 iron was the best strike I hit all year, made all the more surprising because I seldom carry it. Just on links courses - and usually only into the wind. There was just a gentle breeze into and from the left. The ball didn't deviate, missed the bunker on the left by a few yards and rolled to about 15 feet.

No fairytale ending though. I left the putt short. Still a tap in four, which I'll always regard as a birdie. The scorecard may say par 4, but off the blue tee it is a par 5, and when Arnold Palmer hit a couple of 1 irons and holed his putt en route to winning the Open, it was a par 5.

The 11th is consistently the hardest hole I've ever played, especially off the tee near the railway. It's a bit easier when you play off the tees further left, hitting down hill and towards the railway a bit more. I've never had a complete disaster there, but I've glanced it off the wall a few times, and I always feel mighty relieved if I see my drive bounce. I've seen people hitting 7, 9 and 11 off the tee there.

Would love to play Troon.

Right now, I'd love to play.

I have played Troon twice in last few years. A mate down here is a member along with most of his family. So it's part of a yearly visit and a stay at the Marine Hotel. First time weather was glorious, ladt year was biblical and some sort of typhoon. Only lunatics on the course.

I like playing it, but it's to hard for me, but the whole experience is really good.

And still yet to pay to play it..3 times overall.

Ironically, its the closest Open rota course to where I grew up (and my first job was about 2 miles away) and yet it'll probably be the last open rota course I play, a mate is 60 next year and is talking about a Kent trip to include RSG & RCP. 3 years away yet but I've already decided I'm doing a Portrush (and RCD) trip for my 60th. At that point Troon will then be the only one I haven't played.

JAS, which course do you think is the best of the rota?
Actually can we have the top 5 in order as I doubt most of us will have played more than a couple of them.

My favourites are St Andrews, Troon, Muirfield, and Turnberry.

Next are Carnoustie and Birkdale.

Lytham doesn't seem very inspiring, and it's not picturesque, and it's in a housing estate. Sandwich - it just seems dull and entirely forgettable.

I haven't played at Hoylake or Portrush.

I've played Princes, Cinque Ports and Deal maybe a couple of times, but of the courses gone from the Open rota, Prestwick is by far the best. It's worth a trip any time PCV (Post Coronavirus).

Interested why you think Lytham isn't inspiring but the definitely uninspiring TOC is top

Lytham looks very meh on tv

super_realist wrote:JAS, which course do you think is the best of the rota?
Actually can we have the top 5 in order as I doubt most of us will have played more than a couple of them.

There could be a whole bundle of different criteria, overall it would be no surprise for me to say Carnoustie. Overall i think its the hardest test, certainly got the toughest finish. I found Turnberry the most picturesque, best views. Best welcome I have to say was Hoylake. Best bunkered again is Carnoustie although Lytham honourable mention. Birkdale was a most enjoyable experience, I'm sure I've previously regaled the story of the 3 priests? Muirfield was also a great experience, fantastically conditioned course. St Andrews, only ever played it in an absolute hoolie so would be a harsh to judge it as underwhelming. So taking an overall top 5
1. Carnoustie
2. Turnberry
3. Birkdale
4. Muirfield
5. Lytham

Carnoustie is very tough. I've only ever played it in decent conditions and even then it was hard. 16 is incredibly tough and 17,18 are just awesome holes. Not many courses that can swing a championship than those three holes.

super_realist wrote:Carnoustie is very tough. I've only ever played it in decent conditions and even then it was hard. 16 is incredibly tough and 17,18 are just awesome holes. Not many courses that can swing a championship than those three holes.

15's a great hole as well, a par is always so well earned. Feels like you want a draw off the tee and a fade into the green. 14 is super difficult as well when its played as a par 4.

JAS wrote:

super_realist wrote:Carnoustie is very tough. I've only ever played it in decent conditions and even then it was hard. 16 is incredibly tough and 17,18 are just awesome holes. Not many courses that can swing a championship than those three holes.

15's a great hole as well, a par is always so well earned. Feels like you want a draw off the tee and a fade into the green. 14 is super difficult as well when its played as a par 4.

It's just a great course from start to finish. We have a 50 home and 50 man away team comp against them and Leven every year and I've been lucky enough to be at Carnoustie a good few times but alas won't be happening this year.

Well it's now 12 months since I hung up my clubs so nothing from the last year, but one from the year before...

Playing a charity day at local Bearwood Lakes golf course as a guest. Shotgun start - I started on a very short par 4 and managed to birdie it thanks to a holed greenside bunker shot - but the best shot was the following hole - a par3 all over water (about 160 yard carry, 180 to the pin) There was a bailout area to the right but it was also the "beat the pro" hole so decided to go for it. Pro went first and hit it to about 12 feet from the pin. My turn comes and I took a hybrid with a smooth swing (as smooth as my swing ever got anyway) and it cleared the water and rolled up to about 8 foot. So beat the pro (sleeve of balls to me) and holed the putt for a second consecutive birdie! Never done before or since. My playing partners faces were a picture as I was playing off 23 at the time! I don't think I've ever concentrated on a putt in my life before!

So...the 3 Priests story at Birkdale. I played it one calm November Monday morning. Rocks up, pays the winter green fee and enquired if it was busy. Nope came the reply, the last group went off about half an hour ago, you have the course to yourself. If you catch up with the 3 ball they're a nice bunch, they'll either let you play through or they might ask you to join them if you wish.
So, approaching the 8th green I could see them pottering around the 9th tee. "Would you like to join us?" "Aye, no problem, it would be nice to have some local knowledge" At that point i was 2 over and quite pleased at how steady I'd been.
The 9th at Birkdale is a blind tee shot, good solid hit but slightly left. "Oh that might be a bit left" "Och no it'll be fine"....Sure enough the edge of the gorse and no shot, managed to scar my legs and hack it about 6 feet then proceeded to tug 3rd shot into deep gorse. To cut this part of the story short I took a 9 and was absolutely blazing with myself but cognisant of the company I was in (3 men of the cloth) I resisted the strong temptation to vent at myself. The next 2-3 holes contained a selection of shots that would normally merit an out loud expletive or 3 but I held it all in and things then settled back to more like how Id played most of the front 9. We eventually get to 18 and one of the priests has drifted right into the wispy hay. A couple of hacks later, still in the hay he decides to take his medicine and chip out to the fairway. From the fairway he clearly though he could then properly open up, what happened? He only went and shanked it back into the knee high and followed with a loud and continuous range of expletives that even I would have been proud of!! i still chuckle to myself every time I regale that story.

super_realist wrote:

JAS wrote:

super_realist wrote:Carnoustie is very tough. I've only ever played it in decent conditions and even then it was hard. 16 is incredibly tough and 17,18 are just awesome holes. Not many courses that can swing a championship than those three holes.

15's a great hole as well, a par is always so well earned. Feels like you want a draw off the tee and a fade into the green. 14 is super difficult as well when its played as a par 4.

It's just a great course from start to finish. We have a 50 home and 50 man away team comp against them and Leven every year and I've been lucky enough to be at Carnoustie a good few times but alas won't be happening this year.

Sounds like a hoot, what time of year does it normally play? Have you come up against any of their notable players?

Usually played middle two weeks in April. There's a few "quasi pro's/pipedreamers" play each year and a few guys off +4 who must be really struggling now the golf courses are shut and they have nothing else to do.

Good diversion SR!

Last summer I was playing the 15th hole at Aronimink. It's a very long and slightly uphill par 4. Awful drive that I sniped into the left rough. Had to pitch out to the fairway where I had 210yds in and played a utility to within 4 feet. Made the putt for par. My partner (we won the match 1 up) called it the most unlikely par he's seen in years.

Shotrock wrote:Good diversion SR!

Last summer I was playing the 15th hole at Aronimink. It's a very long and slightly uphill par 4. Awful drive that I sniped into the left rough. Had to pitch out to the fairway where I had 210yds in and played a utility to within 4 feet. Made the putt for par. My partner (we won the match 1 up) called it the most unlikely par he's seen in years.

I think those shots are proving to be the most popular because they are seemingly more unlikely and as someone mentioned, Jas I think, in a matchplay game it's a dagger in the heart of the opponents.

super_realist wrote:Interested why you think Lytham isn't inspiring but the definitely uninspiring TOC is top

It's a personal thing I think. I've only been to Lytham with friends, and not very often. I've never played well there. The only thing I really remember is Bobby Jones' plaque, and we all tried to recreate the shot he hit. Even that wasn't very memorable because in those days it was a unkempt sandy waste area apparently. It must have been a fantastic shot in 1926. Now it's neatly laid out as semi rough and bunkers. Nowadays, if you are one of the bunkers you can't take the shot on. If you are in the semi rough it's just a blind 165 yard iron shot. Lytham just seems like just another golf course in a town somewhere.

I like St Andrews because I used to play it with my Dad. He was a member of the New Club, so although we didn't live there we could play when we were on holiday. The Old Course was stupidly cheap in those days. Once I thought I was going to beat him - for the first time ever - but he finished 3, 4, 3 to snatch it from me. I played it with Tip Anderson (Arnold Palmer's caddy) who was fascinating to listen to. And plenty of times when I was at university, and a few times since, so I have good memories. These days, at a £190 a pop it's always going to be an occasional treat rather than a regular thing, but I still love the whole atmosphere and the feel of the place. Not just the Old Course either - I love the other courses too. God willing I'll enter the Eden Trophy next year, 40+ years on from when I first played in it.

Carnoustie, I agree is a really hard course. I've only played it a very few times. One of those was with Bobby Cole though, he won the Amateur Championship there in 1966, beating Ronnie Shade in the final. He was really good to play with, and he could remember a lot about the match. He was also close to winning the Open there in 1975 when Tom Watson won it (he should have won it - took 76 in the last round to finish one behind).

Memories and experiences seem to determine how we think about places and courses. Memories are wrapped all around places, and when you've been somewhere an enjoyed it, you are bound to have a soft spot for it.

Only time Ive been to Lytham was for the Open on a Saturday many years ago and it was called off due too flooding just as we arrived.It does look rather underwhelming though.
I played with a very old friend at Atherstone and third member of our group his pal was a very dodgy individual could not count past 5 and had a club connected to his right foot when required.Nice walk (tough course BTW)sat after and the other guy left I asked my old pal what he did and he replied 'hes the assistant chief constable of Leicestershire'
Good stories though -George was Bobby Cole South African ? Old friend of mine caddied for him I think it was him at The Masters.Thats another story

The only Open Championship course I've played was RSG. And it was mighty good! (In an event with Neil Coles and Bernard Gallacher ... so a fun after golf dinner and cocktail party to boot.)

Good thread idea Sups.

Hard to think of something, but played the 2010 RC course at Celtic Manor last September w/ my brother and it was very wet. Started p!ssing down on 15th again I think.
Hit a so-so drive down left of 16 in light first cut. Went w/ a 4i for approach, all the while feeling like the club was going to fly out of my hands, and although didn't quite flush it, hit it very well to about 12 foot. Soaked to skin, but very chuffed w/ that. Missed putt though. Typical.

My best shot over next 12 months is going to be a nice putt on the lounge carpet, by the looks of it. Should be deadly from ~15-18 foot next time we can get out there for real!