Memorable Golf Story
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The racoon
I hooked up with a single on the first tee at the Salem Golf club in Salem, Oregon. While we were getting ready to tee off, a racoon appeared and starting sniffing around our bags. The racoon was not really bothering us, so we did not bother it.
After we hit our tee shots, the racoon followed us down the fairway. In fact it followed us for several holes.
Then it occured to me that the racoon might be the other guys pet so I asked him, "how long have you had that racoon?". "My racoon?", he retorts, "I thought it was yours!".
We both got a good laugh about it.
The interesting thing about that racoon was, that every now and then it would run off into the woods and then reappear some where else to continue following us. It followed us all the way to the 18th green and then picked up another group on the first tee, I guess to follow them. I wonder what they thought of their new found companion?
Oh the joys of golfing.
Regards and may all your putts be tapins.
Kent
I hooked up with a single on the first tee at the Salem Golf club in Salem, Oregon. While we were getting ready to tee off, a racoon appeared and starting sniffing around our bags. The racoon was not really bothering us, so we did not bother it.
After we hit our tee shots, the racoon followed us down the fairway. In fact it followed us for several holes.
Then it occured to me that the racoon might be the other guys pet so I asked him, "how long have you had that racoon?". "My racoon?", he retorts, "I thought it was yours!".
We both got a good laugh about it.
The interesting thing about that racoon was, that every now and then it would run off into the woods and then reappear some where else to continue following us. It followed us all the way to the 18th green and then picked up another group on the first tee, I guess to follow them. I wonder what they thought of their new found companion?
Oh the joys of golfing.
Regards and may all your putts be tapins.
Kent
Ha, the joys of nature and golfing put into oneKent said:I hooked up with a single on the first tee at the Salem Golf club in Salem, Oregon. While we were getting ready to tee off, a racoon appeared and starting sniffing around our bags. The racoon was not really bothering us, so we did not bother it.
After we hit our tee shots, the racoon followed us down the fairway. In fact it followed us for several holes.
Then it occured to me that the racoon might be the other guys pet so I asked him, "how long have you had that racoon?". "My racoon?", he retorts, "I thought it was yours!".
We both got a good laugh about it.
The interesting thing about that racoon was, that every now and then it would run off into the woods and then reappear some where else to continue following us. It followed us all the way to the 18th green and then picked up another group on the first tee, I guess to follow them. I wonder what they thought of their new found companion?
Oh the joys of golfing.
Regards and may all your putts be tapins.
Kent
I don't really have any stories to tell but I got +6 once on a course, which was my best so far. I don't know if that counts
your away
There was this time I was playing one of my rounds for the club championship.
My handicap at the time was maybe a 4 or 5 and the other guys was maybe 6 or 7.
All in all I figured we were evenly matched and I would have to be at the top of my game to win.
This was our first meeting together so I had no idea what kind of game he had.
The first hole was a par 5, straight away and reachable in 2. He teed off first with a driver and I hit a 3 wood, He out drove me by about 30 yds.
When I play with someone in match play, I look for some kind of swing flaw, no matter how good he is. I noticed one in his. He had a weak grip, that told me he was probably fighting the tendency to hook the ball.
We both birdied the first hole. On the second hole he used his driver to make it over a small ravine and I layed up. He used a wedge for his second shot and I used a 7 iron. We both parred the hole.
The 3rd hole was a dog leg right. He cut the dog leg and I played it straight away. Again we both parred the hole.
Now I am thinking that he must be thinking that he is outplaying me but it does not show on the score card. I also figure he is giving it about 110%, while I have been more consertive giving it maye 90%. Actually , what I am doing is bidding my time to stick it to him, like in a horse race where I sit back feeling plenty of horse under me, while the leaders are huffing and puffing.
The 4th hole was a straight away par 4. He hits his driver and I hit my driver, this time I outdrive him by about 10 yds.
He hits first and stuffs it, maybe 15 inches or so from the flag. He gives me a wry smile like he has me in the corner. I hit my shot to about the same distance from the flag, but it is hard to tell where we stand as we walk to the green.
As I mark my ball and he marks his I say, "I think you are away".
He made his birdie putt and I made mine. He still had the honors on the next tee, but that was the last time he had them. His grip feel apart like I thought it would when he started trying to outdrive me.
I ended up winning the match easily, but I was lucky. The right shot came at the right time and I was able to take advantage of it.
Regards and may the wind always favor your shot,
Kent
There was this time I was playing one of my rounds for the club championship.
My handicap at the time was maybe a 4 or 5 and the other guys was maybe 6 or 7.
All in all I figured we were evenly matched and I would have to be at the top of my game to win.
This was our first meeting together so I had no idea what kind of game he had.
The first hole was a par 5, straight away and reachable in 2. He teed off first with a driver and I hit a 3 wood, He out drove me by about 30 yds.
When I play with someone in match play, I look for some kind of swing flaw, no matter how good he is. I noticed one in his. He had a weak grip, that told me he was probably fighting the tendency to hook the ball.
We both birdied the first hole. On the second hole he used his driver to make it over a small ravine and I layed up. He used a wedge for his second shot and I used a 7 iron. We both parred the hole.
The 3rd hole was a dog leg right. He cut the dog leg and I played it straight away. Again we both parred the hole.
Now I am thinking that he must be thinking that he is outplaying me but it does not show on the score card. I also figure he is giving it about 110%, while I have been more consertive giving it maye 90%. Actually , what I am doing is bidding my time to stick it to him, like in a horse race where I sit back feeling plenty of horse under me, while the leaders are huffing and puffing.
The 4th hole was a straight away par 4. He hits his driver and I hit my driver, this time I outdrive him by about 10 yds.
He hits first and stuffs it, maybe 15 inches or so from the flag. He gives me a wry smile like he has me in the corner. I hit my shot to about the same distance from the flag, but it is hard to tell where we stand as we walk to the green.
As I mark my ball and he marks his I say, "I think you are away".
He made his birdie putt and I made mine. He still had the honors on the next tee, but that was the last time he had them. His grip feel apart like I thought it would when he started trying to outdrive me.
I ended up winning the match easily, but I was lucky. The right shot came at the right time and I was able to take advantage of it.
Regards and may the wind always favor your shot,
Kent
1) I had too much fade on my drive and put it at the bottom of the 150-yard pine tree(in the ruff).
2)My friend who I was playing with said I should hit a 5 iron.
3)I decided to hit my 6 iron cause I did not think I would be able to get enough lift from my 5 iron.
4)I hit it very well and left my self a 2-foot birdie putt. When I was finished hitting my shot from under the pine tree, I just shrugged my shoulders at my friend and asked "Do you think that it is close?"
That was my favorite shot so far.
2)My friend who I was playing with said I should hit a 5 iron.
3)I decided to hit my 6 iron cause I did not think I would be able to get enough lift from my 5 iron.
4)I hit it very well and left my self a 2-foot birdie putt. When I was finished hitting my shot from under the pine tree, I just shrugged my shoulders at my friend and asked "Do you think that it is close?"
That was my favorite shot so far.
my friend charlie
Charlie is by no stretch if the imagination a good golfer. The first time he played golf was in a company golf outing. One of the awards was for the worst score. When Charlies card was noticed, it was a 187. The person who was the MC thought maybe the score was in error and jokingly asked Charlie if that included whiffs. Charlie asked what is a whiff. He was told it's when you swing at the ball and miss it. Charlie asked if whiffs are supposed to count. Yes, he was told. Charlie thinks a moment and then says, 'in that case I had a 221'.!
Charlie, even though not good at golf, enjoyed it a great deal, which was one of the reasons I enjoyed playing with him.
Charlie is very good at non athletic endevours and is no dummy. Last I heard, he was just a few points from being an American chess Grand master.
Whenever Charlie and I played, I always did whatever I could to help him, short of swinging the club for him.
This one time we where playing a fairly short course, no par fives, but very hilly. It seemed that every time Charlie would hit his shot to the green it would land at the opposite end from where the pin was.
When we came to the 17th, Charlie was down along the hillside, such that he could not see the green or the pin and he asked me if I could hold up the pin so he could see it.
Well, in thinking I could help Charlie by counter acting his tendecy to hit where the hole wasn't, I took the pin out of the hole, walked to the other end of the green and held it up. "Here it is Charlie, go for it', I yelled.
Charlie hits his ball and it heads straight for me and ends up about 4 or 5 feet from where I am standing. Charlie gives himself a high 5.
As he is walking towards the green, I tell him I have some good news and bad news. "The good news Charlie' , I say with a stiffled chuckle, "the ball is about 4 feet from the pin". "The bad news" , I say with a feigned groan, "The hole is way over there'.:dunno: :laugh:
So much for helping out a golf buddy in the hour of need. Knowing Charlie, I am sure he has forgiven me for good intentions gone awry.
I have lots of funny stories about Charlie and will be telling some more off and on. I hope that is ok and that you enjoy them.
Regard,
Kent
Charlie is by no stretch if the imagination a good golfer. The first time he played golf was in a company golf outing. One of the awards was for the worst score. When Charlies card was noticed, it was a 187. The person who was the MC thought maybe the score was in error and jokingly asked Charlie if that included whiffs. Charlie asked what is a whiff. He was told it's when you swing at the ball and miss it. Charlie asked if whiffs are supposed to count. Yes, he was told. Charlie thinks a moment
and then says, 'in that case I had a 221'.!Charlie, even though not good at golf, enjoyed it a great deal, which was one of the reasons I enjoyed playing with him.
Charlie is very good at non athletic endevours and is no dummy. Last I heard, he was just a few points from being an American chess Grand master.
Whenever Charlie and I played, I always did whatever I could to help him, short of swinging the club for him.
This one time we where playing a fairly short course, no par fives, but very hilly. It seemed that every time Charlie would hit his shot to the green it would land at the opposite end from where the pin was.
When we came to the 17th, Charlie was down along the hillside, such that he could not see the green or the pin and he asked me if I could hold up the pin so he could see it.
Well, in thinking I could help Charlie by counter acting his tendecy to hit where the hole wasn't, I took the pin out of the hole, walked to the other end of the green and held it up. "Here it is Charlie, go for it', I yelled.
Charlie hits his ball and it heads straight for me and ends up about 4 or 5 feet from where I am standing. Charlie gives himself a high 5.
As he is walking towards the green, I tell him I have some good news and bad news. "The good news Charlie' , I say with a stiffled chuckle, "the ball is about 4 feet from the pin". "The bad news" , I say with a feigned groan, "The hole is way over there'.:dunno: :laugh:
So much for helping out a golf buddy in the hour of need. Knowing Charlie, I am sure he has forgiven me for good intentions gone awry.
I have lots of funny stories about Charlie and will be telling some more off and on. I hope that is ok and that you enjoy them.
Regard,
Kent
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I made two hole in ones within a week on the same course with the same people playing in front of me, including my father. Both were at Standard Country Club in Louisville, Kentucky. I was 16 years old at the time...
The first was on a 175 yard par 3. I flew it in the hole and cracked the fiberglass flagstick. I still have that stick as a souvenier. It sounded like a gun shot when it went in and although I couldn't see the ball actually go in the hole, I had a speculative idea as I walked up to the green.
The second was on the par 4 first hole, a short 350 yards with the last 100 yards downhill on burned out grass at the end of summer. I hit a good drive with a small draw, nothing I thought was so spectacular, but it ran all the way to the green and between my Dad and his friends, right up to the hole and in. It just so happened, they had just taken the pin out and we teased for a long time that I had asked someone to remove the stick, intending to make the shot. My Dad loved to tell that story on me.
The first was on a 175 yard par 3. I flew it in the hole and cracked the fiberglass flagstick. I still have that stick as a souvenier. It sounded like a gun shot when it went in and although I couldn't see the ball actually go in the hole, I had a speculative idea as I walked up to the green.
The second was on the par 4 first hole, a short 350 yards with the last 100 yards downhill on burned out grass at the end of summer. I hit a good drive with a small draw, nothing I thought was so spectacular, but it ran all the way to the green and between my Dad and his friends, right up to the hole and in. It just so happened, they had just taken the pin out and we teased for a long time that I had asked someone to remove the stick, intending to make the shot. My Dad loved to tell that story on me.
Lanny Wadkins
When I was in my 20's and I had a hdcp of around 5, I won a city league tournament that allowed me to play in a pro-am with the big boys. I still had to come up with part of the money and I do not reacall how much it was.
The pro I drew was Lanny Wadkins in his rookie year (he won rookie of the year award that year and had won the U.S. amatuer the previous year). I did not know much about him and of course he did not know much about me.
When we met we went to the driving range where I mostly just watched him hit balls. If you know Lanny, you know how quickly he sets up and hits the ball. I am more on the ease into it type, with several practice swings.
He wished me good luck and told me not worry about how I play and stuff like that, although winning is nice, it is more about having fun.
I was pretty much at ease on the first tee and hit a pretty good drive on the par 5 and was the only one in the foursome who hit the fairway. The other pro in the group was a guy named Chris Blocker, big guy that had a driver with a very odd head.
I was feeling pretty good and hit my second shot to within about 10 feet or so of the pin. Lanny gave me a couple of hi-fives. telling me that an eagle here met a double eagle because it was a stroke hole for me (one of only 5).
As we walked onto the green Chris comes over to me and says, 'I keep an eye out for cheaters, so don't do anything stupid'.
Not sure why he said that, so I was thinking I must have done something to break some rule and I did not point it out. I was wracking my brain trying to think what it might be.
I was a bit miffed and shook up, so much so, that when I marked my ball, I was not fully aware that I placed my mark in front of the ball instead of behind it. (That is ok, so long as you replace the ball that way).
When it was my turn to putt, I was confused about what I did and replaced the ball in front of the marker instead of behind it.
Lanny comes over to me like he is going to help me read the putt and asks me if I remember how I marked and replaced the ball. That is when I realize what I did, so I just said, "I am so nervous, I guess I did that wrong huh?".
He winked at me, gave a nod and told me to do it right.
Well, now I was even more confused. Do I mark it like I did before or do I do it right,front or back, ball first or coin first.
So while I am pondering what to do, Chris says something like,
'you have 5 minutes to figure it out, or it is a lost ball" and then he laughs.
(Not sure that is true). Lanny comes over and tells me to place my marker behind the ball, pick up the ball and then put the ball behind the marker and then pick up the marker. Sounds simple enough but I was sure having a hard time figuring it out.
Anyway, after getting it all straight I felt a bit nervous and Lanny comes over to me and takes his hand and puts it over my heart. It is beating almost at max I would say, like I am having a panic attack. He tells me to calm down, take a few deep breaths and focus on the putt. He held his hand there for maybe 30 secs asking me things about the putt and giving his own input. He got me to focus on the putt and it calmed me down.
I have always wished I could have a picture of Lanny with his hand over my heart calming me down. It worked and I use the image a lot when I get overly excited on the golf course.
The putt was slightly downhill with some break. I did not make the eagle, but I did make the birdie.
After I made the putt, Chris comes over winks at me and says, 'way to go sport, nice scramble'.
I got used to Chris's sense of humour and before the round was over I was giving some of it back to him.
But I will never forget Lanny looking me in the eyes with genuine concern his hand over my heart, calming me down.
We took 4th in the pro-am and I got a dozen titliest. I still have one sleeve of that dozen today with Lanny's name on them.
Since then I have always been a big fan of Lanny's.
All most people see in Lanny is his fierce competiveness and drive, which is true. But underneath it is a keen sense of humour, a genuine concern about your well being and the willingness to be anyones friend on the first tee.
Regards,
Kent
When I was in my 20's and I had a hdcp of around 5, I won a city league tournament that allowed me to play in a pro-am with the big boys. I still had to come up with part of the money and I do not reacall how much it was.
The pro I drew was Lanny Wadkins in his rookie year (he won rookie of the year award that year and had won the U.S. amatuer the previous year). I did not know much about him and of course he did not know much about me.
When we met we went to the driving range where I mostly just watched him hit balls. If you know Lanny, you know how quickly he sets up and hits the ball. I am more on the ease into it type, with several practice swings.
He wished me good luck and told me not worry about how I play and stuff like that, although winning is nice, it is more about having fun.
I was pretty much at ease on the first tee and hit a pretty good drive on the par 5 and was the only one in the foursome who hit the fairway. The other pro in the group was a guy named Chris Blocker, big guy that had a driver with a very odd head.
I was feeling pretty good and hit my second shot to within about 10 feet or so of the pin. Lanny gave me a couple of hi-fives. telling me that an eagle here met a double eagle because it was a stroke hole for me (one of only 5).
As we walked onto the green Chris comes over to me and says, 'I keep an eye out for cheaters, so don't do anything stupid'.
Not sure why he said that, so I was thinking I must have done something to break some rule and I did not point it out. I was wracking my brain trying to think what it might be.
I was a bit miffed and shook up, so much so, that when I marked my ball, I was not fully aware that I placed my mark in front of the ball instead of behind it. (That is ok, so long as you replace the ball that way).
When it was my turn to putt, I was confused about what I did and replaced the ball in front of the marker instead of behind it.
Lanny comes over to me like he is going to help me read the putt and asks me if I remember how I marked and replaced the ball. That is when I realize what I did, so I just said, "I am so nervous, I guess I did that wrong huh?".
He winked at me, gave a nod and told me to do it right.
Well, now I was even more confused. Do I mark it like I did before or do I do it right,front or back, ball first or coin first.
So while I am pondering what to do, Chris says something like,
'you have 5 minutes to figure it out, or it is a lost ball" and then he laughs.
(Not sure that is true). Lanny comes over and tells me to place my marker behind the ball, pick up the ball and then put the ball behind the marker and then pick up the marker. Sounds simple enough but I was sure having a hard time figuring it out.
Anyway, after getting it all straight I felt a bit nervous and Lanny comes over to me and takes his hand and puts it over my heart. It is beating almost at max I would say, like I am having a panic attack. He tells me to calm down, take a few deep breaths and focus on the putt. He held his hand there for maybe 30 secs asking me things about the putt and giving his own input. He got me to focus on the putt and it calmed me down.
I have always wished I could have a picture of Lanny with his hand over my heart calming me down. It worked and I use the image a lot when I get overly excited on the golf course.
The putt was slightly downhill with some break. I did not make the eagle, but I did make the birdie.
After I made the putt, Chris comes over winks at me and says, 'way to go sport, nice scramble'.
I got used to Chris's sense of humour and before the round was over I was giving some of it back to him.
But I will never forget Lanny looking me in the eyes with genuine concern his hand over my heart, calming me down.
We took 4th in the pro-am and I got a dozen titliest. I still have one sleeve of that dozen today with Lanny's name on them.
Since then I have always been a big fan of Lanny's.
All most people see in Lanny is his fierce competiveness and drive, which is true. But underneath it is a keen sense of humour, a genuine concern about your well being and the willingness to be anyones friend on the first tee.
Regards,
Kent
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