How Likely Is This?

How Likely Is This?

  • Very Likely

    Votes: 3 14.3%
  • Possible

    Votes: 6 28.6%
  • Highly Unlikely

    Votes: 12 57.1%
  • Impossible

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    21

Craig Mac

_____________________
Joined
Oct 8, 2008
Messages
4,067
Reaction score
87
Location
Hampton Roads
After seeing a post somewhere, it started a conversation here at work so I wanted to see what the popular opinion was.

A guy claimed he was playing in a "40+ mph wind". On a par 5 measuring 585 yards playing downwind, he claims he had less than 200 yards left for his second shot. Never said how this distance was measured(whether it was GPS reading or estimated from the Scorecard). Also said he was playing bad that day.

So my question is, how likely is that an average golfer could hit a 385+ yard drive with a 40 mph wind behind them.
 
It's possible, but it's also extremely possible he's lying. A lot of lies have to do with extreme speeds of wind.
 
Do we know if it was straight down hill or flat? Do we know what kind of roll you get at this course? At my course, it is almost impossible unless you are Matt C from our videos or a select few guys that can really poke it out there. Our THP pro may be able to because of how high he can hit it.
 
I want to say that I am not saying anyone is not telling the truth, I am just curious to see what others think about the scenario. 385+ yards is a long way to hit the ball under any conditions!!

Over 50 players have a drive over 385 this year on Tour, but these are not "average" players, and I am sure most of those came at altitude and/or extreme wind conditions.


JB, I am not sure of the course layout, and I know that would factor in. So for the sake of the argument lets say flat to slightly downhill(benifit of doubt factor), with average roll.
 
I would "guess" it's possible.

I am 62 and when I catch one, in FL, it's about 245-250. When playing down there 2 weeks ago, we measured 2 of my drives (GPS in cart) which were hit downwind and they were 298 and 301. Pretty good for the good man, in MHO.... :) So, I would guess the average golfer, if he got a hold of a good one down wind could get that distance. In my prime, 30 years ago (with all that primitive equipment we had) used to crank them out 285-290 on average (we never had any wind that long ago.... :)
 
I dont know CM. I am 50/50 on this one. 40MPH winds is REALLY STRONG. You get it up in the air and there is no telling what can happen. And if the fairways are hard, after a bounce, you get the effect of the wind again. I would say "no" or slight exageration, but you never know. The other thing to consider is that the tee markers are WAY OFF. At many clubs I play, the holes are listed at 575 or so, but on GPS, it shows only 515 or something like that.
 
Craig - I'd say it's entirely possible. I watched a guy smash one 345 in a wind like that without too much roll (Altercall, you know him). Add in elevated tee box, some roll and/or a hill, and it sure is possible.
 
Craig - I'd say it's entirely possible. I watched a guy smash one 345 in a wind like that without too much roll (Altercall, you know him). Add in elevated tee box, some roll and/or a hill, and it sure is possible.
Dang, I didn't know AC had game like that. I am trying not to influence the Poll and it was to us here at work just a simple discussion, but 385+ is a LONG way to hit the ball
 
When people claim a great feat, and then say they were playing bad that day are just Bsing themselves, those are the people who think they are better than they really are. That really makes me angry the most when people just throw on that little line on the end to impress people.
 
I voted highly unlikely, just because of the word average in the question. Most of the average golfers I know are horrible liars and unless I saw the drive personally I wouldn't believe them anyway. These are the same guys who haven't seen a lie that couldn't be improved and don't count any penalty strokes. If they say they scored a 5 it was actually a 7:D
 
Unless the fairways were rock hard, and the fairway was like way below the tee box, then I would say no.
 
I had a pretty similar shot when I first got this new driver. I never mention distance because it is kind of hard to prove it. I had a tail wind, got it over the ridge so it started rolling downhill, plus the ground was pretty firm. Left me about 210 out and hit the stick from the bunker to just miss eagle.

I saw a guy at company outing in Palm Springs hit the long drive hole 335 with not much wind coming into play at all.

I dont think it matters if its a average golfer or not, everyone hits a ball on the screws every once in a while.

EDIT* Nevermind, I just saw that it said 385, I thought it was 335. Stupid me.
 
I would think course conditions would be key. I think it is possible but I base that on the conditions we can have here in Texas. In the drought conditions we have had the last year or so there are some rock hard fairways. I know playing last Sunday with hard fairways and very high winds the group I play with were hitting clubs on holes we never do. Of course that goes both ways. We were hitting irons into par 4s off the tee with the wind behind and drivers off teh tee on a couple of par 3s and not reaching the green. Considering into the wind we hit driver on a par 3 that we would usually hit a 5 iron or 4 iron it was a pretty strong wind.
 
There is a hole at my home course that measures 380+/- yards. It runs west to east. I was standing on the green, and had a ball roll up on me. When I looked to see where it came from, a guy was standing on the tee box waving his arms. He hit this ball with about a 30 mph tailwind. I don't know what the carry was, but to reach the green, the fairway take about a 6' dip, and then rolls up hill to the green. The guy who hit this ball 4 putted for bogey. He apologized, and said it was a career shot. Some senior pro (Mike Austin?) way back when, on this same course hit a 500+/- yard shot on another hole with a 40 +/-mph tail wind pushing his ball. There is a news paper clipping framed in the pro shop that describes it. I myself hit a 340 shot (skycaddie) with a pretty good tail wind, which is probably the farthest I have ever hit a ball. Lots of carry, and lots of roll on that shot In my prime the best I could muster on a consistent basis was around 280. My opinion would be that any decent higher handicap, or lucky golfer, with the right tail wind, on a straight fairway could hit a 385 yard shot.......:comp:
 
Back
Top