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Worst Experience on the Course?

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JB

JB

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THP Experiences
We have all had some amazing times on the golf course, be it visiting exotic courses, shooting personal bests or enjoying time with friends. Once in a while, the course isn’t a ton of fun.

What was the worst experience you have ever had on the golf course and why?

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I have to say when the game is awry and you cannot seem to get anything going. There have been a round in league play where the S***** came out of the bag... that sure was no fun.
 
Playing a course that had literal sand dunes on the greens after being punched.
 
Hmmm, I can honestly say in 20+ years of golf I cannot really recall 1 time on the course that was a terrible experience. Sure, I've played less than perfect courses and much less than perfect golf; I've been rained out and played in 100* weather; I've been whooped by 20 strokes and lost by 1 stroke, but I think that is to be expected. I'm sure there have been moments that I would classify in that instant as a bad experience, but I cannot quite remember any details after the fact. With that said, I've never been hit by a golf ball with any kind of force. I bet that would stay at the top of my list.

On the flip side, I probably couldn't tell you my best experience on a course either. Too many to count.
 
I'm literally having hard time to remember a when I didn't have a good day on the course. Obviously ups and downs, but it's always a good day overall.

I guess there was one time where a buddy and I got paired up with a twosome at Kiawah on the ocean course. THese guys were from just across the state looking to play it for the first time. Dressed super fancy haha, talked about how they were good players, ready to tackle the course, etc. Well they were not so good. Normally isn't a problem with me because Ive been there and still have really bad days.

Any way. They were not the most gifted players, but what made the day super bad for my buddy and I was the constant complaining. The greens are too fast/the pins are ridiculous (they had multiple 3/4/5 putts), this hard pan (the OCs cart path/bunkering) is impossible and not fair, the fairways aren't wide enough (if you've never played the OC the fairways are supppppper forgiving), etc. Well this unfortunately took a toll on us and while we shot pretty decent for us (mid to high 80s, they shot well over 100), we didn't get to really enjoy our normal mojito and burger on the porch like we usually do after a round there. They just ruined it.

Funny thing was, my buddy had enough of it at one point and mentioned, "well it looks like Josh has gotten out of the bunkers pretty well after adjusting and I've putted pretty darn well with less than 25 putts through 15" they didn't get the hint though haha. THe famous 17th par 3 was interesting that day. Super heavy head wind. From our tees it was 155 but I hit a 4 iron haha. Landed middle of the green. These two knobs hit their "150 club" smooth 7 and made it maybe halfway.


(literall sat here thinking of a time and when that one hit me, it all came rushing back haha)
 
I honestly cant think of a "worst" time.. I know there have been incidences where I tee'd off then discovered that it was going to be a 12 hour (yes exaggeration) round and called it a day. I would not call that a bad day though just bad planning or bad communication by the course.
 
I'm a pretty fast golfer, but I understand that not everyone is. But I walked off a course after 6 holes because it had taken 3 hrs and 9 minutes to play those 6 holes. Hole 6 ended at the club house so before circling back around with 7, 8, 9 I just walked off. I had called the clubhouse to let them know something was up on hole 4 and was told there's nothing he could do because it's golf and people play at their own pace. When I left the tee sheet was backed up by several spots and several groups were giving the clubhouse guy an ear full. That has been the only truly negative experience I have had in 22 years of golf.
 
Probably breaking my nose or tearing my knee. Outside of those experiences, I choose not to overwhelm myself with how well/poorly I’m playing or how long the round is so my poor experiences have been limited recently.
 
Aside from super long rounds, there isn't a whole round that stands out as terrible. Small incidents, like my stomach betraying me a few holes in have occurred haha but yeah no whole rounds ruined
 
chillyballer said:
I'm a pretty fast golfer, but I understand that not everyone is. But I walked off a course after 6 holes because it had taken 3 hrs and 9 minutes to play those 6 holes. Hole 6 ended at the club house so before circling back around with 7, 8, 9 I just walked off. I had called the clubhouse to let them know something was up on hole 4 and was told there's nothing he could do because it's golf and people play at their own pace. When I left the tee sheet was backed up by several spots and several groups were giving the clubhouse guy an ear full. That has been the only truly negative experience I have had in 22 years of golf.
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bro that's not a you being a fast player and others being slow issue, that's a course not knowing what they're doing issue.

Completely inexcusable
 
I love golf so much the worst day is just a good day instead of a great day. That said last week on my annual golf trip an old friend who has not showed up for the last few trips and who is an obnoxious drinker made a round not very fun. He kept talking and moving around while the rest of us were trying to hit. My nicest friend said in the nicest way possible that it was making golf not very fun. Instead of taking the criticism to heart he took it as an insult and spent the rest of the round being an a-hole. He even said the trip (which I planned) wasn't fun anymore because we were too fancy. Guess who isn't going on the trip ever again???
 
i have had rounds where i just can't seem to hit a clean shot. hossel, fat, thin.....UUUGGGHHH

but my worst experience is getting into arguments with other golfers. it takes away from your day and the fun i am having playing with my dad.
 
Easy, Silverhorn charity event from about 6 years ago. At hour 8 on the 10th tee box (no this isn't an exaggeration) I just had to walk off the course and go home, it just wasn't fun at all. However the charity did well from a money perspective so thats a bit of a positive.
 
I would say my worst experience would be playing in my first two club championships with a back that was killing me. The first year it was kind of acting up for a week or two beforehand. About 3 days before I was playing and had a bunker shot with my feet outside the bunker and ball well below my feet. Took a swing and instantly felt a sharp pain in my lower back. I almost withdrew after the 2nd and 5th holes on the first day but powered through. Did a bunch of ice, heat, and stretching that night and it was manageable the next two days. The next year my back flared up again right before the tournament. Not quite as bad but still no fun. Powered through similarly to the first year.

Fingers crossed it doesn't happen between now and next weekend for our club championship this year. I would say if those are my worst experiences then I've had some good times golfing!
 
My worst days playing are, anytime my round is cut short due to weather. When I play I plan on playing 18 holes, I'm not happy if I can't finish. I don't get mad, just get really disappointed.
 
I play a lot as a single, and the vast majority of the times that I get put with other golfers it is a great experience, I have met some incredible people this way, and it is usually a really good time. I can remember one time though, where it was an absolute disaster. This particular course got on a kick for awhile where they would put two singles in the same cart, or in this case, a single (me) with the third of a threesome. This threesome was a group of twenty-somethings, the two in the other cart played really annoying Techno music, at a very loud volume the whole round, and the guy I shared a cart with rarely spoke to me, as he couldn't get his face out of his phone, banging away on social media the entire time. They even had another friend catch up and join us on the 14th, so we finished up as a fivesome. This was not a course that is walkable for me, at least not without a pushcart, so I felt like I was trapped with these guys for the 5+ hours the round took. I honestly think I did a pretty good job of enduring the round without going off on these guys, especially about the pace, as they would have to finish their social media conversations before they would get out of the cart to take their next shot. We were holding everyone up behind us, and had fallen way behind anyone ahead of us, but of course they do not marshal the courses around here, so there wasn't going to be any help. It was absolutely the worst day of golf I can remember.
 
Probably the time I played like complete garbage during a big 36 hole Tournament . Somewhere during the first 18 I got the shanks and couldn't shake em. Culminated with a 13 on the final hole (4 balls into the same pond) to finish dead freaking last.

I always try to enjoy the game, the company, the outdoors etc...but it just wasn't happening that day.
 
The only thing that comes to mind was playing in a high school meet that had winds gusting in the high 20s to 30s and sleet. It hurt and it was very cold.
 
Playing on a packed course and getting hit into, on the fly, multiple times. After the first couple times we wanted to make sure they knew we were there but they just stood there and stared at us. After a few times I confronted them. They kept their distance but were pretty condescending so that just made me more angry. A few vague threats amy have been made. :oops: I defintiely don't play well angry and that kinda ruinned the round. I was in my early twenties and definitely more of a hothead.

That's the worst I've got. I almost always love being on the course and have made peace with my abilities. Since no one will pay me to play this game I guess I should really enjoy it. ;)
 
I don't have any really terrible rounds that stick out. I guess I'll go with the round on the first day of our Club Championship where I was leading after 17 holes and proceeded to make a 10 on the par 4 18th hole. That was not a great feeling afterward.
 
@OITW and I spoke about this last night. We aren't out here to make money, we are out here to have fun and enjoy golf. No matter how bad your round is, it is most likely more enjoyable than working right?

On a side note, I got stuck behind a maintenance guy mowing greens for about 4-5 holes. Had to wait for him every time. Usually they will turn the mower off when you are trying to putt....this guy didn't.
 
My worst was in a Club Championship with a guy who had/has an attitude problem. 1st Tee shot of his goes hard left into the woods which is marked well with red stakes, He does not say anything , Tees up another and it goes straight down the middle. After the remaining three of us hit, he goes out to where his 1st shot entered and finds his ball, and takes a club and goes to hit it. I say Hold on there Nick, that ball is dead, your second shot is the one that is in play. He argues with me and stomps off to his ball in the middle and plays the hole with that one. He lands on the green, walks over with his putter and putts out and then goes to his golf cart and just sits there moping , while the three of us plays out normally. next hole he does the same , putts out and goes sits in his cart playing well ahead of the three of us. So we get to Hole 9 and he does the same as Hole 1, Hard left shot into the woods which is marked with Red Stakes. He pulls another ball out of his pocket , and looks at me with anger and says loudly -- I am hitting a Provisional - do you guys hear that this is a Provisional. I reply back to him, that is a Red hazard you hit into and you cannot play a provisional, if you do that ball will be in play just like you did on Hole 1. He stomps off to his cart and waits for the rest of us to hit. He putts out on hole 9 and runs into the club house to see the Pro about the rules I called him on. We get to hole 10 and he hits his ball and goes sits in his cart -- this proceeds thru the rest of the holes until hole 18 - which he announces after his last putt. I am thru with is Fnn Club - you guys are a bunch of A holes.. and leaves. The Pro who I have known for years came up to me - and said Good Job on the Rules calls. I said is that why he came to the Club house at hole 9? he says Yep and I told him he was wrong and he got pissed.
The reason I bring this up is, today at another club to which I belong is playing a Partner best ball event today -- This Mr Attitude is in the group directly behind me. Holy Crap Batman..
 
Strangely enough it was 3 weeks ago when I broke 90 for the first time ever. Breaking 90 was the first golf goal I set and was stoked to finally get there but the group ahead put a damper on the day. They took 5.5 hours and broke every piece of ready golf etiquette you can imagine. Wondering around on private property looking for balls, 2 minutes between putts, guys waiting to putt while the 4th wonders around a creek looking for a ball. At one point after we were waiting 10 minutes on the tee they finally finished their approach shots and then one of them went 100 yards backwards in the fairway to play his shot, for some reason he wanted the other 3 to hit first even though he was 100 yards back. Two groups behind us dropped out after 9 and both my playing partners had to leave before we finished 18 so I had to finish up my milestone round alone. Still felt great to get the score I have been working for for a year but stunned at how inconsiderate some people can be on a golf course. All that said still had fun with my friends while they were out and any day golfing is still better than no golf.
 
Mine was the last day I was a young exec member of a private club here in town. Had first time booked as a solo, starter lets off a group of 4 that just rolled up 5-10 min before my time just because they showed up.

Epidemy of old country club perception, walked in club house and ended my membership.
 
Big tournament in Scottsdale, white shorts, burst hemorrhoid... yeah that was the worst.
 
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