The best shot of the round

[leftshot]

Not all good putts go in. It was still the best shot. A 25-foot putt on a par 3 that went diagonally to a ridgeline between two levels on the green. The flag was diabolically located on the drop between the two levels. This required precise speed and direction and a perfect read. The ball stopped right on the lip. A quarter-turn more and it would have dropped.

 

[fairwaynut]

It's an easy game... isn't it?!?!

Sometimes, sometimes!!!

 

[RayG]

Stung by a gust of wind on a PW approach to a deep pin. Blew it a bit deep and rolled off the back and down a slope into some fluffy stuff about 3-4 yards from edge. 2 ft of fringe then 8 ft to the hole. Straight down hill. Ball sitting okay. I pulled a Phil. Opened the SW WAY up and took a swipe at it. Popped nearly straight up 15 ft in the air, dropped onto the fringe and trundled down to the lip... and stopped.

 

[BlueHen2006]

13 at my local course, usually a ~300 yard downhill par 4 with a blind tee shot. Usually 3w or even 5w giving 100 to go is the smart play as the fairway gets super narrow entering the green. Today I played white tees and the tees were on the red tee box for some reason, making the hole 260ish, along with a nice tailwind. 5w landed on back edge of green, about 5 yards pin high. First time I ever drove a par 4 green before, and funny enough it was using a 5w. Eagle putt was downhill breaking away from me and was a doozy, but my 30 footer was 3 feet past the pin and made the comeback for birdie.

Ball is just left of the wooden post in the back of green near fringe.

 

[Sox_Fan]

58 degree wedge from 100 yards to a foot and a half.

 

[5150]

It's an easy game... isn't it?!?!

They should make it harder.

 

[5150]

Been playing regularly with a friend since 2007 and have only beaten him one time. I’ve had at least 5 epic last hole collapses over the years against him.

I had an 8 foot left to right putt to win the match yesterday and drained it.

 

[Brassie]

They should make it harder.

They do! You just need to play those courses when they are setup for a major championship.

I did that when I lived in south Florida and lived at PGA National. One of my regular playing partners was the Asst Super for the courses there and we played the Champ just prior to the pros showing up for the '87 PGA Championship. The rough is incredibly penal and I would say that most folks don't understand how difficult it is to hit a ball out of, if it is down in it.

The other thing is high stimp on greens. I had the privilege of playing Seminole in Juno Beach. I thought I knew fast greens, until I played those... it was like putting on a gigantic bathtub... they were that fast. On the 4th hole, I hit an approach shot on the uphill side, above the hole and it stuck about 15'-18' away. In fact, the caddy said he was amazed that it stayed up there. The caddy then told me prior to my putt, to just barely nudge the ball and try to aim/steer it one ball width outside the left edge of the hole. I just barely touched the ball with the putter... a genuine 1/2" putter stroke... the ball gathered speed going downhill, missed the hole barely and then proceeded to run another 25' off the front of the green and then another 8 or 10 yds down the apron into the swale in front of the green. I was gobsmacked! flabbergasted! I had to chip the ball back up to the hole. I was told these greens were US Open speed, stimping 14-15'. Unbelievable.

 

[gonyr]

One of my poorest tee shots yesterday led to my best shot of the round ...

Same here. My first hole swing with driver was so bad that I seriously almost completely whiffed on it. The ball seemed like it went straight up and landed less than 100 yards away, a bit short of reaching the fairway. I hit a 4-wood 225 yards out of the rough which rolled up on the green to about 25 feet.

I then 3 putted for bogey, but that's a separate issue.

 

[Sox_Fan]

Any of the many par saving putts I made from outside of 5 feet during a very poor ball striking day.

 

[Snickerdog]

7W from 188 to 1 foot on the 18th hole today.

 

[5150]

They do! You just need to play those courses when they are setup for a major championship.

I did that when I lived in south Florida and lived at PGA National. One of my regular playing partners was the Asst Super for the courses there and we played the Champ just prior to the pros showing up for the '87 PGA Championship. The rough is incredibly penal and I would say that most folks don't understand how difficult it is to hit a ball out of, if it is down in it.

The other thing is high stimp on greens. I had the privilege of playing Seminole in Juno Beach. I thought I knew fast greens, until I played those... it was like putting on a gigantic bathtub... they were that fast. On the 4th hole, I hit an approach shot on the uphill side, above the hole and it stuck about 15'-18' away. In fact, the caddy said he was amazed that it stayed up there. The caddy then told me prior to my putt, to just barely nudge the ball and try to aim/steer it one ball width outside the left edge of the hole. I just barely touched the ball with the putter... a genuine 1/2" putter stroke... the ball gathered speed going downhill, missed the hole barely and then proceeded to run another 25' off the front of the green and then another 8 or 10 yds down the apron into the swale in front of the green. I was gobsmacked! flabbergasted! I had to chip the ball back up to the hole. I was told these greens were US Open speed, stimping 14-15'. Unbelievable.

So... I was fortunate enough to play Pebble Beach for the second time this year.

Two weeks after the US Open.

Most of the grandstands were still up, etc.

On the first tee I had this exchange with the starter:

Me: Tell me you returned the course to conditions that us mortals can play.

Starter: Not really, no. It’s not too different from what the guys played at the Open. If any of you break 100 I’ll buy you a beer.

I pulled my tee shot into the rough on 1. Grabbed a 7i, took a full swing, it went about 6 inches. Unreal.

The most difficult aspect (which the starter also told me about) was that the USGA was tired of the pros aiming for bunkers, so they left the rough SUPER long around all bunkers so you either had to hit it on the fly and risk a buried lie or, if you tried to roll it in, it would get stuck in the rough.

They weren’t kidding. I had a few shots rolling towards bunkers that hung up in rough ranging from 9 to 12 inches in length designed to keep you OUT of the sand.

I shot 91 at Pebble in 2018. 102 this year.

 

[5150]

It was also humbling to stand on 6 tee at Pebble, with driver, turn around and look 50y back at the grandstands where the pro tees were, and remember watching Phil play that hole on my TV with a 4i.

 

[Doubleb21]

Hit a 106 yard A wedge on 18 for my third shot it was right on the pin and lipped out and stopped 6 inches away to save my par. Great way to end a rough round.

 

[Canadan]

170 yard par 3, into the wind. Worried about how much the wind would play into it, but managed to hit a nice and high 7 that landed pin high just to the left. Made the five footer for birdie.

 

[wubears71]

170 yard par 3, into the wind. Worried about how much the wind would play into it, but managed to hit a nice and high 7 that landed pin high just to the left. Made the five footer for birdie.

Nice. That distance into the wind always has me shaky since I hit the ball so high. I’ve had so many look good, hit the wall of wind and land 30 yards short.

 

[OGputtnfool]

Hit a 186y 4h out from under a tree. Had about 1" of room between the clubhead and the tree trunk with a full swing and a full backswing and no hindrance on the follow thru. I just had to commit to the swing even though it was really close to the tree. Hit it solid, little draw, but it was into the wind so that was likely a good thing. Hit the green and then 3 putted. Ugh... oh, well.

 

[Brassie]

So... I was fortunate enough to play Pebble Beach for the second time this year.

Two weeks after the US Open.

Most of the grandstands were still up, etc.

On the first tee I had this exchange with the starter:

Me: Tell me you returned the course to conditions that us mortals can play.

Starter: Not really, no. It’s not too different from what the guys played at the Open. If any of you break 100 I’ll buy you a beer.

I pulled my tee shot into the rough on 1. Grabbed a 7i, took a full swing, it went about 6 inches. Unreal.

The most difficult aspect (which the starter also told me about) was that the USGA was tired of the pros aiming for bunkers, so they left the rough SUPER long around all bunkers so you either had to hit it on the fly and risk a buried lie or, if you tried to roll it in, it would get stuck in the rough.

They weren’t kidding. I had a few shots rolling towards bunkers that hung up in rough ranging from 9 to 12 inches in length designed to keep you OUT of the sand.

I shot 91 at Pebble in 2018. 102 this year.

BTW, Checksix here from TGP. You told me about THP in a golf thread over there and so, here I am. Cool place!

I think I shot 92 at Seminole and was completely humbled. But in my defense, I didn't know jack about it and got surprised by being asked all of sudden to come play it. I did birdie #6, which was Hogan's favorite golf hole. The way I did it was unreal, i.e. not normal. Pull hooked my tee shot into the lunar landscape trying to fade it around the dogleg. Hit a blind (huge tree in the way) cut 230 yd 4W to inches from the hole, for a tap in Bird. I had the caddy screaming "what a shot!!". Pure luck on my part.

When I've been stuck in penal rough and found out the hard way, that you can't muscle through it, I just take my sand wedge with the big sole and pop it out to the short grass and take my stroke and keep going. It ain't worth the aggravation of trying to really advance it.

 

[Architex]

Stuck an 85 yard shot to around 8 inches. Made the birdie putt.

 

[ntanygd760]

290 yard par 4 to 12 feet and made the putt

That or a 353 yard drive thay may have had cart path help.

 

[5150]

BTW, Checksix here from TGP. You told me about THP in a golf thread over there and so, here I am. Cool place!

I think I shot 92 at Seminole and was completely humbled. But in my defense, I didn't know jack about it and got surprised by being asked all of sudden to come play it. I did birdie #6, which was Hogan's favorite golf hole. The way I did it was unreal, i.e. not normal. Pull hooked my tee shot into the lunar landscape trying to fade it around the dogleg. Hit a blind (huge tree in the way) cut 230 yd 4W to inches from the hole, for a tap in Bird. I had the caddy screaming "what a shot!!". Pure luck on my part.

When I've been stuck in penal rough and found out the hard way, that you can't muscle through it, I just take my sand wedge with the big sole and pop it out to the short grass and take my stroke and keep going. It ain't worth the aggravation of trying to really advance it.

Welcome to the golf version of TGP! No haunting mids here, though.

 

[leftshot]

Short sided in a greenside bunker. Nearly holed it. I made the 2-foot comebacker for an up and down.

 

[Brassie]

Welcome to the golf version of TGP! No haunting mids here, though.

Surely there are tan cargo shorts though, right?!?

 

[Tenputt]

Today, I unleashed a 352 yard drive. Not wind aided, not an elevated tee. Not quite sure how it happened, but it was fun.

 

[Brassie]

Today, I unleashed a 352 yard drive. Not wind aided, not an elevated tee. Not quite sure how it happened, but it was fun.

That's great!! Congrats! Hopefully you capitalized on it and birdied or eagled the hole.

I remember over 20 yrs ago I smoked one 6 yds shorter than yours on old equipment (TM Ti Burner 2 Bubble 9.5*) and it was magnificent. It setup my eagle on a short 500 yd par 5. I was normally 310-320 off the tee back then and I was feeling confident and jacked one as hard as I could. It was pure and I'm sure that's the same feeling you had on yours. There is something exceedingly satisfying about hitting a 350 yd drive in play.