Conference 7.286::golf

    I can't top yours, but when I was in college at the Univ. of Fla.,
    a friend and I went to Ocala to play.  He had just started playing
    and took out a 3 wood on this short (140 yd) hole.  His first shot
    was topped, so he took another out and teed it up.  Sure enough,
    he knocked it right in the hole!!!
    
   

     re .0:
     
     > After spending 10 minutes looking around...
     
     According to the rules, the ball was officially lost 5 minutes after
     the search for it began.  So your friend played a wrong ball, to say
     nothing of slowing down play. 
     
     Cheers,
     
     --Mr Topaz 

    re .1
    
    	I think your story is now in first ! I would have died laughing!!
                                                                        
    
    
    re .2
    
    	I also understand the 5 minute rule, and golf etiquette. If
        I must explain so be it.... My friend and I were obviously
        not playing in front of another group. We also wave the 5
    	minute rule in such cases, and even help each other look
    	for the ball. That is, ... unless we are playing for a 
    	Michelob Light !

    I think I have a story that fits into this category.  This happened
    while i was playing on my high school golf team.  One of my teammates
    was playing this par 3, about 150 yds downhill.  The tee had two
    tiers.  This day we were playing from the top tier.  My teammate
    was first and he hit it very fat, the ball coming to rest on the
    lower tee.  The rest of the group hits to the green and my teammate
    plays his second shot from the lower tee and holes out for a smooth
    2.  needless to say this shook up our opponents.
    
    Chuck

    re .4 
    
    What a heartbreaker... too bad it happened one shot later.
    
    There's a course in Berlin Ma. (Berlin CC), a hackers course.
    Technically very difficult due to it's tight fairways and hilly
    greens. One green in particular #6 is 4 putted on a regular basis.
    Reason being if you were to fall at the top you'd probably
    rooolllll to the bottom... we're talking steep slant. One day I
    hooked up with one of the Ole timers that's a regular there.
    He ends up on the 6th in two... landing bottom right of the green.
    The pin was placed center top, a good 25 yards away. After eyeing
    the line he steps up and strokes the putt. The ball is cookin'
    and then begins to sloooww and bend left... coming to a dead stop
    2 ft. above the cup. The Ole timer just waited not moving... then
    the ball lost it's grip and ever so slowly started toward the cup.
    Plop! Must have been the best putt of his entire life. Glad I was
    there to see it.
    

    
    
    My friend that I usualy play with had this "magic" ball. He played
    5 rounds with this ball without losing it and it did some of the
    strangest things I have ever seen. Some of them were -
    
    	He tee'ed off and hit a Mega-slice. The ball was heading straight
    into the woods and I was sure it was going to be lost, but somehow
    it bouncd out into the fairway. This happened more times then I
    can remember. After awhile I was looking into the woods to see if
    he was paying someone to folow him and throw the ball back out if
    it went in the woods.
    	On an elavted tee shooting over water he somehow topped it or
    something and the bal was dive bombing into the water, so I'm thinking
    I got this hole, but the ball skips three times to make it to the
    other edge of the water. 
    	He also had a few shots with it that either bounced of rocks
    or trees and landed on the green usauly saving par or setting up
    birdie puts. This dam ball cost me quite a bit in lost bets!!!
    
    	I was so happy when it was finaly lost, but no course got this
    ball he lost it in his room!
    
    Mike
    

    re .5:
    
    Yea, I've seen the "putt the ball by the hole" trick. I used to
    work at a Country Club in my college days and we had very fast greens.
    One time, I put the hole on a severe slope and a friend of mine
    and I were playing later that day. He missed his putt (it went by
    the hole) and then began rolling back down the slope and it dropped
    into the cup.
    
    I had fun placing cups while working at the Country Club. I used
    to give people fits on some locations. Because I mowed the greens,
    I knew where all the subtle slopes were.
    
    Mike

    
    
      And there's a five iron to the forehead by Jones......
    
    
    I played last night night in our Thursday night blind draw tournament,
    and since this is a play when you get there type affair, and I was
    in a pick up foursome.  Two players were in a side match. During
    a press on the eighth hole one called the other for having two balls
    (same brand, compression, etc.) with the same number in his pocket.
    Of course with this penalty this player would lose the press.  What
    is the rule for this penalty?

    re .7 
    
    I think those type of putts are THE most exciting ... Has to be
    hit exactly one way and no other.
    
    re .8
    
    I wish I knew what a "press" is, I have never heard that term before.
    I almost always have an exact replica in my golf bag, due to buying
    them 3 at a time. Is it OK as long as the ball is in the bag?
    
    One other question on rules...
    
    If a branch has fallen in the path of your shot, is it OK to move
    it? What objects can be moved without losing a stroke?
    
    		Headed out for nine...
    						Walt

    I was just looking at topic 106 "Driving Ranges" and it brought
    back a memory fitting of this topic...
    
    I was at the sudbury driving range ( now which is a mall ), and
    they used a little truck with plexi-glass windows to pick up the
    balls. Well... like everyone else, my friend and I were taking shots
    at the truck betting on who will zap it first. The truck was out
    about 150 ish and coming in straight at us... I teed off shot#1
    which started out low and began to rise, POW smack in the middle
    of the plexi-glass windshield ! Boy did the kid jump ! I apologized
    later, he was laughing... "Never been hit in the windshield".  
    
    			Walt

    
      At my Local course in Newbury UK in front of the 18th is a big
    hole being dug which eventually will be a lake.At the mment it is
    full of debris and is classed as Ground Under Repair.In amongst
    the rubbish in it is an old tyre.Anyway I was about 100yds from
    the crater and chipped straight into the centre of the tyre.My
    opponent would not even give me the hole for target golf precission.

     
     re .9:
     
     If the branch isn't attached to the tree, you can remove it so
     long as the ball doesn't move.  If the ball moves, it's a penalty.
     
     I've never heard of the balls-in-the-pocket business.  Golf is
     supposed to be a gentleman's game (even if it isn't all the time);
     anyway, one might become suspicious if the number of balls in the
     pocket decreases after a trip into the woods.  
     
     --Mr Topaz

    re .9 & .12:
    
    Yes, you can move the branch, providing it is not in a hazard (like
    a sand trap or water). If it is in a hazard (and so are you) then
    the branch becomes part of the hazard and cannot be moved. That's
    why rocks in the sandtraps have to stay until after you have hit
    out.
    
    Mike

                          Rules and poor sports...
    
    The conversation continued, hot and heavy, this weekend over duplicate
    balls in one's pocket.  A summation of which is:  2 stroke penalty
    covered under the rule for "intent to cheat".  It is intended to
    cover the situation(s) where a player hits an identical provisional
    ball (when you find it, is it the first ball you hit?).  The club
    pro concurs with the assessed penalty (but not with the poor sportsman-
    ship, since there was no intention of cheating).

     
    Lets continue the rules and regulations conversation in Daily Golf
    News file... I'd like to keep this for more amazing stories.
    
    				just as gulity,
                                               	Walt

    
    
    I was playing down Cape Cod one year against a person I had never
    beaten, and still haven't. On one par 5 hole, I hit a good tee shot
    and he ended up in the woods. My second shot was o.k. too, no problem
    right down the middle, his next shot out of the woods did go quite
    a ways, but, ended up deeper in the woods when it landed. Out of
    feeling sorry for the guy, the fact that I was at long last going
    to beat this guy, I let him go first. He got a 3 on the hole. I
    didn't..........
    
    

    re .1
    
    This one is similar.  I was playing in one of our clubs more popular
    tournament, the Two-Man Best Ball.  My partner (he's the club manager) 
    and I have been in the money almost every year, but about three
    or four years ago, we were a little too far behind to win it.  It
    was the second day of the two day tournament.   We had started out
    on #10 and were now playing #2, a short par 4, 289 yds, hdcp 18,
    a fairly easy hole.  The tee and green are on the same level, but
    the fairway dips before the elevated green.  I had hit one of my
    spectacular worm burners off the tee and still had 160 yards to
    the green.  I took out my 6 iron and let fly a tremendous shot.
    It had a little draw on it, and took one bounce on the green and
    dove right into the cup.  That shot gave me a 2 on the hole, and 
    a 1 (with my handicap) for the team score.   Although we didn't
    place in the tournament, my partner and I split a $110 master skin
    for that hole.  I was laughing all the way to the bank. 
    

    About 4 years ago I was playing in the Southwest Tournament in Pheonix.
    (The Southwest Tournament is a Digital event for any facility in
    the Southwest Region). After a dismall first day I was determined
    to have a good second day. After all I was scheduled to play with
    a 26 handicaper who had shot a 76 the day before. I was determined
    to beat this bum and I was also playing with our team captian. When
    ever the two of us play against each other we always have a real
    competitive match.
    
    Going into the last hole I'm tied with the team captian and we've both
    left the bozzo back in the dust. If we par this easy par 5 we'll both
    shoot an 80. Since I've made 3 15 foot putts in a row I'm up first. 
                                                                
    Now this hole is a dogleg to the left with a little grassed gully on
    the left. I hit the perfect drive that cut the corner. The team
    captian got up and hit his drive a little left of mine. He had caught
    the edge of the gully and trickled down in. As we moved up the fairway
    it became appearent my ball had disappeared. This ball was clearly
    hit into a well mancured fairway but was no longer there. Discusted
    I had to return and hit my third shot. I finished with a 7 or 8.
    
    In the clubhouse I was telling my woes to my teammates who were
    in front of me. When I told them my ball just disappeared he said,"What
    were you playing?" I told him an orange Pro Staff 3 - Pro trajectory.
    "Oh that's where that ball came from". Seems my ball hit a cart
    path on the fly and bounced directly into their cart some 40 yards
    up. As they were driving up hole they heard the ball bouncing around
    but couldn't figure out where it came from. When we arrived back
    in Colorado Springs they gave my slightly scuffed ball back.
    
    Roger
     

       I have this sports trivia calendar on my desk, and I thought 
    you all might be interested in this little tidbit.....


        "5/29/77 Sue Press becomes the first woman golfer to hit
         consecutive holes-in-one. She accomplishes the one-of-a-kind
         feat on the 13th and 14th holes of the Chatswood Golf Club in
         Sydney, Australia."



     Kirk:   "Mr. Spock, what are the odds of that kind of thing happening?
  
     Spock:  "Captain, I calculate the odds of getting two holes-in-one in
              a row at 14 billion trillion to 1.....sir"

     Kirk:   "Okay Scottie, let's warp outta here!"

-rick-

ps. Does this mean she had to buy everyone at the 19th hole two rounds of
    drinks?????

    	At the tee of one of the par 3s at Newton Commonwealth, my golf
    buddy hit his tee shot long and left of the green.  I shouted 'FORE!'
    to which my buddy reassured me that his shot wasn't nearly so long
    as to endanger the threesome on the next tee.
    
    	Naturally, it did, hitting a fellow enthusiast in the head.
    Horrified, we dropped our clubs and ran to the tee to check on his
    condition.  The gentleman had fallen but quickly collected himself.
    We knew he was all right when his first words to us were "Did you
    get a good bounce?"
    
    	His friends packed him off to the hospital, but we saw him later
    as we were leaving the course.  He wanted to finish his round!
    
    Phillip Yoo

    While on vacation, I was playing with a friend at Oahu CC.  On a
    long par 5 (530 uphill into the wind) his drive hit a tree dead
    center and wound up 40 yards behind the tee box.  He stormed back,
    driver still in hand and hit it 300 yards.  Still angry, he hit
    his driver again, onto the green, 12 ft from the pin.  Still angry,
    he drilled the putt, commenting on the hole, "Easy bird"!
                                                   

    
    
    Did your friend make the birdie???

    
    
    This happened to me about as long ago as the last note to this topic.
    A couple years after I was married my wife took me to Canada to
    meet some of her relatives. The cousin we stayed with had taken
    up golf the year before and was doing well shooting in the low 
    90's, He knew I played so he told me to bring my clubs (the wife
    even went for that one). He took me to his club and payed my green
    fees, (hell of a guy, thats why I felt so bad) At the first tee
    he meets up with his ami(french for friend) and informs me of
    the rules... dime a hole, quarter a par, and half buck a bird.
    I figure I'm playing for free it's the least I can do. My normal
    round is high 80's low 90's . I proceeded to have one of those
    rare days where nothing goes wrong! I shot a career low 77 and
    won about $2.00 from each guy, but I felt terrible !!!
    Luckily he's a great sport and this summer he may get a chance
    to get even. I'm thinking of playing left handed !
    
    ace_who_to_this_day_has_not_broken_80_again !
    

    I love these stories......
    
    Quite a few years ago I was teeing off at the ninth at
    Heather Hill GC in Plainville MA.  My golf bag was standing
    in at pullcart about 50yds up on the left side of the 
    fairway.  Well, my drive was a low, pulled, screamer and
    it hit my bag square.  When we reached the bag we could not
    find my ball until I noticed I slit in the large pocket
    near the bottom of the bag.  I pulled the pocket's zipper
    open and sure enough there it was in the pocket along
    side some other balls.
    
    You should have seen my second shot....

    RE:.24 
    
    I LAUGHED SO HARD I ALMOST FELL OFF MY CHAIR.  Good story!!!!!!!!!!!!

    By the way, I believe that is a two stroke penalty for hitting your
    own equipment, although I wouldn't call it on you unless a beer
    was on the line. :-)

    This one happened to my partner this last weekend.
    
    We're on the 17th fairway, about 170 yds to the hole.  My partner
    nails a beautiful iron shot to the green.  But the green didn't
    hold it, and it went screaming through the green and we hear it
    hit something solid behind the green. We walk up to see a foursome
    on the green behind the 17th (which is the 10th).  We asked them
    if they had seen or heard the ball, at which one said yes, it hit
    the golf car.  Well, all eight of us searched for about 5 minutes
    and we still couldn't find it.  We were just about ready to give
    up when my partner said wait a second, did the ball hit the car
    on the fly, or maybe did it bounce under the car and hit it (yes,
    we had looked under the car already).  Well, my partner, not wanting
    to lose the hole climbed up under the golf car and found the ball
    stuck in between the springs.
    
    We're still trying to figure out where to drop and the scoring on
    that one.
    
    Tom
    

    What club did he use to chip the cart onto the green? :-)
    
    I'd imagine that the manmade obstruction rule applies.  If memory
    serves that's 2 club lengths from the nearest point of relief no nearer
    the hole.  No penalty.
    
    
    						KO

>    What club did he use to chip the cart onto the green? :-)

I would have thought that he could just "Drive" it in from there :-}


Andrew.

    He could have parked over the hole and jumped on the seat awhile!!!

    RE:.29
    
    	Thanks, I haven't had my chuckle for the week yet and that did it
    for me.
    
    
    					KO

    Last year, while playing with my Father-In-Law and my wife,
    Dick, my in-law, hit a terrible worm burner of of #4, a 150yd
    Par 3. His ball bounced along a stone wall on the right of the
    fairway, hitting several stones and 2 trees. His balled just
    bairly trickled onto the green. This green happens to slope
    right to left. His ball came in on the right. On this day the
    pin was on the lower left. His ball comes rolling slowly onto 
    the green and picks up some speed. The ball rolls right over 
    into the cup for a hole-in-one. His first ever. He has been
    playing golf for 52 years. Lots of people witnessed this shot
    and are amazed and thrilled for him. Happily, he bought lots
    of beers at the clubhouse.
    
    Now, the only bad thing about this was that I dropped my shot
    6 inches from the cup with some backspin (don't know where it
    came from)...Nobody cared....Boy, did those beers taste great...
    
    Jim