£2,000,000 or prison

badgergm

Newbie
Joined
Sep 21, 2014
Messages
212
Visit site
I think people are vastly overestimating how many balls you could hit in a day. There is no way you could stand there hitting a ball every 12 seconds for 12 hours.

Anyway, even at 200 balls a day, to say 120 yards Par 3, 60% hitting the green. That's 3600 balls on the green. Imagine placing those such that none were in the hole? Odds definitely in your favour, especially if you could pick the pin position. Still not sure Id take the bet though!
 

HomerJSimpson

Hall of Famer
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
70,408
Location
Bracknell - Berkshire
Visit site
I have never had one in 40+ years so I have my doubts. Obviously the more balls per day the more fatigue will take hold and so the quality of the shots is likely to drop off. I reckon 300 balls in 3 x 100 batches is about as much as I could manage with a decent break in between. It would also place a strain on the body and my Cilla Black is fragile at the best of times.

I would want a middle flag and a bow shaped green to funnel as many balls as possible towards the centre and a person at the other end to get a load of the balls off the green so any that could potentially go in weren't' stopped or knocked off line. Even then I wouldn't fancy my chances overly and what would I do with the cash other than squander it in a haze of cheap booze, expensive women and waste the rest
 

Crazyface

Tour Winner
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
7,023
Location
Cheshire
Visit site
Nope, not ever. The thought of not acheiving would prevent me from taking the bet. Same reason for not removing some people from the planet.
 

Billysboots

Falling apart at the seams
Moderator
Joined
Aug 25, 2009
Messages
5,783
Visit site
Having spent some time working with staff in prisons in recent years, I would not touch this challenge with a barge pole. Awful places. Anyone who says they are like holiday camps has no concept.

That, and I’m hitting my irons like a spangle at the moment.

So it’s a no from me.
 

Swango1980

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 22, 2019
Messages
10,642
Location
Lincolnshire
Visit site
I think people are vastly overestimating how many balls you could hit in a day. There is no way you could stand there hitting a ball every 12 seconds for 12 hours.

Anyway, even at 200 balls a day, to say 120 yards Par 3, 60% hitting the green. That's 3600 balls on the green. Imagine placing those such that none were in the hole? Odds definitely in your favour, especially if you could pick the pin position. Still not sure Id take the bet though!
200 balls a day!? I think you are seriously underestimating how many you'd hit. I hit a basket of 100 balls at range inside 30 minutes
 

Swango1980

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 22, 2019
Messages
10,642
Location
Lincolnshire
Visit site
Green soft or firm?


Odds of 12,000-1

Its 12,000-1 on every swing.
I'm pretty sure the odds come down when a player knows exactly what club to hit, how hard to hit it, and when they get in a rhythm.

Maybe 12,000 to 1 when you only have one chance to play the shot, and all the above relies on judgement
 

garyinderry

Ryder Cup Winner
Joined
Jan 7, 2012
Messages
13,118
Visit site
I'm pretty sure the odds come down when a player knows exactly what club to hit, how hard to hit it, and when they get in a rhythm.

Maybe 12,000 to 1 when you only have one chance to play the shot, and all the above relies on judgement


This is true. The odds are actually still pretty high.
 

Grant85

Head Pro
Joined
Jul 22, 2015
Messages
2,828
Location
Glasgow
Visit site
Don't forget that every shot would be the same distance though in this case. Your example is a different distance, wind, elevation etc for each shot.
Assuming it's a short hole (wedge, 9i) then I think you would get dialled in very quickly and the chances of holing one is high.

Absoutely, it would be easier than general play, but just think of the number of times you hit the ball at the hole from a comfortable distance. Law of averages would suggest it is very very difficult given how many times the ball drops.
 
Last edited:

Grant85

Head Pro
Joined
Jul 22, 2015
Messages
2,828
Location
Glasgow
Visit site
Don't pros do it on longer holes though - even increasing from 125 to 150 would make a big difference IMO

Agree distance would make a huge difference.

The thing that got me with the pros, especially the Andy Sullivan video (which was an elevated tee and soft conditions) is that he was throwing darts. So very often there was little or no roll. Ball would stop dead or spin back very slightly.

Surely the %age play would be to get the ball rolling a few yards on the green so that if you got the line correct it would have a chance of middling the flag and going in. Then you have a bigger margin for error on distance.

Appreciate it's difficult for the pros to play that kind of shot with a dead arm swing or 70% speed. But it looked like it made it far harder to hole the shot, despite the number of really close shots.
 

BiMGuy

LIV Bot, (But Not As Big As Mel) ?
Joined
Oct 9, 2020
Messages
6,385
Visit site
Definitely I’d take it

31 days, esp with no work...
On a short 120 yard hole that’s perfect PW distance for me, and if spent all day every day on it you’d easily get dialled in to conditions (GW when wind is with, 9 iron when it’s against)

I would definitely do it. 1000 shots a day for 31 days — I’d take that bet

Could you actually hit 1000 shots a day for 31 days? I reckon most people would be in bits by lunchtime on the first day.

There are loads of vids on YouTube
 

larmen

Head Pro
Joined
Nov 2, 2015
Messages
2,502
Visit site
Can you imagine how our tee box would look like after a week? We are going to look at 120 yard approach shots from a badly maintained bunker. ;-)
 

Swango1980

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 22, 2019
Messages
10,642
Location
Lincolnshire
Visit site
Could you actually hit 1000 shots a day for 31 days? I reckon most people would be in bits by lunchtime on the first day.

There are loads of vids on YouTube
I think some could, but probably depends on fitness and age. I wonder how many balls professionals hit when they are at home practicing? If it was for £2million and avoiding a 5 year prison sentence, I think that would add a little to a persons will power to proceed, even with niggly injuries / tiredness.

I know one guy who used to go to the range the night before a competition and hit at least 500 balls. He did this for years. Admittedly, about 5 years ago he had to take a 2 year break due to serious arthritis.
 

need_my_wedge

Has Now Found His Wedgie
Joined
Sep 3, 2007
Messages
6,645
Location
Kingdom of Fife
Visit site
Could you actually hit 1000 shots a day for 31 days? I reckon most people would be in bits by lunchtime on the first day.

There are loads of vids on YouTube

Well he was pretty dialled in, how many times did he land/ stop within a foot of the hole..... still wouldn't take that bet though.
 

evemccc

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 28, 2020
Messages
1,594
Visit site
I think 125 yards (at least the actual 125 yard hole I'm thinking of) is a lot easier than 165 I think. And 500 balls on one day. If he did that 31 days in a row I'd really fancy him to get one.

I've hit 150 balls on the range before, when I was pretty new to golf and just focusing on rhythm and swing tempo. I could do that least 4 times a day esp if there was £2million and 5 years in the Clink riding on it!
 
Top