Biggest golfing mistake you've ever made?????

[Shooter McPowick]

Stopping playing for the best part of 20 years.
Took up golf age 11, by 14 I was a 14 handicap. School golf captain through high school and aged 18 stopped playing after moving back to the UK from S Africa.
Tried to get going again mid 20’s but couldn’t afford it. Finally got going again in 2016 and straight back in at a handicap of 14.
Cant help but feel that if I stuck with it I’d be a competent single figure player now.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Of course I have one pending...having been convinced I should be spending a load of ££s on a new Ping driver when my 15+ yr old temporary stand-in driver is currently performing beautifully for me..

 

[Deleted member 29109]

There has been a few ?.

Most notable were.
Not starting to play earlier. Aparently my grandad tried to get me to play when I was a kid but I wasn't interested. Took it up when I was 18 and it turned out I was naturally pretty good.

When I was off 6 I listened to a coach who convinced me I needed to hit a draw as my stock shot. It was never going to work and ruined me for a season. I never really got back to normal and had a 2 way miss ever since.

Stopping playing for 12 years. Which was related to the mess above, my awful putting deserting me completely and life/work taking up more of my spare time. I was getting worse not improving and I woke up one Saturday morning and just couldn't be bothered playing. I then played about 10 times in tbe next 10 years. But have started to play more this last year.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Asking Homer and his mate to come and play at Pyrford years ago - his mate's behaviour was embarrassing.

Can't argue with that. He wasn't allowed to forget it though and got reminded every time he played like a knob even by other club members

I think one of my biggest errors was a junior, deciding to play 1-3 and 18 at Wimbledon Common as a bit of practice and then went out and won one of the club majors. I didn't know at the time it was against the rules to practice on the course before a competition and it was a bitter pill that was hard to swallow but is something I've not repeated since

 

[SteveW86]

Can't argue with that. He wasn't allowed to forget it though and got reminded every time he played like a knob even by other club members

I think one of my biggest errors was a junior, deciding to play 1-3 and 18 at Wimbledon Common as a bit of practice and then went out and won one of the club majors. I didn't know at the time it was against the rules to practice on the course before a competition and it was a bitter pill that was hard to swallow but is something I've not repeated since

Come on, you’ve got to spill the beans now.

 

[Smiffy]

I think one of my biggest errors was a junior, deciding to play 1-3 and 18 at Wimbledon Common as a bit of practice and then went out and won one of the club majors. I didn't know at the time it was against the rules to practice on the course before a competition and it was a bitter pill that was hard to swallow but is something I've not repeated since

What, practicing before a competition or winning anything??

 

[HomerJSimpson]

What, practicing before a competition or winning anything??

Practicing!!! Managed you win a few things along the way since. Even won a club major in 2020.

Come on, you’ve got to spill the beans now.

Think it's only fair to let Pathetic Shark recount it. I was embarrassed and that doesn't happen

 

[Dando]

Biggest mistake was getting down to a 3 handicap then giving up for best part of 10 years to concentrate on cricket

 

[pokerjoke]

I vaguely remember joining this forum and going to play the Forest of Arden in a comp arranged by golf monthly.
It was a qualifier I think for a finals day or it might have been a one off comp.
Homer won with 36 points I had 34.
Can also just remember the course and it was late in the round on 2 holes with water.
In the middle of the fairway on both and both 2nd shots found water,I’m convinced I would have won if I stayed dry.
Homers forever reminding us of his victory which grinds even more.

Also this years HFH 2 points off winning with 7 x 3 putts.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I vaguely remember joining this forum and going to play the Forest of Arden in a comp arranged by golf monthly.
It was a qualifier I think for a finals day or it might have been a one off comp.
Homer won with 36 points I had 34.
Can also just remember the course and it was late in the round on 2 holes with water.
In the middle of the fairway on both and both 2nd shots found water,I’m convinced I would have won if I stayed dry.
Homers forever reminding us of his victory which grinds even more.

Also this years HFH 2 points off winning with 7 x 3 putts.

Only time I played the Forest of Arden was the final of the GM Centenary competition. There were regional qualifiers and I got through at St Pierre and then lost the final to Bladeplayer on countback (last 6!!). There was the King of Kings (but the much missed RickG at Camberley Heath) at Birkdale. Can't recall what other event it would have been.

 

[Captainron]

Putting out an invite on here for folks to join me for a game at Spalding back in 2013. @Lincoln Quaker took advantage and I’ve not been able to get rid of him since.....

My wife refers to him as “your boyfriend”

 

[howbow88]

Our Club Championships are played over 2 rounds, over 2 days. I got into the last group (3 of us) on Sunday, and was 2 behind the leader. The leader had won it the previous 3 years, so me and the other guy in our group were big underdogs. That day neither of us got near him, and on the tee box of the difficult 15th hole we were both 5 behind. The Champion wasn't playing pretty golf, but he was just picking up par after par, and the odd bogey...

On the 15th he hit an ok drive down the left, which just bounced into some very short rough. When we got down there though, his ball had vanished. After looking for about 7 minutes, he finally accepted defeat and headed back to the tee, absolutely raging. He then hit a terrible drive down the right, but it was in play. He then hit into trees and lost his 2nd ball of the hole... He ended up with a 10, whilst me and my mate both bogeyed and so we were now all level with just 3 holes left!!!

I don't know what happened really, but I then seemed to get a bit excited... On the next hole I hit an ok drive, then an ok approach and so had a (very difficult) putt for birdie. The reigning champion, whose head had completely gone, found the green like I did but had an even harder putt for birdie. He somehow holed his, whilst I 3 putted He then birdied the next and parred the last, whilst I finished par, double bogey

I don't care too much about not winning, but I really cannot believe I didn't give him more of a scare. His birdie on the 16th was a miraculous putt, but I should never have 3 putted. The momentum just went straight away with that.

 

[pokerjoke]

Only time I played the Forest of Arden was the final of the GM Centenary competition. There were regional qualifiers and I got through at St Pierre and then lost the final to Bladeplayer on countback (last 6!!). There was the King of Kings (but the much missed RickG at Camberley Heath) at Birkdale. Can't recall what other event it would have been.

It was the GM centenary

 

[Deleted member 17920]

Putting out an invite on here for folks to join me for a game at Spalding back in 2013. @Lincoln Quaker took advantage and I’ve not been able to get rid of him since.....

My wife refers to him as “your boyfriend”

Oh I regret that day ?

 

[williamalex1]

Our Club Championships are played over 2 rounds, over 2 days. I got into the last group (3 of us) on Sunday, and was 2 behind the leader. The leader had won it the previous 3 years, so me and the other guy in our group were big underdogs. That day neither of us got near him, and on the tee box of the difficult 15th hole we were both 5 behind. The Champion wasn't playing pretty golf, but he was just picking up par after par, and the odd bogey...

On the 15th he hit an ok drive down the left, which just bounced into some very short rough. When we got down there though, his ball had vanished. After looking for about 7 minutes, he finally accepted defeat and headed back to the tee, absolutely raging. He then hit a terrible drive down the right, but it was in play. He then hit into trees and lost his 2nd ball of the hole... He ended up with a 10, whilst me and my mate both bogeyed and so we were now all level with just 3 holes left!!!

I don't know what happened really, but I then seemed to get a bit excited... On the next hole I hit an ok drive, then an ok approach and so had a (very difficult) putt for birdie. The reigning champion, whose head had completely gone, found the green like I did but had an even harder putt for birdie. He somehow holed his, whilst I 3 putted He then birdied the next and parred the last, whilst I finished par, double bogey

I don't care too much about not winning, but I really cannot believe I didn't give him more of a scare. His birdie on the 16th was a miraculous putt, but I should never have 3 putted. The momentum just went straight away with that.

Did you ever give him his lost ball back

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It was the GM centenary

I was mugged by an Irish interloper. Hit the green on the par 3 15th and then three putted. That was annoying. Great event though

 

[Deleted member 23344]

Three years ago, I played my first comp after joining the club. Started well and had 14 points after 7 holes. On the next hole, my drive ended in the middle of the fairway and I walked up and hit my next shot to within an easy chip of the green. When I got there and looked down, it wasn’t my ball. There must have been a rogue ball on the fairway and I hadn’t checked. I went to pieces after that and hardly scored afterwards.

 

[srixon 1]

A 36 hole competition years ago and after the morning round i was leading by a few shots. Didn't play so well in the afternoon and was leaking shots. On the last, thinking i needed a birdie to stand any chance of winning i charged my first putt well past the hole. The subsequent 3 putt saw me lose the competition on the dreaded countback. That was the second year in a row i lost that same competition on countback. ?

 

[AliMc]

About 40 or so years ago I played at Hilton Park near Glasgow in the Scottish Post Office championships, 2 rounds one over each course. Being from East Lothian I had hardly ever been in the west of Scotland never mind played golf there and had never encountered the dreaded Scottish midge. It was a roasting day and we got absolutely eaten alive, off work for 3 weeks after it with blood poisoning. The championship was organised by the Delivery Office manager at Montrose so were mostly played on courses round about there, Brechin, Panmure etc and one year at Montrose itself, I had never qualified for the Scottish team to play in the British PO championships and hadn't played Montrose before but shot 5 under in the morning (playing off 5 at the time which was the maximum handicap allowed) led by 2 or 3 but almost blew it with a 79 in the afternoon, held on to qualify in 3rd place. The British champs were held at Bowood Park (in Wiltshire if I remember correctly) and included a fully paid weekend away and 3 rounds at Bowood, we finished 2nd I think, still have a trophy somewhere.

 

[AliMc]

About 40 or so years ago I played at Hilton Park near Glasgow in the Scottish Post Office championships, 2 rounds one over each course. Being from East Lothian I had hardly ever been in the west of Scotland never mind played golf there and had never encountered the dreaded Scottish midge. It was a roasting day and we got absolutely eaten alive, off work for 3 weeks after it with blood poisoning. The championship was organised by the Delivery Office manager at Montrose so were mostly played on courses round about there, Brechin, Panmure etc and one year at Montrose itself, I had never qualified for the Scottish team to play in the British PO championships and hadn't played Montrose before but shot 5 under in the morning (playing off 5 at the time which was the maximum handicap allowed) led by 2 or 3 but almost blew it with a 79 in the afternoon, held on to qualify in 3rd place. The British champs were held at Bowood Park (in Wiltshire if I remember correctly) and included a fully paid weekend away and 3 rounds at Bowood, we finished 2nd I think, still have a trophy somewhere.

Just checked and Bowood opened in 1992 and it had just opened when we played so it was 28 years ago, 40 as I mentioned earlier wasn't a great guess, it was probably about 32 years ago when I played at Hilton Park