Laughing when you know you shouldn't

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

We've ll been there. Golf can be a serious game a lot of the time - but sometimes something happens out there and you just can't help yourself...

My starter for 10.

Playing an early round of club h/cap KO comp. And to our 9th green. Line of four bunkers LHS in immediate approach to and at side of the green (largely to stop pulled shots disappearing way down the hill). Anyway I'm on green in two - opponent in first bunker. Takes three to get out - rolls into second - takes four to get out - rolls into third and eventually out but into fourth. By the time he got his ball on the green he'd played 15 (he was so determined he was going to hole out). Of course I couldn't watch and was near wetting myself in barely suppressed hysterics as he thrashed about and cursed as he struggled from one bunker to the next.

I know I shouldn't have been - but I just couldn't help it

I won the hole (but lost the match - lesson for me there then - he who laughs last laughs longest)

 

[Neil20]

Club champs last year and there's a backlog at our 2nd tee. We're at the 19+ end of things and I get to watch the group in front tee off. Hole is 165 yard par 3 with a small pond 30 yards from the tee (as opposed to the green). Guy in front (In Alex1975's group as it happens) tees off - splosh.
Not sure what had happened on the first but he was way more seething than you'd expect, even for such a bad shot and was teeing off last, so suspect he'd already had a nightmare.

3 off the tee he goes.... Sploshhhhh

Now he's really mad and Alex and backup are waiting to get off the teebox as fast as possible while my group are looking at our feet and pretending to not be seeing this.

"If this next one goes in the water, I'm not playing anymore."

5 off the tee.... Sperrrrrrlosshhhh!

Then he has a calm moment, the moment we've all had when it's gone through painful and suddenly it's just the easiest thing in the world to be calm. "Gentlemen, I'll carry on and mark your cards, but I'm done playing for the day!"
At which point I had to turn away so he couldn't see the tears.

Credit to him, about four holes later he started playing again just to keep the pace of the game more in time with the field (as we were all backed up all day)

 

[Neil20]

As a rider to that story, the hardest time I've had with laughing was the same hole about 8 months later when a guy at our club had been playing through a lot of pain and his game had gone to pieces (happy to say I played with the same guy last night and his game is back in shape).
He struggled up the first and got again to this par three. Same story as above, first ball straight into the water but this guy chose to throw his club over his shoulder in disgust. It went straight up and into the conifer behind us and it doesn't appear to fall to earth.

Again it's the calm bit that makes me laugh as he turns to me and says as cool as you like, as if nothing unusual just happened. "That's stuck in the tree isn't it". I had to almost spit out the word "yes" like a naughty schoolboy trying not to laugh.

 

[swanny32]

I can't remember what happened but I laughed at something one of my playing partners did this past weekend in the club champs, didn't think anything of it as we were all having a bit of banter.....felt like crap a couple holes later though when he mentioned something about me laughing at his shot. Wanted the ground to swallow me up.

 

[Achilles]

A couple for me...

The first a few years ago in my first club champs at my previous club. I was ticking along nicely until taking a 10 on the par 5 9th. One of the guys could see I was angry so gave me some wise words to calm me down as we walked off the green. Two holes later he hit a massive hook off the tee, so took a provisional. He sliced that one but it was OK so we trundled on. He then proceeded to top his next 5 shots to the green - completely out of the blue as he'd be striking it lovely up until then. After the 5th top he totally lost it swearing, hitting the ground, throwing clubs. I was crying inside and the pain of trying not to laugh was horrific! A breakdown of epic proportions!

The second was just last week. B-Team friendly match at an away course, played on a common. The first tee has a car park to the right and the road leading into it is directly in front of the tee. Our captain, hitting the first tee-shot of the day in front a good crowd, managed to sh*nk his ball into a wooden board on the other side of the road. The ball cannoned back off with a massive crack and went straight into the car park, hitting 3 cars in the process. Thankfully no damage done! Everyone was dying with laughter and the ball was declared 'lost' which everyone agreed was a wise decision! Still makes me laugh just thinking about it.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Thanks guys - ROFLMAO at these - I recognise them all.

And two against me.

Playing Blackmoor (Hants) with a mate who was a member. Par 3 12th

http://www.blackmoorgolf.co.uk/holes/hole_descriptions/hole_12

Tee shot into front RH bunker - I could not get out. I gave up after about 25 attempts as my ball was just hitting the lip and rolling back to hard base sand as I'd previously cleared off all the loose stuff - my mate was rolling about the place.

Playing club match at Hindhead. I was rushing about trying to find the place and just got to the 1st tee in time. Real rush and lots of folk around - addressed ball - swooosh - and JUST topped my ball and it scampered forwards and sideways off the tee just missing an ornamental tree and finished up under a bench just to side of the tee. Quick glance around - everyone trying to look away. Bench was fixed to ground so went through the faffing about finding where to drop and dropping etc.(mind too scrambled think about playing 3 off the tee). Hit good 5 iron and got on with it.

 

[Smiffy]

I played in a texas scramble one time, and to make sure that things didn't get clogged up on the course, we were all grouped with similar handicaps, lower ones going out first, the highest going out last. I was in about the 5th or 6th group out and as we were walking up the 13th hole, the last group out were coming down the 5th fairway. We were waiting for the green to clear and watched as they selected their best drive and all proceeded to drop tight up behind the biggest clump of gorse bushes you have ever seen.....that made us chortle!!

 

[Doon frae Troon]

I always find it hard to keep a straight face when someone wedges out of thick rough/heather and goes right under the ball.
Their eyes and head are going everywhere to spot a ball and when they realise they have wiffed it....priceless.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Thanks guys - ROFLMAO at these - I recognise them all.

And two against me.

Playing Blackmoor (Hants) with a mate who was a member. Par 3 12th

http://www.blackmoorgolf.co.uk/holes/hole_descriptions/hole_12

Tee shot into front RH bunker - I could not get out. I gave up after about 25 attempts as my ball was just hitting the lip and rolling back to hard base sand as I'd previously cleared off all the loose stuff - my mate was rolling about the place.

bobmac loves that hole

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Blackmoor is an excellent track...

Another occasion. Some years ago I took three (English) mates a little golfing holiday in Perthshire. And as well as Rosemount, Pitlochry, Taymouth Castle - I introduced them to the delights of proper 9 hole golf - So Dunkeld and Birnam, Aberfeldy, Comrie and Blair Atholl. When playing the BA, Kev took an almighty swipe at the ball and excavated a divot the size of Rubislaw quarry. The ball didn't go very far (it hardly moved) - and neither did the divot - in fact the divot landed very neatly on the top of his head - great merriment ensued - especially as he was 'thinning' thereabouts.

We kept the divot and got a trophy cup into which we plonked the divot. The trophy was christened the MASHIE!!! niblick....trophy in commemoration of Kev's great effort with very little effect - and it has been played for many times since.

However I must get back OT and dig the memory banks for some schadenfreude events or more when anothers misfortune has resulted in barely stifled guffaws.

 

[full_throttle]

to be honest i laugh most times I play with Lurch, one occasion he topped the ball and it travelled backwards. He continued as calm as anything, me I was almost crying with laughter.

 

[6inchcup]

as the lady captain fell into a ditch filled with the smelliest green sludge possible after trying to jump 3 foot gap!!!!!!

 

[daymond]

This is a bit unkind but he is a friend of mine.
Four of us on the first tee at a Devon golfing/sports complex ( no prizes for guessing which one ). Anyhow. Addresses ball, swings, misses Second,third, fourth attempt all missed. Fifth shot tops it and it goes about five feet. Tees up again. Hooks it OOB. By this time we are all laughing so much we must have been heard miles away. His final effort was a magnificent slice which at least got him in play but not very far.
I'm sure I missed a few false starts from the above. We all still have a laugh about it when it's mentioned.

 

[Khamelion]

playing with my mate, the 14th is a 90* left hander with the bend having a wicked slope, the green is terraced into the hillside with the left as you approach about 5 feet above the putting surface, the bank runs down to the green and there's a little channel about 2 foot wide before the green fringe about 6 inches deep in a gentle curve, the green is quite narrow and there are bunkers on the right to stop balls rolling to far onto the 15th fairway, said bunkers are quite deep.

Scene set, my mate played his second, pulled it a little to the left ontop of the bank, he then gave his third shot too much landing far side of green rolling into the bunker, fourth was heavy and the ball moved about 6 inches, he was getting himself mad at missing the green with his third, by now he was foaming, I wasn't laughing yet, but smiling inside. His fifth was hit in anger and he manged to clear the bunker but ended up back on the hillside of the green from where he'd just previously hit his third. Now well and truly mad, his first expletive came out, "Oh for fecks sake" I think were the words, as he addressed and swung he topped the ball putting it in the gulley at the bottom of the bank, his 6th, still not on the green his 7th was a little to hard and he just managed to keep his ball on the green, it stopping just before rolling back into the bunker he'd just come out of. The flag as taken out as he walked past and thrown to the ground, at which point my inner chuckle was nearly breaking out. The greens had been playing slow, but this green being on a hill drains really well and plays quite quick no matter what the conditions, my mate forgetting this hit his 8th shot expecting it to be slow, but it raced passed the hole and ended up back in the gulley from where he'd just come, next came the round of "stupid fecking game", "this putter is rubbish", I had to turn away and pretend to stifle a cough as seeing him stomp around getting more angry by the second had me shaking keeping my laugh in. As he walked to take his 9th he kicked the flag stick on the ground sending it across the green he then managed to get his 9th on the green his 10th went long, with more "stupid game", his 11th looked for all the world to be in but lipped out, leaving him cursing, and closing with a 12. I was now creased with laughing and had to let out large laugh when he turned to me and said and "You can fecking shut up"

 

[Imurg]

Most of my "laughing when I shouldn't" moments involve Fragger but the best of all was at a Club Champs years ago.
A guy in my group drove off the 11th - d/l right, OB left and right, ditch in front of green, bunker behind, about 320 yards...
He tries to hit his 5 wood to the corner but hooks wildly OB. Tries again and slices OB. Tries again and again a hook OB,
Then he catches one thin. It hits the Ladies tee marker 20 yards in front, comes flying back at Warp Factor 9, smacks him on the ankle and he goes down like a sack of spuds.
Once we'd dried our eyes and got up, we realised he was in agony - the ball had chipped his ankle and we had to call an ambulance down onto the course to cart him off to Hospital.
I still see the guy occasionally and my opening line is always "How's the ankle Eric?"

 

[richart]

Thanks guys - ROFLMAO at these - I recognise them all.

And two against me.

Playing Blackmoor (Hants) with a mate who was a member. Par 3 12th

http://www.blackmoorgolf.co.uk/holes/hole_descriptions/hole_12

Tee shot into front RH bunker - I could not get out. I gave up after about 25 attempts as my ball was just hitting the lip and rolling back to hard base sand as I'd previously cleared off all the loose stuff - my mate was rolling about the place.

Strange you should mention that hole in this context. See my post 'should I have laughed ?' Not sure how to add link to this thread, but it related to exactly the same bunker !

At Hindhead we were starting on the 10th in a big charity event, and my mate remembered he had left his glove at the half way hut. It had been raining earlier and as he ran onto the wooden decking around the hut, he slipped and did a perfect Torvill and Dean, until he lost his balance, and went arse over tit. Nice cream trousers with wet wood stains. No one offered to help with his splinters either ! Playing in same charity event next week with the same mate, so it may be brought up again.

 

[richart]

Most of my "laughing when I shouldn't" moments involve Fragger but the best of all was at a Club Champs years ago.
A guy in my group drove off the 11th - d/l right, OB left and right, ditch in front of green, bunker behind, about 320 yards...
He tries to hit his 5 wood to the corner but hooks wildly OB. Tries again and slices OB. Tries again and again a hook OB,
Then he catches one thin. It hits the Ladies tee marker 20 yards in front, comes flying back at Warp Factor 9, smacks him on the ankle and he goes down like a sack of spuds.
Once we'd dried our eyes and got up, we realised he was in agony - the ball had chipped his ankle and we had to call an ambulance down onto the course to cart him off to Hospital.
I still see the guy occasionally and my opening line is always "How's the ankle Eric?"

I didn't laugh at your second shot at 18 at Blackmoor last year Ian, honest. I am sure I heard a titter coming from Jon though.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Have to say the ultimate chortle for me is still watching a golf trolly take that final lurch before tipping into a pond with the owner chasing up behind. It only gets funnier as they wade in to then rescue said trolly. Simple pleasures

 

[Imurg]

I didn't laugh at your second shot at 18 at Blackmoor last year Ian, honest. I am sure I heard a titter coming from Jon though.

Didn't laugh at the 3rd one though did he.........

At least I didn't sh**k a Driver......

Or need a Digger full of Sand'n'Seed...

 

[Andy808]

During our June monthly medal there was a side game to play in a pro-am at Saunton.
Well the story goes that the guy who won played a lovely shot down the second (I think) while the pro hit his into the deep rough, not wanting to hold up play and expecting our chap to make a half decent score on the hole they walked on. Our chaps second shot goes into a deep greenside bunker. Now the story really gets going.
After our chaps SIXTH shot to get out of the bunker the pro trudges back to the tee to get the hole done. While he is gone and a few shots later, our chap finally sees sense playing out of the back of the bunker, which took a few attempts to get done. Now most of us would then chip over the bunker, onto the green, a couple of putts and walk off to the next tee. No, no, not Adolf! With his round all but dead in that bunker he decides the best course of action is to make sure his round is well and truely blown is to chip BACK into the bunker! He finally walked off with a 27 on his card!