Your biggest audience on the course?

[John_Findlay]

Not posted in absolutely ages, so here goes. Don't think it's a topic we've mentioned yet.

What's the biggest audience you've ever played in front of?

Do you enjoy the opportunity to show off your golfing prowess in front of a big crowd or does it just plain scare the beejesus out of you?

p.s. No Ryder Cup players, please. Just us mortals

 

[billyg]

Do you enjoy the opportunity to show off your golfing prowess in front of a big crowd or does it just plain scare the beejesus out of you?

If I had any golfing prowess I would put it in the bank and earn some interest on it rather than chuck it about for all and sundry to enjoy

Seriously though I swear I can feel the weight of anticipated shadenfraude on the end of the club when I take it back! So no , prefer to keep my victories and defeats to myself.

One ticket for the scary bejesus bus please

 

[birdieman]

In 2005 I made the last 3 group in the Club championship after shooting 76,72 and 68. I was 4 behind the leader setting off and quite anxious. Anyway got into it ok but by about the 10th a bit of a following started which got a little bigger and by 17 there would be about 30 following and watching the three of us. I found this ok but it wasn't conducive to relaxing golf. Anway waiting around the 18th green was a crowd of 80+ who leave the bar by tradition to watch the conclusion of the club champs. Of course I 3 putted from nowhere and ended up with a 77 for 4th place - all a bit disappointing.
It was a good experience and I managed to hit it ok with people watching. I'm sure if I get in that position again I'd be far more relaxed, experience is much under-rated thing.

 

[haplesshacker]

Played in the Saturday stableford for the first time ever last week. Played with a bunch of strangers that I'd never met before, all playing off 16 or better, (I'm off 24). It might as well of been a huge crowd as far I was feeling.

Surprisingly, played some of the best golf that I'd ever played. I thought that I might be put off, but the competitive person in me made me concentrate harder than I ever had before on the golf course.

 

[HTL]

Have played rugby in front of thousands of people and thrived on it, it really motivated me and made me more psyched up in contact etc

As for Golf I think it would ruin my golf game if I played in front of a large crowd as I play my best when chilled out, the last thing I want is a huge surge of adrenaline going round my body.

Most I have payed in front of is probably 13 people when I was on the tee in front of 2 other 4 ball groups.

 

[thecraw]

Have played rugby in front of thousands of people and thrived on it, it really motivated me and made me more psyched up in contact etc

As for Golf I think it would ruin my golf game if I played in front of a large crowd as I play my best when chilled out, the last thing I want is a huge surge of adrenaline going round my body.

Most I have payed in front of is probably 13 people when I was on the tee in front of 2 other 4 ball groups.

You obviously played to a pretty high standard to play in front of thousands. Thats quite impressive. Tell more.

 

[HTL]

Played in a few home internationals when I was younger and signed for a premiership club in Wales when I was 18. Got released after 2 years. Know have bad arthritis in my ankle and find it hard to complete 18 holes (im nearly 25)all due to over training, I also competed internationally in Fencing. And competed to a high standard in Rugby League, Cycling and Gymnastics.

I work for premiership football teams twice a week teaching young players on a BTEC national teaching programme so if it goes tits up like it did for me they have a good qualification to fall back on.

 

[AliB]

I think it's not how many but who?
Perversely I'm usually okay in front of strangers - (though probably haven't ever had more than a dozen watching). find it harder with people I actually know or, even worse, think I can do better then.
e.g. a) playing with a group of men on an outing, I had to tee off first and after a long pause while we waited for greenkeepers to move out fof the way. Despite being a bit nervous I hit a cracker.
b) joined a group of ladies who were very welcoming but clearly pretty awful players. Hit off with the last (and poorest ) group and completely muffed it (and the rest of the round)!!
there's a lesson there somewhere (pride, fall, ...)!

AliB

 

[DarthFader]

I think the most people i have played in front of would be about 40,played with the club captain on captain's day,at the 18th there was a group of people out the clubhouse to see him putt out.

 

[brendy]

30-40 folks walking with us in a junior cup competition at Belvoir park and similar at Ballymena, it fairly makes you appreciate keeping your head down and concentrating.

 

[Junior]

Good post JF !

Mine was for 1 shot only on a corporate day at the Belfry. I was in the first group teeing off on the Brabazon course, there was a photographer taking everyones picture mid swing on the first and the rest of the players (about 40 or so) were watching. Managed to get one away, weak push out to the right and ended up in the right hand bunkers !!

Cant believe how nervous I was !!

 

[madandra]

I have only played infront of about 20-30 on a couple of occassions

The best or worst was he 1st tee at Polkemmet Country Park. They used to have a chute and it was a case of 1st come 1st served but you couldn't tee off until the wee wumin shouted out her window so we got there about 7am for an 8 o'clock tee off and when the auld boot shouted there were guys all over the place willing you to duff it. I hit the best snap hook of my life.

 

[TonyN]

Golf, probably about 15 people, all queing for the first tee. bit nervous but smashed a 6 iron right down middle then parred the first hole first time i played the course. then it all went downhill

Football, a much much bigger crowd of about a thousand but as above, just makes me play better, harder, faster and more determined.

When you make a last ditch slide tackle in the last few mins of a final and the crowd goes wild. Its quite a feeling you want to replicate.

 

[mboy1980]

My biggest audience was when I played in the final of the Club Championship in 2004.

It was over 36 holes.

In the first round there were about 20 people follwing the match and we were all square after 18.

There were a few more in the afternoon but by the time we reached the 14th green there were about 100 or so.

Again we were all square after 36.

I won on the first extra hole.

 

[golfcitydweller]

final of the club champ`s , 60 /70 maybe ..it`s a different ball game when ur being watched and critised !!!u get a little paranoid

 

[clubchamp07]

We got to the final of the Holt Sheild a few years back and the longer the round went on the more people spilled out from the bar. It was down to my match and the crowd around the 18th green and standing in the bar was unbeleivable. The S was running down my legs. I got a half match and the final went into extra holes. Thank god I didnt have to go up the extra hole. We won it! yeha

Another time was last year in club championship, there was about 30 people followed us (last group) round and it was great, only because I got the feeling they wanted me to win. Whenever we got to the 18th the whole bar was out watching. After holing out it was the best feeling I've every had on a golf course. Well apart from the time............................oh sorry wrong site!

 

[clubchamp07]

Brendy, I've played in matches against Ballymena and no matter what round your in they always have a crowd out. They must be one of the best supported clubs in Ireland. I'll be there in a few weeks time with the Fred Daly boy's. They have 2 juniors playing off 1. Help needed!

 

[DCB]

Ah, Polkemmet,that jewel in the central belt golfing crown!

The 9th green is reminicent of Augusta .... if you squint hard!

It's certainly a pressure shot off the 1st there on a busy day. Were you wearing the obligatory Nike Shell Suite with the matching unlaced trainers?

 

[madandra]

The 9th at Polkemmet has been slaughtered and the bridge has been removed as have most of the trees.

Such a pity realy as it was a classic.

 

[Tommo21]

Well, about 30 years ago I won a club competition that qualified me for the Stars for Spastics pro celebrity am charity thingy at Lenzie golf club.

I had no idea that people would be at this event and it wasn’t until the night before, after watching a Scottish television sports programme where the event was announced, that I realised quite a few top football stars and managers were going to be there.

I got there with others and the first tee was lined both sides with spectators and autograph hunters. Our team got some assistant pro that no one knew, which was fine by me as no one followed us round……..or so I thought.

Anyway, teeing off at the first was nerve wracking enough as I felt sure I was going to take out some poor spectator. But no, I was away down the fairway and that urge to go to the loo subsided.

I was striking the ball quite well and we came to a par 3 with an elevated tee. The green ran upwards from the front to back with a road running through the course at the back of the green. Worse still, due to the road being close by, a fair amount of people had gathered at the green. I hit my iron, a 4 or 5 iron. I cream it knowing it was going to be big we all shout four. Luckily my ball didn’t hurt anyone, but I was chipping back down the slope to the pin. I could hardly hold the wedge and somehow I managed to hit it, thinking it was short but it just kept rolling to about 10 inches….honest. Everyone was clapping and I was shaking so much that I nearly missed the putt. Any longer and I would have.

Worse was to come, the bloody crowd crossed the road, following us thinking we were super golfers.

What did I do next…….I missed the effin ball, I did. And you know what…..the crowd disappeared, thank god. Ever since that day, playing in a medal is a breeze and it’s an experience I’ll never forget.