Anyone out there experience or witness any of those beginner's luck moments? Forty-foot putts by absolute beginners, chip-ins, or even the hole-in-one? The upside is obvious, but the downside can be disheartening - setting higher expectations and coming to realize it may be years, if ever, before it happens again.
Years ago, during my third or fourth half-round with my girlfriend (both of us noobs), after having only picked up the game for a few weeks, I hit mine. It happened on a short but challenging par 4 at a muni (only 270 yards but with a tight fairway, massive, gaping bunker fronting the green, water hazard on the right, and heavy rough/trees left.
After a thin, lousy tee shot that barely went 200 yards and barely avoided the water hazard on the right, I hit a wedge shot I will never forget. From 60-70 yards out, with my old Golden Bear blades, I hit a sweet floater. Initially, I was pleased enough that it was airborne and generally straight (beggars can't be choosers). I actually pulled the shot a little, but it worked out nicely, because it played perfectly into the slope of the green. Landed maybe 10 yards left of the pin, spun and paused for a moment, then trickled down the slope into the hole for an eagle two.
I was speechless and didn't believe my eyes. My girlfriend was ecstatic, cheering and clapping. The guy ahead of us (on the adjacent tee who I guess was watching us while waiting for the group ahead of him) was jumping up and down, yelling like a lunatic.
Hasn't happened since. Ironically, though, after taking a several-year hiatus and then getting back into the game, I came close on the first hole of my first round. Approach shot to the green with a wedge from ~80 yards out, caught it almost pure, bounced once, hit the pin, and rolled about ten feet right of the hole. Missed the putt and the rest of the round is best left forgotten.
My first attempt at playing golf was at a nine hole course near Lancaster NY. Can't remember the name. Year was maybe 1979. I would have been 33 yrs old if it was 1979. The course was jammed into a small space, so there were several short par 4's. The fourth hole, maybe 290 yds, par 4, green sloping severely from back to front. I drive. Big slice. Iron. On the green. WOW. Pin high. 30 feet to the hole. I putt. Bang. Runs up hill, then curves back down, slams into the hole. BIRDIE! Man that was fun.
I was hooked.
I don't remember anything about any other hole on that 9-hole round.
My sister-in-law made a hole in one the first time she played in a golf course. She's only been in the range around 5 times and I had to plead with her to get her to play. She hit a 3 wood on a 150 yard par three. Ball landed short of the green, rolled, hit the flag, and dropped in. I've never had one.
First time my wife played we got to a really hard par 3. From the tips its 240 up hill and I hit a decent shot and made a 2 putt par. She hit an 8 iron from 110 on the ladies tee to six inches and tapped in for birdie. When we were walking off she said that was an easy hole.... lol
A buddy of mine who has only played 5 or 6 times in his life holed out from about 200 yards at Erin Hills earlier this year. It was only for par, but a pretty cool shot for a beginner nonetheless.
I have "played" golf my entire life. By that I mean I have been going to a range and hitting balls since I was 3. However, my first ever time on a course playing was when I was 11 on vacation in Ohio. I was playing a par 3 course and on the first hole completely skulled a 5 iron and it hop, skipped, and rolled right into the hole for my first (and only) hole in one. I have holed out from farther since then, but the circumstances of it being my first hole ever and being a terrible shot makes it very memorable.
My wife hit a 7 iron Nike Forged Blade (from a set she got at a garage sale for $10!!) on a 155 yard hole to 15 feet and made the putt for birdie. First hole she ever played. Now she's hooked and attending demo days with me!
My son hit a 30 ft birdie putt at a father son event when he was 7. It was his first time on a course.
This was the first time I played a round (18 holes). On all of the par 3's I put my tee shots 3-6 feet from the hole. This was playing from the white tees.
My second round playing I made an unbelievable eagle.It was actually a short par5 but I hit my drive about 270 and had about 180 left to the hole.I hit a perfect 5 iron to about 15 feet and made the putt.It was my only 1 putt all day and I shot a 110.I've never eagled a par5 since but had an eagle on a par4 from the fairway last week from about 100 yards,that was awesome too
I was playing a short par 3 course with my dad stepmom and brother when he was 7, first hole for my stepmom ever she hits 3 wood 7 iron in the hole for eagle on the only par 4 the ninth hole is 90 yards over water my brother hit driver on and made a 15 footer. Best part was I shot 2 under and no one cared
My buddy comes up to the course, of course he isnt a member, but no one goes to the course on mondays. So it was kind of wet, and I decided to park the cart 100 yards out. I was just hitting small punch pitching wedge shots, sucked one back 10 feet from hole high to about 5 feet, next shot I hit the flagstick and it landed 10 feet. Then my buddy who only practices are his house occassionaly skulls one short of the green, and it ends up being about 2 feet out. I almost crapped my pants
dont know whether it counts as a good shot - more like three s**t shots with a happy ending.
Shortish par 4 11th hole with a slight left to right dog leg. Pull hooked the driver left into the hedge seperating the fairway from the 4th fairway. The ball just got through the hedge but I had no shot back over the hedge / up the 4th fairway so tried to blast it back through the hedge onto the 11th fairway. It sailed through never touching any of the hedge and sailed at head height across the 11th fairway heading onto the 10th fairway but hit a tree and bounced back into the middle of the 11th (proper) fairway. I then hit a 6 iron and pull hooked it - heading OB into the old people's home that sits to the left of the 11th green. Smacks against the wall of the old people's home and bounces back in bounds onto the green - landing 3 foot from the hole for a tap in par.
My playing partner played the hole 'the right way' and lipped out for a bogie - the look on his face will stay with me for lifetime!
dont know whether it counts as a good shot - more like three s**t shots with a happy ending.
Shortish par 4 11th hole with a slight left to right dog leg. Pull hooked the driver left into the hedge seperating the fairway from the 4th fairway. The ball just got through the hedge but I had no shot back over the hedge / up he 4th fairway so tried to blast it back through the hedge onto the 11th fairway. It sailed through never touching any of the hedge and sailed at head height across the 11th fairway heading onto the 10th fairway but hit a tree and bounced back into the middle of the 11th (proper) fairway. I then hit a 6 iron and pull hooked it - heading OB into the old people's home that sits to the left of the 11th green. Smacks against the wall of the old people's home and bounces back onto the green - landing 3 foot from the hole for a tap in par.
My playing partner played the hole 'the right way' and lipped out for a bogie - the look on his face will stay with me for lifetime!
LOL. Reminds me of those old "nuthin' but net" commercials.
At forty eight years old, I would have no idea how many tee shots I have hit in my life on par three's and I have never had a hole in one. I have been within two inches are less several times and had one shot hit the lip of the hole and take out a piece of it but not go in.
This past summer I played once with a guy in his early forties that just started playing this year and he had a hole in one which was witnessed by three of us and I played another evening with a member friend whom I have played with hundreds of times over the years, and this summer his teenage daughter who carries about a twenty five index made a hole in one while playing with us. She was using a Callaway iron so she received a little plaque from Callaway.
The golf Gods are not always with us.......
First time my ex-girlfriend ever played, we were on a par 3 course. She was pretty bummed about how hard it was. Last hole, something like 100 yards. She topped her tee shot, topped the next one, then was about 35 yards out, and proceeded to hole out in a perfect pitch shot. A father and kid were on the tee box waiting, they applauded, she applauded herself, and was hooked after that.
I don't think she realized how rare her feat was, and was expecting something like that every time she went out.
In my first year of playing I was 190 yards away from the green with a blind shot over a hill that sat behind a bunker. There was water along the left and the green was elevated. it was a dogleg right but...who lays up their first year?
so from 190 yards I bust out my 3w and I hit a nice high soaring shot that disappeared over the hill...I have no idea where it landed but I do know that it looked good.
I drive up to the green with the cart and see only one ball on the green thinking it was my playing partners. The ball was only 6 feet way from the pin and I was looking for my ball somewhere short of the green and found mine sitting in a...wait this isn't my ball, I'm too broke for a ProV1. Wait what??? that's my topflite xl2000 sitting on that GREEN!!!
So I march up to the green with my glove still on put the best putting stroke I had...three times....until it got into the hole for a bogey. Still I think that was one of my favorite shots and have never parted with that 3wood til this day.
I started playing in April of this year. In my fifth round of golf, I was playing with my dad and a bunch of his friends at his course. First hole is a short 390-yd par 4 with a creek running before the green and a downhill slope running to the creek. Teed off with my 3W and caught it very well (for me), so that it rolled down the slope to around 20 yds from the creek, leaving about a 90 yd pitch to the pin at the back of the green. Took an easy 3/4 swing with my 52* GW and hit it on what looked like a good line, but I thought I'd overhit it and rolled off the back. Got up to the green and spent a couple of minutes looking on the back fringe and rough before my dad pointed out the ball mark in front of the hole; ball was hiding in the cup for eagle.
Of course, haven't had one (or had anything less than a 40 foot putt for one) since.
I started playing my senior year in college with a golf club at school. We played a 9 hole par 3 down the street from school and it was maybe my 5th time playing. We usually played in the evening after dark (it was lit) and the first hole was over a creek. I hit my ball and lost in the lights, my friend asked where it went I said probably in the water. Then I looked up and it was in the middle of the green, first time i ever hit over that creek, and I 2 putted for par. That was the start of my best round, until recently. Through 7 holes I was 2 over par, and I started thinking about breaking 30. I accidentally went to the 9th tee instead og the 8th. My friend told me I missed a hole and I thought that would signal the end of my amazing round. I hit an 8 iron on the 8th hole right at the pin. The ball ended up one rotation from going in the hole. I parred the 9th to shoot a 28. The next round on that course I didn't break 50.
I was playing with a friend who was out on about the 5th round of his life. We were on the 14th tee, a par-3, and up to that point he had been making mostly 8's, 9's, and 10's. He teed it up and hit a great looking shot about 140 yards right into the hole. He had actually teed it up outside of the markers, so I poked some fun at him for that. At that point he became hooked on the game for life.
I've been playing for 15+ years, probably 750+ rounds, and have never made a hole in one myself.
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and I hit a nice high soaring shot that disappeared over the hill...I have no idea where it landed but I do know that it looked good.
