Luckiest Bounce/Luckiest Kick Stories

ChristopherMcDonald · March 23, 2015

Richards other thread about most embarrassing/unluckiest things got me thinking.

What's the luckiest bounce/kick you've had on a course in recent memory?

I had one yesterday where it's a pretty straight forward. 290 yard par 4 that has a creek about 15 feet wide. This creek also runs along the entire left side of the hole and is littered with trees. You are required to carry AT LEAST 230. This isn't my game right now so 230 is asking a bit much from me so I decide a smooth chocked down 3 wood with a nice weak fade would put me on the dirt hill guarding the right side of the fairway which would feed it down nicely to the middle of the fairway to a preferable location to attack the pin (which takes some finesse as they are guarded by 2 huge bunkers on either side.

Get on the tee box, take one practice swing, exactly what I wanted it to feel like so I step up and give her a go.

No good practice swing goes unpunished, and I push the crap out of it into the ravine/trees on the left hand side. Waiting for some sort of splash or something, but I know it's not good. About a full 3 seconds later my ball comes ROCKETING out of the ravine area and lands dead smack middle of the fairway, which happened to be the closest/best lie of the group, I couldn't believe it. This was the 2nd great kick I had gotten on the day but it was simply astounding the lag between it drilling a tree (which we heard) and it kicking back like that.

I put a good swing on it from there but the greens were like rocks so I rolled it off the left side from 75 yards out. Chip up, 2 putt for the bogey.

Anyone else have some good ones?

Maddog10 · March 23, 2015

Hit a nice drive on a reachable par 5 so decided to go for the green in two. Pulled my second shot into a treeline down the left side which is marked out of bounds, but the ball caught a limb and kicked onto the green about 3 feet from the hole. Tapped in for an eagle.

3GoodPutts · March 23, 2015

380 yard, par 4. I push my drive right into the woods, hits a tree and bounces into the fairway. I am 155 yards away and hole out the next shot for an eagle.

BobbyDPlaysGolf · March 23, 2015

I clipped a tree on my approach on the final hole the other day, ended up 3 feet from the cup. Funny game.

Whiskey_fire · March 23, 2015

Two years ago in my work tourny I'm leading by 2 on the 15th and I hit 3 wood on a 300 yard par 4 just for position, I hook it ob onto the beach/rocks for all I know. The guy I'm playing with is the guy that's 2 behind. He hits driver onto the green. Thinking I'm done I hit a provisional. We walk up the fairway and he says man I thought I made the green but I guess not as he sees two balls on the fairway. We walk over and both balls are mine, turns out it hit a rock and bounced back into the fairway. I make a par he makes a birdie but in the end I win by one shot.

cardoustie · March 23, 2015

I saw two aces in person that were cold skulls, both landing short of the green, second one dropped in after hitting the flag half up at warp speed.

But the best was in our member guest about six years ago and an older gent used a 3 wood on a 160 yard par 3 over a lake. Water level was down, he hits the rocks short where it is usually 2 feet of aqua, bounces up onto green and in for an ace .. won a BMW 6 series (and he was a Toyota VP).

In a weird twist, one of the guys in the other twosome aced the same 12th hole whilst playing in my foursome 3 years back ... but there was no car

SilverBullets · March 23, 2015

Luckiest kick I saw didn't happen to me but happened a random single we got paired up. The 9th hole at this local course is a tough par 3. It plays 180 or so yards, typically into the wind, and you have a carry a decent size ravine/pond that the green is just behind. About 40 yards left of the pin, there is a cart bridge which crosses the ravine. The guy I was playing with hit a high, ballooning, pull hook and it was clearly going to land smack in the middle of the water. Well the rails on the bridge are about a qtr inch of solid steel and are oddly angled. They are angled out (so the left rail is angled // and the right rail is angled \\). The guy hits the middle of the right rail and the ball shoots into the air, lands on the right side of the green, trickles down a slope to about 2 feet.

I, on the other hand, put my ball about 15 feet past the pin and am left with a straight downhill putt with about a foot of break. I 3 putt my way to a bogey and he taps in his 2. I just laughed haha.

The best break for me was while playing a new course in Michigan which I had never been to. I was trying to hit a par 5 in 2 and was 235 or so off the green with a completely blind. I run up the hill to see where the green and trouble were, pick a target to aim at (tree behind the green) and go back and smack a 3 wood up the hill hoping to catch a good one. I hit the ball like total crap and end up hitting a lining slice that was a good 40 yards off target. I thought for sure I was going to catch a bunker short and way right of the green. When I get up to the green area I notice a ball sitting on the ledge of the cup. No one in the group knew who's ball it was except that it was not their ball. I go and check it and sure enough it's my ball. A half roll from a double eagle. What I didn't know before I hit the shot was how contoured the hole was and the mounds were on the right side of the hole. After studying the hole from the green you could clearly see that the hole was sitting on a side slope and my ball must have kicked off the top of the large mounds and shot left and then funneled onto the green. Went from staring at a bogey to a eagle lol.

Golf is certainly a game of what goes around, comes around.

cardoustie · March 23, 2015

For me

Playing in a scramble in Glen Arbor, NS. Straight up hill 10th hole. Blind second shot from 90 yards or so. I am the A player, first three guys get it on the green to the front pin and I skull pull mine.

Four of us looking and can't find my ball anywhere long or left. We give up. Walk down to pull the pin from the cup and my ball is in the hole ! We all start hooting and hollering. One of the guys says, how did that happen? Here's where it gets weird.

I say probably like this. Whip a ball up into the back corner of the green, a good 60-70 feet above the hole. Well you guessed it ... ball stops up near the fringe and starts trickling back for almost 10 seconds and plops in the hole !!!!

Minds blown !

ChristopherMcDonald · March 23, 2015

the other one during my round played out like this (Same round, yesterday)

Hit drive great for me about 230 dead center of the fairway. Slice the bejeezus out of my second shot which left me right up against a low brush line/tree line that went all the way along the right side.

I SLICE IT AGAIN. It somehow powers through the brush and straightens out, it catches some cart path love, rolls around the bunker, to the back hill of the green which then feeds it down to about 9 feet. I of course miss the par putt.

This round had some really ridiculous luck associated with it for me.

Medic · March 23, 2015

League semi finals in match play. My opponent is two up with three to play and I am getting desperate to do something special. So I decide to take a chance on a short par 4 and hit driver even though Johnny Miller would be up in the tower talking about how it would not be the prudent move.

Practice swing feels awesome. I need about 220 of carry to get over the water hazard. Right is OB and left is woods, I hit it pure but it hooks - heading right into the woods. We hear the crack of the strike against a tree and out comes my ball - rolling gently up to the edge of the water. My opponent goes into the sand next to the green and I get a GIR with only about 4 feet to the bird - which I sink.

That single hole turned the whole thing around for me. I won the rest of the holes and the match - cannot help but believe my victory was in part because of how deflated my opponent must have felt seeing my ball bounce back in and into a perfect position for a second shot in. I should never have gone for it in reality and I got REALLY lucky. But that tree hit saved my round.

PZero · March 23, 2015

Played last Monday with a group that I got paired up with. On a 170 yard par 3, one guy came up way short, the ball hit off the ice in the frozen pond and bounced on the green about 30 feet away from the pin.

larrybud · March 23, 2015

Par 5, trees on the left. Hook one (me?) hits a tree, bounces into the middle of the fairway. I get up to it, I'm in a divot.

Easy come, easy go.

Worse bounce:
Before I had my one and only ace, about 155 yard par 3 over water, fly the ball into the cup, ball hits the edge of the cup liner (tears up the lip of the turf), bounces 30 feet away. I three putt for bogey.

knock it close · March 23, 2015

Fourball match, couple presses coming down on 18. 530 dog leg left par 5 to an island green. Catch 4 iron a little heavy hits the rocks just short and kicks up to 15 feet, my partner ended up hitting it about 3 feet inside me so it was kinda irrelevant, my two buddies we were playing against are still rattled about that shot.

bbarclay · March 24, 2015

Playing at Monarch Beach in southern California. A small wager involved. The 3rd hole is a short (300 yard), dog-leg left par 4 that forces a lay-up off the (into the Pacific if too long). My oppenent hit a perfect long iron dead center of the fairway, then hit a half-wedge about 4 feet below the hole. Absolutely flawless execution.

My play was a bit less stellar. I hooked a long iron deep into the left rough, but only about 55 yards from the pin. I then dead-pulled a half wedge that landed hole-high, about 30 feet left of my target. The ball hit EXACTLY at the left edge of the fringe, kicked straight right, and rolled into the center of the cup for an eagle.

I didn't hit a single shot on the hole that was anywhere close to what I envisioned, yet emerged 1-up. My opponent's response was not fit for a mixed audience.

B

magix · March 24, 2015

Friend was in the right green side bunker on the first hole of Santa Anita GC. He bladed it so badly it came out hot, hit the tree trunk on the opposite side of the green, bounced on the floor of our golf cart and through it, rolled down the slope towards the green and ended up 6 ft from the hole. He made his par and I 2 putt for par.

SMAKCruiser · March 24, 2015

18th hole at my club.... had about 90 yards. Chunked my shot about 60 yards short, ball landed on a metal drain in a low area just short of the green and bounced within an inch of the cup setting up an easy birdie.

rFREESEr · March 25, 2015

Par 5 and the green sits right behind a little pond. This was just this past weekend (March 21). Lay up to wedge range, but pulled my lay up a little. Left myself with a kind of awkward downhill lie. Thin the wedge. It's a line drive and spinning down right at the pond (which still had a thin coat of ice here, north of Pittsburgh) bounced off the ice to about 5 feet. Made the birdie putt.

Matt J · March 25, 2015

Yesterday I pulled a 5 iron from about 175 and watched it hit about 5 feet off the left side of the green. Walked up and it had trickled on to the green about 6 feet in and was about 15 feet from the pin. I felt like that was pretty lucky.

I also threaded a drive into an area that involves a cart path, a creek and a lake. Was sitting up perfect in the short grass. Very easily could have been in either hazard.

I think we get as many lucky bounces as unlucky but folks seem to credit themselves for the lucky ones and the golfing gods for the bad ones.

KrazyTrain18 · March 26, 2015

Blocked my tee shot down the right side towards where the water cuts in around 250, somehow the ball popped straight left into the fairway.

CosmosMpower · March 26, 2015

[quote name='bbarclay' timestamp='1427220408' post='11206279']
Playing at Monarch Beach in southern California. A small wager involved. The 3rd hole is a short (300 yard), dog-leg left par 4 that forces a lay-up off the (into the Pacific if too long). My oppenent hit a perfect long iron dead center of the fairway, then hit a half-wedge about 4 feet below the hole. Absolutely flawless execution.

My play was a bit less stellar. I hooked a long iron deep into the left rough, but only about 55 yards from the pin. I then dead-pulled a half wedge that landed hole-high, about 30 feet left of my target. The ball hit EXACTLY at the left edge of the fringe, kicked straight right, and rolled into the center of the cup for an eagle.

I didn't hit a single shot on the hole that was anywhere close to what I envisioned, yet emerged 1-up. My opponent's response was not fit for a mixed audience.

B
[/quote]

Humble brag about a 250 yard long iron.

FKA HB · March 26, 2015

CC matchplay about 5 years ago. I've just clawed back to 1 down through 16 and I've played great the last few holes. Our 17th is a blind shot where the fairway falls away at around 210 yards. Anything that gets over the hill pretty much ends up 110 - 130. I literally fat hook a hybrid that only goes about 60 yards. Opponent hits it right down the middle. I hit 5 iron way left behind a bunch of trees still with 120 to go and just stymied. I'm still out and I decide to just hit 2 extra clubs and hope the ball gets caught up a bit by the trees. It actually happened and my ball lands on the green about 20 feet away. My opponent (solid 3-4 cap) is rattled and dumps it in the bunker, takes 2 to get out and makes a 6. I lose on the next hole.

cardoustie · March 26, 2015

I lost a club C defense about 9 years ago to a guy that had an incredible break. I had tripled our par 3 seventh to let him back into it.

He's also leaking a little oil but excited as I started the final round 6 up and just gave 3 back. . We get to our 220 yard par three 11th, into the wind and over a lake and the pin is buried back right. He takes a driver, goes over the green on the fly and is heading OB, it then it one hops and hits one of those little metal stakes that holds ropes dead center and stops dead 6 feet from OB. He somehow gets that up and down for par. To rub salt in the wound he then putts like Crenshaw on holes 13 and 17 ... he actually sinks 40 and then 50 footers for pars, I kid you not. I lost by one

bazinky · March 26, 2015

My luckiest on course break occurred a few years back when I got suckered into playing in a skins game (with carry-overs) with three other players who were much better than I was. I had let my ego get the better of me and we were all playing straight up. I played horrible on the front 9, but thankfully the other guys kept tying so we had a 9 hole carry-over going into the 10th, which was a downhill par 4 with a creek running in front of the green. All four of us hit the fairway and have wedges into the green. For once, I was the longest off the tee, as I hit driver and the other three hit 3 woods or hybrids off the tee.The three other golfers all hit nice approaches, with the worst one being about 15 feet from the hole. Feeling the pressure, I fat my wedge right into the middle of the creek. However, the creek had an exposed flatish rock that my ball landed directly on and and proceeded to ricochet onto the green, hit the flagstick, and drop in the hole for an eagle and 10 skins. I even ended up winning a couple of more skins on the back, largely because the guys I was playing were so pissed about my lucky break. Even though I won most of the money, I'm pretty sure I shot at least 8 strokes worse than all my other partners that day ...

ChristopherMcDonald · March 26, 2015

[quote name='bazinky' timestamp='1427383378' post='11220267']
My luckiest on course break occurred a few years back when I got suckered into playing in a skins game (with carry-overs) with three other players who were much better than I was. I had let my ego get the better of me and we were all playing straight up. I played horrible on the front 9, but thankfully the other guys kept tying so we had a 9 hole carry-over going into the 10th, which was a downhill par 4 with a creek running in front of the green. All four of us hit the fairway and have wedges into the green. For once, I was the longest off the tee, as I hit driver and the other three hit 3 woods or hybrids off the tee.The three other golfers all hit nice approaches, with the worst one being about 15 feet from the hole. Feeling the pressure, I fat my wedge right into the middle of the creek. However, the creek had an exposed flatish rock that my ball landed directly on and and proceeded to ricochet onto the green, hit the flagstick, and drop in the hole for an eagle and 10 skins. I even ended up winning a couple of more skins on the back, largely because the guys I was playing were so pissed about my lucky break. Even though I won most of the money, I'm pretty sure I shot at least 8 strokes worse than all my other partners that day ...
[/quote]

hahahaha yeah that's awesome. Gotta love the random exposed rock that shows you some love.

Great reading so far everyone, can't get enough.

Wormiez · March 26, 2015

One of my luckiest and amusing shot was this time when I missed the green and the ball nestled in the 1st cut of rough. At least 15 feet from the hole I took out my wedge and chipped onto the green at the hole. The shot was crisp and clean and hit the flag stick dead on, the ball whipped backwards and landed back into its original spot.. Cursing at what happened, I attempted the same shot again and the ball slam dunked into the hole for a Par.

Forged4ever · March 26, 2015

Actually, my "luckiest" bounce was not as a result of a shot or even a ball...

It was a FC's head bouncing off of the green grass-

It was the semis of the 2012 WPa Interclub Match Play Championships and I was playing at Oakmont, against the #1 seed, who was a +4.4, while I was at +2.7. We had played twice before in a MP format, with me losing 4&3 and on the 26tb hole. I was 0-2 against him. The problem was that this kid, who topped out at +5.3 and turned Pro, though he couldn't turn the corner and so he got his status back. He was a "get birdies in bunches" type of Player, and a long baller +, and you can spray at Oakmont if you can bring it back. He could. Our extra hole match was at my club, which is much tighter and if you're long and straight, like my former BB Partner and Freddie, who share the course record at 63(Par 70 Black), well, if the putter's workin, there's birds to be had. This kid wasn't that straight so I could hang with him on a tight track.

When he arrived on #1 tee, he did look "flushed," and was already visibly sweating. It was a mild 71-72° Mid-September Saturday morning. I even asked him if he felt ok and he said "never better."

We halved one, he won #2 with a bird to my my par and standing on 3 tee, I stood at the back of the tee, waiting for him to hit. He bent over to plant his tee, sorta of wobbled left to right, then did a face plant. I was closest to him and ran to him, turned him over and he was out. I opened his mouth to make sure his passage way was clear and as I tilted his head back, he came to. He rolled over then sat up.

Someone had called the shop and as they had a Rules Official riding with us, he took him back and there was an ambulance there waiting.

Turns out that he had a pneumonia and a 102°+ temp and he was severely dehydrated. He ended up spending the night in the hospital.

I went on to beat another Oakmonter in the Finals, 2&1 for that trophy in my avatar pic.

So, while I'm not sayin how things woulda turned out that day, I am saying that it was a "lucky" bounce that made my day a hell of a lot easier than I had planned.

Fairways & Greens My Friends,
Richard

ChristopherMcDonald · March 26, 2015

[quote name='Forged4ever' timestamp='1427406020' post='11222937']
Actually, my "luckiest" bounce was not as a result of a shot or even a ball...

It was a FC's head bouncing off of the green-

It was the semis of the 2012 WPa Interclub Match Play Championships and I was playing at Oakmont, against the #1 seed, who was a +4.4, while I was at +2.7. We had played twice before in a MP format, with me losing 4&3 and on the 26tb hole. I was 0-2 against him. The problem was that this kid, who topped out at +5.3 and turned Pro, though he couldn't turn the corner and so he got his status back. He was a "get birdies in bunches" type of Player, and a long baller +, and you can spray at Oakmont if you can bring it back. He could. Our extra hole match was at my club, which is much tighter and if you're long and straight, like my former BB Partner and Freddie, who share the course record at 63(Par 70 Black), well, if the putter's workin, there's birds to be had. This kid wasn't that straight so I could hang with him on a tight track.

When he arrived on #1 tee, he did look "flushed," and was already visibly sweating. It was a mild 71-72° Mid-September Saturday morning. I even asked him if he felt ok and he said "never better."

We halved one, he won #2 with a bird to my my par and standing on 3 tee, I stood at the back of the tee, waiting for him to hit. He bent over to plant his tee, sorta of wobbled left to right, then did a face plant. I was closest to him and ran to him, turned him over and he was out. I opened his mouth to make sure his passage way was clear and as I tilted his head back, he came to. He rolled over then sat up.

Someone had called the shop and as they had a Rules Official riding with us, he took him back and there was an ambulance there waiting.

Turns out that he had a pneumonia and a 102°+ temp and he was severely dehydrated. He ended up spending the night in the hospital.

I went on to best another Oakmonter in the Finals, 2&1 for that trophy in my avatar pic.

So, while I'm not sayin how things woulda turned out that day, I am saying that it was a "lucky" bounce that made my day a hell of a lot easier than I had planned.

Fairways & Greens My Friends,
Richard
[/quote]

Great story Richard. Definitely counts! Good for you keeping cool under those conditions, i wouldn't know what to do with someone in my group pulling off a mean face plant right in front of me..

Playaway · March 26, 2015

Was playing in SoCal at Calabasas CC in a tourney I was invited to play in. This one hole is a par 5 down hill with a cart path on the right.

So I unleash this towering tee shot but blocked it a little. As we watch it we see a cart coming backwards on our hole, right up the cart path. The ball was on radar lock with the cart, heat seek city. It was slow motion. We are screaming but to no avail as the wind was into us.

The ball bounced on the asphalt just in front of the cart, bounced straight up off the ceiling of the cart and bounced around like a pin ball several times. Bing, bang, boink in rapid fire. The assistant pro bailed out at first sound. Of course, we were howling. And he somehow was untouched.

Forged4ever · March 26, 2015

[quote name='bazinky' timestamp='1427383378' post='11220267']
My luckiest on course break occurred a few years back when I got suckered into playing in a skins game (with carry-overs) with three other players who were much better than I was. I had let my ego get the better of me and we were all playing straight up. I played horrible on the front 9, but thankfully the other guys kept tying so we had a 9 hole carry-over going into the 10th, which was a downhill par 4 with a creek running in front of the green. All four of us hit the fairway and have wedges into the green. For once, I was the longest off the tee, as I hit driver and the other three hit 3 woods or hybrids off the tee.The three other golfers all hit nice approaches, with the worst one being about 15 feet from the hole. Feeling the pressure, I fat my wedge right into the middle of the creek. However, the creek had an exposed flatish rock that my ball landed directly on and and proceeded to ricochet onto the green, hit the flagstick, and drop in the hole for an eagle and 10 skins. I even ended up winning a couple of more skins on the back, largely because the guys I was playing were so pissed about my lucky break. Even though I won most of the money, I'm pretty sure I shot at least 8 strokes worse than all my other partners that day ...
[/quote]Bro, this is the best!!!

That is fantastic and this is why this game is do incredible!!

Very well Played!!

Continued Success

Fairways & Greens My Friend,
Richard

stratdogg_pro · March 26, 2015

Mine was a few years ago at a local muni goat track. Every player in our foursome was scratch or better but we weren't playing for money that day. Then on the par 3 12th hole my friend suggests we do a $20 KP. Of course everybody agrees. I got my laser out and it was 143 to the front left pin with a solid 5-7 mph wind in the face. The first 3 players all hit tight little knockdown draws ranging from 4 to 7 feet from the pin. I step up with a 9 iron and hit an absolute bottom groove 5 feet off the ground Vin Scully of a shot and it drills the flagstick on the fly.....HARD... and drops straight down within a foot of the cup. We were all shaking our heads on the walk up to the green.... but I didn't mind scooping 3 Andrew Jackson's from the group.