Once in a Lifetime
By Steve R On August 25, 2012
Happened to me 8/23/12. I've been playing golf for nearly 40 years and have never had, or even seen one - live. A little after 6;00 at Cantiague Golf course. I had just completed 1st hole with an uneventful or inspiring bogey. Step up to 2nd hole which is 173 yard par 3. Tee'd up towards front of tee box so I had probably about 165 yards - give or take.
Playing with "Eric" in a twosome. I tee it up on left side as I'd been pulling the ball fairly consistently. I take a pretty standard swing and hit the ball flush, I mean perfectly. You know what I mean as you can feel in your hands that it was dead solid in the middle of the club. Ball climbs immediately, traveling very high in general direction of the green as pin is back but in the middle, up a slight hill.
Ball was in the air forever as there was plenty of time to talk to it - pretty standard. I say to Eric simply "that's a good one". He replies - "you got all of it".Still holding follow through I quietly say "be the right club" and take half step back to watch it start coming down. Ball lands in middle of green seemingly a yard and and half in front of the flag. So high it made just a tiny skip forward and began a very slow roll.
Next thing is we see nothing. Eric had already hit and was in the rough on the right so no other balls on the green and strangely neither was mine. We look at each other and almost at the same time say - "OVER?". I quickly say "too high" and immediately we start walking - fast. We purposely separate coming off the tee because if you've played golf you know it's possible to have ball rest directly behind the pin and you can be blocked out by the flag. From the side you'll be able to see it but neither of us could. I yell over to Eric - "WHERE'S THE BALL?". He almost instinctively yells the same thing back to me - "WHERE'S THE BALL?"
Halfway to the green without saying another word Eric starts running pulling his bag with him. He completes the 70 some odd yards and looks down and yells at the top of his lungs - "OH MY GOD!" I'm not even at the fringe yet and yell "NO WAY". He's about to reach for it and I yell - "DON"T TOUCH IT". I believe huge smile comes across my face because everyone I speak to over next few minutes say I have this ridiculous grin. I walk up and there it is.
Everyone we see over next hour Eric recounts what happened as I still have this stupid grin. I text two friends who of course do not believe me. One meets us half hour later to play with us and wants verification, as I would. Pretty surreal.
Had to mark the day and tell you about it as I have a feeling it will never happen again.