What's Your Most Interesting Golf Story?

One of your golf bio questions on Golfstinks.com (yes, you have your own golf bio when you become a member) is "what's your most interesting golf experience." Well, we've been getting some pretty good stories from the members thus far and wanted to open this up to our blog community too.

Let me break the ice by telling my very true tale...

It was the Friday of Memorial Day weekend 2001. A few friends of mine (one of which would later be known as Stinky Golfer Chris) were on a puddle jumper going from Charlotte to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The plan was as follows: Land. Play 18-holes. Eat. Sleep. Play 36-holes. Eat. Sleep. Play 9-holes. Fly back to Connecticut so we could get a good night's sleep before work on Monday (as you could see, there really wasn't much time to spare).

So we landed. We played 18-holes at Shipyard Golf Club and since not many people were out on the course that day, we actually finished our round earlier than expected. With daylight to spare, we headed back to the oceanfront condo (Stinky Golfer Chris' rich uncle let us crash at his summer place) to do a little boogie-boarding before dinner.

So there we were - our foursome splashing and playing in the surf like 6-year-olds - when a wave knocked me off my boogie-board and I fell backwards into the water. I was close to the beach and the water was only about three feet deep. My right hand found the sandy bottom and then it happened - a sharp stabbing pain between my thumb and index finger.

At first, I had no idea what hit me. But I was bleeding from a half-inch gash on top of my hand which seemed to be pretty deep. The pain was pretty bad too. On top of the cut itself hurting, the salt water was making matters worse.

My initial thought was I hit a sharp rock, or perhaps a crab pinched me. But then I felt it - a sting ray brushed by my leg and I was fairly certain that's what got me. "Oh God, aren't those things poisonous?" I thought to myself. It's a good thing the Steve Irwin incident hadn't happened yet otherwise I would have been freaking out.

By now I was trudging to the beach as fast as I could, worried that my bleeding hand was chumming the water for Great Whites. Despite screaming "AHHHH" when it first happened, none of my foursome seemed particularly concerned about the Jaws scene unfolding in front of them. I distinctly remember one of them still laying out on a beach chair when I pulled myself ashore.

By now it was dinner time, and that (not my throbbing and still bleeding) hand seemed to be the priority. "Sure, I'll man-up and go to dinner with you guys. Let me just ice-it, wrap-it and we can go" I told them. And that's what I did. Iced it for about 15 minutes, wrapped it in some gauze (still bleeding, and now slightly discolored in a purplish hue) and off we went to the Outback Steakhouse.

Towards the end of dinner, I announced the pain wasn't letting up any. I could tell this annoyed them as they had their hearts set on a few more Foster's before heading home. But when I showed them it was still bleeding - 3 hours later, I think they finally realized they needed to deal with my bitching.

So off to the emergency room we went, where I explained to the nurse what happened. She took one look and exclaimed, "Yep, that was a Stingy. Basically you have two choices. You can stay here and we'll admit you overnight or you can go home and submerge it in hot water."

Hot water? I was icing the freaking thing! Turns out hot water (as hot as you can stand it) draws the toxin out (which from the sting ray, by the way, is not fatal - Mr. Irwin died because it stung him in the heart). In addition to the hot water, I needed to visit a medical center the next day to have a doctor see if I needed stitches or antibiotics or both. Crap - there goes one of our tee-times.

The guys were cool though - they came to the doctor's with me (we missed our morning round) and fortunately, I didn't need stitches (I did get antibiotics though). Even better, since it was on the top of my hand, it didn't interfere with my swing! We finished our stay on Hilton Head playing at the beautiful Palmetto Dunes and even more alluring Sea Pines.

A decade later I still have the scar, and the skin around it is still slightly discolored. But, a few years ago, I was at a restaurant that had sting ray on the menu...revenge never tasted so good.

So, what's your story?

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Cover Stories and Unhappy Endings

We've all hit pretty bad golf shots. Admit it. We've sliced, shanked, hooked, flubbed and skulled our way through many rounds of 18. We've hit trees, wildlife, carts, sides of barns, even other golfers!

Oh well, no one's ever gotten hurt...not seriously anyway. So we keep playing. But I remember the first time I legitimately thought I was going to see some actual damage as the result of a bad shot.

Playing down in Hilton Head, one of our FORE!some hooked his drive directly at a fairway condo. We all watched in horror, knowing exactly where the ball was headed. It could hit anywhere on the backside of that house...but it won't. We all knew that ball's only intention was to hit that sliding glass door. And we helplessly stared, tracking the balls flight for what seemed like hours, waiting for the inevitable sound of shattering glass. But it never came. By some minor miracle, the ball bounced off the glass and ricocheted around the deck five or six times, sounding like an episode of This Old House, before it disappeared in some tall grass, never to be seen again. A collective sigh of relief filled the tee box, and down the fairway we went.

Now had the ball actually broken that glass, while making for a great golf story, it would still pale in comparison to this guy (thanks for the link Jay). A 25 acre blaze. From the spark created by a metal club hitting a rock. Now THAT is a disastrous golf shot.

While there has been some speculation as to the truth behind this story (I, for one, believe the fire was much more likely started by a cigar or cigarette, but why would he ever admit to that?), it's likely going to be recognized as the most disastrous golf shot, or at least one of golf's tallest tales, of all time.

This gets me thinking about what other golf shots wound up in catastrophic results. So I need some help. What is the most unfortunate result of a golf shot you have ever hit or witnessed? Let's even take it a step further. In the spirit Mr. California Wildfire, what is the best cover story you've ever heard or taken part in due to the result of an unfortunate golf shot?

So let's hear from everyone! Oh, and by the way, if necessary...feel free to post anonymously.

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The Gateway To A Golf Paradise

Some years ago, Stinky Golfer Greg and myself, along with two other golfing buddies, took a trip to Hilton Head Island for a golf getaway. We had a great hookup from one of my relatives who owned a condo on the island. This was the first real golf trip any of us had taken, and it was certainly one to remember.

I could get into the many details of the trip, but I can much more easily sum it up with one comment. While riding in a cart down one of the fairways of Palmetto Dunes, enjoying the beautiful views of the Atlantic, Greg turns to me and says simply..."Thank you. Seriously...thank you. This is awesome." He was right. It was awesome.

Recognize that picture? Of course you do. It's the famous Harbour Town Lighthouse at Sea Pines. We've all seen it. But have you ever had the chance to see it in person? Well thanks to a new website launched by The Golf Channel, here's your chance. If you've been there before, then here's your chance to do it again. For a great golf getaway, take a peek at http://www.hiltonheadgolf.com/.

For any golfers who haven't yet found their way to Hilton Head, my friends, you are truly missing out on a great golf experience. Now I've never been to Myrtle Beach, but as it's been described to me, Hilton Head is Myrtle Beach with better golf and without the touristy feel. I can attest to both of those points.

As for the golf, during a short trip, we managed to squeeze in two rounds of 18, one round at Palmetto Dunes and the other at Shipyard. Those two rounds being not quite enough, on the morning of our final day, we squeezed in another 9 holes at Sea Pines (home of Harbour Town) on the Ocean Course. Each round was an experience like no other. Be it the stunning ocean views, gators walking past the greens as you're putting or the beautiful, lush courses themselves...it's tough to beat the variety of courses you'll find on Hilton Head. Even if you can't make it to Harbour Town, you're sure to do fine with any of the courses The Golf Channel has featured for you here.

Let's not forget though, there's much more to a golf trip than just golf. What about food? As far as I'm concerned, food is a close second to the golf itself. Luckily, the good people at The Golf Channel have similar feelings as they've provided a dining guide on the site as well. Oh, and I can personally vouch for a number of restaurants on that list including Antonio's, The Crazy Crab and Harbourside Burgers & Brews at Sea Pines just to name a few.

Since my last visit to Hilton Head, I've always wanted to make a return trip. Now that The Golf Channel has made it so easy, I have almost no excuse. The courses, food, places to stay and even packages...it's all right there at your fingertips.

For those golfers who have yet to visit Hilton Head....you don't know what you're missing. After visiting twice (once for golf and once for relaxation...and, no...they're not the same thing), I'm still looking forward to going again. If nice weather, great golf and a laid back, relaxing environment are what you're looking for, then http://www.hiltonheadgolf.com/ is a great place to start.

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