Your least favorite shot in golf?

[SiberianDVM]

While it's true that any day on the golf course beats a day at work, there are a few shots that I invariably have to hit on any given round that just make me want to groan. Probably because I have yet to successfully get one to the green.

#1- the fairway bunker shot with a relatively high lip in front. These just aren't fair and should be made illegal. If not that, then the rules of golf should be amended to allow a free drop. I've had so many of these hit the lip and come back at me, that I've started packing a hockey goalie's helmet and mask in my bag.

#2- the 15-25 yard pitch shot over a greenside bunker. Complicating factors: tight winter lies, rough so deep that you can't see your shoes, much less your ball, pin set 1 foot from front edge, 20* slope of green. Greenskeepers earn extra points for combining as many as possible of these into 1 hole.

#3- the under-the-overhanging tree branch shot. Complicating factors: blind pin position on elevated green, bunker directly in front of you and under tree branch, tree is taller than Washington Monument. S**t, just chunk it into the bunker and go get your sand wedge.

#4- the run-it-low-between-ten-trees-because-you-pushed-your-tee-shot-to-the-right shot, leaving you with only a vague idea where the green is. As a matter of fact, you have only a vague idea where the fairway is, too. By the way, has anyone seen my bag? HELLO!!!! Is anyone out there?

#5- the impossible putt. You've just hit your only perfect shot of the day, a high soft 5 iron from 175 yards, that landed like a butterfly with sore feet (thanks for that one, Slammer). From the fairway, it looks like a tap-in for birdie. When you get to the green, you discover that your ball has rolled to the left side of the green, and the pin is on the right. Separating them is a raised peninsula of rough and fringe remarkedly similar in size and shape to Florida south of Jacksonville, only much more elevated. A full swing with a pitching wedge might get the ball over this minor Alp. Even Trump couldn't borrow enough to roll the ball anywhere near the pin. Three putts later you vow to kill the greenskeeper slowly and painfully.

I'm sure I'll find some more of my next round.

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

I'll tell you the one I hate. You've hit a somewhat poor drive towards trees, but when you first spot your ball you see that you should have a clear swing, not interfered by trunk or branches. Then when you reach the ball, you find it nestled in between knobs of roots.

[Bravo]

Your #5 is the one I hate the most...on hole #11 on my course, the green is tri-level. You just Hate to see the pin on the front, because the front/lower section of the green is tiny with bunkers on both sides and a steep slope coming off the front side down into the fairway.

If you are unfortunate enough to hit your approach onto the middle section of the green - you just sigh, because you realize that after you make your putt - you next shot will be a chip from the fairway. It is Impossible to keep the putt on the green. We've tried placing the ball on the apex of the slope between the lower level and middle level and blowing on the ball to simply change its state of inertia from stopped to moving...and the ball Will Not stay on the green.

So, as you said, it is the impossible putt. Even a ball that rolls right at the center of the cup will not go in because it is moving too fast. It will bounce up in the air after hitting the back lip...

[chollyred]

The 18th green at my home course is a two-tiered long oval that slopes back toward the fairway. Like Bravo's. putting from the upper to the lower tier will usually end up back in the fairway, several yards back in the fairway. But worse than that, one day our idiot greenskeper cut the pin INTO the downslope! Putt from the top and you're in the fairway. Putt from below the hole and watch the ball roll back toward you. Everybody 3-putted or worse that day. We almost formed a lynch-mob.

[Pa Jayhawk]

My least favorite has to be a 30-40 yard bunker shot, knowing that the only way I got there to start with is by hitting a poor previous shot, further knowing I now need a flawless shot to even get on the green. Usually compounded by having to cross a greenside bunker, and knowing in all likelyhood I will be playing my next shot from the greenside bunker or the back of the green.

Second I hate that costs me the most strokes is maybe a 15-20 yard very steep uphill lie to the green. Knowing that most likely the ball will not stop on the green, and if I come up short, in all likelyhood my next shot will be 25 to 30 yards. Usually you can not open the face to flop the ball, as you risk the heel contact first and closing the face leading to a 20 yards over the green, and without opening the club, there is no way the ball will stop on the green if you hit it hard enough to reach the green, as you can usually not generate enough spin. If it is not to steep that I can lean back level with the slope and still get a good swing and seriously loft the club face, but if it is more than 45*, I'm lost.

[Adam Pettman]

my least favourite shot in golf is from the garden on the left hand side of the first fairway at my home course not only do I have to climb a fence to get to it I then have to get the ball over a tree and then stop it dead on the green without getting caught by the house owner.

[bdcrowe]

My least favorite shot is usually the last one I played...

[slicerdude]

My least favourite shot is over a large lake, like at my home course, there are quite a few holes like this, the 8th hole called Aquaris is real brutal, blind tee shot over hill, dogleg right, fairway slopes steep to the right, so teeing off and getting the ball on the left side is not always good as it usually rolls down the slope leaving you behind a wooded area of very high pine trees, so you can`t go for the green , which has a four feet wide burn around it and also a large lake, the hole is a par 4 334yards, a couple of weeks ago i was playing one of the club members and we reached the 8th, i teed off and must of hit the ball bang on the sweetspot, it took off like a bullet , last seen heading very high and right, and we lost track of it, so i teed up again and played a less vicious shot, we played the hole till we got to the turn at the dogleg and saw a ball on the green, thinking nothing of it we hit our shots on to the green and crossed the bridge, and i walked over to the spare ball only to find that it was my ball from the first shot, if i had known this i might of got an eagle instead of bogie.

[ezra76]

Greenside bunkers, I love hitting explosions.
Over the bunker, looking for a reason to hit a flop.
Fairway bunker, smoke it with the hybrid.

It's the downhill lies that still get me every time. When combined with a sideslope I might as well hit it with my putter, I will probably advance it further and in the right direction.

[Rockford35]

Least favorite shot. Great post.

My least favorite shot is 100 yards into a super stiff wind that's gusting. Grab a 9 iron and step on it, just as the wind dies. Goodbye par. Or, grab the PW and knock it down, just as the wind blows, right in the trap. Outstanding.

My favorite shots to swear at are the ones that you are about 165ish out. Grab the 6 iron and play a nice, high draw into the pin tucked left. Just as you have that milli-second though of "Man, this is gonna be tight", the ball crushes the pin only to end up 100 feet away in the trees. You go from 4 footer for bird to double bogey with an unplayable in 1 second.

I also hate 3 putts. 3 putts make me more furious than anything else.

R35

[EnglishGolfer]

I'm not too keen on the shot that misses all the cheap cars and hits the captain's Merc'. I've also put a ball through my clubhouse window which I wasn't overly happy with (yikes!)

Real least fave shot is probably a long iron off a tight hanging lie.

[Pa Jayhawk]

I also hate 3 putts. 3 putts make me more furious than anything else.

R35

I hate 3 putts, a 4 putt constitutes throwing the ball in the woods or water. My wife usually comments to not get mad. I simply say that I am not mad, the ball is cursed and it is much cheaper than throwing the putter in the woods, which usually crosses my mind but I hate it when people show no self control and throw their clubs.

[VtDivot]

For me it's the putter. The 4 footers for par.

[mont86]

1.Trees
2.Down hill putt over three feet.

[Maverick]

-3 footers to save..usually the words out of my mouth after this is "That's bs!"

-Hitting on a downward/side lie in a bunker.