The perfect shot

The background:

Yesterday, I played a round at a decent track. Couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, let alone a fairway or a decent ball. S****ed it around with plenty of trips, doubs, and a quad or two for good measure. I come home thoroughly dejected and decide to torture myself with a round at mens' night; since it's that handicap that will determine my flight in club champ (and I've only played 1 night this year). Started with a quad, then bogey par bogey. Add 3 straight quads (fluffing chips) and I'm well on my way to not caring about my round anymore. Chunk my drive on the par 5, slice a 3 wood to make up ground, and finish out the hole with only a 3 iron for double (including a 2 putt with the 3 iron).

The glory: On the par 3 (it's a little 9 hole course with one par 5 and one par 3) there's a two foot circle around the pin. Get in the circle, win money. While waiting on the tee box, we're discussing how since they removed the front bunker guarding the green, there's no reason not to take one less club and let the ball run up (the green is very crowned, tough to hit and tougher to hold). The low capper in the group (plays off 7 or so) made the comment about having to fly it in for a hole in one, and that running it up is only good for protecting a score. He proceeds to hit the green. His partner (plays off 12) also hits the green. The 3rd guy (my partner) misses the green completely. I hit last, and they all say "you make the circle, we split the money". I reply "Yeah, sure. 'cause a 23 is good for circle money". So I decide on my line and club. Step up, check the target one more time, and swing. A low, penetrating shot that's just left of the flag. Wait - it's starting to fade, just a bit. Guys start screaming for it to go, it looks short. It lands on the front, still a little left, and starts running up the green, taking the break - right at the hole!

Now, many times you can see the ball on the green, and a shot that looked all over the flag is still 10 or 15 feet away.

We get up there, and I'm 10 inches from the cup - well inside the circle. I putt for my bird (and make), and find out upon returning my scorecard that the circle pot is up to $350!

Now, why is this the perfect shot? Because mens' night is the busiest night in the clubhouse. By getting close (but not making a HIO), I get the pot but don't have to buy for everyone!

However, the quandary I'm in now is: Since they called the split after hitting, should I really split the pot?

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True Length Technology Fitter - www.truelengthtechnology.com
It's live! - www.ShipShapeClubs.com
PCS Class 'A' Clubfitter

A new highlight: Golfing the home course on Christmas Day.

I say it too often: If it's golf club shaped, you can play with it.

For the record, I'm a club doctor, not a swing doctor.

Congrats, LP - great job!

Didn't understand why you might have to split the pot? Or am I being - as ever - obtuse?

Generally on men's night, as you come to #9 (the par 3) everybody agrees to split the pot if someone hits the circle. Other times it's a question more than a statement (in the vein of 'does anybody feel lucky?')

The caveat here is that it wasn't until after the first 3 had hit that the split was mentioned...

I'll probably do something like a 60/40 split, then split the 40 three ways (I did have to hit the shot, after all).

Greedy Scrags would suggest just buy em a couple of frothies each, keep the rest...

Generous Scrags would suggest put the lot over the bar after your next round...

Not sure if either extreme is appropos. Somewhere in the middle is about right.




Great Shot LP...

Cheers

Wow!

The rest of your day sounds like...pretty much my average round. But isn't it amazing how even in the middle of chaos we manage to make a shot with such purity that we can still feel that lightness of being? I've had days when I couldn't hit the ball with any club, 3 putted everything, or worse, and then somehow smack a perfect 210 shot from the fairway with my 4h, and I'm standing there grinning like an idiot. But winning some dough makes it deluxe!

[quote=LowPost42;10542167]The caveat here is that it wasn't until after the first 3 had hit that the split was mentioned...
quote]

That would be after they all missed right?

Ask yourself whether if the first to play had been in the circle they would have agreed to you then suggesting a split. I doubt it somehow.

Under these circumstances it was a pretty one way deal - keep the money mate and buy them a beer.