Mailbag: Why College Golfers Can't Watch the LPGA and More Best Shots from Readers

Morning Read readers sound off on the LPGA and share more of their best shots ever.

Send your thoughts about anything in golf to us at inbox@morningread.com. Be sure to include your full name and city. We will include the best in upcoming articles.

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A reader responds to Mike Purkey's 5 Ways the LPGA Can Supercharge its Game

No sure if you know this, but most of my women golfers that I have had here over the years don’t keep up with the LPGA. They don’t watch it or even know who many of the players are! I use YouTube videos of LPGA players to teach my girls but that is about it for their exposure to the LPGA players. Most students don’t have access to the Golf Channel and if they watch golf at all, it’s a men’s major.

I think the LPGA needs to connect to college golf and I don’t mean just DI. Everyone seems to forget about DII and DIII. If the industry wants women to play golf and watch golf after college, they need to be marketed to heavily.

I will also send this email to the LPGA!

Thanks for your articles,

Grant Spencer, head women's golf coach, University of Texas at Tyler

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Making a very long story short and to the point. Sixteen years ago I was stricken with a rare disease that basically paralyzed my left hand. It took 15 months of occupational therapy to get full movement back in the hand. Two doctors told me I would never play golf again. 

My greatest shot, after 18 months of recovery, was off the first tee seriously not knowing if I would swing and miss, or hit the ball 20 feet or who knows what else. With my heart pounding, my hands shaking, I swung and hit the ball around 225 right down the middle of the fairway. Not even my hole in one I had years earlier could compare to that. Eighteen months without golf and all the hard work had been worth it for that one shot. — Bob G.

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In 2018, I joined a league of about 60 players that played every week. I had not played golf in about two years and I had never played with any of these gentlemen. At sign-in that morning they asked me if I wanted to join the hole-in-one club that not been won in a couple of years so it had a good reserve.

It was a shotgun start and my foursome was teeing off on a par-3 that was 148 yards, slightly up hill at Old Fort Golf Course in Tennessee. Since I was the new kid on the block (at 82 years of age), they let me hit first. I hit a pure 8-iron that rolled right in for an ace. I soon became famous and collected a big wad of cash. I used a Calloway 8- iron and a Titleist Pro V1 for my eighth and last hole-in-one. — Pat F.

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On the bay course at Kapalua, on the 18th. After an excellent drive I hit the best shot of my life: a 3 wood 240 yards that went into the hole for an albatross. I told my best friend, who witnessed it, if I never play again I have the memory of that shot. — Paul S. Los Angeles

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Many years back at Belle Meade Country Club in Nashville. Second shot to the seventh hole, a par 4. Pulled an 8-iron and when my caddie asked me what I was going to do, I told him I was going to cut an 8-iron into the cup. And that’s exactly what happened. Baby cut, two hops and in it went! — Eddie C.

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Was at the Stadium course at Sawgrass and my girlfriend was with me. Came to the 14th hole and had 209 left to the hole. 

Took out a 5-wood and hit it great. Landed just short of the green ran up and went in the hole! My girlfriend said I think it went in. And for the first time in her life…she was right! 

The 14th hole has played the toughest or second toughest at the Players for years. That Christmas she bought me a commemorative brick which is now on display at The World Golf Hall of fame in Saint Augustine Florida. The brick lasted longer than the relationship! — Bob M.

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Four man scramble — Las Hadas Mexico maybe 20 years ago. A 260-yard 3-wood out of a waste area over a greenside creek to 6 inches. Tap in eagle. Where that shot came from I have no idea as I have yet to see it since. Numbers 2 and 3 were both hole outs from about 70 yards to elevated greens. I never saw either of them go in. Baird H. —Ontario

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I played the Mauna Kea Golf Course June 2, 1965, when the course was still somewhat unknown. The third hole at that time was 230 yards. My tee shot ended up about four feet from the cup. My playing partner that day said that my shot was the closest to the pin that he had ever seen. I shot a 76 that day, which was probably the best score I ever had, on a championship course. — Bruce C.

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Well, I have to modify the title slightly to: “The most satisfying shot I have ever hit."

Every year (at least it was prior to Covid) our family gets together for a fun golf tournament in a scramble format. 

My brother and I have been friendly rivals our whole lives and golfing is no different for us. 

Through the many years of this tournament my brother has managed to captain his team to victory a large percentage of the time, until our last tournament. 

My team and I managed to get into a tie with the brother’s team. Extra holes we go.

The group consensus is to replay a 135-yard par-3 until there is a winner. 

The first go-round we go all square. Back to the tee box. Our teams alternate their shots with the brother and I going last. I am next up to hit with the brother following up with the final shot. 

You can probably guess how this goes but you would be mistaken, sort of. 

I hit my shot and pull it a little left and it was going just a little left of the green. Now, bear in mind that all the family is surrounding the green and cheering us all on. After I hit my shot, I hang my head in disgust at myself and start to walk off the green. I am broken from my commiseration by an eruption of cheering from the green. It turns out my ball hit some sort of object and took a bounce back towards the green, ultimately trickling towards the hole and in! Now that left the brother trying to follow up an ace with no luck whatsoever and my team takes the win and title from the brother.

I have been fortunate in golf and had four prior aces to this one. Three of them actually paid pretty good sums of money as they were in tournaments but this one was by far the most satisfying. I watched my brother shake his head and grin at me and then to have my family all around cheering after having witnessed this shot was one of the most fulfilling events of my life, let alone on a golf course. Even if I never did see it go in… — Brian B.

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It may not be my best shot ever, but it was certainly memorable…

Years ago, I was playing in a one day member-guest at Cherry Hills in Denver. The format was both players drive, select one, then alternate shots from there.

On the infamous 17th hole, a par-5 with virtually an island green, we selected my member-partner’s drive. From 315 yards I hit the (balata) ball with my (wooden) Haig Ultra 3 wood. It soared through the mile high sky, landed over the moat, and stopped 1 foot from the hole. My parter tapped it in for an eagle.

The celebrity member of the other twosome repeatedly declared ‘that’s the best golf shot I’ve ever seen…ever!’

I did not disagree with him. — Terry S.

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My hole-in-one from 172 with a 6-Iron on Pinehurst #6 was pretty good.

But in all honesty, my 5-Wood from 224 yards was even better.

My drive was a little left of the fairway and not bad  — until it hit the cart path, and hopped into the weeds. 

I went back to the drop zone, made the drop, then made a good solid swing with my 5-wood. It flew straight to the green that was uphill from my position. I thought I could be on the green, but when I arrived there was no ball. So after circling the green, I thought, OK, I'll look in the hole. Sure enough, it was in.

Some 224-yard birdie. 11th hole Naperville Illinois Country Club. — Rory S.

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Fortunately I am luckier than most and have five hole in ones. My wife, who doesn’t play. has perhaps been on a golf course 6-10 times

She has witnessed two of mine and I had a third on her birthday right before a surprise party in her honor.

My second hole in one was at a course outside of Las Vegas. It was almost 25 years ago. I had an early tee time and would be just joining a group. I cajoled my wife to join me. Reluctantly she did.

On No. 9 playing 182 I hit 5-wood into the cup. Of course we celebrated.

Since it was my second one I decided to try and put a collage together of the day. Went to the pro shop and purchased towel, a yardage book and a number of other mementoes.

Since it was a new course I decided to write the course architect and ask for the schematic of the hole. Only hoping I might get an answer. 

A couple of weeks later I receive two signed schematics.

On one the individual wrote:

"Congratulations on your hole in one"

On the second he wrote:

"Maybe I should have made the hole a little harder."
— Dave T

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I was playing in a member guest tournament at Phoenix Country Club called “May Daze” in 2014. My partner, Jeff Allen, was the member and I was the guest. I grew up playing at Phoenix Country Club, so knew the course well.

It was a three-day tournament, each day with a different format. The second day was a best-ball format, and we were on hole 17. It is a par-4 dogleg left, about 410 yards long. (This is the same hole that in 2019 Jeff Maggert holed a shot for eagle 2 to beat Retief Goosen in a playoff to win the Schwab Cup).

There is a lake to the right of the green and there are two bunkers to the left of the green. My partner hit his second shot into the lake. It was now my turn to hit, pressure was on, to not also hit it in the lake. I didn’t, rather I hit a draw which landed on the left side of the green and rolled into the second bunker. My partner was going to pick up and I said, “You might as well try to hit your fourth shot, what if you make it?” He did hit a shot but hit it thin and it sailed over the green. He said to me, “Play hard, partner."

We got up to the green and found my ball in the back left side of the bunker on a down slope. The pin was just right of middle of the green.

I pulled out my sand wedge and walked into the bunker to see what I faced. Taking a stance, my feet were a little above the ball which was on a downhill lie. There was a decent lip on the front of the bunker. The angle from my ball to the pin put the lake directly behind the pin. To execute that shot, I had to hit a sand shot off a downhill lie, get it over the lip of the bunker onto the green and have it stop before going into the water. Chances were low that if I got it over the lip of the bunker, I could keep it from going in the water. If I hit it in the water, I was facing at least a double bogey (and my partner is in his pocket)!

I surveyed the bunker which was flat towards the front and had good sand. The angle from the front of the bunker to the pin did not have the lake behind it. I had an idea so walked back to my bag and pulled out my putter. I walked back into the trap just with my putter. My partner said, "What the hell are you doing?" I said “I’m going to putt the ball toward the front of the trap then hit it out with my sand wedge. We need to get out of here with at least a bogey. That gives me the best chance to get up and down and make 5." My partner shook his head and I responded, “Your ball is in your pocket!”

I putted the ball in the bunker to a spot in the front of the bunker. It was a flat lie with no water in line with the pin behind the green. I then grabbed my sand wedge and just wanted to get it to within 3 feet so I could one putt for par. I hit a good shot, which was rolling toward the pin. It kept rolling and WENT IN THE HOLE FOR PAR!

We jumped up and down and my partner said, “I will never doubt you again!” — John S.

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I was playing in the finals of the San Antonio, Texas, 1st Flight City Championship in the summer of 1973 (there was a championship flight). 

Four of us won our preliminary matches of head-to-head match play and made it to the medal-play finals. 

I played horribly on the front nine shooting a 42. I three-putted No. 10 but birdied two par 3's and pulled my drive on the par 4 No. 16 at Olmos Basin GC. 

I was behind a tree and 1 down to the leader at that point. I was only 140 yards from the green but I had to hood the face of my 5-iron, play it back in my stance, keep it low to get under the tree branches in front of me. I then had to carry the creek about 80 yards ahead and let the hooking low shot run onto the green.

I made the 10-foot birdie putt to make an improbable birdie and go one up on the other three players. 

I parred 17 and 18 to win the 1st Flight by one stroke shooting 42-34-76. Great comeback buoyed by a really tough shot under a tree, over a creek, hooking onto the green 10 feet away from a birdie!  — Jim E., Denver, Colorado

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I was on the Oregon coast playing golf near Lincoln City at what was then called the Lakeridge Golf Course. This course is not a long course but fun to play and I joined a gentleman from California and set out to play. 

We finally arrived at the longest hole on the course, a 415-yard par 4 from the tips. Now, I had my brand new Hogan metal woods (the driver was the size of a hybrid nowadays) and proceeded to tee it up. We were back in a canopied tee box and the hole was straightaway, but definitely went uphill drastically over the last 200 yards. 

I took my stance and swung the club following through like I should and then I knew I had hit it, but there was no sound, no feel and I had no idea where it went. 

Both myself and my golf partner looked and waited (about eight seconds) and then the ball came down out by the 150-yard marker or so we thought. 

We drove down to the area and couldn’t find the ball, but knew it had hit near the post (turned out it was the 100-yard post). I looked in the immediate area while my golf partner took the cart up toward the green. 

After about a minute he yelled down to me, “what ball are you hitting?” I answered a Pro V 392 #4. He motioned me to come up the hill to the green. Lying on the green was my ball about 24” on. I had just hit a 400+ yard drive. I was in shock. 

We paced off the distance from the ball to the flag stick and it was approximately 10 yards. I was able to two-putt for the birdie and of course this made my day. I still have the metal-woods set from Hogan and when anyone asks what is your longest drive, I smile and say “over 400 yards." — Lance K.