The Tree 

Fellow BGC Members,

I thought I might share a BGC golf story that happened earlier this morning.

Houndy, myself, and fellow BGC member Darin Salk were up at the crack of dawn to play the back nine at Chester L. Washington before work. 

On the second hole (number 11), Houndy severely pulled his drive into a tee box side tree.  The ball ended up 40 yards from the tee, to the left of the fairway, five feet behind a fully mature four feet wide eucalyptus tree.

Houndy, smartly prepared to make a sideways punch shot to get back on the fairway. 

At the last moment, an idea crossed his mind; he could shape a punch shot cleverly around this massive tree trunk to advance the ball a bit further down the fairway!

As Darin and I looked on, Houndy executed what could only be described as a forceful ball strike in which the ball crisply knocked into the heart of the hard wooded trunk and bounced directly back towards Houndy.

This transaction happened so quickly that Darin and I could hardly believe what we had just seen. Did that ball just hit Houndy squarely in the nutsack?

As Houndy rocked backwards holding his sacred package, it seemed like slow-motion.  His facial expression told two stories - "did I really just do that?" and "did my friends just see me do that?"

I don't know why someone else getting hit in the nads is so funny, but Darin and I were buckled over sucking for air laughing.

In true BGC fashion, Houndy courageously pulled himself off the wet turf and grittily forged ahead to complete his morning round.

One golf ball - $2.00

One four iron - $100.00

Getting hit by your own golf shot in the willywomper - priceless!

Greg Fontana

March 12, 2004

Note that under Rule 19-2 (see below) the above incident resulted in a two-stroke penalty with the ball being played where it landed after hitting his package.

 19-2. By Player, Partner, Caddie or Equipment

 g  a. Match Play

If a player’s ball is accidentally deflected or stopped by himself, his partner or either of their caddies or equipment, he loses the hole.

g  b. Stroke Play

If a competitor’s ball is accidentally deflected or stopped by himself, his partner or either of their caddies or equipment, the competitor incurs a penalty of two strokes. The ball must be played as it lies, except when it comes to rest in or on the competitor’s, his partner’s or either of their caddies’ clothes or equipment, in which case the competitor must through the green or in a hazard drop the ball, or on the putting green place the ball, as near as possible to where the article was when the ball came to rest in or on it.

Exception: Dropped ball — see Rule 20-2a.

(Ball purposely deflected or stopped by player, partner or caddie — see Rule 1-2.)