I wrote an article in 2008 about the 10 best shots I had ever personally witnessed at the time.
First off, it will probably amaze you how many of these shots I've picked actually didn't go in or weren't aces. My main criteria for this list was simple - it had to be a shot I witnessed in person (not on video or something like that). Most of the shots I've selected made the list simply because it was just an amazing shot, either by execution or simply because of how clutch it was. Here we go...
10. Walter Haney - Buckhorn White Tees - New Hill, NC - #17
This hole is about 360 feet and somewhat downhill. There are two trees about 15 feet apart that act as the gap right before you cover the last 200 feet of the hole over a lake. The basket sits guarded by trees just on the other side of the lake. Up until this day, I'd seen 2s to 12s on this hole, but that range was about to increase just a bit. After poking fun of about 3 groups of players for laying up, Walt stepped with his Red Pro Wraith and pured the gap. As soon as the disc stood up flat over the water, Walt says "got it." The disc crashed in the chains, dead center I might add, for the coolest ace I've ever seen.
9. Jeremy Koling - Zebulon - Zebulon, NC - #9
Leading the Amateur Dogwood Crosstown Classic with just 10 holes to go, Jeremy threw a pretty terrible drive down the left side of this 600 foot par 4 leaving himself a 300 foot spike hyzer to the pin. Thanks to an awful lie, Jeremy got on his knees to throw the shot, however, this took backhand out of question. He takes his red Surge and flicks it from his knees and at an extreme angle. Not only did he get out of the woods, he got the disc down the fairway - anhyzering the entire way - to the pin. Just as the disc was about to reach the hole, it flattened out landed smooth, like a simple approach, and Jeremy had a tap in birdie.
8. Justin Jernigan - Buckhorn Blue Tees - New Hill, NC - #17
The second time this hole has been on the list, but this time from the blue tees. The hole plays exactly as before except the tees are backed up so all players must lay up and it becomes a par 4. There are three trees about 30 feet short of the water that always come in to play because pretty much any driver that hyzers has these threes in the way. Justin's drive did just that leaving himself 250 feet to clear the water; with no run up and no chance at a follow through. Justin took out his orange Firebird and threw an huge anhyzer flick confidently over the water about 40 feet left of the pin, at least it appeared that way. Perfectly missing the all the trees in front the basket, the disc S'ed right under the pin for a short birdie putt.
7. Avery Jenkins - Zebulon - Zebulon, NC - #7
The third round of the Dogwood Crosstown Classic started off with Avery really struggling. As he drove the 7th, Avery found himself about 120 feet in the rough. He steps up and throws his white Aviar perfectly through about 70 feet of deep rough right in the basket. Perhaps it wasn't the execution of the shot but its importance. Avery's day completely turned around and he would come from 10th place starting on Sunday to win the tournament. I truly believe it was this shot on his 4th hole of the day that got him going.
6. Brian Schweberger - Barnet Park - Kinston, NC - #18
As much golf as I've played with this guy, I knew he would make the list at some point. The 18th in Kinston is about 320 feet down a tunnel of schule and then hyzers into a field. Schweb's drive was just terrible; it didn't even get past the first tree. In the deep rough on the right side and about 260 feet out, Schweb throws a thumber through a narrow gap, over the fairway and the OVER the other side of rough. The thumber left him about a 15 footer for one of the best 3's you will ever see.
5. Bard Soleng - Tupelo Bay Executive Course - Myrtle Beach, SC - #10
This par 4 on a ball golf conversion course left most players with a huge drive and then another driver to the pin. At over 650 feet and uphill the entire hole, most players would be happy with a putt inside the circle for 3; Bard had one for 2. The hole is about 500 or so feet of fairway until you reach the OB green. The pin sat just back left of the green and Bard tried to throw a roller up to the green and over to the right. He threw it and it was going right up the fairway until it disappeared into the valley just in front of the green. About that time, here it rolls up towards the green and everyone watching started shouting it for it stop in front of the green - it didn't As it rolled on the green, we all now were shouting for it to get across the green - it did. As it disappeared over the green we were all shocked to see it reappear going up towards the basket. Bard had a 25 footer for an amazing 2 - which he missed for one of the craziest birdies you will ever see.
4. Barry Schultz - Cedar Hills - Raleigh, NC - #10
At 260 feet and downhill, the 10th is a pretty simple birdie. Barry threw his drive way to high as it hyzered about 65 feet into the rough on the left. I remember standing there watching this putt and not even being able to see Barry. About that time I heard a little rustle in the leaves and heard him say "c'mon!" a few seconds before the disc landed in the basket. I ran over to where he was and he showed me the hole he went through on this spike hyzer straddle jump putt - the hole was about 15 feet right of the target. Cedar Hills is my home course and I've probably attempted to make the same putt about 200 times and I've never even the basket or the chains. I'm 0 for 200 from there, Barry is 1 for 1.
3. Nate Doss - Highbridge Gold - Highbridge, WI - #18
Nate had given up his 2 shot lead in the final 9 of the world championships to Markus Kallstrom with just 2 holes to go. The world champion would be decided on the very last two holes of the tournament and Nate had all the pressure on him after Markus bombed his drive on this 650 foot uphill par 4. Nate didn't exactly execute as you would think, spraying way to the right in the rough leaving himself around 275 feet. Throwing first, Nate got on his knees with this white challenger and thew it with everything he had, so much so that his follow through saw him land on his stomach. Despite the poor lie in the rough, throwing from his knees and the pressure of the world championship in the balance, Nate put his shot within 20 feet. He would go on to win the tournament by 1 shot. This shot would be difficult in your weekend foursome, I can't imagine its difficulty with all that pressure.
2. Markus Kallstrom - Highbridge Gold - Highbridge, WI - #15
Just 3 holes before Nate's world title winning shot, Markus was cruising and looked like he would win the tournament. This hole was about 600 feet but through tight woods the entire way and uphill to make things even tougher. The last 150 feet or so were a huge incline as it opened up into a field where the basket sat offset to the left. There was one tree about 100 feet off the tee that truly made the hole; golfers had to decided which way to play it because of this one tree. Markus steps up and throws to the left of it with some anyhyzer and absolulty bombed it, perhaps too hard. There was no doubt the disc would be pretty far from the tee, it was just a mater of where in the rough he would be. About the time it was anhyzering towards the rough, the disc stands up perfectly and begins to hyzer and kept going. Markus had thrown his drive in the middle of the fairway and only about 100 feet from the pin. Just imagine throwing a 500 foot drive, through the woods, uphill, during a worlds final 9 just one shot out of the lead. This was the most incredible drive I've ever witnessed.
1. Luke Reiser - Johnson Street Park - High Point, NC - #10
It wasn't an important putt. It wasn't a difficult hole. Luke isn't a big name. It didn't even happen in the pro division or even in a big tournament. It just was simply the greatest shot I've ever seen. After spraying his drive way left of the pin and leaving himself a nasty 55 foot putt, Luke was a bit frustrated. The left of the green features hundreds of thin trees where if you are in them, you are simply trying to pitch out and get an easy 3. As Luke approached his lie I knew his shot wouldn't be easy and I was thinking since I was parked, I would easily get a shot on him, probably 2 even. He gets on his knees and does the exact opposite of what you would expect; laughs. He then gets up and we see him putting his disc between two trees and he explains to us that the only way he could get to the pin was to go through a gap so small he didn't know if a disc could physically fit through it. He then finds that it does, goes back to his knees and putts. Not only did he split a gap where he didn't think a disc could physically fit through, he makes the putt. Simply the greatest shot I've ever witnessed.
This has been a fun list and its amazing to think the shots I've seen that didn't make the list!
