'I Had To Wrangle A Camel That Had Escaped' - We Asked Our Followers The Craziest Thing That's Happened To Them On A Golf Course...

Generally, you know what you're going to get when you set foot on a golf course. But, as the following accounts demonstrate, that's not always the case...

craziest thing on a golf course
What's the craziest thing that's happened to you on a golf course?
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Generally, things don't get too wild on the golf course. You might make an eagle or a hole-in-one, have a disagreement with a playing partner over a Rules breach or have a couple too many Kummels before your round, but most of the time you know exactly what's in store (scores aside). 

Most of the time, that is. Occasionally, the unexpected does occur. We asked our Twitter followers to share the craziest thing that's ever happened to them on a golf course, with our favourite responses listed below... 

@KristianWHY - I had to wrangle a camel at 6am that had escaped onto the fairway from a nearby pen. Apparently it wasn't a wise move as the owner said that particular camel was very violent and I was lucky not to have copped a kick. I must have a way with camels, it was good as gold!

@PhilTheFragger - Playing at Belton Park, Grantham a few years ago, there were loads of deer everywhere. I thinned a drive and whacked a doe in the hind quarters, causing a massive stampede. That was interesting!

deer

Stampedes of deer are generally best avoided

(Image credit: Getty Images)

@markbrown5 - I pulled a tee shot on a par 3 miles out of bounds. The ball ricocheted off a tree, bounded back up onto the green and finished two feet from the hole.

@ACMOSullivan - I tapped in my last putt on the 18th, and just when I was walking off the green, a horse came running straight at me.

@birdiesnpar - I killed a rabbit while swinging my driver. It was a one in a million occurrence. I had to get rid of the driver afterwards – it was bad mojo! 

@GRA1tk3n - The Red Arrows display team appeared out of nowhere from over our shoulders and let off their red, white and blue smoke trails just as one of our four-ball hit his drive!

red arrows

The Red Arrows in all their glory 

(Image credit: Getty Images)

@Still_DrDry - I hit an overhead power line from the fairway and the ball landed right back at my feet. I had no idea what the ruling was so I just played the shot again from where it was. I hit the power line again. I'd love to know what the odds of that are!

@JDietzSports - Bo Jackson – yes that Bo Jackson – drove up behind us on the 4th hole at Cog Hill in Illinois. He played the rest of the round with us. 

@roytheboy1234 - Joining Ludvig Aberg at my local club, Chelmsford, two weeks before the Ryder Cup.

We spoke to Roy McAllister about his incredible interaction with one of the world's best young players a mere fortnight before his Ryder Cup debut.

"Aberg's ex-caddie, Jack, used to be a member of Chelmsford and his dad still is. Ludvig was staying with Jack's father after winning the Omega European Masters, having just been picked to play on Luke Donald's Ryder Cup team. He wanted to get away from the limelight for a bit," says Roy.

"I was in the clubhouse and one of the members came up to me and said 'that young guy over there has just been picked for the Ryder Cup!' I went out to the 1st tee and it was only Aberg, his caddie and one other guy. I said I was a member and I asked if they minded me walking round with them for a few holes.

"They said 'Yeah, no problem'. It was a bit surreal sitting on the bench at the 2nd tee at Chelmsford GC in Essex and having a normal chat with Ludvig about getting a phone call from Luke Donald to play in the Ryder Cup.

"He's a really nice guy. He was quite reserved initially, but once you got him chatting, he was very friendly. He's very down to earth.

roy mcallister ludwig aberg

Roy with Ludwig Aberg at Chelmsford GC

(Image credit: Roy McAllister)

"I took several short videos and photos and he said he didn't mind, as long as I didn't share them with anyone until afterwards. Understandably, he didn't want anyone bothering him, he was just there to relax.

"The thing that struck me most about his game was the ball-striking and the sound of his shots. It was just a different noise that I've never heard before. The 2nd hole is a par 4 of around 280 yards and he was through the back of the green with a 2-iron. I think he shot a 63 in the end and he didn't even seem to be properly trying."

It's not the first time Roy has found himself in the right place at the right time, either. Most of us were glued to our TV screens during the Miracle at Medinah, but Roy was in the thick of the action.

"I seem to find myself in these situations sometimes," he says. "At the 2012 Ryder Cup, I was right in the eyeline of Martin Kaymer as he holed the winning putt, wearing my bright bumble-bee Celtic shirt.

"My wife says I'm a narcissist. Whenever you see the re-runs of the Ryder Cup, you can't miss me!

miracle at medinah

Roy watching Kaymer hole the winning putt at Medinah in 2012

(Image credit: Getty Images)
Nick Bonfield
Content Editor

Nick Bonfield joined Golf Monthly in 2012 after graduating from Exeter University and earning an NCTJ-accredited journalism diploma from News Associates in Wimbledon. He is responsible for managing production of the magazine, sub-editing, commissioning and feature writing. Most of his online work is opinion-based and typically centres around the Majors and significant events in the global golfing calendar. Nick has been an avid golf fan since the age of ten and became obsessed with the professional game after watching Mike Weir and Shaun Micheel win The Masters and PGA Championship respectively in 2003. In his time with Golf Monthly, he's interviewed the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Jose Maria Olazabal, Henrik Stenson, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Billy Horschel and has ghost-written columns for Westwood, Wayne Riley, Matthew Southgate, Chris Wood and Eddie Pepperell. Nick is a 12-handicap golfer and his favourite courses include Old Head, Sunningdale New, Penha Longha, Valderrama and Bearwood Lakes. If you have a feature pitch for Nick, please email nick.bonfield@futurenet.com with 'Pitch' in the subject line. Nick is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade M1 Fairway wood: TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid: Ping Crossover Irons (4-9): Nike Vapor Speed Wedges: Cleveland CBX Full Face, 56˚, Titleist Vokey SM4, 60˚ Putter: testing in progress! Ball: TaylorMade TP5x