We’ve all had that stomach-sinking moment when we hit a poor shot and then find our ball in an ‘unplayable’.
However has anyone discovered a worse lie than the one Royal Mid Surrey golfer Seamus Joyce uncovered playing with three friends this week.
Quite what are the chances of a ball – not his – ending up nestled at the base of a branch of a partially-chopped-down tree is anyone’s guess.
At first Joyce didn’t even realise there was a ball there at all. What caught his eye first was an Egyptian goose perched on top of the aforementioned stump, located between the first and 10th on the Pam Barton course.
“The Egyptian goose was not bothered by me taking the photo and I only noticed the golf ball afterwards,” admitted Joyce, who joined the club in November 2018.
“It was looking very satisfied. Was it because she just laid the golf ball?”
Members at the Surrey club are encouraged to take photographs while playing golf as part of its commitment to green issues.
He added: “The club was recently awarded a golf course sustainability award (GEO certification) so members are encouraged to take photos while playing golf and then send them to our sustainability officer for their records.”