I've made a couple veiled references in the past like here and here but I'm now able to divulge the complete story because the statute of limitations is up on our infraction.
Prior to our 2005 Scotland trip, during the planning stages, we thought it would be a good idea to stock-up on dozen glow-in-the-dark golf balls. I conducted some research and found that there had been some major advancements in recent years that have resulted in some balls that maintain 80% of their distance and are as bright as a glow-stick. These new generation of balls use the same chemical reaction used to power a glow-stick (peroxide and the phenyl oxalate ester) and it's a sight to see!
Back to my confession...
While in St. Andrews, following a glorious round of golf at the home of golf, The Old Course at St. Andrews (also named THE best golf course outside the U.S. by Golf Digest in 2005), we retired back to our hotel and spoke romantically about our round of a life-time. Securing tee-times at the Old Course can take 2+ years of planning so we were not able to get all eight of us on the same day... four of us played on this day and the remaining four had their date with destiny the following morning.
We had the glow ammo ... and we had a locale that had no equal so we scrambled out of our hotel room (four of us) each with a driver and an iron of their choice (seven-iron in my case) for a midnight date with destiny. (Four of the more superstitious of the group opted out.)
The Old Course at St. Andrews is as unique a course you'll ever find. It is considered the best course in the world and it also happens to be open to the public...very rare indeed. Not only is it open to the public for golf ... on every Sunday (except for The Open and major tournaments) it's closed and it's used as a public park. In fact, even during play you'll find the occasional sight-seer with map in hand doing a little walking tour. (That's not recommended with the number amateur golfers prone to spray their drives off the tee.)
So...the four of us descended on this [straight-faced] public-park at midnight. We tried to stay in the shadows and scurried through the shared 1st/18th fairway to the 18th tee-box and teed up our balls. The glorious sight of seeing the ball fly through the air in a dark sky on the Old Course was amazing...like a shooting star. After our tee-shots we ran through the night air to look for our glow prize like an easter egg hunt. Our second shot to the fabled 18th green and then a sprint to the shadows again. Now what? It was a rush ... should we go for another hole? How about the 17th?
The 17th hole at St. Andrews is known as the "Road Hole" because the back of the green sits up against a dirt road that is in play...you hit it there and you're playing it as it lies. But the hole is more famous for two other more prominent features of this hole. The green-side bunker, known as the Road bunker and the location of the box that forces golfers to hit a shed at the Old Course Hotel.
Twelve hours earlier I managed to spray my tee-shot into the Old Course Hotel's parking lot but on this particular evening, I took a more conservative line and aimed left of the fairway. My compadre had other plans and when asked what his target was going to be; announced, "Where your 'sposed' to!" and proceeded to BOMB a glow missile right over the Old Course Hotel ... what a sight!
We finished up the 17th and played the 18th a second time for good measure...three holes at three over par...not too shabby and a record that I hope still stands today.
Thank goodness the statue of limitations is only two years for misdemeanors. You'll have to wait another couple years to hear more of the 2005 Scotland tales. ;-)
