Discovering What's Worse than Not Having a Hole in One

[qtlaw]

Been playing for a long time, have witnessed 2 holes in one (one by my then 7 yr old!), and have really made this my one last desired athletic achievement. Come oh so close several times (even jumped on my father in law's back thinking one rolled in but it went on the lip and spun out and hid behind the pin)

Well yesterday, on a beautiful day walking a MacKenzie course with my buddy, I thinned a shot into the bunker on downhill 150 yd par 3.

Buddy says here hit another; I usually never take 2nd swings, but alas this time, for some reason, okay.... hit it perfect, on line....yep, into the cup on the fly!!

Initial reaction is simply "what????";

On one hand, first time ever after teeing it up, but its NOT a hole-in-one.

Well figured out something worse than not having a hole in one, jarring one for a 3.

Scary part is thinking that was my one chance.

 

[joe king]

Been playing for a long time, have witnessed 2 holes in one (one by my then 7 yr old!), and have really made this my one last desired athletic achievement. Come oh so close several times (even jumped on my father in law's back thinking one rolled in but it went on the lip and spun out and hid behind the pin)

Well yesterday, on a beautiful day walking a MacKenzie course with my buddy, I thinned a shot into the bunker on downhill 150 yd par 3.

Buddy says here hit another; I usually never take 2nd swings, but alas this time, for some reason, okay.... hit it perfect, on line....yep, into the cup on the fly!!

Initial reaction is simply "what????";

On one hand, first time ever after teeing it up, but its NOT a hole-in-one.

Well figured out something worse than not having a hole in one, jarring one for a 3.

Scary part is thinking that was my one chance.

Nah. Now that you've got it figured out, it's easy, right?

Plenty more where that came from.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

 

[Captain_Kirk]

Well, maybe not a hole in one story, but it will be the best saving par story you'll ever tell.

 

[User 11148]

We play a lot of gambling games in my group, even though some of the guys are pretty high-handicap players. One of the games we play is "Wolf" (for fivesomes). When it's a given player's turn to be the wolf, he tees off first, and then as the other players play he must choose which one will be his partner (against the remaining three, best net score against best net score). You can't wait for everyone to tee off -- you have to choose a particular player BEFORE the next player tees off. If, after everyone has teed off, you decide to go it alone, the bet is doubled (typically you can win or lose $16). If you decide to go it alone before anyone else has teed off, the bet is tripled (you can win or lose $24). And if you go it alone before your tee shot comes to a final resting position, that's called an "Air Wolf" and the bet is quadrupled (you can win or lose $36).

In one of those games a few weeks ago one guy was way behind but managed an ace on the par-3 17th. It was too late for an "Air Wolf," but he of course didn't wait on anyone else to tee off before saying he was going it alone. Visions of going from $10 or $20 down to leaping well into positive territory danced through his head ... until one of his high-handicap opponents, who had a handicap stroke on the hole, holed out out of a bunker for a natural birdie and a net 1. Our hole-in-one-er had visions of a $40 win, but instead he walked away having made only a $9 dent in his deficit.

 

[Corky Ramirez up on 94th St.]

I can relate, qtlaw.

I worked at a golf course all throughout high school and college and after work, would invariably try to get in as many holes as possible before it was impossible to see the ball on the tee. Co-worker and I were playing after work one Sunday and got through nine. He declined to play the 10th, which was a short uphill par-3 (couldn't see the green) but bordered the parking lot. I said fine, and he walked to his car. I teed it up anyway and hit it. Sure looked on line. Went up and sure enough, in the hole.

I chased after his car with a club.

Now it's a "Yeah, I have a hole-in-one, but I was playing alone." It's an ace, but it'll always have that good-natured doubt from others.

 

[kingcreole]

I once played with my in-laws on a nine-hole course, where each green had two holes. Finish your putt, put the flag in the other hole.

My father in law quipped, "What happens if your tee shot goes into the wrong hole?" Be damned if my brother in law then didn't pull it off.

We told him just to give himself a 2 for that hole.

 

[qtlaw]

I can relate, qtlaw.

I worked at a golf course all throughout high school and college and after work, would invariably try to get in as many holes as possible before it was impossible to see the ball on the tee. Co-worker and I were playing after work one Sunday and got through nine. He declined to play the 10th, which was a short uphill par-3 (couldn't see the green) but bordered the parking lot. I said fine, and he walked to his car. I teed it up anyway and hit it. Sure looked on line. Went up and sure enough, in the hole.

I chased after his car with a club.

Now it's a "Yeah, I have a hole-in-one, but I was playing alone." It's an ace, but it'll always have that good-natured doubt from others.

I told my buddy walking off the green that at least I had a witness because yeah, your situation would be the only thing worse.

 

[old_tony]

I got my 31 years ago -- July 12, 1982. A 135-yard 8-iron. I thought I hit it fat, but it hit just in front of the green, rolled on and in. Nothing but dumb luck. I'd be a lot more proud if I liked it off the club. I like shots that give you that feel immediately at impact. The hole-in-one was not one of those.

Six years later almost to the day, (July 11), I hit a 5-iron on the screws on a 165-yard hole that rolled just past the hole and finished a foot behind it. I'm much more proud of that shot in my mind.

Be proud of the shot, qt. It was a hole in one, just not on the scorecard. In the end, all a hole-in-one is is a story to tell years later. And you most definitely have that.

 

[2underpar]

My first ace: playing by myself one day before work. jarred an 8-iron. No witnesses but a good column.
My second ace: Blind uphill par 3 with a 4-iron to a back pin. Never saw it go in.
My third ace: Jarred a 6-iron in on the fly. I thought it flew the green. Playing partners said it was in. i didn't believe then we got to the hole.

 

[Chef2]

Nice par.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Par 2: Over the metal bridge, under the windmill, off the corner block and in.

 

[Quiet Man]

Been playing for a long time, have witnessed 2 holes in one (one by my then 7 yr old!), and have really made this my one last desired athletic achievement. Come oh so close several times (even jumped on my father in law's back thinking one rolled in but it went on the lip and spun out and hid behind the pin)

Well yesterday, on a beautiful day walking a MacKenzie course with my buddy, I thinned a shot into the bunker on downhill 150 yd par 3.

Buddy says here hit another; I usually never take 2nd swings, but alas this time, for some reason, okay.... hit it perfect, on line....yep, into the cup on the fly!!

Initial reaction is simply "what????";

On one hand, first time ever after teeing it up, but its NOT a hole-in-one.

Well figured out something worse than not having a hole in one, jarring one for a 3.

Scary part is thinking that was my one chance.

I did this about 10 years ago and it was also my only 'hole in one' (that wasn't). Then, after 30 years of golfing without one, I finally got it in September 2012. Short, easy 110 yard hole, but still an ace. Last May, about 25 rounds later due to the winter break, I got another one. The second one was on a 187 yard hole over a lake. Now I'm starting to expect them.

 

[jr/shotglass]

On an executive course near here, about 15 years ago. Ninth hole was a flat, 105-yard shot. I chunked the PW. It hit about five yards short of the green, was slowed down by the grass and just rolled right.

 

[Riptide]

First time on a golf course, 11 years old, I watched as my drive hit the green and rolled 50 feet, right at the cup. Then it stopped three feet short. And then I three-putted.

 

[wicked]

Par 2: Over the metal bridge, under the windmill, off the corner block and in.

Reminds me of:

 

[Chef2]

Was golfing with someone who was just getting into golf.......nice calm day.....170 yards......he hits DRIVER.

Whack.

Lands in the fringe. 2 hop. Bang.

Hole in one.

 

[playthrough]

My Dad had a hole-in-three once, chunked his first into greenside pond and immediately dropped another one on the tee box. Swing and ... yep.

Fortunately he already had an ace to his credit, at his local country club when I was about five years old. He stayed so late at the 19th hole that my Mom had to go fetch him and drive him home. And from what I remember, she didn't give a flying **** about his ace.

 

[Rhody31]

Guy at the club I used to work at joined up with one of the bag room guys on the 10th hole, which plays 208-225 from the back tees. Not exactly the easiest hole to jump on cold.
First swing he hits it terrible - can't remember if it was chunked or thin - asks my co-worker if he can hit another one. Co-worker says yes. Guy drops one, hits it and it goes it. He looks at my co-worker and says "that doesn't count, does it."
"Nope."
It would have been his first.
Another guy at the club never had an ace. You can see the fifth hole - which maxes out as a 180-yard uphill par 3 - green from the shop. I'm going about my business cleaning clubs, walk in to put some bags away, and when I walk out I hear a member yell at me "Tell me you saw that."
"Saw what?"
He starts moaning then says "I knocked it in."
Didn't count.

I've played golf for 12 years. I've caddied on an off for 17 for pros, excellent amateurs and all sorts of hacks.
Never had one, never seen one.

 

[playthrough]

Story was told to me about a guy playing years ago at Grand Cypress in Orlando, which has an island-green par 3. Hack kid, playing alone, aces it. Goes nuts. Then looks around for someone, anyone, but only sees a guy at the academy range.

Kid goes over to the guy, kinda disheveled in a cap while hitting balls, asks if he saw it. "Yep, nice shot." Kid says "my buddies at home won't believe it, would you mind attesting my card?"

Guy then scribbles his name, but it's so messy the kid figures his friends will think HE wrote it. "Sir, would you mind printing your name under it, just to be official?"

Guy prints his name ... Payne Stewart.

Then the kid REALLY goes nuts.