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Any Real Life Holes-In-One?

• PrizeMaster 3 Posts

  Thu, Jul 1 2010 2:42 AM

  Couple days back, I got my first RL hole-in-one in China at a course called Bayhood No.9. 8th hole, approximately 120 yards. Short, but there was a strong crosswind. I was actually the first person to get an HIO on that hole. There was champagne and they gave me a free TM R9 SuperTri, which was pretty sweet. Anyways, anybody else have any HIO's in RL?

• WGTniv 1,788 Posts

  Thu, Jul 1 2010 12:25 PM

  Nope.  Been playing off and on for about 20 years and the closest I've ever been was 3" short. of the hole.  It was on a direct line too, so just another rotation or two and it was in the hole, but no such luck. =(

  Gratz on yours though.  Good thing you had witnesses.  My luck is that I'd make one with nobody around to see it. =(

• 464 Posts

  Sat, Jul 3 2010 1:17 AM

  I've had two.

  First one I was 15 and used to play this 18 hole (all) par 3 course several times a day.

  Other one was two years ago @ the Diablo course Rancho Viejo CC Texas.

• TarheelsRule 5,480 Posts

  Mon, Jul 5 2010 12:41 PM

  I have three, all on regulation 18 hole courses.  Don't count the ones one executive or pitch and putt courses.  1st was from 172 yards, 2nd from 128 and final from 195, only got to see one of them go in because of the elevation of the greens.

  Had playing partners on all of mine.  1st one had a group on the next tee and they yelled that it went in, second one took one hop and slam dunked, final one was an elevated green where you couldn't see the bottom foot or so of the flag, hit it right at it and found it in the hole.

• Doublemochaman 2,009 Posts

  Mon, Jul 5 2010 12:49 PM

  Well TarHeels... on two of those, you just know, someone in the group in front of you snuck the ball into the hole, since you couldn't see the green.  Just kidding.  (I think)

  My only hole-in-one, in Hawaii, was similar.  The par 3 was the last hole and it was almost totally dark.  I knew I'd hit a good shot, with full view of the green, but I didn't see it go in.  But nearby, on the practice putting green, the head pro and assistant pro began dancing around and whooping it up.  I was playing by myself so I couldn't have had two better witnesses. 

  I was playing a Titleist and received a very nice trophy with a place to put the ball.  But several years later I was low on balls so played with it.  Yep, lost it!

   

• borntobesting 9,628 Posts

  Mon, Jul 5 2010 2:09 PM

  TarheelsRule:

  I have three, all on regulation 18 hole courses.  Don't count the ones one executive or pitch and putt courses.  1st was from 172 yards, 2nd from 128 and final from 195, only got to see one of them go in because of the elevation of the greens.

  Why not????? it is still a hole-in-one. It doesn't take as much skill to hole out a 119 yard 9 iron on a par 3 course as it does on a 172 par 3 on a regulation 18 hole course??????

  As you can see I get a little agitated when people say that a hole-in-one on a par 3 course doesn't count. That is because that is where I got my one and only hole-in-one. And believe me, it takes a great deal of skill and a little luck to dunk a 9 iron from 119 yards. That's right dunk. The ball never hit anything but the bottom of the cup unless it kissed the flagstick on the way in.

• 464 Posts

  Mon, Jul 5 2010 7:17 PM

  TarheelsRule:

  I have three, all on regulation 18 hole courses.  Don't count the ones one executive or pitch and putt courses.  1st was from 172 yards, 2nd from 128 and final from 195, only got to see one of them go in because of the elevation of the greens.

  Had playing partners on all of mine.  1st one had a group on the next tee and they yelled that it went in, second one took one hop and slam dunked, final one was an elevated green where you couldn't see the bottom foot or so of the flag, hit it right at it and found it in the hole.

  The all par 3 par course I used to play on had several holes longer than 150 yrds. The longest one was 225. The one I holed out was 156. I was young and it was pure luck but it still counts. lol.

• TarheelsRule 5,480 Posts

  Tue, Jul 6 2010 2:04 PM

  Far be it for me to tell anyone how to count their hole in ones.  I think that for me, a hole in one made on an executive or par 3 course would not be the same as one made during a regular round of golf.  The biggest issue that I have is that the executive or par 3 courses are very inconsistent in length, you mentioned that you made one from 156 and that the course that you played had several holes over 150.  I can tell you that I have played several par 3 courses where I went out with 2 wedges and a putter, knowing that I wouldn't have a shot over 90 yards.  An ace is an ace, # 7 at Pebble Beach was 98 yards and as hard as any 3 par on the course. 

  A sidenote to the hole in one disucssion.  I played in a member guest with my father about 15 years ago at his home course.  For many years they had a hole in one prize of a car for an ace on the 11th hole, a par 3 of about 160 yards.  No one had every won it before the year that I am talking about and they had it for many years.  A very average golfer aced the hole and the fun began.  The insurance company, the local auto dealership bought a policy for about $200 based on the number of players and distance.  The adjuster came out and measured the hole, which was left as it was on Sunday.  The pin was in the same spot as were the tees, the measurement came out to 159 yards and 8 inches.  The policy stated that the distance had to be in excess of 160 yards.  The club pro and the adjuster argued over this for about a week, during which time the hole and tees were marked by paint for future measurements.  The hole in one winner commented to me that he didn't know who was paying but he had a new car.  It was finally resolved by the club paying the insurance company the premium  that would have been charged for 150 to 159.9 yards, which was a good compromise I think.  The funny thing is that after going about 40 years without an ace in this tourney, the very next year another ace was made, winning a new SUV.

• TarheelsRule 5,480 Posts

  Tue, Jul 6 2010 2:08 PM

  Good point NIV.  I have a friend who was a great player, a plus 2 handicap and a winner of his club championship over a dozen times.  He was playing one afternoon after work on his local nine hole course and holed out a 3 wood for a double eagle on a 545 yard par 5.  He was playing alone and it was getting close to dusk.  I asked him what he did after making his first double eagle and he said well I walked up to the green took the ball out of the hole and walked over to the 8th tee.  The moral is to save your good shots for when you are playing in a foursome.

• Doublemochaman 2,009 Posts

  Tue, Jul 6 2010 2:19 PM

  My guess is that your very average golfer friend teed up his ball 5" behind the tee markers and had 3 witnesses to say he did.  Good attorney, case closed.