I have never had or seen a hole in one...

[davep043]

6 minutes ago, Moonlightgrm said:

I have had two aces. I have been a witness to two others. Here’s the kicker on the two that I have witnessed. I have played four rounds of golf with this young man. He has had two career aces and I was with him both times. That’s two aces in four rounds of golf with me!

What are you doing on Saturday?

[Spumoni]

 Had one 1/31/2003 after getting my car & clubs stolen...  Long story...  Got new set after a lot of insurance claims... First time playing after the pain, & first time hitting the new 4 iron. I got my first and only hole in one.    My wife still gives me a hard time that I made out better after, getting a new car and all new clubs.  She is not wrong :-)....

 

 A few years later Ping had a "Tell us your Ping Story" contest.  So I wrote in about my stolen car & clubs hole in one story.  They liked the story and used it on their webpage by having one on their engineers read it in a video.    Ping sent me a driver of my choice for using the story.  Of course my wife gave me a hard time for still benefiting from the stolen car even years later.  I paid it forward though, by sending the driver to my nephew who was returning from a tour in Iraq.

 

See the Ping video attached about my story....

Edited December 16, 2020 by Spumoni

[TheEldrickWand]

Late to the party but I think this is one of the coolest threads I've ever seen on a golf blog... some of the stories are absolutely incredible 

 

I'm 27, avid golfer. Dad got me into the game when I was 5 and I got my first HIO at 23 (first time witnessing 1 too) so it was a 17 year wait for me. This season I got my 2nd, and both experiences were incredibly different. The one thing that was similar between them was that, despite it being a lucky shot (who honestly steps up expecting to get a HIO, other than Eric Anders Lang) I was playing the best golf I had ever played at that point of my life, respectfully in each case. So yes both involved luck, but it felt like the game was 95% there.

 

In terms of what it's like - great question and the answer varies comparing my 1st to my 2nd:

• The first HIO was really weird for me because the Par 3 was a bit elevated. My buddy knew it and was freaking out but given the odds I refused to believe him until we walked up, so I didn't get that true HIO vibe at the tee block. Wacky part of the story is he hit the pin on his shot immediately after and had a kick in 3 ft. birdie. We still talk about this to this day, what if it went in??

• The 2nd came this year when I shot the low round of my life [73] on a random invite to a private course called Whistlebear (shoutout to any other Canadian golfers in Southern Ontario). It was more less storming and I was [regrettably] hungover on the front - I shot a 40 but important to note that I capped it out with an Eagle 3 on H9. The conditions had flipped by that time, and on the back and I started Birdie-Eagle-Birdie right out of the gate (thee best string of 4 golf holes I've ever seen, this is once in a lifetime for me here). You can laugh at the up and down round I had but, I was +2 coming into the 17th and knocked down a PW from ~140yds. It sorta drew a bit in towards the flag, caught spin on a helping slant and disappeared off its roll-out. I freaked out [and stared into the soul of the other 3 guys] and we literally shut up and got in our carts and had a huge celly at the hole. Not to ramble on, but what made me really appreciate the moment was that a group walking by stopped, figured out what was going on, and applauded me. It gave me perspective on how what I just did, and that moment is another reason golf is the classiest sport you can pick. I couldn't even focus on the last hole and 2 putted for a +1/73. Didn't matter, I'll get my first under par round another day.

Side note for those who are superstitious and want to keep reading...

• Before the tee block there is a plaque with a Ben Hogan quote "As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses for you only get to play one round". Given the way the day had gone (weather came around, free golf, 2 eagles already......) I was feeling very grateful and took a picture of the plaque, mentioned it to my friend I was playing with (attached below). After the aforementioned events played out we were having a beer on the patio and I realized that the polo I was wearing (borrowed from the same friend because I didn't know we'd be playing) was a Ben Hogan polo. I cannot and would not make this up to post it in a forum lol I still get a chill thinking about it, it was truly a day that was meant to be and I will always cherish it. Swing definitely wasn't as smooth as Hogan's that day, HIO aside.

 

 

[GSDriver]

I have 3 HOIs, unfortunately due to sun in eyes, elevation of green to point only saw upper half of flag, 2 I couldn't see go in.

 

HOIs are quite rare, statistically something like 1:25000 or more, IIRC, so, keep playing might see one, might get one, just don't be disappointed if you don't.

[xetremex]

Been playing golf on and off since age 12 (32 years).  Got back into it several years ago playing local tournaments and down to a 3 HC.  

 

I have not seen during a round nor have I had a hole in one, yet!  Had several close calls (1" plug from hole).  That said, I've had three on my Skytrak, two witnessed in real time - not that they count like real HIO one 😕

[Nels55]

Yesterday I joined a couple of guys I had never met before on the first tee for a round.  One fellow was playing his first round back after open heart surgery and quit after 9.  The other guy did not play real well on the front but started hitting it better on the back.  So we get to the 160 yard 15th hole and he hits one right at the stick.  I saw hit next to the flag and go past a bit and spin back and disappear.   When we got up to the green we found that the ball was indeed in the hole!  This was the sixth hole in one that I have witnessed including my two but the first one where I really saw the ball roll in the hole.  Pretty fun!

[I_HATE_SNOW]

Seen my wife get one and a buddy get one.  Have yet to see me get one.

 

[Edsland]

Zero me or seen one in 45 years

[Snaphooker12]

Zero for me, never seen one. Hav holed out several par fours in 35 years

[JJFJR33]

So I'm on the other end of the spectrum. 59 years old, playing the game for 42 years, best hdcp this past summer when I got down to a 5. I've witnessed 13. Here is the breakdown:

 

4 are mine. First was 1995 most recent was 2015.

4 others in my 4some.

3 from immediately in front of me or behind me. All witnessed from the tee or the next tee box.

2 others from tour events I was attending.

 

Crazy

[Lobby]

This thread is a good reminder that it's time to make another HOI!

 

 

[Ghostwedge]

I've made 3, all were similar 145-155 yr holes with a 7 iron, I hit them well but didn't think they were HOI worthy. All hit front of green and rolled 15-25 feet and dropped in the hole. I've hit a lot better iron shots over the years I thought had a chance but didn't dunk. My wife made her Ace before my first one, we won't tell anyone about her "13" on the par 4 before it. (Tin cupped 4 into the creek guarding front of he green.) She still laughs about both holes.

[Ghostwedge]

On 1/10/2021 at 6:26 PM, Edsland said:

Zero me or seen one in 45 years

Hang in there, been playing 35 yrs all 5 I've witnessed happened in the last 7-8 years.

[St Jimmy]

I've been playing for about 25 years.  Only ones I've seen were on the tv.  

[GarretG]

I’ve hit off the flagstick 8 times in my life with no HOIs. Saw my girl cousin hit one though in high school 😅

[Schley]

Never have. I came close several times. I think hole 7/8 at Kapalua Plantation from the back tees 203 yards and was like less than 6 inches!

[bullseye61]

On my 53rd year (started at age 6) and I have never had a HO1 or seen one. I've lipped out, hit flags, even divot mark inside the lip. I no longer expect it to happen. My friend who's been playing 8 years (started at 50) has made 2 in the last 3 months. Geez whatever! 

[altess27]

I'm 27 and have been hanging around golf courses since I was maybe 4 or 5. I just witnessed a hole in one for the first time last year. Of course it wasn't mine.

[TwistedSister]

I have been playing golf since the summer of 1967.  Until 2017(?) I had never seen a hole in one in person, or live on TV until watching the Masters and watching two on 16.  Then in 2019 I finally witnessed a HIO in a league night play.  You guessed it. It was our opponent.

Then last summer(2020) my best golf buddy got one in the Club Senior tourney (His first after 51 years of golfing) with a club I had built for him.  Won't go into to why, but I was not playing and did not get to see it in person.  But, he was not going to let me down.  Six weeks later on a different hole he used the same club to do it again. This time I was there.  What a thrill!! So i figure it has been getting closer and closer to home... maybe, just maybe, it will be my turn this summer... One of the last things playing wise left on my "bucket list"!

[hybrid25]

14 minutes ago, altess27 said:

I'm 27 and have been hanging around golf courses since I was maybe 4 or 5. I just witnessed a hole in one for the first time last year. Of course it wasn't mine.

27, huh? I am 67 and never seen a hio. 

[jwhite86]

I haven't had one and I haven't seen one either.  One guy in my regular foursome has had 2 in the last 5 years... both while I've been on vacation

[Miss_Tee]

I haven't had one but I have "witnessed" three of them.

I say "witnessed" because all three times we didn't see the ball go into the hole. Two were elevated greens and the third was into a bowl.

I'd take one either way, but I hope that if I eventually get a hole-in-one, I get to actually see the ball go into the hole.

[tjcarsillo]

Never seen one either. Been golfing for 18 years. Been on the course and heard the roars, sometimes more than one in a single round ,and been to the bar to celebrate after the fact. Never seen one come off the club from the tee box and go in the hole

[DLiver]

In 50+ years, I've had 3 and seen 9--including 4 in one year. (I've lipped out two others.) The best one was by a buddy of mine. He was a very good stick, had been playing for about 60 years and never had a HIO. We're playing a medium length par 3 with a gigantic drop off to the right of the green, and steep woods on the left leading down to the green. The pin is way right so no one wanted to screw around with it because of the drop off. My buddy hits a rocket waaaaay left into the trees, it ricochets loudly in the trees a whole bunch of times, then suddenly plops onto the left part green, rolls about 80 feet across the green and into the hole for an ace! We all hurt ourselves laughing. Unbelievable--but we were really happy for our buddy.

 

Like some have said, they seem to come in bunches. I haven't seen one in a couple years now.

[aloha b.]

I've seen two, one by a young woman and one by an older guy and I've never made one although I hit the pin flag on the 8th hole at Spanish Bay.

 

[Hack Daddy]

I've only witnessed one.

 

While at Angeles National, my father hit a shot OB right... Yes, Out. Of. Bounds. (We only saw it disappear into the rock pile). It ricocheted 90° left and goes in. He's OB trying to retrieve his ball, I'm looking in the trap just short of OB, third partner says "anyone check the cup?" We're all like, STFU.  🙄

 

He walks over, and sure as s---, it's in the cup. 

 

He had it framed with the ball, flag, and certificate from the pro shop. 

Edited February 10, 2021 by Hack Daddy

[curt_jr]

I've had one and witnessed one. 

 

Mine doesn't really count, it was a practice round with nobody else. Hit three tee shots on the par 3 17th - first was short, second was long, and third I didn't see land. But I was planning on going home after that shot, so I went to the green to pick up, and didn't find my third in the bunker behind the green where I thought I landed. Looked around for a bit, and then was walking off when I happened to see it in the cup. I didn't know what to do, so I started running around like a twelve year old. I don't care if it was a 1 on the card or not lol I was just happy it happened. 

 

Witnessed one where my dad and I were playing in central FL with a big group of guys, years ago. He was probably a strong 25 handicap at the time. Water's on the right, big pile of rocks were behind the green on this flat par 3. He flips a wedge up, and we heard the ball hit something hard, didn't see it land. So we're all thinking he landed in the rocks behind. Again, we looked and looked and couldn't find it, until we checked the hole. Sure enough, he bagged an official HIO with a big ol' group watching. 

[ESP]

I’ve never had one but have witnessed 4 of my dad’s 5, with probably a 30 year span between the first and last!

[averysdad]

Never seen one either...what’s odd is the better I’ve become, the less close I’ve been to getting one if that makes sense. That being said, a dude in my normal group made one end of last summer on a weekend when I had something going on and couldn’t go. 

[peetar]

Just searched to see if I posted this before and didn't see anything.

 

I've been a witness to two, both on the same hole. First was an awful, yank 5 wood into an oak tree that spit it out and rolled right in.

 

   The second was a good solid shot. 

 

I finally made one for myself last year. I lost a Pro-V in the rough on the hole before, but found an old Callaway identified by "Steve" written boldly in sharpie on it.  I reached into my pocket on the next tee and dropped the "Steve" ball. My buddy said "That's short", I was posing.....it went in.

 

  I was wearing an old beat up golf shirt, hadn't shaved in awhile, and holed out with a nasty ball with big writing on it. The photo's of the event are not pretty.

 

  My friend had no interest in coming over for celebratory beer and the bar was Covid closed. I sat on my deck with a big cooler and enjoyed the heck out of the rest of the night.