COMMUNITY

In 30 plus years, I haven't had a hole in one. The closest I came was in a tournament where I stuck it inches from the cup. Now I have holed out from the fairway three times, with witnesses.

I don't keep count but I've had a few near misses in the past couple of years. My favorite was Town and Country playing with my two buddies. Very elevated tee box as we're walking up one of them suggested we go closest to the pin for a dollar. I hit first, the ball hit the flag and fell a foot from the cup. They both just handed me a buck right there. Maybe I should just bet a buck on all my shots, the pressure cooker of competition seems to motivate me!

Still looking for my first. Many close ones or hitting the stick and rolling away. Closest was at the 3rd hole of Tobacco Road. The green is very narrow and about 45 yards deep. I could only see the top of the flag from the tee so I really didn't have a distance to go by. When I got to the green my ball was 4 inches short of the cup.

Still looking for my first. 4 stand out and it's simply because I thought to myself while the ball was getting close to landing, "That's gonna go in." A couple of those finished within a foot of the hole, the others rolled what looked to be an inch away from the flag and went 10 or so feet past the hole. This picture was at Reid Memorial in Springfield, Ohio last summer, one of the good shots I hit that just needed a foot more to the left to go in.

Don and I were just talking about this a week ago.

I haven't had one in a while, but I want an Albatross. That's my nirvana for golf.

One of the things I love about the game. After each close call I had goosebumps. I haven't been that excited since band camp....

I have had one hole in one but never with modern equipment. One cool fact...I may have hit the first hole in one using a gutta percha golf ball since 1900. How about that worthless factoid.

I once played a round a couple years ago where I literally hit the flagstick just above the hole on 3 of the 4 par threes. Each ball ended up 1-2 inches from the hole. On the third one I literally threw my Club in frustration.

I had another time when a greenskeeper decided to act like a pit crew. I was playing PGA West Alcatraz hole when I set up to hit my ball. In all seriousness a greenskeeper who was standing behind the green yelled, "give me a sec.". Literally without coming out of my stance he ran out and changed the hole position in seconds!

Without re-aiming I swung and the ball stopped on the spot where the original hole sat.
The greenskeeper laughed as he drove off and yelled back, "Sorry about that...hahaha."

I had another incident in a tournament on an elevated tee box. The ball hit the green.::hopped once and went into the hole. The ball hit the bottom of the cup and bounced out:
That spelled disaster as I in that same round missed a 4 inch putt and a 1 footer by hitting the back of the cup and popping out:

Oh and I lost by a stroke:)

I remember playing the Alcatraz hole at PGA West and hitting a hole in one on national television and winning $125,000. It was awesome!

Oh wait, that wasn't me, that was Lee Trevino. (I did enjoy seeing that plaque though.). I parred it....

I hit a ghost hole in one at Alcatraz and then I believe I Three Jacked It! Damn greenskeeper!

You get goosebumps just thinking about playing.

There is more than one reason I need a golf towel.

Ive been within inches more times than I can remember and lipped out a lot too. Still dont have a hole-in-one though