The Situation I Was In
Pipestone Golf Club, Miamisburg, Ohio, Sept. 8, 2009, No. 17 hole, 3 par, 144 yards, light wind, large pond on left, huge trees on right, Taylor Made #4 Rescue club, Callaway Red CTU 30 ball. Playing with two other golfers - 1 male, 1 female.
The Shot I Pulled Off
At 82 years of age I was playing golf for only 6 years. The two other golfers hit their balls short of the green. I stepped up to the tee and they teased me that it's time for a hole-in-one Jim, and laughed.
I did my preshot routine, took a practice swing, and made great contact. One fellow laughed, and said, "that's a hole-in-one" for sure Jim.
The angle of the ball was great, however, it came down on top of a little hill in front of the pin and disappeared! We hopped into our carts, and located the two balls that were short, but did not see my ball. I told them that I must have overshot the hole.
The three of us looked all over the area and could not find my ball. Then the one fellow said, "I'll bet it landed in the hole!" He went over to the cup and began yelling, "hole-in-one", "hole-in-one," jumping up and down.
I came over to pick up my ball and he said, "I've been playing golf for 40 years and have never seen anyone make a hole-in-one." My heart was pounding. What a great day.
We told the ranger and he spread the word in the clubhouse. Everyone congratulated me when we finished and took the information for registration with PGA and Callaway. I received a beautiful plaque from Callaway and a terrific letter and certificate from the President of the PGA in the mail.
Tips and Tricks
- Patience is a virtue. Relaxation is the key to golfing.
- My early life in a military academy and Marine training helped me to stay focused on what I was doing.
- After years of canoe racing and running events I was only interested setting my own goals. I only compete against my own times and scores and never against others in recreational sports.
