My
First Hole In One
It was meant to be
By Pete Pappas
It was meant to be
By Pete Pappas
On
twitter @PGAPappas
Odds
of making a hole in one? About 1 in 12,000.
Odds it was supposed to happen to me on this day? 100-percent.
My first hole in one came Tuesday,
April 2, at Little Mountain Country Club.
Using a Wilson Staff FG M3 7-iron, and Callaway Golf Hex Black golf
ball, on Little Mountain’s par-3, 166 yard fourth hole.
On the fly. Nothing but cup. Actually it must have hit inside edge,
because it left a pronounced ball mark. Forgot
to repair that, sorry Jimmy!
Anyway, you’ll have to forgive me for
going a little nuts. I certainly didn’t
act like smooth “been there, done that” guy.
But every golf fanatic dreams about hitting a hole in one. And mine came on a day filled with “peculiar”
circumstances.
I might even call them, “divine.”
I was testing the new Wilson Staff FG
M3 irons. And taking many pictures of
Little Mountain for a course review as well.
So pace of play on each hole was a little longer than usual. On the first hole actually, I told the player
behind me to play through.
After he hit his shot, and thanked me
for letting him through, I asked him what he was playing. First peculiar circumstance. He said an old set of Wilson irons.
Entertained by the coincidence, I mentioned
I was writing a Wilson FG M3 irons review, and asked if he’d like to give them
a shot.
He did. And after deciding it’s probably time for an
upgrade, he told me he won those venerable Wilson irons… wait for it. In a “hole-in-one” contest. And it gets better. He’d also recently started a new golf apparel company. “Holy In One Golf.”
In retrospect, it’s beyond ridiculous. I was moments away from my first hole in one,
using Wilson irons, after I’ve met a stranger who won Wilson irons in a hole in
one contest, and whose company is called “Holy In One.” We exchanged info, and he went on. His name was “Kyle.”
Two holes later another player caught
up to me. Again I told him I was testing
irons, taking pictures, and to play through.
A real estate agent from Mentor, he was playing TaylorMade Rocketbladez
irons. So I asked him as well if he’d
like to try my new Wilsons.
I had some FG V2’s from last season in
the bag (part of my review is comparing the V2s to the M3s), and after hitting the
V2s, he gushed about the feel. We talked
a little more, he gave me his card, and we went on our way.
And oh by the way, his name? “Kyle.”
Again.
I was in the golf gods’ grasp. As if the “Wee Ice Man” himself, Ben Hogan
decided, “What the hell, I’ve got nothing better to do today, I’m going to step
into Pete’s body, and give him the thrill of a lifetime.”
And so I came upon the 166 yard,
par-3, No.4. With video running, I mentioned
how the M3s are more forgiving than the V2s, promote a slightly higher ball
flight. Took a few practice swings. And hit my 7-iron.
It sounded good off the face. Looked decent in the air. Then I couldn’t believe what I saw. “Did I just see what I thought I saw?”
I went full meltdown. Lost my mind.
Forgot all course etiquette. And
rushed frantically towards the hole. Hope,
fear, optimism, and apprehension all growing with every bungling squish of my
shoes through the soggy fairway.
And the rest, as they say… is history.
I cut my 18-hole round short at the turn, walked into the clubhouse, showed the video to the club pros, and proudly accepted their congratulations on my first hole in one.
One of the pros, Mike, told me I got off easy on the customary “drinks on me” tradition. Early season crowds are small, which means fewer drinks to pass around compared to an ace during peak season. Mike knows. He hit a summer hole in one during
tournament play. Ouch. Hole in one insurance for next time Mike?
I’ll probably never be a tournament
player. Okay, forget probably, I’ll never
be a tournament player. But if handicap
was based on pure fun, yours truly would consistently be atop the leaderboard.
So tomorrow I’m framing my club, ball,
and scorecard. Because today I hit my
first hole in one. And it was triumphantly
amazing.
©PGAPappas
