Aces are all luck until you get your first one
Advertiser Staff
TOM KEMP
Pearl Ridge
Nov. 27, 2004
Kaluako'i Golf Course, Moloka'i
Hole No. 3, 167 yards, 4-iron
I've always been somewhat ambivalent about holes-in-one. Maybe that's because I've never had a hole-in-one.
And as I understand it, there are many golf pros who also have never had a hole-in-one. Let's face it, it's a lucky shot. It requires an infinite amount of good fortune and just a smidgen of skill.
My friend Gary once scored an ace at Hawai'i Kai when the ball shanked off his clubface, ricocheted off a rock on the hillside and careened onto the green and into the cup. How much pride can you take in that kind of shot? Until recently, a hole-in-one to me was just a random occurrence, a freak accident, the hole getting in the way of a less than perfect shot.
And don't you think golfers make too much ado about these silly holes-in-one? My friend, Brian Moore, has had three aces, brags about each one, displays the ball on a special trophy and never fails to hold it over my head that he has had three and I none. To make matters worse, I had the misfortune of witnessing all three of his "spectacular shots!"
On Nov. 27, I was playing Kaluako'i, with my friends Brian, Dave Daggett and Tony Becker. No. 3 is a downhill par 3, a trap in front on the right and the crashing surf behind the green.
It was Day 2 of a three-day marathon of golf, 36 holes a day. This would be the fourth time this weekend I'd played this hole. I was using a 4-iron, which is normally too much club for that shot, but my 5-iron had come up short each time before, so I figured an easy 4-iron might work.
Work it did, taking two short bounces over the trap and disappearing into the hole!
It went in! It went in! High fives all around. Dave and Tony agreed, it went into the hole! Brian, though, had his back turned. Never saw it.
Writing the score on the card, I thought, "Geez, that '1' looks good. What a great shot! What good club selection! I'll remember this the rest of my life! What a great day! What a great game!"
How can anyone be ambivalent about a hole-in-one?
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Do you have a story to tell about your hole-in-one? Tell us about it. Stories must be typed and brief, around 50-100 words. The stories must include the date, course, hole, yardage and club. Return phone numbers must be listed. Holes in one must have been reported to The Advertiser by the golf courses. Fax submissions to 525-5491 or e-mail to: sports@honoluluadvertiser.com.
