After taking up the game in mid-life, at age 35, I had my first hole-in-one 17 years later, just a couple of weeks shy of my 52nd birthday. It was at my home club, with my regular Saturday morning group, in perfect weather - all the things that make being a golfer wonderful.

It was a downhill par-3, 134 yards, with a nine-iron. The ball landed about a foot past the hole and spun back in.

I'm told the first words out of my mouth, which I don't remember saying, were "It's about time."

The bar tab came to $91...pretty reasonable under the circumstances.