My first and hopefully not last Hole In One

My first and hopefully not last Hole In One

We were playing my favorite course that is around the Omaha, NE area. The course is Quarry Oaks which is located in Ashland, NE. We normally play a lot of scrambles out there either for charities or just course sponsored scrambles. This was one of the few times that we decided to go out there to play our own ball. This is one of the tougher courses for me that we play and I never seem to have a good score there. Started off with a lost ball on the first hole and took a double bogey. Lost ball on the second with another double. I at least had a par on the 3rd after thinking I lost it OB on the right off the tee. Then came the par 3 fourth hole. This is an interesting hole with a little grave yard behind the back tee box. It was a small 4 grave cemetery found while they were building the course that I believe were children who passed away 100+ years ago and they preserved it in the building phase. Anyways, I teed off first. It was 152 to the pin with a range finder. The hole is uphill and the pin was in the back on the top of a two tier green. The hole was behind a bunker as well and is probably on of the more difficult pin placements (at least I have to say that to make it sound better). I hit a nice light 9 iron fade that was going right at the hole. It cleared the bunker and we could see one bounce, but the ball disappears due to the uphill green and bunker lip. I heard nice shot from the guys and then some hole in one jokes were made but I thought that I'll end up finding it past the hole or not even close like it always seems to be when it looks good on a blind hole. My buddy went next and had a dead straight shot right at the hole as well. I was a bit shorter than mine, but still bounced and disappeared going at the pin as well. 3rd guy hit it on the left side top where we could see it, then our 4th guy, hit a high cut that landed left of the hole about 20 feet then kicked right towards the hole disappearing as well. Now the joke was going about 3 hole in ones, and do we just keep buying each other drinks etc. We drove up the hill talking about what if there wasn't 3 balls up there by the pin or what if there was only two or one. Well, we got to the top and low and behold, two balls were on the green by the hole. One was about 12 feet to the left of the hole (presumably guy #4) and then one about 4 feet short of the hole. Now we were kind of nervous/excited. We decided not look at the balls and if one was in the hole, we would go up together. I instinctively went to the back of the green thinking I would find a ball that rolled off the backside since that's what seems to usually happen. No ball was seen, then I heard a "There's an F'ing ball in the hole!" from my buddy that walked over there. So we both went and examined it together, finding that it was my Pro V1x!!! Everyone then yelled and high fives were thrown around. It was a great feeling. I've come close multiple times, but it just feels like it may never happen after close calls. I wish I could of seen it drop though and always had a feeling I would do it on an elevated par 3 where you can't watch it fall. Oh well, I'll take it still. I was too jacked up after and had a few errand shots on the next holes loosing another ball. The going joke after was that I lost or almost lost a ball off the tee on 4 of the first 5 holes. And the one that I didn't lose was cause the pin/hole got in the way..... I did turn it around and shot my best score there still with a 77. I've never broke 80 there and it apparently took an ace to break that streak. Maybe it changed something in me too though. Knock on wood, but since the ace now, I haven't shot over an 80 anywhere!!!

Thanks Titleist, John Kava