My First Ace

My First Ace

Every year, in or near winter, I make my Ad Hoc Golf Tour trip. I drive 3 hours, find a hotel, find a course, stay and play, and then repeat until I reach southern climes before returning. This year I brought my brother, Chuck, with me, and along the way we stopped at the 10th most difficult course on Golf Digest
s toughest courses list, the Tobacco Road Golf Club. It is a very tough course, and my brother enjoyed it so much that we decided to play it again after our 10 days on Hilton Head. So, we headed back to Tobacco Road on December the 10th, 2014. It was about 40 degrees with a steady strong wind. I did not play the first hole very well, but managed to scramble a bogey on the second.

On the third tee facing into the 14 mph wind, I had 104 yards to the pin. I took out my "Magic Wand," a Titleist AP1 "W" wedge and made a fine stroke, high and straight at the flag. My brother said, "That looks like it might go in." Our view of the hole was blocked by bunker protecting the green, and I replied, "Yeah, but I've seen too many that looked that way. I'm not looking in the hole, I'll be checking the bunker first."

When we got to the green, I headed to the bunker. Behind me my brother asked, "Did you check the hole?" I said, "No, I know better." He replied, "Well, it's in there."

No description can possibly match the actual feeling of making my first hole-in-one at one of the most difficult courses in America. I am still walking on air. Fortunately, there was no one in the clubhouse but the pro when I went in to post my round, so it did not cost me a fortune in drinks. The club gave me a nice plaque to commemorate the event, and I am still basking in the glow.

Thanks to Titleist for the fitting that made this possible!