I was one of the many who play Titleist to get a package of prototype balls in the mail last fall, which I played and provided feedback on. (A process detailed in “The Endless Pursuit: Inside the Journey from Prototype to Pro V1” on the Titleist website.) Last week I discovered a remaining prototype ball in my bag and put it into play at Willowdale Golf Course in Scarborough, Maine. On the 11th hole, I hit my 5 iron (Titleist AP2), watched the ball hop onto the green toward the hole, and heard it hit the flagstick. My friends and I didn’t know if it went in or bounced away, but when I got to the green, there was the prototype ball in the hole. First career hole-in-one for me, and last shot ever for that ball. (As a postscript, yes, last fall I did give those prototypes a very high rating, and yes, I will be buying some now that they’re out as the new Pro V1. I can take a hint.)