What a day! A georgeous early winter Saturday. Low 50s, sunny and slight breeze. Perfect day for a quick round. First, I attended the #1 Kentucky- #4 North Carolina basketball game at Rupp Arena. THe loudest I've ever heard the old place in 36 years of attending games. Both teams played great, but Kentucky held on for a terrific win. I lucked into a fourth row seat right behind the Carolina bench. COuld it get any better?
After dropping my buddy off at home, Congressman Ben Chandler (D-KY 6), I decided it was too pretty to call it a day, so I drove out to my club - - the University Club, which also is hte home course of the UK golf team (JB Holmes played for us). I hadn't played the Big Blue course in a month, having opted for the tighter WIldcat course since I had been hitting my tee shot so well during the fall.
I was playing pretty well, which surprised me given I hadn't played in a couple of weeks and had been just off with my long irons. My putting kept me from scoring, and cost me three bogies. Anyway, I was 3 over going into the 153 yard par three eighth hole - a downhill island green surrounded by a lake that comes into play on 7 of the 18 holes.Typically, there is a head wind that you tee off into, but it was still as I set up on the right side of the tee box.
When I hit my seven iron (playing a Pro VI, number 4 with the text "Gay Brewer Jr. Grant Program" - Mr. Brewer, a Masters and US AMateur champion, was from Lexington and lived there following his tour career) and it felt so smooooooth . . . like I didn't even make contact. The ball flight was my perfect flight line - - high with a slight fade (I'm a rightie). I knew it was going close. None of us saw it finish - - the sun was setting, and it was "winter bright." I figured it had to be close.
When we walked down to the green, my ball was nowhere to be seen - - I figured I had hit it a bit long, and it had traveled over into the pond on the back. So, I took an extra ball figuring to drop and walked towards the back of the green. I saw the mark - - about three inches right of the cup - - and walked over to repair it. As I approached, I thought "COuldn't of gone in", but peeked a look into the hole as I got close. IT WAS THERE!!!! I then performed a wonderful dance around the green . . whopping and hollering in true Kentucky hick fashion!
What was funnier is that when we played number 9, an uphill, dogleg right, the trwosome in front of us was waiting at the green. When we got there, the fellow and his son asked "We saw it go in from our spot in the fairway. We couldn't figure why you all weren't celbrating on the tee box - - we figured that an ace wasn't a huge deal for you - - but when we saw your dance we knew you all didn't see it go in!"
A hat trick of a day: Kentucky beats North Carolina in a great game, I hit my first ever hole in one, and my wife buys dinner! PLUS - there were only four people in the clubhouse so I got off cheap there as well.
Scott White
Lexington, KY