It was April 21, 2025 — just a few weeks before graduation — and I headed out for a quick afternoon round at Village Greens, one of my favorite courses to clear my head. The weather was perfect: mid-70s, slight breeze, not a cloud in the sky. I’d been playing pretty well that day, nothing crazy, just solid swings.

Then came hole 6 — a par 3 that’s always given me mixed results. It was playing about 154 yards that day, with the pin tucked in the back right corner, just behind a ridge that hides part of the green from the tee. I grabbed my 9-iron, aimed slightly left of the pin, and committed to a smooth swing.

The ball took off with a perfect little draw, landed just short of the ridge… and then disappeared. I couldn’t see the hole from the tee, but something about it felt different. My buddy riding with me just raised an eyebrow like, “That might’ve gone in.”

Sure enough, we rolled up to the green, looked around, and didn’t see the ball. I walked to the flagstick, looked down — and there it was. Hole-in-one.

I just stared for a second. Then let out this awkward laugh and tossed my hat in the air. We took pictures, marked the ball, and I made sure to save it right away. It was one of those surreal moments that didn’t even fully hit me until the next day. My first ace — at my home course — just weeks before graduation. Doesn’t get much better than that.