Finally, after roughly 1100 rounds, I bagged my first ace. I’ve had so many that were so close, but it’s been a rough few years. I used to play 100+ rounds a year, then life happened. New relationship, two shoulder surgeries, coupled with working in two hospitals during the COVID years, meant I didn’t play very much, maybe 20 rounds over four years. I joined Midland Trail in 2024. I was fitted for new clubs after 4 years of almost no golf, surgeries, aging, was fitted for Titleist.
The shot! It was day 3 of our club championship, I was out of the money, so I was there to try and nab a skin to break even. I did that and so much more. The previous day I hit my titleist t350 5 iron and almost yanked it out of bounds. The ground has been so firm with little rain, I opted on the final day to play a smooth 4 hybrid (Titleist TSR 2), playing for a nice cut between two front bunkers. It was perfect. The Sunday pin was dead center, but just slightly over this downslope on the back of the green that runs into the rough. I have been overshooting about 4-5 greens per round as I’ve improved my ball striking and now having to club down sometimes.
I watched the ball roll across the green, then disappeared. I assumed it had rolled off the back as I have been doing. I grabbed my Titleist Volkey sm10 56° (short sided pin with about 5 yards from rough to pin). I told my playing partner that I see it in the rough (not sure what I thought I saw but that was not a ball). The other player asked me hat I was talking about and as I was trying to explain, he told me it was in the hole. The only thing I could muster was “no way!” I repeated that about five times.
I approached the hole and told him I needed to identify my ball. Sure enough, looking back at me was my Titleist ProV1 black 2 with my identifier mark “-.-“ while that symbol in the quotes looks like a face squinting, it’s actually Morse code for the letter “K” my nickname since my name is difficult to remember “Keather.” I had my ace. Not as climatic of a celebration, not hootin and hollering. I picked up ball, grinning ear to ear, the other player asked if he could take the picture.
That was an amazing feeling! Thank you Titleist for the equipment to get my ace!