On a beautiful Thursday afternoon after work, I played the front nine at Rockledge Golf Club in West Hartford, Connecticut with a business colleague, Greg.

We got to Hole #8, a 184-yard shot over water to a green sitting up on a hill. The pin was tucked in the front left corner, and I pulled a 5 iron and teed up my Titleist Pro V1. I hit what felt like a great shot. From our view, we saw it bounce once on the green before it disappeared, but because of the angle and elevation, we had no idea where it finished.

When we got up to the green, I didn’t see my ball anywhere. I grabbed my wedge and putter and started walking the back edge of the green, thinking it may have rolled off or settled somewhere out of sight.

Little did I know.

Thankfully, Greg was thoughtful enough to check the cup first. He saw my Titleist Pro V1 sitting at the bottom, marked with the obnoxious blue mark I’m known for — the same mark I often get comments about when I play. Instead of saying anything right away, he walked back to the cart, grabbed his phone, and recorded the moment I found out my ball was in the cup.

It was my first hole-in-one, and I’ll never forget it: Rockledge Golf Club, Hole #8, 184 yards, 5 iron, Titleist Pro V1, on Thursday, April 16, 2026. A perfect shot, a great surprise, and an even better memory.