I like a good hole in one and I never got one today but I was reminded of a few from the past, my first being at Prestonfield Golf Club in Edinburgh when I was 15, a lucky bounce off the right hand slope of the bunker saw my ball drop in the hole. It was my last lucky one!
My 2nd came 30 years later when playing with Arnaldo. It followed a Sunday night of bravado as I told him how much I loved the braids and how I'd hit a 5 iron round the belly at the 9th, a 40 yard hook which would bounce on the apron and roll up the green. I told him I'd break 80 even though I hadnt played it for 15 years and only carried irons. Oh how we laughed 24 hours later as we got to the 9th and I called the shot and yet we couldn't find the ball. Hunting through the back eventually we conceded it was all over the flag and yes, its in the hole. Out in 35 and there goes any ambition to break 80, lets get to the bar.
The third was on Arran, the third at Lamlash, a 9 iron to the top corner, straight as a Jocky Wilson arrow. Thats got a chance I said and I never looked over the back I just walked confidently to the hole.
Two weeks later and we're still in Ayrshire and playing LSEGS v SSEGS, a bitter England v Scotland contest where beneath the merriment is feisty fare. We were on Glasgow Gailes and about the 14th a par 3 with a huge green on the left and a mound to carry if you wanted to attack the pin. In Foursomes your partners head up to the green in optimistic fashion and that was the case the day as big Sean (LSEGS) and my partner headed up while Mike (LSEGS aka Freddie Couples) and I waited on the tee for the green to clear. I joked with Freddie that this required my round the belly shot where I keep the hands square. If I roll the hands its an ugly drawing hook into the fat of the green but if I pure it, the mound gets carried. "Oh, I've pured that, how fucking good is that strike". Up at the green, all 6' 7" of big Sean is waving his 7' wingspan as the ball trundles toward the hole hidden from us. Next thing, the cheers ring out and big Mike and I are belly bouncing on the tee. "You've got this for the half Mike!". Mike is sadly no longer with us but his memory will always live on long in my mind.
Next up was the best called hole in one of the lot. I've only had the 5 but this one was special as I described in my fantasy world how I was going to beat the club champion in the forthcoming 1st round. As we walked off the 8th, I told Ricky I had a plan. My great gift is to appear to be lucky and so I was going to exploit that by getting a hole in one at the 2nd. Ricky laughed at the thoughts that would go through Arran's head! "You see, I've got this shot I'm saving, a 6 iron, down the shaft, soft fade, about 5 feet left of the stick. The pin is always about 8 yards from the back right on the top deck, and with the slope, it should be perfect. In fact much like today, as I stepped onto the medal tee at the 9th. Down the shaft soft fade, exactly, in fact that's the shot I'll be playing, no slow up, no dont go in oh FUCK!! Nightmare, whats the chance of me doing this again in 5 days time.
5 days later I played Arran and told him how my plan had come unstuck. I'd rehearsed it in my head but with the hole in one only 5 days old, far from riding the wave I just couldn't convince myself, Arran on the other hand, hit the pin (with his 2nd shot) and it dropped dead to win the hole with a 3. Who knew I could just get a birdie and win it!
I've holed number of shots with wedges, 5,6,7,8 and 9 irons and for a while I had a 100 yard club that seemed to land a foot from the hole. My favourites have usually been in matches when I've called them. Playing with JJ against Gav & Stevie in the final of the winter greensomes, we needed to hole a 7 iron for a two at the 8th because the guys were probably going to get a 3 net 2, based on what they'd done to us at the 6th. As I called it (another 9 second diatribe as the ball headed towards the hole, "oh that was really well struck, and its holding its line, it needs to stay a foot to the left as it rolls onto the green oh yes thats perfect, oh its in!")
When we were wee we holed 2nd shots all the time in our heads, but it wasn't quite as frequent as that. It was just that we were out all the time so inevitably we hit the odd good one. At Prestonfield I've holed out at the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 15th, 16th, and 18th from a decent range. The par 3's I've chipped in but I cant remember a 2 at 12,14 or 17. Some people think its luck but I think there's a range and statistical repetition and likelihood of outcome. If holing a putt from anywhere on the green is skill, at what range does it become luck? There is no range, there is just a lower likelihood. If you dont aim at a flag there is almost no likelihood, but when you aim and you hit it where you mean, the likelihood is relatively quite high.
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