It was a foggy day at "The Links at Spanish Bay". I had golfed the day before at Pebble Beach and it was a perfect sunny day with temperatures in the 70's. But today was a totally different story....foggy and cold. I joined the 3 Patron brothers, John, Mike, and Tony who were celebrating John Patron's 50th Birthday. I did not know them until we stepped up to the 1st tee box. I grew up in Sonoma County, California, and the Patron Brothers grew up over the hill in Napa County. I am 64 so I was the eldest in our foursome. On the 8th hole I had a 5 foot Birdie putt to make. The Patron Brothers said that if I made that putt they would make me an "Honorary Patron Brother". So I focused and made the Birdie Putt and became their new elder brother!!!!

Then it happened........ We walked up to the Par 3, 13th hole, with 94 yards to the front pin placement. The three brothers went first, two were on the green. I stepped up to the tee box and recalled that a few holes earlier, on another Par 3, the brothers were giving John a hard time because he always aims for the middle of the green on a Par 3 instead of going for the Flag, therefore reducing his chance for a Hole-In-One. I said to myself, I am an optimist and there is "always" a chance to get a Hole-In-One on EVERY Par 3. So I focused a bit more than I normally do and aimed for the Flag. The shot was pure and one of the Patron Brother's yelled "that looks good"......then we heard the ProV1 Titleist ball hit the flagstick and immediately disappear. The three Patron Brothers started whooping and hollering that it was a Hole-in-One. I was 98% sure it was a Hole-In-One but with the foggy mist there was a possibility the ProV1 could have careened off the green when it hit the flagstick, so I wasn't ready to celebrate yet. We walked up the the green and I handed my IPhone to John Patron to "film" the moment.....either extreme exhilaration or extreme disappointment. The video is classic.....Fist pump and all the extreme exhilaration exploded out of my mouth and body! WOOHOO MY FIRST HOLE IN ONE!!!!! I was (am still am) in shock, stunned, excited, and in disbelief it actually happened.....and on one of the most beautiful "Mecca" golf courses in the world "The Links at Spanish Bay". That's my Hole-In-One Story and I'm sticking to it. Robert Rea, Coppell, Texas