I've been playing golf for approximately 25 years now and let me tell you nothing can prepare you for the surreal feeling of the moment when you make your first ace. When it happens, it takes the mind a moment to process what your eyes just witnessed.
I'm a United States Marine combat veteran that was lucky enough to hit golf balls over the wire in both Iraq and Afghanistan with clubs and balls that had been left behind by others. The thought of pure-ing an iron again, or sinking a 35-foot putt for a double bogey, or even striping a provisional off the tee just in case the first was wayward, and we've all been there, the game never escapes the mind...not even in the direst of circumstances.
Since returning from the middle-east and before I play each round with a specific friend we always spend time hyping each other up. "Tomorrow, we'll go low," or "we need a hole in one," it's just something quirky we've been doing since we started playing together several years ago. We've come close, and while we've gone low, we've yet to secure that all elusive hole in one...That was until yesterday.
On Saturday we did as we usually do, "Hey man it doesn't matter how cold it's going to be, let's get that hole in one tomorrow." Now while we used other forms of motivation to keep us warm on the course and we went along playing through the elements like normal, we both started to drag along as we approached the turn. A huge order from the 9th tee was required, and the $3 mozzarella sticks (bargain), a 1/4 lb. hotdog, and a hot Italian sausage with cheese seemed to bring us back to life by the 12th tee.
The best part about what I'm going to say next is that even though I'm playing against the buddy I previously mentioned, my partner in match-play teed off on the 127-yard par-3 15th first as he had to use the restroom asap, "the hypeman" and his partner watched us go off since we just won the last point. It was playing less than 127 yesterday and the pin was centered on always quickly back to front running green towards the pond. The shot required a 3/4 54 degree Vokey that I was trying to land behind the pin as we expect that roll out. After catching the ball with what seemed like no friction from the teebox I watched as the ball carried the pond and within 3 to 5 seconds landed, jumped and spun back, and with the second small hop, just disappeared.
Like I said at the beginning of this story, at that moment I still wasn't sure what the three of us had just seen. It wasn't until the audible outburst of excitement that came from the two guys standing behind me that I became aware that the ball was actually at the bottom of the cup waiting for its proud owner to reclaim it!
When it happens, you'll certainly not want the day to come to an end. And as I sit here and write this to you all I can think about is "let's go low, and let's get that all elusive ace tomorrow."
-Best of luck from me to you. I'm now waiting on the other side of the games glory for you to join me.
I'll leave you with one of my favorite and constantly referenced quotes;
"It's a funny thing, the more I practice the luckier I get" - Arnold Palmer