Take it or leave it? Theoretical Hole in One query

[Big C]

Last Friday afternoon, I shut down my computer about 90 minutes before sundown and headed out to my local muni to get a few holes of golf in. As it turned out, the course was wide open, and I pretty much had the place to myself. I made it through 8 holes pretty quickly and got to the 9th tee box, as the sun was starting to set.

The 9th is a 199 yard par 3, but the flag was forward, so it was playing closer to 185. I pulled a 6 iron. The ensuing shot was not very good. I hit it low on the club face, a thin "stinger" that rattled my hands a bit. The setting sun was in my eyes so I could not see the outcome, but the start line was on line with the flag, so I figured I would be putting.

As I drove up to the hole, I had to laugh at the outcome. The ball had settled two inches from the pin. It was a tap in birdie that was literally a single rotation away from a hole in one. 

As someone who has never experienced the joy of an ace, you would think I would be a bit disappointed, right? But in reality what amused me about the shot was how RELIEVED I felt that my shot hadn't found the bottom of the cup. 

I mean, no ace is a bad ace, but..... Playing by myself, in a meaningless round, on a bad shot that I couldn't see..... Would there ever be a less satisfying ace in the history of golf??? I think not.

So as strange as it sounds, this was one shot that I was glad not to have found the bottom of the cup. What say the rest of the forum? Would you take any ace regardless of the circumstances? Or would you feel that if you're gonna make a hole in one, you would like some people to actually celebrate it with you?

[Golfingdad]

Agree - I would've felt the same way.  Had a similar one at our talega outing a few years ago, albeit not as close.  Chunked an 8 iron short and right of the green (hole 5) and it caught the back left of a mound and kicked directly at the hole, stopping about 3 feet away.  I was a bit embarrassed at the idea that it could have been an ace.

[mchepp]

The USGA had a commercial about this a few years ago. Young kid playing on the course makes a hole in one, thinks no one is around and is disappointed. The greenskeeper comes driving up and tell the kid he saw it and he owes him a soda. 

I only paid attention to this commercial because it was filmed at a course that I played a lot as a kid. I recognized the hole the kid made the hole in one on.

[Club Rat]

A "1" on the score card has no details and other than not having anyone to attest the occurrence, it still is a great feeling. I've been in numerous groups playing and have seen great shots hole out. It's an instant rush of excitement like no other. Even watching an ace on TV brings that moment of excitement.

A One's a One, take it no matter how, they're few and far between.

Still, I've often heard there are no bad two's on a score card.

[Yukari]

A hole-in-one is hole-in-one regardless whether someone is watching or not. I'll take it. 

[iacas]

29 minutes ago, Club Rat said:

A "1" on the score card has no details and other than not having anyone to attest the occurrence, it still is a great feeling.

I disagree.

I thinned the heck out of a 7I one time playing with my brother-in-law, wife, and kid. It headed just right of the flag, but took a big hop and rolled left and headed for the flag. The whole time I'm saying "Don't go in. Oh please, don't go in." My brother-in-law was chuckling.

If I ever get a hole-in-one, I don't want it to be on a crappy shot. But ask me again when I'm 70 or so if I still have zero.

[Club Rat]

2 minutes ago, iacas said:

Don't go in

That's just because your to cheap to buy cocktails....

[mcanadiens]

I'll take whatever I can get, whenever I can get it. It would still be a shame if no one else were there to see it. Also, it would be way better to hit a quality shot rather than just getting lucky.

No one ever said you were limited to one ace for the rest of your life.  

[mdl]

Haha.  Yeah I understand that feeling.  At one of our SoCal member tourneys I won (I think won, was definitely the closest so far when I hit the shot) the closest to the pin contest on a shortish par 3.  Don't remember the exact distance but I hit a slightly uphill 8i, so probably 150-155?  But I was a bit embarrassed about winning it since I hit a fully mediocre non-intentional fade a little further than I planned but it hit a big mound in the back right of the green and trickled down to pretty close.  No tap in or anything, and I don't think I made the putt.  But regardless, still way less satisfying since I didn't win it hitting the shot I meant to hit.  

[Lihu]

1 hour ago, Big C said:

Last Friday afternoon, I shut down my computer about 90 minutes before sundown and headed out to my local muni to get a few holes of golf in. As it turned out, the course was wide open, and I pretty much had the place to myself. I made it through 8 holes pretty quickly and got to the 9th tee box, as the sun was starting to set.

The 9th is a 199 yard par 3, but the flag was forward, so it was playing closer to 185. I pulled a 6 iron. The ensuing shot was not very good. I hit it low on the club face, a thin "stinger" that rattled my hands a bit. The setting sun was in my eyes so I could not see the outcome, but the start line was on line with the flag, so I figured I would be putting.

As I drove up to the hole, I had to laugh at the outcome. The ball had settled two inches from the pin. It was a tap in birdie that was literally a single rotation away from a hole in one. 

As someone who has never experienced the joy of an ace, you would think I would be a bit disappointed, right? But in reality what amused me about the shot was how RELIEVED I felt that my shot hadn't found the bottom of the cup. 

I mean, no ace is a bad ace, but..... Playing by myself, in a meaningless round, on a bad shot that I couldn't see..... Would there ever be a less satisfying ace in the history of golf??? I think not.

So as strange as it sounds, this was one shot that I was glad not to have found the bottom of the cup. What say the rest of the forum? Would you take any ace regardless of the circumstances? Or would you feel that if you're gonna make a hole in one, you would like some people to actually celebrate it with you?

 

A phrase I am all too familiar with comes to mind, "Nice miss!"

 

 

[bkuehn1952]

1 hour ago, Big C said:

Would you take any ace regardless of the circumstances? Or would you feel that if you're gonna make a hole in one, you would like some people to actually celebrate it with you?

I understand your point of view and agree that for one's first ace, there should be a good swing and witnesses.   I have been lucky enough to have two aces result from good shots so if I get a 3rd from some awful swing, I will take it.  

[newtogolf]

I had one hole in one last year and I honestly don't view it as much more than a lucky shot.  I usually try to hit a hole in one on every Par 3, to date only one was lucky enough to go in.  Shooting par takes skill, a hole in one takes a little skill and a lot of luck imo.

[kpaulhus]

I was playing with a friend that hit a hole in one on a par 4 by driving the ball clear over a lake. Pretty incredible to see. Also had a guy hit a worm burner that hit the stick and dropped for a hole in one, but he was so mad at the shot that he didnt watch it go in. We all ordered extra drinks on that one. 

I have come very close 4 times. Once I walked up to the hole so slow just hoping a gust of wind would get it in, but alas I am still in the club of not having one. 

[dkolo]

I've had enough bad results from good shots where I get unlucky, I'll never feel guilty about good luck 

[allenc]

When I read the title to this thread I thought that is mostly how I feel about a hole-in-one -- I can take it or leave it.  I thought it was going to be about how much you value making one.

Maybe thats easy for me to say as I've had 2, both on perfectly struck shots.  The first was from 110 yards playing with my parents and girlfriend.  We all cheered a little but shortly afterwords I all but forgot about it.  More memorable is that it lead to one of my few sub 80 rounds.

The other was from about 185 into the sun during a tournament.  I thought I could see it drawing away from the hole a bit so I looked around the right side of the green first, then the rest of the green, then off the green and in the sprinkler holes to the right.  I was starting to worry I was going to have to head back to the tee when I finally decided to check the hole, so when I saw the ball there I was as much relieved as excited.  Also, my playing partners were worrying about their own shots so when I said I found it in the hole they just said something like, "oh ok, good job" which I thought was an unusual attitude but I didn't really mind.

The main thing I liked about that one is it won me some decent skin money and it nicely complemented a quintuple bogey 9 for just 3 over for the two holes and I won the tournement.

When my girlfriend told my golfing neighbor about one of the aces she was very curious to know what I did with the ball.  She had hers made into some kind of plaque or trophy or something and displays it in her house.  I wouldn't have ever thought to do such a thing.  Heck, if it was the ball that did it I would want to keep playing with it, not mount it.  I think I threw it in the lake later when I shredded the coating.

[GolfLug]

2 hours ago, Big C said:

Last Friday afternoon, I shut down my computer about 90 minutes before sundown and headed out to my local muni to get a few holes of golf in. As it turned out, the course was wide open, and I pretty much had the place to myself. I made it through 8 holes pretty quickly and got to the 9th tee box, as the sun was starting to set.

The 9th is a 199 yard par 3, but the flag was forward, so it was playing closer to 185. I pulled a 6 iron. The ensuing shot was not very good. I hit it low on the club face, a thin "stinger" that rattled my hands a bit. The setting sun was in my eyes so I could not see the outcome, but the start line was on line with the flag, so I figured I would be putting.

As I drove up to the hole, I had to laugh at the outcome. The ball had settled two inches from the pin. It was a tap in birdie that was literally a single rotation away from a hole in one. 

As someone who has never experienced the joy of an ace, you would think I would be a bit disappointed, right? But in reality what amused me about the shot was how RELIEVED I felt that my shot hadn't found the bottom of the cup. 

I mean, no ace is a bad ace, but..... Playing by myself, in a meaningless round, on a bad shot that I couldn't see..... Would there ever be a less satisfying ace in the history of golf??? I think not.

So as strange as it sounds, this was one shot that I was glad not to have found the bottom of the cup. What say the rest of the forum? Would you take any ace regardless of the circumstances? Or would you feel that if you're gonna make a hole in one, you would like some people to actually celebrate it with you?

It's funny but true, almost ace is a great shot but it is entirely luck if it goes in.. haha..

I can understand if you wouldn't be overly excited if you had gotten the ace but why would you NOT want it to happen?? LOL!

IMHO, 1 is better than 2..

 

[RayG]

After 43 years of missing by ANY MEANS YOU CAN THINK OF, I would take a skulled 4 iron that skipped across a lake, hit a rock, ricocheted into the trees, rattled out, landed on a sprinkler head then rolled in. A one is a one. 

[No Mulligans]

I agree with OP.  I much prefer a good swing, good ball flight, bad result than a bad swing, bad ball flight, good result.