First ace today!

I was going to post this in the aces discussion below, but then said screw that, I'm starting my own thread.

Notched my first hole-in-one today -- a 6-iron on a hole that was playing about 155. It banked off one of several mounds located just off the fringe and took a right turn to the cup.

It certainly wasn't a pin-seeker from the get-go, but that was nearly impossible today. The north wind was absolutely howling (from left to right on that hole). I knew I had to start the ball left and keep it fairly low, and I executed on both counts, so I figure that at least partially mitigates the rebound aspect.

I got to watch it disappear, and that was a thrill. It was way too windy to hear contact with the pin, but it appeared as if the ball was still moving at a rather brisk pace when it disappeared. I'll never know whether the fact that the pin was leaning directly away from the ball's path due to the wind was an aid or not.

Odd thing is that hole was the site of the only previous hole-in-one I'd ever witnessed, and that was in 2001 -- shortly before I began my 11-year sabbatical from the game.

It's just the second eagle I've made. The other was an 8-foot putt on a par-5 sometime in the late '90s.

Glad to get this out of the way, as I know two guys who couldn't possibly break 100 on any type of regulation course who each have one. I'd never admit to it before, but that always kind of gnawed at me.

Awesome, well done!!!

As per tradition you own all of us a round of drinks. I don't know that might be a few hundred people!!!

I'll take a cream soda.

Yeah, that's my daughter, now 5 (born a month after my 45th birthday). She was actually riding along today, which made the whole thing even better (can't believe I didn't mention that in the initial post).

When I told her, "Daddy just got a hole-in-one," she asked, "Is that good?"

At the very next tee box she caught her first lizard, which was as big of a goal for her as making an ace was for me. It bit her before she dropped it and she was so proud that she didn't cry.

It was a big day for both of us.

Wow! A hole in one, congrats must feel pretty good huh.

I have no idea, never had one been playin this damn game for 20 years now.

One other quirky thing: That hole is by far my least-favorite of the five par-3s on my home course and easily the one I've hit the fewest times in regulation. It's also the one I've taken the most doubles and worse on.

You just never know.

Wait a minute, five par 3s on the course? What kind of course is it, executive or something?

Five par-3s, four par-5s, nine par-4s. My own math jives with that of the people who drew up the scorecards -- par equals 71.

Congrats on the hole in one.

Congratulations. That has to be a thrill watching it disappear.

Played many many rounds of golf, was a scratch back before my 8 year layoff...never had one!

AWESOME FOR YOU!