Hole in One Report

Golf Canada Hole-In-One Report – Week of March 25, 2024

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Each week we write to Golf Canada members who record a hole-in-one, congratulating them and asking if they’d tell us how it happened. These are their stories (edited for length and clarity).

Have you recently accomplished the feat of a hole-in-one? Tell us about it! Share your story, picture / video and course information with us at holeinone@golfcanada.ca.

Penny Aston, Cimarron Golf Resort, Hole #10

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March 7, 2024 was somewhat of an unusual day in Coachella Valley, Southern California as the wind was howling, gusting anywhere from 50 to 60 km/hour. When our ladies group, made up of many Snowbirds, teed off at the Cimarron Golf Resort, Palm Springs, on the par 3 Pebble Course, it was not particularly windy, but the wind grew increasingly challenging as the round progressed.

The Pebble Course meanders its way through what is called “The Wash”, which provides a place for run off from both the surrounding mountains and the city itself and which, when dry, is filled with dessert sand. My group was a threesome, including Darlene Sloan, Pam Generaux and myself. We, along with the other groups, were determined to complete the round even as the conditions worsened.

The ladies were chatting as I prepared to tee off on hole #10, an 83 yard hole, but with a front pin position of 70 yards. The wind was blowing directly at us so club selection was tricky, but I finally decided on an 8 iron. As I was putting my tee into the ground, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be fun to get a hole-in-one!” not really believing that anything would happen.

I took my swing and made solid contact with the ball watching it arch into the air towards the green while being held up by the wind. The ball landed on the green and curved towards the hole where it appeared to stop in mid roll at the pin because the wind was holding it on an angle; then, the ball dropped into the hole as the wind let up for a second, releasing the pin! I looked at the ladies and we we were all somewhat in disbelief at what we had just seen. Had I really just wished myself a hole-in-one? No way! The celebration began as the ladies were all thrilled with my luck, as was I, and quickly spread the news to the other groups while celebrating birdie or, in this case, hole-in-one juice.

Robby Frankel, Old Corkscrew Club, Hole #12

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First one ever! Was playing with my little brother, Jed, and an older gentleman we were paired with that day whose name is slipping my memory. It was the hole #12, 120 yards, gap wedge into howling winds. The ball didn’t even hit the green, it was a slam dunk that destroyed the cup!

Thomas McDougall, Raven Golf Club, Hole #14

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On the final day of our golf trip to Arizona, playing with my three good friends at Raven Golf Club. It was our first golf trip since all of us had started to have kids.

Hole #14, 148 yards and slightly up hill. I hit a 9 iron that looked good the entire way. After it landed, it started to roll and the entire group started to shout thinking it could go in, and sure enough the ball disappeared. I said, “That either went in or rolled off the back” as we couldn’t see the entirety of the green. My two buddies in the other cart drove up to the green as fast as they could while I waited on the tee box with my hands on my head. They both ran to the green and looked in the hole and immediately threw their hands in the air and started screening. I sprinted from the tee box all the way to the green in celebration. My first hole-in-one. It was special to be able to do it with the group of guys I was with. It was a great moment.

Bruce Frey, Cottonwood Golf Course, Hole #5

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I had my fifth hole-in-one at Cottonwood Golf Course in Nanaimo on March 20, 2024. I am 82 years old and started playing from the forward tees two years ago. This hole-in-one was on hole #11, a 70 yard par 3 over water and sand. I have had hole-in-one’s previously on hole #8, a 130 yard, hole #17 a 180 yard and two on hole #11, one from 70 yards and one from 135 yards. I was playing with my golf buddies Frank Hudson and Mike Zarecki.

 

Jeffrey Anderson, Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta, Hole #7

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I was playing with three buddies on February 11, 2024 at Vidanta Vallarta (Norman). The hole #7 is a drivable par 4 and I was fortunate to hit the perfect drive that day. I used my driver from 243 yards. The ball bounced on the green once before finding the bottom of the cup. I couldn’t see the ball after it bounced and we spent a while trying to find my ball before our caddie thought to look in the cup. Talk about a surprise! Anyway, I’ve had a hole-in-one before but never had an albatross so this was pretty exciting!

Gerard Cottreau, Moon Spa – Dunes to Jungle, Hole #8

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I was playing with three others from the same resort where the course was located but didn’t know them. The hole was 134 yards and I used a pitching wedge.

Craig Ripley, Lely Resort Golf & Country Club, Hole #6

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I hit an 8 iron from 166 yards. It was a super high shot in a very strong crosswind that was hurting a little. It landed a few feet below the hole and disappeared soon after. I was pretty sure it went in, but wasn’t certain if I could see the bottom of the stick or not. Sure enough it was in.

I went up to the tee thinking I would hit an easy 7 iron to keep it lower because of the wind but when I went to take a practice swing I realized I had grabbed my 4 iron! 

When I was on the deck I felt the 7 iron was too much club so I grabbed the 8 iron when I was swapping my 4 iron, and I’m sure glad I did!

I was playing with my in-laws Ken and Liz Bialkowski who are members at The Classics. Very memorable to do it with them. My mother-in-law actually witnessed another family member get an ace on the same hole several years ago. She’s wondering when it’s her turn!?

It was my first time out since the Fall and I wasn’t playing very well, so it’s kind of funny to get a hole-in-one when playing pretty poorly. It certainly salvaged the round.

Nathalie Dunn, Four Mile Ranch, Hole #14

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It is a great feeling. It was a blind shot so even more exciting. I was playing with my husband Kirk on March 23, 2024, around 2 p.m. All we knew from the guidebook and the score card is that it was 141 yards from the white so I used my 6 iron.

Noel Carragher, Creston Golf Club, Hole #13

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March 22, 2024, entered on March 25th. Course was Creston Golf Club. Hole #13 from 124 yards. Club was a pitching wedge and played with Arlene Parnell, Larry Maclean and Allen Blackwell.

Thomas Mündi Isford, Hollecrest Golf Club, Hole #17

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I played with my close friend Dale Evans and a couple from Denver. The hole was 190 yards and I used my 3 wood as the wind was in our face.