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.
Vicki Dillane, Twenty Valley Golf & Country Club, Hole #7
I was playing with my husband, my son and his girlfriend. My grandparents, my parents and brother have all had hole-in-one’s. We are an avid golf family.
There was a paint turtle sitting on the fringe of hole #7 that day. It was my lucky turtle. Hole #7 at Twenty Valley is a par 3 about 122 yards and I used my TaylorMade 7 iron.
Dylan Ofner, The Okanagan Golf Club, Hole #11
I was playing with my brother, my dad, and my uncle on a beautiful and scorching hot day in the Okanagan during the +30 degrees Celsius heat wave. The yardage was 163, playing about 155 down the hill. I wanted to lead them off as the second I saw the number, I knew for sure it was going to be a 9 iron.
I played a sling draw that landed about three to four feet to the left of the pin, had some great check spin that propelled it to the right and drained it! Had another group on hole #18 across from us that saw it and the group in front of us raced back from the next tee box to confirm it in the hole. The hype was real, causing everyone else in my playing group to end up missing the green, but they were happy for me. I ended up having a great remainder of the round until a double then triple bogey on hole #16 and #17, but managed to par hole #18 and finish with a 78.
Evan Brown, Pheasant Glen Golf Resort, Hole #6
It was a 172 yard, par 3, 7 iron to back right pin. The special moment was I was playing with my 12 year old son. It’s my second hole-in-one, the first was 28 years ago!
Jim Laursen, Ardmore Golf Course, Hole #17
I was playing with Pat Davies, Nick Wishlaw and Bill Schuss on our regular dime and quarter match on a Friday. We usually play what we call “short 17” so that we can shoot for “closest to the pin” on the 90 yard hole. One of the boys had put his shot quite close and was crowing about his likely, “big cash win.” I was last to tee off, grabbed a wedge and told them not to count me out just yet. I was the most surprised when my shot took two hops and rolled into the hole. I then pocketed the, “closest to the pin” money but put it towards a cool one for my partners back at the clubhouse.
Wade Jones, Otter Creek Golf Club, Hole #12
I have been playing for about 50 years now and although I have had a number of near misses this is only my second hole-in-one. We had three groups of guys and great weather for our trip to Otter Creek that day. For equipment it was a TaylorMade day as I was playing my SIM2 irons and using a TaylorMade and a Tour Response golf ball. On hole #12, I hit my 6 iron to the pin which was 170 yards on the scope and back left of the green. Unfortunately, as this green is elevated and sloped front to back, we did not get to see it roll into the hole. I knew that I hit a great looking shot but as our group (Steve Killaire, Murray Ball and myself) got onto the green we could see the other balls but not mine until I kidded that it must be in the hole. I took a look and sure enough there it was. It was a great feeling and well worth the bar tab afterwards.
Bill Eggert, Fairview Mountain Golf Club, Hole #15
Pretty amazing for a 34 something handicap! It was hole #15 (in the bowl). 84 yards and I used an approach iron. Hit the green 10 feet in front and rolled right in. I was golfing with Hap May, Ron Fontaine and a friend of theirs whose name I can’t remember. I golf with them once or twice a year when they come up for their holiday. They were long time customers of mine when I owned the winery next door to the golf course, and we have remained friends.
A much better accomplishment in my books was breaking 100 last Saturday at Nk’mip.
Rob Armitage, Essex Golf & Country Club, Hole #5
I was out on the course with Jeff Miller, Maggie Miller and my wonderful wife, Deb Armitage. Interestingly, the day before, Jeff had come incredibly close to a hole-in-one on the same hole. We were still chuckling about that when I stepped up to take my shot. Playing 163 yards with a helpful wind, I hit an eight iron that sailed perfectly toward the flag. Based on the divot, it landed just six inches in front of the pin and then rolled in. It was an unforgettable moment and a memory I’ll cherish forever.
Telesa Brown, Heritage Pointe Golf Club, Hole #14
It was hole #5 on the Heritage nine. I was golfing with my husband. The hole was 85 yards and I used my pitching wedge.
Paul Callanan, Brampton Golf Club Limited, Hole #3
I hit an 8 iron, because the wind was coming toward us and because the greens were a little soft due to the rain and aeration about a week before. I was playing with Bob Bates, Frank Dykstra and Gordon Drakes in a weekly tournament of about 40 guys at Brampton Golf Club that we call “Friboyz.”
Ron Spence, Black Mountain Golf Club, Hole #4
The weather was a perfect Okanagan morning, sunny, clear, calm and +24 degrees celsius. I was playing with my buddies Roy Millar, Shawn Flett and Carl Lawrence. Hole #4 is a 155 yard elevated tee about 150 feet above the hole. The pin was at the back of the green past a ridge. I had the honors and Roy said, “if we land on the right side at the top of the ridge the ball should roll right into the cup.” Roy has a rangefinder and with slope correction the distance was 144 yards.
I teed up a Titleist one ball and with my 35 year old Ping Persimmon 5 wood, (I also have driver, 3, and 7 Persimmons), hit a high easy shot that hit the top of the ridge, bounced once and rolled about 35 feet into the hole, amazing feeling. It’s my first hole-in-one in 60 years of golfing. I have hit the pin at the Brandon Golf and Country Club with a brand new Mercury Cougar as a prize. Another time I rolled right around the hole at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf course with a price of a trip for four to St. Andrews Golf Club in Scotland. My only other near hole-in-one was leaving the ball on the lip at Kelowna Springs Golf course with a $20,000 cash prize. This day was not during a tournament but I will treasure the moment for life and the folks at Black Mountain Golf Course were great.