Golf Canada Hole-In-One Report – Week of July 29, 2024

Relatively short par 3, but a very small green. Middle pin, landed about ten feet short of the pin, took two bounces and rolled in! Hit my Titleist Vokey 54 degree wedge. Was playing with Ryan Blake and Trevor Craig.

I was the first to hit as I was with my wife and step-son. I hit what felt like a really solid shot and as soon as I hit it said to them, “oh that’s money,” to which my step-son replied, “like hole-in-one good?” Then, as we were watching the ball roll he says, “wait I think it might actually go in!” We watched the ball suddenly disappear. We were all kind of in shock and once we realized what happened we all got in our golf carts without them even hitting their tee shots and there the ball was right in the bottom of the hole! It was quite the feeling, one of both joy and disbelief at the same time!

I was playing with my wife and my friend Mike who was visiting us in Kimberley. It was hole #3 of a three round golf weekend. I hit an eight iron from about 164 yards according to my golf watch. Right after I hit it, I jokingly quoted a video Mike had previously sent me of Bubba Watson imitating Patrick Reed during a round, “be the number!” It was a nice high draw, as good as I can hit an eight iron. Hit the front of the green and started moving to the front centre pin and we all watched it drop in the hole for my first ever ace. I just started taking lessons last year and broke 100 for the first time a couple weeks before this so we were all very stunned. Was a great feeling and I was quickly brought back to reality a few holes later when I took an eight on the next par three. Love this game. 

Playing with Rod Yeoh, Jake Silberberg and Ben Chang. Hole #9 at Richmond Country Club. Told Jake I need a birdie to finish the front nine at even par. 8 iron over the left front bunker, kick right and all I thought was my birdie chance. Then it rattled hitting the pin and went in.

Braun Draper, age 14, a member at Elmira Golf Club, hit a hole-in-one on July 23rd on hole #3 in Elmira, Ontario. A par 3, 119 yard beauty. A pitching wedge did the trick. He was golfing with Mason Gruhl, a good friend and a member at the Elmira Golf Club as well.

On Tuesday, July 23, I was playing at Clare Golf & Country Club in a ladies event and in the rain. I teed up on hole #10, 133 yards and a par 3. The hole is narrow off the tee, plays slightly up hill and the pin was on the back so I chose driver. The ball landed right of centre, rolled straight up towards the back reaching the bank side when it began to turn left and roll towards the pin and then it went out of sight. I thought to myself , okay it came to rest and hidden by the pin. As I approached the green, putter in hand and no ball in sight, I thought it must of went off the back but it wasn’t rolling that fast. I should be able to see it. I debated whether to look more but then headed to the pin and there it was, my ball laying in the bottom of that cup! It had banked, took a 90 degree turn to roll down about six feet dropping in the backside of the cup. The entire moment was like it was in slow motion. I love golf every day but this round will be memorable.

My first ever hole-in-one! It was hole #17 at McKenzie Meadows Golf Club in Calgary on Saturday, July 27 at about 11:00 am. It was a white flag, and I was playing the white tees. It was about 116 yards and I used my pitching wedge. It had rained earlier in the round but by the time we reached hole #17 it was calm and the sun was starting to come out. My husband and the two young men we were paired with all teed off before me with not so good drives. I thought to myself, “I need to show these guys how it’s done,” and I did! I teed off not wanting to hit it long because there’s sand at the back of the green, so I used my pitching wedge. It was a nice drive to the green, straight at the pin. It hit about six feet from the hole and rolled in. Everyone was so excited!

Hudson Lockwood, 12 years old and an Oakville Golf Club member. Playing in MJT Tournament. Hole #11 at Settlers Ghost. 118 yards.

I made a hole-in-one on July 25, 2024, at about 9:30 am on hole #9 at Cutten Fields in Guelph. The hole was playing 140 yards from the blue tee, with a right-to-left wind, and the pin was tucked on the left, behind the left-hand front bunker. I hit an 8 iron at the right edge of the bunker and the wind moved the ball the last couple of yards to the left.

I had a hole-in-one at Le Géant in Mont-Tremblant on July 18, 2024. It was on hole #16, using a 7 iron for a 155 yard shot.

I had my fourth hole-in-one yesterday after a 20 year wait from my third one. It happened on hole #16 at Mount Brenton Golf Course in Chemainus, B.C. I used an eight iron which I also used for my first two aces. I nice high shot which tracked to the hole and three of us got to see it drop. The feeling was as good as the first time. I hope every golfer gets to experience that same feeling after getting one.

I scored a hole-in-one on my home course at Talon Country Hill Golf Course. It was an inter club match play. On hole #4, the distance was 118 yards and wind was slightly against. I used my 8 iron and the ball travelled exactly the way I anticipated. It landed about eight feet short and roll straight to the hole until it disappeared. All four players witnessed and it was an ecstatic experience. This is my first hole-in-one.

I just got my first hole-in-one July 22nd. It was 154 yards during our mens league at Richmond Hill Golf Club. It was also the closest to the pin hole to boot. Using my 7 iron I knew it was a good shot. I just wanted to get on the green. One younger guy with better eyes said, “I think that’s a hole-in-one.” The other younger guy said, “it’s definitely a hole-in-one I was watching the ball and then it disappeared.” I was very excited but didn’t want to celebrate until I confirmed the ball was in the hole. No better feeling than looking in the cup and seeing your ball in the cup for a hole-in-one! A very happy golfer!

Special week for my best friend Charlie MacPhee. Charlie recorded his first ever hole-in-one on the tedious hole #10 at the beautiful Hampton Golf Club in Hampton, N.B. We zapped 176 yards playing approximately 20 yards downhill, into a howling wind. The ball was struck as good as one could strike it. As soon as the ball made contact with the face of his 8 iron, we knew it was good. However with the sun glaring in our face, we could not see it down. We walk down the hill, anticipating to find the ball in the middle of the green, maybe even a tad short. To our surprise, no ball in sight. Charlie proceeds to browse around the back of the green. It was at this moment when Taylor noticed his pitch mark on the green, and screamed, “check the hole!” There in was, incredible moment. Couldn’t have happened to a better person. Go Charlie go!

Taylor Roberts, on behalf of Charlie MacPhee

I hit a 6 iron, the ball stayed on line directly at the hole and it rolled right into the cup. It was a thing of beauty. I was in a foursome and we all enjoyed the shot! We pinged the distance at 148 yards before teeing off. Very exciting, as always, but I’m a bit spoiled as that was my fifth hole-in-one and the second time for this hole #11 in two seasons. Last year’s ace was struck left to right and was a lucky bounce from an embarrassing roll onto the green. This year’s hole-in-one was a more pure stroke, alas, luck again. Sincerely more proud of this one.

The other three hole-in-one’s came as follows, one in Florida and two at a course where I taught physical education as a much younger golfer in Petrolia, Ontario. I’ve been playing golf for a long time but at the age of 82, it’s still a thrill to see the ball disappear into the hole rather than into the woods or plunk into a pond. Keep swinging y’all.

I was golfing with my husband Mike and a couple we were paired with. It was hole #3 at the Ranch Golf & Country Club. Yardage was 90 and I used my 7 iron.

My hole-in-one on July 3 at The Pulpit Club, Paintbrush Course hole #7 , which was playing 163 yards into the wind, club used was a Ping 425 5 rescue and ball used Titleist Pro V1. Played with Brett Bandula, Dustin Clarke and Sam Reznick. This also was on Men’s night. This also was my seventh career hole-in-one.

It was 125 yards and I used my new 7 wood from left to right. Played with Shelley Phipps, Maureen Johnson and Ellen Carter.

The hole was about 137 yards, a little breeze behind us and I hit a nine iron. I hit the ball to the right side of the pin, green had a little slope from right to left and the ball hit on the right side and rolled right into the hole. The one fellow I was playing with had never had a hole-in-one and that was the first one he had ever seen which made it special for me and for him.

I am a Member, and currently have a Golf Canada handicap of 3.6. I am a longtime member of Silver Brooke Golf Club in Lisle, Ontario. It’s a lovely little championship length course, with the front nine carved through a forest and subdivision with most of the holes heavily wooded, and a back nine more links style in design. Head Greenskeeper Jeff has our greens as pristine as any you will play. I have the honour of holding the course record from both the Blue and Silver tees at the Course, shooting 65 from each.

Our head golf professional is Billy Longhurst, a wonderful young man and brand new father. Billy’s golf cleats have barely touched the ground since his baby boy Wellington entered the world two weeks ago and what a name this future golf pro will have, Wellington Longhurst. I can hear the BBC commentator reciting it now, during a final round of an Open Championship.

On August 10, 2024, Billy invited friend and co-Silver Brooke member Matt Martin and me to join him for a game at the Hockley Valley Resort in Mono, Ont. It’s a Tom McBroom designed beauty, with incredible elevation changes and magnificent views. There isn’t one sand bunker on the property, nor do any of the holes allow for a run-up opportunity to the green. I had played the course about 25 years ago, but had forgotten how spectacular it was in challenge and design. But then, most days I can’t remember what I had for breakfast.

Because of my advancing age (I’ll be turning 68 in a few weeks) and my having Stage 4 Metastasized Melanoma with Cancer tumours in the bones of both shoulders, I’ve lost about 40 – 50 yards off the tee and now need to play a different game than I was used to playing. But feeling truly blessed every single day that I can still play this wonderful game that I love, knowing that I can lose that at any moment. I’m sure that it was with this in mind that Billy, god bless him, had us playing the gold tees at Hockley Valley (5847 yards) rather than the tips (6358 yards).

My hole-in-one that day is actually a pretty good story. By the time we reached the 12th tee, Billy was having a decent day, launching rockets off the tees and throwing darts into several of the greens. Matt is a good player, but his driver wasn’t cooperating too much for him. The 12th from the gold tees measures 196 yards, but with a slope reading of about 178 yards because of it being significantly downhill. It’s a lovely hole, and one of the signature holes at the course. August 10th was a very windy day in the area. It was a two club wind most of the day, gusting to a three club wind on occasion. On the 12th, it was a true headwind. We had to wait on the tee about seven or eight minutes for the group in front to clear the green, and while we were waiting I asked my pro a rules question that I had been asked earlier in the week by another member that I wasn’t sure of the answer to. I’m usually pretty knowledgeable about the Rules of Golf, but had never been asked this one before. The question was, does a player invoke a penalty if they inadvertently or intentionally walk through or brush their club onto or into a sand trap, even though their ball is not resting in a sand trap? Would it be considered testing the sand, which the player might put to use later in their round if they found themself in a sand trap and now had some knowledge of sand conditions that day at the course?

It was while we were discussing this question that I all of a sudden realized that the hybrid 3 I had in my hand wouldn’t be sufficient to reach the green due to the severity of the headwind. Just as the group in front cleared the green, I said to the boys, “this isn’t enough club,” and went back to my bag for my 3 wood. I was fortunate enough to hit several quality shots that day, but the 3 wood from the 12th tee was pure. It covered the flag the entire way, and while it was in the air I thought to myself, “good job Gordie.” Which is much better than the, “what a bum” thought I get more and more often these days.

Even with wearing glasses, my failing eyesight didn’t allow me to see the ball land, but Matt immediately said “I think that’s in, I’m pretty sure that went in.” Billy said, “I think so too.” I was less committal, saying that I had hit it good and it was probably close. After Matt and Billy hit, with Billy putting it pin high about ten feet away, we raced our carts to the green. I hate cart golf and walk always at Silver Brooke because it’s good for my health even though it usually exhausts me, but Hockley Valley is not walkable. When we reached the green, we could see only one ball that we knew was Billy’s. I can truthfully say that I’ve never seen Billy move as fast as he did when he left his cart and literally ran down the hill until he got to the green, walked over to the flag, looked inside, and raised his arms and shouted in celebration. I was sincerely thankful for the joy that Matt and Billy displayed, I’ll remember it all of my life. Without me asking, Billy, the consummate professional, took my picture and drove back to the tee to take a photo of the hole and the hole signage. He really is something, and the best pro Silver Brooke could ever wish for. For me, I was certainly very happy about the hole-in-one. It was my third, but the last one was about 35 years ago. Truthfully, I was more focused on the fact that the eagle had brought me back to even par for the round, and I’m happy to say that I finished the round one under. And beat my pro, which is a very rare feat.

I detest slow play, and we always play ready golf at Siver Brooke. But on this one occasion only, I’m so glad for the wait we had on the 12th tee. If not for the wait, and me having an epiphany about proper club selection, I’d have hit my hybrid 3, been 20 yards short of the green, and you’d never have heard from me.

First round of the Mill Run Club Championships. I was playing with Matt Whitehead and Tyson Bruce. We were on hole #14 of the round, on Grist #5. The hole was playing 188 yards into the wind. The club that I used was a 6 iron. I hit baby cut and the pin was tucked front right so I didn’t see it go in. When I walked up to the green I thought I went long but sure enough it was right in the hole!

155 yards into the wind with a 9 iron and hit a little draw. Playing with my dad. First hole-in-one.

I was playing with my partner Mariska Peries, who birdied the hole for a combined three. It was the red pin tucked behind the front left bunker playing 127 yards. I used my pitching wedge that one hopped into the cup. We both saw it go in and were in shock and disbelief. Making it very impressive that she was able to step up afterwards and knock one to about four feet. It was the first ace I’ve ever made playing golf for over 25 years. I had never even witnessed one actually happen either. Very exciting.