Hole-in-One
A hole-in-one is within the grasp of every golfer. This can’t be said of the albatross, also known as the double eagle. This is a two at a par five and is much rarer. Success off the tee can be a fluke, or a well-struck shot that finds the bottom of the cup. Both require luck. It occurs mostly at par threes, and occasionally at par fours. It is not a true indicator of a golfer’s skill as many an ace has resulted from a dismal shot. Financially it can be an expensive achievement as you are expected to buy drinks for everyone. In Japan insurance is essential as it is the custom to throw a lavish party to celebrate the occasion. Getting your first hole-in-one is like a rite of passage, an entry into your own personal hall of fame. Rich Beem, the 2002 US PGA champion, likened the experience to getting your first car.
Bragging is considered a human failure. However, it is difficult not to bore others with your accomplishment. Henry Longhurst, the renowned British golf writer dismissed out of hand the idea of producing a special commemorative tie. His view was that golfers were not braggarts, and would want nothing to do with a tie that spoke loudly of such an exploit. With most tournaments on the major tours now being televised, a hole-in-one is seen around the world and recorded for posterity. It is estimated that about two billion viewers saw the tee shot of Paul Casey at the K Club's 14th hole in the 2006 Ryder Cup.
This is unlike the historical feat of young Tom Morris who in 1868 at Prestwick aced the 145 yard 8th hole. It was the first hole-in-one recorded in the British Open championship, unfortunately only in words. So what are your chances of holing out on a par three? Two important considerations are the number of times you play and the length of the hole. The US Hole in One organisation is a leading provider of insurance for golf outings and tournaments. The cost of insurance is calculated from the number of golfers participating, the value of the prize and the length of the hole.According to their estimates the odds are 12,500 to 1 for an amateur and 7,500 to 1 for a professional golfer. The Big Three in modern golf of Palmer, Player and Nicklaus collectively share 57 holes-in-one. Sam Snead holed out 34 times achieving an ace with every club in his bag other than his putter. Art Wall, a US golfer who played in the 1950s and 1960s is believed to hold the world record of 45 'flukes'. Harry Vardon, amazingly for such an accomplished player, was well into his retirement before he first struck lucky. A one-time sure way of getting a hole-in-one was to play at Royal Port Alfred, a links course on the east coast of South Africa. There is a short hole that goes over the brow of a hill. As it is a blind shot the caddies walk forward to the green. They discovered that their tip was larger when a golfer holed out. Soon golfers were acing the hole on a regular basis. On the other side of the world at the 5th hole at Lahinch in Ireland a similar practice was going on.
The hole named 'Dell' plays to a pencil-thin green where only a small part of the right side is visible. Forecaddies put the ball in the hole in order to please their visitors and so earn a larger gratuity. Both clubs claim that the practice was stopped years ago. If you are still desperate for a hole-in-one to complete your golfing resume, you can tee it up and take your chance that both Royal Port Alfred and Lahinch may be telling only a half-truth.
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