How do I know that making a Hole-in-One is pure luck? I’ll tell you. For the 2nd time in less than a month, I made an ace on the very same hole: Ridge No. 4. The 103-yard, downhill Par 3 is the signature hole on the Ridge Course and the hole everyone talks about when they play it.
There’s virtually no room to miss with a steep canyon short left, desert long, bunkers left and short right of the green, and grass moguls where there’s not sand. It’s a pretty intimidating tee shot, which is why I always just aim for the middle of the green. No need to be a hero. Just make your 3 and move on to the next hole!
As soon as I hit my tee shot, I looked down at the ground and told the other three people I was playing with, “Well, it has a chance.” Then I looked back up just in time to watch the ball spin back into the hole. Pretty cool. Here’s to ace No. 4 on Ridge No. 4:
I’m Not the Only One
Later that morning as I was driving past one of my players, Courtney Johnson, she excitedly flagged down my cart.
“I made my 1st Hole-in-One!” she exclaimed.
“Which hole?” I asked.
“Ridge No. 4. Pitching wedge. Never saw it coming.” she told me.
Now that’s awesome! Two Holes-in-One on the very same hole in the very same morning. Courtney gets her name embroidered on a customized La Paloma pin flag, her name and date on a plaque located off the tee box for posterity, and if she’s enrolled in the Hole-in-One Club, a nice little windfall to help offset the cost of all the drinks she no-doubt had to buy for her witnesses. Congratulations Courtney!
Fun fact: Courtney becomes the 11th player I’ve coached who has made a Hole-in-One since 2019.