"Almost" Hole in Ones -- Are you happy or frustrated? Tell your stories

[SnowbirdTom]

Last Tuesday on a 300 yard par 4 to 5 feet. Driver shot flew directly at it. 🤷‍♂️

 

 

[Nickb333]

 

 

[Jumpman718]

Oddly enough, my closest ones were on a shorter, downhill, dog leg right par 4. It fit perfectly with my fade. Three times I put it within 10-15 feet but one time was within 3 feet. Unfortunately you can’t see that green from the tee box. Or maybe it is fortune to avoid seeing how close it was 

[NoTalentLefty]

In my 50 years of golf I’ve been very close several times. My closet was a 5 inch from the cup that landed a foot from the pin was an 8 iron. In all that time I’ve also had eagles on par 4s from off the green , so I have had that but at 65 still missing that allusive ace. I’ve witnessed two aces in the last two years. One was a beautiful high wedge that tracked the hole , the other was a topspin shot that hit in front of a protective front bunker that bounced over the bunker and rolled to the back pin placement at least 35 feet into the hole. I want one like the former but I’d take either.

[CasualLie]

No aces... A long time ago, my closest one was four fingers (width of hand) from ball to edge of cup, then a couple of years later got one to three fingers width, then some time later two fingers.  That was the closest for many years until last year dunked one straight in, on the fly, from ~ 155 yards only to see the ball pop out and roll away.  That was weird as no one heard a flag stick, no dent on the green/cup.  It was like the ball went in the cup, spun for a bit then spit out.

 

Perhaps I'll never get an ace, but I do have a double eagle, which is apparently more rare, and a couple of eagles from the fairway to close out matches; those are especially sweet.

[CasualLie]

Wish I didn't see this thread!  Literally just witnessed someone else's first ace...

[kwcsports]

I've played for 45 years, prob average 60 rounds a year, some years more some less.

I've had lots of close calls haha. Hit 6 inches from the pin a few times, jumped up hit the stick, stayed out. I'm not a great golfer, it's hard to be frustrated with near misses. I'll take easy birdies anyday. Managed to get 2 in the hole over my golfing life, I'm very happy with that. 

[jcorna01]

Playing as a single and caught the herd.  Hit the far corner of the green, dropped another one since I had time, jarred it.  I’ll never do that again.  My wife still doesn’t understand why it doesn’t “count.”

 

As it was rolling to the hole I was saying “no, no, no, no.”

 

Still waiting on my first but that was a tough one to swallow.

Edited September 6, 2024 by jcorna01

[bcflyguy1]

Nastiest near-miss came in a Super Bowl Sunday shotgun tournament with about 100 players back in 2006 at Nellis AFB. 210 yard hole and there was a big enough prize on offer for an ace that there was an observer stationed up at the green. I hit a perfectly struck 5 iron that has the flag covered the whole way, the three alcoholics I'm paired with are all cheering for it to go in much harder than I am, and just when we think the ball's going to disappear it does...and then it doesn't. We get up there to find my ball sitting about 3 inches away, and the observer informs be that it was a 270* lip out. 

Gutted because I didn't have an ace at that time (have since gotten one), but that bar tab would've been rough on a punk LT's account balance.

[caniac6]

I have had 3 hole in ones and one hole in 3.

[Mark_Tha_Tinkerer]

Seems appropriate here.  

 

[lefthack]

I have hit the flag 3 times now and I've been happy every time. I've accepted that I may never, so I'm happy to get it close. 

 

The idea of getting a ball into a cup from 100+ yards away is one of the reasons I love this game. Luck or skill, both are needed.

[Archimedes65]

I’ve had so many at this point that I’m convinced something in the universe is conspiring against me and I’ll never get one.  I’ve hit the flagstick twice in the last two months and dropped a number of others really close.  But it never goes in.  The one time I was absolutely sure that I saw the ball go in, many years ago on an incredibly difficult 205 yard par three, I raced up to the green and my ball was on the lip directly behind the flagstick, so I couldn’t see it from the tee.  Little did I know, that was a sign of things to come.

 

Of course, invite a buddy with a very odd swing plane out to my club for the first time and he gets a hole in one.  That was the universe twisting the knife.

 

Edited September 19, 2024 by Archimedes65

[Archimedes65]

As if on cue, just today…dead on the flag, soft bounce off the flag stick and does…not…fall…

 

 

[Warpath18]

I've had several near misses, ending up less than a foot from the cup.  I'd feel bad about it but my league partner is a vastly better player and he doesn't have one either.

 

My wife however, has one to her credit and she's only played a handful of times.  To her credit, she's also a great butt player and she kicks my butt at that basketball game in the arcade.  She just has the touch.  

[Warpath18]

On 3/3/2024 at 5:21 PM, MikeyK2 said:

Definitely still frustrated. This is the closest I have come so far - 1st picture was taken on 1st day of a 3 day golf trip, 2nd picture was taken on day 3 (same hole, same club). Less than 1ft away from 2 in 3 days.

That's just wrong.  Universally wrong.  The golf god owes you one.

[avrag]

I am always happy, because it means that I have hit a good shot and that I have an easy chance for birdie.
I am even happier, when it happens in a competition with 120 people playing that day. 😁 I don't want to find out, if the insurance I have for that on one of my credit cards really pays for the drinks in the clubhouse.
But I am a little perplexed by the fact that in about 25 years of playing golf I did have about 5 or 6 full shot hole-outs for eagles on par 4s and par 5s (the longest one was with a 5-iron), but no aces on par 3s.

[leftybutrighty]

I was close recently. Been close a handful of other times. It’s honestly not something I chase or want super bad. I just try to hit a solid shot and if one happens to go in it’s just a bonus.

[JoeSchmoe]

July of 2024 - my closest yet.

Both happy and frustrated.

 

Edited February 12 by JoeSchmoe

[wyzgy]

no holies, but several near misses-most notable, one of our club courses-merrill hills #16-usually plays about 135 yd over a pond and steep slope so it's a pure carry, green sloped at you maybe a little bit of right to left down hill.  1st near miss hit the stick and disappeared-knew in my heart it didn't go in, but...was 6" just behind the cup.  2nd one-right at it, hit 1 foot in front skipped past and...stopped 1 foot above the hole.  later in the day (as it was early and moist) that should have rolled right back into cup

[AdamMW]

Have 12 hio on sim golf, zero on actual course. Definitely frustrating:)

[Ferguson]

Camp David 9-holer

Labor Day, 2002

9:06 a.m.

72 degrees F

Winds, light and variable

1st hole

142 stick

Nine iron 

Lipped out the high side

 

 

 

[kthomas]

I've never had a hole in one.

 

However, I've had numerous shots go within inches of the hole.

 

I'm never frustrated, I don't feel entitled to a hole in one. When/if it happens, that will be an awesome day. But so are the days when the ball gets within inches.

[dave412]

I had one during covid.. the course i was playing did the "upside down" cup thing.. so it wasnt a full hole.. the hole was about 1/2, maybe 3/4 inch deep.. so you didnt have to reach into the hole.. my ball hit the green.. rolled right at the hole.. you could see it sort of go into the "hole" but since it was only a shallow covid hole, it didnt go down.. finished maybe 4 inches past.. would it have gone in w/ a conventional hole? who knows!! so i tell people ive had 1.5 holes in one.. im in it for the good story i guess! 

[FuzzyDunlop69]

I was playing a run down little par 3 course about a month back, by myself.  Course totally empty, just brought my 3 wedges, odd numbered irons, and putter.  I think I had lasered 102 yards.  Smooth 50 degree.  Absolutely flush it, with not a smidge of curve on it.  Right at the flag.  Lands about a yard in front of the cup, hits the brakes riiiight at the lip, then rips back a little.  I was praying for it not to go in the entire time.  Beggars can't be choosers, but I didn't want #1 to be in that situation!

[Moonlightgrm]

Playing alone one evening two years ago, I teed up my golf ball on our 155-yard fourteenth hole. I hit a 7-iron that one-hopped into the hole. When I reached the pro shop, I told our pro about my good fortune. He asked me, “How many holes-in-one did you have prior to tonight?” I told him that I had one ace, and it was on that very same hole back in 1997. His reply, “You still have one ace. No witness means officially, no ace”. ☹️

[Obee]

I have been playing decent golf for a long time. Have been scratch(ish) or below since the early 90's. I have 3 aces now and countless "tap-ins."

The story below, though, is my best "oh so close" story...