In 2014, I got my first hole-in-one at Navy Destroyer GC in Seal Beach, CA with a Titleist Pro V1. At that time, I was a 12 handicap, playing 25-40 times per year. I used a cally Rogue X 7-iron, 142 yards. As soon as I hit it, I said, "Oh, that felt good!"
Fast forward 10 years, now 65 years old, playing 15-25 times per year from the "forward" tees (as Jack Nicklaus suggests for us senior golfers), driving the ball a mere 220 yards on a good drive. This time, I went to Birch Hills in Brea, CA with a friend of mine and his two buddies. Only my second time playing there. The first time I played there back in March 2024, I shot an 83 with 38 putts. Wait, how is that possible, you wonder? Birch Hills is an executive course, par 59 so I was 24 over par with 22% GIR. Needless to say, not a good round by any measure.
This time, on September 16, 2024, we tee'd off around 11am, beautiful fall morning, no driving range warm-up but I did yoga/stretching and swung the orange ball club to warm up the swing muscles a bit before I left for the course.
Hole #1, I was the last of our foursome to tee off, the next group waiting, lined up behind us. The distance was 131 yards, pin in the center, and a green with a bunker in front and a slight slope from left to right. I chose my cally Rogue ST 9-iron, stepped up to the tee box, went through my normal routine to line up, get square, athletic stance, waggle for the feel, left elbow locked straight, and my last swing thought was "just follow through all the way". Then, SMACK!, felt good, launched quite high, a bit to the left side of the green but on target, and THUD!, landed about pin high on the sloped side of the green with a little side spin and the ball started tracking to the right toward the pin, tracking, tracking, closer, then WHAT?! DISAPPEARED!
HOLE-IN-ONE!!! Woohoo! High fives all around including the group behind us. All this ruckus was heard in the nearby pro shop and caught the attention of the manager who came over to congratulate me and told me to go into the pro shop to provide the details. They gave me a certificate and a Birch Hills Hole-in-One poker chip. I feel pretty lucky getting a second hole-in-one. And it was a really good round: I shot a 6 over par 65 with 29 putts and 39% GIR and birdied the last hole with a 35 foot up hill putt. Ka-ching!
I'm sticking with Titleist balls for awhile because I almost got another hole-in-one today at Brea Creek, CA, 117 yards PW, hit the green 3 feet below the hole, took one bounce into the base of the pin and it rattled out! Can't wait for the next ONE, hopefully in less than 10 years! Fore!