Hole in one

Last updated

In golf, a hole in one or hole-in-one (also known as an ace, mostly in American English) occurs when a ball hit from a tee to start a hole finishes in the cup. Holes-in-one most commonly occur on par 3 holes, the shortest distance holes on a standard size golf course. Longer hitters have also accomplished this feat on longer holes, though nearly all par 4 and par 5 holes are too long for golfers to reach in a single shot. [1] While well known outside golf and often requiring a well hit shot and significant power, holes in one need also a significant element of luck. As of January 2021, a condor (four under par) hole-in-one on a par 5 hole had been recorded on five occasions.

Contents

Description

In golf, a hole in one or hole-in-one occurs when a ball hit from a tee to start a hole finishes in the cup. The feat is also known as an ace, mostly in American English. As the feat needs to occur on the stroke that starts a hole, a ball hit from a tee following a lost ball, out-of-bounds, or water hazard is not a hole-in-one, due to the application of a stroke penalty.

Rarity

While well known outside golf and often requiring a well hit shot and significant power, holes-in-one need also a significant element of luck. [2] [3] [4] Time magazine reported 1,200 holes in one were made by American golfers in 1922. [5] As of January 2021, a condor (four under par) hole-in-one on a par 5 hole had been recorded on five occasions, aided by thin air at high altitude, or by cutting the corner on a doglegged or horseshoe-shaped hole. [6] [7] [8]

Holes-in-one most commonly occur on par 3 holes, the shortest distance holes on a standard size golf course. Longer hitters have also accomplished this feat on longer holes, though nearly all par 4 and par 5 holes are too long for golfers to reach in a single shot. As such, they are more common and considered less impressive than other hole accomplishments such as completing a par 5 in two shots (an albatross). [9]

Miniature golf

The world record on one round of minigolf is 18 strokes on 18 holes. More than a thousand players have officially achieved this score on eternit. On other playing systems, a perfect round of 18 holes-in-one is extremely rare, and has never been scored in an official national or international tournament. Unofficial 18-rounds on concrete and felt courses have been reported in Sweden. [10]

Holes-in-one on par 5 (or higher) holes

As of January 2021, a condor (four under par) hole-in-one on a par 5 hole had been recorded on five occasions, [6] [7] [11] [8] aided by thin air at high altitude, or by cutting the corner on a doglegged or horseshoe-shaped hole. [6] [7] [8]

None of the five par-5 holes-in-one were achieved during a professional tournament. [6]

Notable holes-in-one

An amateur golfer celebrates a hole in one. Hole in One Golfer.jpg
An amateur golfer celebrates a hole in one.

A memorable hole-in-one was made in the 1973 Open Championship by Gene Sarazen at age 71. Earl Dietering of Memphis, Tennessee, 78 years old at the time, is believed to hold the record for the oldest person to make a hole-in-one twice during one round. [13]

During the second round of the 1971 Martini International tournament, held at the Royal Norwich Golf Club in England, John Hudson had two consecutive holes-in-one. Teeing off, using a 4-iron, at the par-three, 195-yard 11th hole, Hudson holed his tee shot for a hole-in-one. At the next hole, the downhill 311-yard, par-four 12th, and this time using a driver, he once again holed his tee shot, for another ace. This is believed to be the only time a player has scored holes-in-one at consecutive holes in a major professional tournament. [14] [15]

Despite the relative rarity of holes-in-one, there have been a total of six in Ryder Cup matches. Peter Butler scored the first in 1973 at Muirfield followed by a 20-year gap before Nick Faldo scored a hole-in-one in 1993. Two years later, Costantino Rocca and Howard Clark both scored holes-in-one before an 11-year gap to 2006 saw Paul Casey and Scott Verplank both hole out in one on the 14th hole. [16]

On August 11, 2016, Justin Rose shot a hole-in-one during the first round of the golf tournament of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, which is considered to be the first in Olympic history. For the 189 yards par-3 hole, he used a 7-iron. [17]

Traditions

It is traditional for a player who has scored a hole-in-one to buy a round of drinks for everyone at the clubhouse bar. [18]

Competitions

Occasionally special events host a hole in one contest, where prizes as expensive as a new car, or cash awards sometimes reaching $4 million are offered if a contestant records a hole in one. [19] Usually such expensive prizes are backed by an insurance company who offers prize indemnification services. Actuaries at such companies have calculated the chance of an average golfer making a hole in one at approximately 12,500 to 1, and the odds of a tour professional at 2,500 to 1. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Nicklaus</span> American professional golfer (born 1940)

Jack William Nicklaus, nicknamed "the Golden Bear", is an American retired professional golfer and golf course designer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest golfers of all time. He won 117 professional tournaments in his career. Over a quarter-century, he won a record 18 major championships, three more than second-placed Tiger Woods. Nicklaus focused on the major championships—the Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship—and played a selective schedule of regular PGA Tour events. He competed in 164 major tournaments, more than any other player, and finished with 73 PGA Tour victories, third behind Sam Snead (82) and Woods (82).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golf course</span> Series of holes designed for the game of golf

A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". The cup holds a flagstick, known as a "pin". A standard round of golf consists of 18 holes, and as such most courses contain 18 distinct holes; however, there are many 9-hole courses and some that have holes with shared fairways or greens. There are also courses with a non-standard number of holes, such as 12 or 14.

The following is a glossary of the terminology currently used in the sport of golf. Where words in a sentence are also defined elsewhere in this article, they appear in italics. Old names for clubs can be found at Obsolete golf clubs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phoenix Open</span> Golf tournament held in Arizona, United States

The Phoenix Open is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, held in early February at TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona, United States.

Hazeltine National Golf Club is a golf club located in Chaska, Minnesota, a suburb southwest of Minneapolis, United States. It is a private club and therefore closed to guests not accompanied by a member. The golf course was designed by Robert Trent Jones and opened in 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Par (score)</span> Expected strokes for a proficient golfer

In golf, par is the predetermined number of strokes that a proficient golfer should require to complete a hole, a round, or a tournament. For scoring purposes, a golfer's number of strokes is compared with the par score to determine how much the golfer was either "over par", "under par", or was "even with/equal to par".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golf equipment</span> Items used to play the sport of golf

Golf equipment encompasses the various items that are used to play the sport of golf. Types of equipment include the golf ball, golf clubs, and devices that aid in the sport.

The 1982 U.S. Open was the 82nd U.S. Open, held June 17–20 at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California. Tom Watson won his only U.S. Open, two strokes ahead of runner-up Jack Nicklaus, for the sixth of his eight major titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Garrigus</span> American professional golfer

Robert Ira Garrigus is an American professional golfer who is currently a member of the PGA Tour. He won the 2010 Children's Miracle Network Classic, the last event of the PGA Tour season, to guarantee exempt status on the PGA Tour through the end of the 2012 season.

John Anthony Hudson is an English professional golfer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 U.S. Open (golf)</span> Golf tournament

The 2000 United States Open Championship was the 100th U.S. Open Championship, held June 15–18 at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California. Tiger Woods won his first U.S. Open by a record-setting fifteen strokes over runners-up Ernie Els and Miguel Ángel Jiménez – it remains the most dominating performance and victory in any major championship. As the United States Golf Association wanted to begin the millennium with a memorable tournament, Pebble Beach was moved up two years in the rotation. Notable golfers going into the tournament at large included Jack Nicklaus, playing in his final U.S. Open; Vijay Singh, the year's Masters winner; Ernie Els; and David Duval.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Variations of golf</span> Activities similar to the game of golf

Variations of golf include methods of scoring, starting procedures, playing formats, golf games, and activities based on or similar to the sport of golf which involve golf-like skills or goals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Masters Tournament</span> Golf tournament

The 2009 Masters Tournament was the 73rd Masters Tournament, held April 9–12 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Ángel Cabrera, age 39, won his second major title in a playoff over Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry. Cabrera became the first Masters champion from Argentina and South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golf</span> Club-and-ball sport

Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit a ball into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Adams Country Club</span>

North Adams Country Club was a semi-private golf course located in Clarksburg, Massachusetts. The club hosted one of the oldest Invitational Singles Tournaments in New England.

The Bull at Pinehurst Farms, often called simply just The Bull, is a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course located in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin. It is the only golf course in the state of Wisconsin designed by Jack Nicklaus. The golf course has 18 holes and was built on the former Pinehurst dairy farm.

University Ridge Golf Course is a public golf course in the central United States, located in Verona and Madison, Wisconsin. It is the home course to both the men's and women's golf teams for the University of Wisconsin. Also, since 1994, it has been home to both the boys' and girls' WIAA state golf championships for all divisions. Beginning in 2016, Steve Stricker, a Wisconsin native, has hosted an event on the PGA Tour Champions every June at University Ridge. The Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course is also located on the property.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Masters Tournament</span> American golf tournament

The 2022 Masters Tournament was the 86th edition of the Masters Tournament, the first of the four major golf championships of 2022, held April 7–10 at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Masters Tournament</span> Major golf championship

The 2023 Masters Tournament was the 87th edition of the Masters Tournament and the first of the men's four major golf championships held in 2023. The tournament was played from April 6–9 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, United States.

References

  1. ↑ "What is Ace in Golf? A Complete Guide! - Golf Gearz". 2024-06-08. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  2. 1 2 "What Are The Odds of Making a Hole In One?". US Hole In One. Archived from the original on November 9, 2012. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  3. ↑ Halley, Jim. "With holes in one, no matter how you slice them luck is vital". USA Today. Archived from the original on 2022-02-12. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  4. ↑ Oscarson, Paul. "Top 10 Craziest Holes-in-One". The Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on 24 December 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "Miscellany". Time . New York City. March 3, 1923. p. 27. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Condor", GolfToday.co.uk, 2010, webpage (dated October 2008): GT-condor Archived 2021-02-24 at the Wayback Machine .
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Kelley, Brent. "Has There Ever Been a Hole-in-One on a Par-5 Hole?". About.com Golf. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2014. One was even recorded with a 3-iron! That one was made by Shaun Lynch, playing at Teign Valley Golf Club in Christow, England, in 1995, on the 496-yard No. 17. According to a 2004 article in Golf World magazine, Lynch aimed straight toward the green on a horseshoe par-5, clearing a 20-foot-high hedge, then hitting a downslope on the other side. The downslope carried his ball to the green and into the cup.
  8. 1 2 3 "What is a condor in golf? We explain the rarest of birds in golf?". The Golf Newsnet. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  9. ↑ Fields, Bill (April 2, 2004). "The Rarest Bird: The albatross took flight at the 1935 Masters, but golf's most unlikely shot isn't easy to find". Golf World . Archived from the original on March 5, 2007. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Svenska Bangolfförbundet". Archived from the original on May 5, 2007. Retrieved April 8, 2007.
  11. ↑ "Odds for hole in one, albatross, condor". PGA of America. Archived from the original on 2019-08-23. Retrieved 2019-08-23.
  12. ↑ "Longest hole-in-one in history? Well, maybe". The Times News. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  13. ↑ Stukenborg, Phil (April 20, 2012). "It's a pair of aces for senior golfer". The Commercial Appeal. Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  14. ↑ Steel, Donald (1987). Golf: Records, Facts and Champions. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 222. ISBN   0-85112-847-5.
  15. ↑ Alliss, Peter (1983). The Who's Who of Golf. Orbis Publishing. p. 250. ISBN   0-85613-520-8.
  16. ↑ "6 Ryder Cup Hole In Ones". Archived from the original on March 30, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  17. ↑ Myers, Alex. "Justin Rose makes the first hole-in-one in Olympics golf history - Golf Digest". Archived from the original on 2020-10-29. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  18. ↑ "Golfers Hit Hole-In-Ones Within Seconds of Each Other". ABC News. July 19, 2012. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  19. ↑ Harris, Chris (February 26, 2006). "Hole-in-one insurance policies provide safety net for glitzy tournament contests". Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.