David ventured to the Course on a chilly Saturday morning, the threat of rain on the horizon, and the daunting prospect of playing off the back markers in blustery conditions with freshly cored and sandy greens.

He started the round full of promise, a solid par on the 1^st – could this herald a repeat of some recent good form. Alas, no – the golf gods giveth and the golf gods taketh away. David stumbled with a double, double, triple – outstanding if he had been playing basketball, but not ideal on a golf course.

He regained his composure to go 3 over the remaining 5 holes of the front nine to turn 10 over, with a chance of salvaging his round. Those drams were quickly shattered with a bogey, triple, double start to the back 9! With his handicap spent, David was just looking to stop the bleeding and get back to the Clubhouse with his sanity intact.

His game had truly started to unravel on the 15^th, a drive was just short of the water, followed by two hacked hybrids and a shanked wedge finishing with another double bogey.

Standing on the 16^th tee, already 20 over the card, and thoughts of survival (or a warm coffee) were front of mind.

He turned to his partner Victor Cheche “My day is done, no matter what happens from here.”  (The finishing 3 holes have long been David’s kryptonite).

Normally David would take a hybrid on the 16^th, looking for safety long and left, but with 176 meters downhill, a tail wind, an nothing to lose David thought of something different and chanced his luck with a 4 iron.

Pre-shot routine, line selected, alignment at address and with a prayer to the water gods David launched his ball, a pure strike – on line all the way.

Would it get the distance? It was falling sort, had the wind dropped?  Victor sensed something and was shouting “Go! Go!”.

A splash of sand as the ball hit the front of the green, one bounce, two bounces, check,….. roll…and gone!

The ball disappeared into the hole!

Disbelief, absolute joy, excitement and apparently some “whooping” and “dancing” went on! (I know – hard to believe, but I had a good source!).

First ever ⛳ hole-in-one!!!. 🎉🍾

David was overjoyed to share the moment with his brother-in-law (and fellow hole-in-one ‘alumni’) Trev Wiseman on next hole.

Well done Dave! 👏👏👏

Over to you Crowie, step up and make it a family trifecta!! No pressure (Maybe in the next President’s Cup playoff? What….too soon?? 🙄)

What was left of Dave’s game disappeared after that – but the score no longer mattered – a once in a lifetime achievement in the hand is worth a bunch of doubles on the card!

 

Stuart Thompson 

President 

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