A HOLE IN ONE

A HOLE IN ONE - by Col Deepak Kher

What could be so very difficult putting a golf ball of the diameter of 1.68 inches into a hole of 4.25 inches diameter on a manicured green grass surface? Well, ask a golfer whether amateur or professional and you could be listening to stories all day.

Now translate that to putting that ball into the hole over a distance 160 yards with a few trees and bunkers thrown in and you will get the idea that this indeed is a miracle which happens to a select few.

I have been golfing for a real long time, although without any formal training and enjoy my thrice a week outings to the Course in the mornings in Pune. 23 December 2015 was one such day. The four ball I played in wasn't  having a particularly great day at the Course although on other days we do play fairly well.

As we arrived at the 15th hole, leaving all the rather difficult holes behind, we did hope for a change in fortunes. I picked up a 6 iron as I normally do for this hole and hit a good shot. It was nice to see the ball soaring high over the trees and begin its descent. On its descent the ball dropped almost vertically hit the base of the trunk of a tree close to the green and could not be seen from the tee. That was good enough, since on many occasions in the past, the ball was found lying close by in the grassy area. As I walked to the area where the ball should have been, I just could not locate the ball. Two of the caddies were standing in the same area but both said that they didn't know where the ball went. After the mandatory search, losing a ball on the fairway is a terrible thing for a golfer, for a few minutes, I gave up and played another ball as a provisional ball and chipped it on to the green. I awaited my turn to putt as another golfer was putting being further away from the pin. Since his putt came close to the hole, the three of us almost unanimously said Given and his ball was picked up. Now it was my turn, and I putted, again very close, almost 2 inches, from the pin and the same Given comment prompted me to pick up my ball. As I was doing this, I couldn't help but notice that a ball was already lying in the cup and as I said this, I picked up the ball in the cup and was thoroughly surprised to see that the ball had my initials on it and in fact was the very ball that I had teed off with. Suddenly, the atmosphere was electrified and everyone was congratulating me for a hole in one while I was thanking my stars having found the ball till it began to sink in that the miracle of a Hole In One had finally happened to me.

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