How I almost won $10,000

I always play golf on my birthday.
I’m genetically programmed that way.
Birthdays? Holidays? Christmas? Must. Play. Golf.

It’s a sickness.

This year, I decided to play in a tournament. It was really windy.
Midway through the round, the sprinklers came on and soaked us.
I wasn’t playing well, but it was fun to be outside with friends.

I played with Callaway balls.
I like Callaways. I even named my dog Callaway.

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The second-to-last hole of the day was a 108 yard par 3.
I took out my 8 iron, teed up, and put a good swing on it.
It felt so good, I didn’t really care what the ball did.

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I stood there and watched the ball fly toward the flag. Beautiful.
The ball landed on the green, rolled toward the pin,
and disappeared in the shadows.

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My playing partner said,
“I think that was a hole-in-one!”
I said, “Nah, it couldn’t be.”

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We got in the cart and drove up to the green.
My friend slammed on the brakes, left me in the cart, and ran to the pin.
She peered into the cup and screamed, “It’s in there!  IT’S A HOLE-IN-ONE!!!!!!”

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The rest of my foursome screamed and yelled and went crazy while I numbly walked to the green.
I got down on my knees and looked down into the cup and, sure enough, there was my ball.
Thankfully, one of my buddies had a camera on her phone:

After the round, the tournament director told me I wasn’t that lucky.
Had I done this last year, I would have won $10,000.
This year, I won a box of balls instead.

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However, I think I was extremely lucky.
Traditionally, if you get a hole-in-one, you have to buy drinks for EVERYONE.
I managed to get a hole-in-one in a tournament where there was an open bar!

Free drinks for everyone!

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Do you know what was the best part about getting a hole-in-one?
For me, it was seeing the reactions from the people I golfed with.
I’ll never forget those hugs and smiles.

That’s why I love to play golf.

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