Question of the day: Does a hole in one count if you're playing by yourself...and even YOU don't witness it??
Yesterday, I got out of work a little early and was playing a twilight nine at the Palo Alto Muni ($13, all you can play!).
I was playing a couple of balls per hole, practicing on the greens, etc....your typical twilight practice round. I get to the tee on the par three 8th. 153 yards, tees are up. I select a 7 Iron. I hit my first shot. It was decent, but I pushed a little to the right...but still on the green. I can do better. I hit a second ball, which was all over the pin from the moment it came off the club. It landed on the front of the green and tracked to within 6 feet of the pin. Nice. Why I decided to hit another ball, I'll never know. I was not going to do any better than that.
Anyway, against my better judgment, I teed up another one just for the heck of it. I was feeling cocky after my last shot and sure enough, the next ball comes off the club low and right. I bad mishit...I turned away in disgust to collect my bag. Last I saw it, the ball was a line drive, about 10 feet above the ground, hooking towards the right greenside bunker.
As I walked up to the green, I was focused on knocking in the "birdie" putt that was sitting pretty, about 5 feet from the hole. I figured I could collect my wayward ball (which was certainly off the back of the green somewhere) after I made my putt.
Well, I line the putt up (flagstick is still in...I am lazy) and putt it towards the hole. Sadly, it lips out but I tap it in anyway. I go to retrieve the ball from the hole....and....there are TWO balls in there. One is the ball I just putted in. The other is the third, horrible shot I hit. I was a little stunned. And not really sure what to make of it.
I have no idea how that second ball got into the hole. It may have skipped off the lip of the trap on its way over the green and trickled in. It may have slammed into the flagstick and dropped into the hole. A squirrel may have gobbled it up and deposited it into the cup. I wasn't watching. What I do know is that it was my ball...and I only hit it once. Badly. But once.
So.....is it a hole in one? No one saw it. Not even me. I am going to vote no...and like a fisherman that catches and releases a 40 pound marlin...I am going to try again.
But if anyone ever asks me if I ever got a hole in one, I am going to answer...."sort of."
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