Thank you for reaching out regarding my hole-in-one at Wooden Sticks.
Summary:
I was playing on August 27th at Wooden Sticks with my 14-year-old son, Jager, my brother, Michael, and our friend, Ray.
As we rode up to hole #17, the Replica Island Green from TPC Sawgrass, which is both me and my son’s favorite hole around, I was playing pretty good.
My son let me know that the hole was playing 134 yards from the maple tees (these tees are second from the Tips at Wooden Sticks playing 6,771 yards total).
There was no wind, and the flag was tucked in the little bowl on the left-hand side of the green (sucker Sunday pin).
As we waited for the group ahead to finish, I started to figure out how I was going to hit this shot.
I had to choke up on a pitching wedge as 134 yards was not a stock yardage for me.
I didn’t want to go directly at the pin in case I pushed it slightly to the left, (I am a lefty) so I aimed to land it on the ridge closer to the middle of the green and let the ball roll down to the pin.
I saw a tree in the background that I could aim at.
As my turn approached, the group behind us now pulled up and was watching along with the group on hole #18.
Great, now I have an audience on the Island green (sarcasm). But this actually turned out good.
As I got set to hit my shot, the only thing that I thought about was, “hit your target”.
What followed was awesome.
I hit the shot pure and right at my target.
Once it landed on the green, I was relieved as it didn’t go into the water.
The ball then started to roll down in the bowl towards the flag.
At this point I lost sight of the ball.
My son yelled out, “This could go in.”
Then I heard the eight people watching start to cheer and yell, “it went in”.
My son ran over, and we started to celebrate but I was pretty much in dis-belief as I didn’t see it go in myself.
We rode up to the green and all the guys waiting and watching where congratulating me.
My son started to film my walk up to the green and once I saw the ball in the hole, I just had a big smile as I couldn’t believe it.
A few things made this experience really cool.
- I was with my son and brother.
- This was my first hole-in-one ever and it was on the Island Green.
- I actually hit a golf shot the way I wanted to, and it worked out. That does not happen too often for me.
- I ended up shooting a 79 and my son shot a 72. Having both of us shoot good rounds definitely added to the experience.
- The coolest thing was how excited my son was for me. He is a pretty good golfer, has a +2 handicap, and he beats me all the time but he was genuinely the most happy for me when I got the hole-in-one.
Also, I am looking forward to seeing my name on the plaque by the hole when I go to play the Island Green next year.
Thanks,
Jason Pain
