Hardest Holes To Ace; 13th @ Sand Hills

[Adam Clayman]

I know of only two aces @ the difficult 13th in Mullen.
One was by a famous golfer who happened to miss the cut at The International one year. Finished with a 66.

The other was a gentleman who worked for Cabela's.

Does anyone know of any other aces on this specific hole?

I almost aced the 4th at The Riv and Michael Robbin told me I'd have been the 21st person in history to do so, if it had gone in.

Name some other world famous difficult aces?

[Patrick Glynn]

Definitely not the Dell at Lahinch if your caddy was already behind the dune...

I would imagine the 11th at TOC has to be quite hard to get an Ace at.

[Rich Goodale]

18th at Pebble Beach?

[Emil Weber]

 

18th at the Plantation Course...
No, seriously, aren't all redan holes hard to ace?

[Ben Sims]

What about 12 at Bandon Trails?  And 16 at Cypress? Number 4 at Banff Springs? 

[Peter Wagner]

17th at Sherwood.  Impossible... never happen.

[Mitchell Schneringer]

Nick Faldo aced #13 at Sand Hills, in the howling wind.  He shot 66 in very difficult conditions.

[Tom Birkert]

The 16th at Cypress Point surely must be up there...

My best friend's cousin became the first woman to have a hole in one on it.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Adam,

The 17th at Sand Hills from the abandoned top tee would seem like one of the most difficult holes to make a par on, let alone a hole in one.

I happen to love # 13 at Sand Hills with its skyline green effect, but, # 17 from the top tee seems much more difficult to me.

[Tom Dunne]

I heard a few years ago that the 15th at Philadelphia CC has been aced exactly twice since the course opened.

[Sean Leary]

5 at Pine Valley.

[Tom_Doak]

Sand Hills would not have many aces on its other par-3's either, because they play less than 10,000 rounds per year there, and this is largely a function of numbers.  Any 200+ yard par 3 on a seldom-played course is going to be a contender for this honor.

[Brad Tufts]

#3 at Myopia, 255 yards.

A guest made a hole-in-one there in the fourball in 2004, he was the first to ace it in 26 years...

[RJ_Daley]

I'd like to know how many aces have been recorded at the 11th at Country Club of Charleston, for such an old course and mid length hole.  For a ball buster, I'd think the 17th at Whistling Straits gives up very few as well.  Adam, in your neck of the prairie, I'd wonder how many at 13 Bayside.  15 Rustic Canyon can't see too many either for a course that is played at capacity # of rounds, I'd guess.

[PThomas]

if anyone ever plays the 16th at the new Pete Dye course at F Lick, its 301 from back there!

[Neil Regan]

Adam,

  The 13th at Sand Hills was aced in I believe the opening day event. I have been told the story by several witnesses, including the man who did it. I don't want to mangle the details, so if anybody who knows would care to tell, I'll wait. But the story has a classic touch to it.

  I also saw, and heard, Dr. Gene hit the pin. I have a fine picture of him seconds later, quite happy. But that ball stayed out.

[Jay Carstens]

Adam,
A couple of years ago, a buddy and I were playing through some pros from KC on #6.  They stood on the back of the green as we teed off and both of us lipped out and were sitting side-by-side right behind the hole.  Nearly the definition of "playing through".
Jay

[Adam Clayman]

Great stories and examples gentleman.

Tom's assertion that it's a function of numbers is interesting since I know they are a function of luck, moreso than skill. How else could I get 5? Of course, my favorite was the one that did not count. Driver on the old ninth green at Pacific Grove. Found my original ball, half in bounds under the fence. Worst double bogey I've ever taken.

The 16th at Cypress has a few on there, if I recall correctly from my days on the peninsula. My favortite story about that hole came from a caddy friend who was playing with his brothers in a dense fog. When they arrived, they found his ball literally leaning over the cup. Then there's the caddy that aced the ninth hole at CPC.

A bit of advice for those without. Make no mention, or have no thought of one while on the teeing ground of any Par 3. Verbalizing ruins it.

[Andy Troeger]

Adam,
Very true on that last bit of advice. For my second one, I was playing so poorly that I grabbed an old ball out of the bag on the back nine and promptly made an ace with it (so I have a Top-Flite on the mantle). Had I been playing a decent ball I'd have probably come up short 


The hardest ace I've seen is the 250 yard, uphill, dogleg left (no joke) par three 7th at Studebaker GC in South Bend, Indiana. You need to hit a draw or a high shot as there are some trees to negotiate on the left side. The green is tiny--I think I've seen somebody hit it once.

That or the 299 yard par three 8th at Pete Dye's Promontory Course, if played from the tips. Its only like 185 from the normal tees so from there I wouldn't include it on this list. Perhaps the one at French Lick tops that one.

[Philippe Binette]

How about 15th and 16th at Cruden Bay... or the 3rd at Elie

[Sean Leary]

Great stories and examples gentleman.

Tom's assertion that it's a function of numbers is interesting since I know they are a function of luck, moreso than skill. How else could I get 5? Of course, my favorite was the one that did not count. Driver on the old ninth green at Pacific Grove. Found my original ball, half in bounds under the fence. Worst double bogey I've ever taken.

The 16th at Cypress has a few on there, if I recall correctly from my days on the peninsula. My favortite story about that hole came from a caddy friend who was playing with his brothers in a dense fog. When they arrived, they found his ball literally leaning over the cup. Then there's the caddy that aced the ninth hole at CPC.

A bit of advice for those without. Make no mention, or have no thought of one while on the teeing ground of any Par 3. Verbalizing ruins it.

Adam,

One of the old assistant pros aced 18 at Prairie Dunes.....

[Kyle Henderson]

I've been as close to an ace on the 13th at Sand Hills as on any other hole worldwide -- 2 feet or so from the cup, the one time I played it. Still seeking the big uno.

But, I did make an albatross once upon a time...