Tony Aker – Hole in One
Course: Mactaquac Golf Course, New Brunswick, Canada
Date: July 27, 2025
Hole: #4
Club: 8 Iron
Distance: 154 yards
I’ve played the same set of irons for the past eight years, though over those 8 years I’ve only managed five to ten rounds per year, and I haven’t held a membership in over two decades. On this occasion, I was playing Mactaquac Golf Course with a scratch handicapper. After the round, I asked him what I could do to improve my game. I expected advice about my stance or swing tempo, but instead he asked if I had ever had my irons bent.
When I said no, he explained that while I had a good swing, the inconsistency on a few holes might be due to the lie angle of my clubs. He recommended I visit Ryan at the Fredericton Golf Club, who could assess them on a swing board. Ryan had previously adjusted his irons by one degree flatter.
Taking that advice, I went to see Ryan, who had me hit a few shots before recommending my irons be bent one degree more upright. After getting them back, I played again at Mactaquac Golf Course, just 4 days after the irons were adjusted. This also being just after the PGA Tour Americas Explore NB Open was held with the Pros playing the course.
On the par-3 fourth hole, I initially reached for my 9-iron but hesitated, realizing a slight miss could put me in the greenside bunker. I switched to an 8-iron, teed the ball slightly lower than usual, and committed to a smooth easy swing with my Titleist 2 ball. The shot felt perfect from the moment it left the clubface—straight flight, landing on the front of the green, rolling toward the flag. I heard a faint “ting” as it struck the pin, and then the ball disappeared into the hole. My first HOLE-IN ONE !!!!!!!! So glad I could see it happen from the tee box with nothing blocking the view.
It was an unbelievable moment—something I had only ever seen on TV. To make the round even more remarkable, on hole 16 I decided to again trust my 8-iron. The shot flew straight and true, missing the cup by just a foot. What a fun day!
