I have been golfing for 38 years now, and I have been witness to at least 3 hole-in-ones and have signed for it....and when it finally happened for me, I least expected it. Another player in my group hit his shot before me, and his ball missed the hole by a whisker, and I exclaimed, saying....ah, missed the party, and then my ball goes it...imagine!

The 15th hole at the Karnataka Golf Association in Bangalore plays between 145 and 170 yards, depending on the pin location. Today, the pin was front center, and my Garmin watch gave me a front green edge cover distance of 145 with the pin 10 paces from the front edge.

The wind can be swirly at this time of the year, and at the time of my shot, it was a bit behind me, so I chose to hit an easy 8 iron, and I flushed it! The ball launched perfectly, landed about 7 feet from the pin...spun, rolled towards the hole, and stopped at the front edge...and seemed like an eternity. The ball dropped in the hole and jubilation on the tee box......I can now rest in peace knowing that the Hole in One achievement is behind me for good for this life.

Now for the damages.....on the house drinks for my buddies...all 26 of them this coming Sunday. On-the-house lunch for a close group of caddies and lots of envious eyes for some time. I will take this any time.

Attached is a photo of my close-encounter-of-the-third-kind.