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If A Lone Golfer Hits A Hole-in-One, Did It Really Happen?

Rarely is golf a team sport. Although some of its greatest moments come in events like the Ryder Cup, at its core, golf is an individual’s game. Man versus par is the central battle, even if there’s a team aspect involved. It’s that battle which makes golf enjoyable when playing alone.

Personally, I love golfing with people, but if I can head out on the course alone, bag on my back as the sun sets, I’m seldom in a happier place. There’s only one drawback to playing alone, though. What if something happens? What if something special happens?

The odds are never in favor for something special to happen – say, a hole-in-one – but on the off chance that it would, no one is around to attest. It’s similar to the phrase, “If a tree falls in the woods, does it make a sound?” If a golfer hits a hole-in-one without a buddy along to witness, did it really happen? Of course it did, but does it really count?

It’s a quandary most golfers wouldn’t mind having – an ace they must back with their word, alone. However, the unwritten rule of golf is if there’s no one around to co-sign for the “1” on the scorecard, it holds little weight in the golf achievement book. Plain and simple, the worst time to hit a hole-in-one is while playing alone. Somehow, Horseshoe Bay Golf Club (HBGC) member Jason Fuller took that to an entirely new level last week.

Fuller was playing a quick nine holes that Thursday evening, which he tends to do on the weekdays because he can cruise around the course at his own leisure. He had made it to hole No. 8, a par-5 named “The Ledges” playing 508 yards. Two-over through seven holes, it was a pretty average round for Fuller, who placed his tee shot on the right side of the split fairway, slightly elevated and 220 yards from the hole.

He had been struggling – if you can call 2-over par struggling – with the occasional snap hook, so naturally he aimed out right of the hole and stung a 6-iron at the pin. Better known on the basketball court as a jump-shooter, Fuller threw that tag away with a slam.

“It took one bounce on the green and Count Dunkular,” Fuller recalled as he chased after an under-par nine holes for the first time at HBGC, eventually unsuccessful from 15-feet on the ninth green.

So Fuller notched an Albatross – also known as a double eagle – the rarest shot in golf. But no one was around to witness it. Lucky for Fuller, he’s alright with that. Last year he holed out on Horseshoe Bay’s toughest hole (No. 16) from about 150-yards and had three playing partners along to witness.

Having already hit a similarly great shot, the Fuller didn’t need anyone in attendance for his albatross. Would he have liked to, sure, but it didn’t ruin the moment for him. On the other hand, if you haven’t holed an ace or a 150-yard shot from the fairway, you might want to reconsider those rounds spent alone. You never know when one of those shots is going to come.