By Alan M. Watson, President, GOLF+ PCB

The title says it all. I’ve been playing golf for forty-five years, and yes, I’ve never made a hole-in-one. Of course, I’ve come close a few times—very close a couple of times. I’ve holed out for eagle from the fairway, chipped in around the green, and even driven the green on a par 4. But no one ever asks about those very minor accomplishments. The one metric that even non-golfers seem to know about and ask is, “How many holes-in-one have you made?”

So now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about why it matters—or more appropriately, why it doesn’t. Thank goodness a hole-in-one isn’t a gauge of skill or the only reason we play the sport; otherwise, I would have stopped years ago. Why does a hole-in-one matter? Truthfully, it doesn’t, but it is very cool. I was there a couple of years ago when a friend made one on number four at Highland Oaks (Marshwood) in Dothan, Alabama. I still remember the shot, the way it hit and backed up into the hole. I remember the screaming and the excitement. It was electric. It was a lot of fun to be a part of and to witness.

Now, I sincerely doubt that the event will be recorded on his grave marker or mentioned in his eulogy; however, as golf events go, it was great. And I was so proud and happy for him and glad that I got to see it. But maybe—just maybe—the almighty hole-in-one doesn’t matter. I think more golfers consider handicap the ultimate measuring stick when it comes to skill. You see videos, books, and magazine articles about “How to Break 90,” “How to Break 80,” and the Holy Grail, “How to Break 70.” Most golfers would much rather improve their scores consistently than make a random hole-in-one. Some golfers even consider it an amazing day when they play all 18 holes with just one ball rather than losing a few sleeves like most rounds.

Sure, there are hole-in-one contests at most charity golf scrambles, but how often does anyone cash in? Not often, from what I’ve seen. The long drive contest and the closest to the pin are much better received and accessible to all golfers. If I could shoot around par for the rest of my life or make a hole-in-one each year, I would take the low scoring average for sure. I wonder what you would do.

Plus, the worst part of making a hole-in-one is that the reward—or rather the punishment—is that the person who did the deed must buy everyone a round of drinks. Seems silly to me. You make the shot of your life, and it costs you a bar tab. That never happens when you shoot the low score and win the match—quite the opposite, usually.

So I’ll just keep trying to beat my best score, or maybe my last score, and leave the magic-trick shots to someone else. After all, I’ve gone forty-five golfing years without one so far, so I’m pretty sure I can equal that feat for the next forty-five. Fairways and greens!