Round 1, Hole 16: That’s not 4 1/4 inches

Let’s establish the facts:

History:

In the early days of golf, the hole sizes were unpredictable. The standard size of the cup evolved purely by chance. A pipe used to reinforce a crumbling hole at St. Andrews was 4 1/4 inches.

Size:

The hole must be 4 1/4 inches in diameter and at least 4 inches deep, according to the USGA Rules of Golf.

So that’s established.

During high school my brothers and I lived on the #1 hole of the Country Club of Salisbury in NC. That only lasted about 4 years until we discovered that the lot was in a 100 year flood plain, and guess what happened the 4^th year? God said “Noah…” But we took full advantage of the time we lived there practically living on the course.

One afternoon after school my older brother, my kid brother and I sneaked in 9. As mentioned before, the front is a gem of 9 holes. I challenge you to Google it and discover the praise. In 1927 Donald Ross decided to torture the people of the town: length, many deep greenside and fairway bunkers and crowned greens. Each hole was lined with the mansions of the local aristocracy.

I can’t recall how each of us played that day but the play on #9 is as vivid as this laptop screen. It’s a devil of a par 3: uphill, immediately over the creek that sent our family packing that fourth year, into a long, deep, 2 tiered green. Oh yeah, greenside left immediately fell 50 feet into the creek and greenside right is guarded by 4 huge sand traps in a row. Another “oh yeah”, it’s 190 to the center of the green. My ulcer hurts just typing this.

Again, no idea where kid bro and I hit our tee shots. Older brother cranked an old black First Flight 3 wood dead at the flag.  The line drive hit on the lower tier and kept rolling, and rolling, up onto the upper tier and disappeared! AN ACE! First in Hinson family history!

After many soul handshakes (before high fives) and waking the dead we scurried across the bridge to the green. Without pacing ourselves, and in the celebration, the hill gassed all 3 of us. I reckon the 2 of us hit up as older brother walked to the hole. With a perplexed look he proclaimed “It’s in, but….”

I asked “But what?”

“Well the cup’s kinda big”

“How big?”

We all rushed to understand his “but”. The day before the grounds crew had repaired some sod on the green and had temporarily replaced the standard 4 1/4 inch hole with a gallon-sized institutional tomato soup can from the club kitchen!!!

“No way that counts” I blurted.

“An Ace is an ace” brother responded.

“That’s not a standard hole!”

“It doesn’t matter”

After pushing and shoving we walked away still dueling.

The sweet thing is, older brother has witnessed one of my “legit” holes –in-one.

45 years later I mention the soup can and the battle erupts anew!