Nicholas Skinner submitted a story about his near miss in the double-ace category. Playing the 172-yard 10th at St. Thomas G&CC in Union, Skinner struck a four-iron that was missed by both his friend Brock (in the washroom), his son Jamie (adding condiments to his hot dog), and Skinnner himself, who lost sight of the ball amid the long shadows The group searched behind the green for some time before finally checking the hole, where, sure enough, the ball was lying.
Not long afterward, they teed off the 210-yard, par-3 13th. The pin, though, was removed due to the grounds crew changing pin positions, but the threesome saw a member of the crew lift a hose running across the green to allow the ball to roll through. Brock, walking ahead of the group, noted to the staff member that Skinner had just recorded a hole-in-one on the 10th. The gentlemen replied that Skinner’s most recent shot nearly holed out as well–skipping across the unpinned hole, coming to rest just a few inches away.
“I’ll never know what might have been,” writes Skinner. “Though beating 67 million-to1 odds would have been unforgettable, I have come to think that the story is almost better this way!”
As a postscript, a couple years later, playing with three members of the same family, Skinner’s son Jamie buried his tee ball on the par-3 15th at West Haven G&CC near London. The trio of family members were markedly unimpressed, Jamie recalled. Perhaps he didn’t know at the time that all three of them had, quite remarkably, recorded aces themselves within the previous six weeks.

TED BITS, Ted McIntyre –Two-for-One Specials.

I’m still looking for my first hole-in-one and people keep inundating me with stories of folks they know who drained two in a single round. The latest is shared by ClubLink, Sports photographer and golf blogger John Cardinal, a member of Greyhawk GC near Ottawa, accomplished the feat way back in January while playing Indian Wells in Palm Springs, Calif.
Playing an afternoon round with fellow GreyHawk Members Rhys Williams and François and Louise Laflèche, Cardinal decided to play one extra club on the 145-yard par-3 fourth since he’d left it short and in the bunker during his morning round there. His seven-iron tracked to the pin from first contact, before bouncing once into the cup.
“I couldn’t believe it went in the hole,� Cardinal said about his first-ever ace. “I was jumping up and down, wondering if I was disturbing other golfers. As I was walking toward the next tee box, I was shaking like a leaf because of the adrenaline rush.�
Not long afterward, Cardinal’s eight-iron duplicated the feat to 133-yard 15th. François recalls yelling out: “Not another one!�
“John was yelling and laughing,� Williams says. “Then it turned into hysterical laughter, probably because he couldn’t believe it.�
Perhaps it was destined to be. For as the group left for the day, the car parked next to theirs had a Colorado license plate that read “2HOLN1.�

Meanwhile, Norman Cuthbert of Brantford passed along a story from the late Australian golf columnist Phil Tresidder in his 1982 book entitled “The Golfer Who Laughed.” Gary Player was playing with his wife Vivienne on a par-3 course in South Africa where she played four holes in 1-1-2-3, then turned to Gary and said, “Top that!â€?

TED BITS, Ted McIntyre –Yet Another Double-Ace Performance!.

So much for two holes-in-one in a single round being the rarest of feats in golfdom! Although the odds are said to be 67 million to 1, I’ve received my second email in as many days noting that in my most recent OG column, I neglected to include a Canadian among this international registry. Steve Leblanc, assistant pro at Loyalist G&CC in Bath, Ontario, informs me that last summer in Saint John, N.B., he played a round at Westfield G&CC in which longtime member Glen Mclean scored a pair of aces during the same round (Nos. 6 and 15).
Great. And I just spent a week in Ireland without sinking a putt beyond seven feet.

Zoom Zoom Zoom
Speaking of Ireland, I flew Zoom Airlines to and fro. On the way back to Toronto, my luggage (tagged Priority thanks to a seating upgrade) emerged from the conveyor belt just as we exited Customs. My golf clubs, meanwhile, were already out! Pretty remarkable for an international flight.

Grand Slamming
Wow—that was some finish by Angel Cabrera at yesterday’s Grand Slam in Bermuda, eh? Oh, you say you missed it? So did I, and pretty much every other golf fan I know.

GOLF THROUGH THE LENS, Chris Gallow – Buddy pics.

Just got back from a week long trip to Northern Ireland with various members of the media and a few lucky contest winners. Now during the trip I was asked many times to take the typical shot of a couple buddies with the backdrop of the great golf course we were at that day. Now natural setup for the people is to stand shoulder to shoulder with golf clubs in hand right in front of the vista which they would like to show their friends back home. Well the photographer in me came out and instructed the parties involved to move to one side and not go shoulder to shoulder, but add some interest to the image along with allowing friends back home to see the vista which drew them to taking the image. Now I’m not a big fan of having my photo taken at various golf courses for a couple reasons; one I hate getting my picture taken, two if I want to prove I was there I have the images to say it. while at Port Salon Golf Club playing with Ian Hutchison, writer for the Toronto Sun and major golf publications, captured a great alternive to the standard “buddy” shot. While sitting his lay butt on the cart he caputred a great action image of me on the tee deck. (the quality isn’t great but the idea is there) This image I had to have because its different from the norm and very interesting. So next time you head out on a golf trip with a few pals try to get action shots of them, while swinging, lining up a putt etc…

TED BITS, Ted McIntyre –Questioning the World’s Top 100 Courses.

Poking holes in the Top 100 outside the U.S.
As the organizer of the most thorough golf course ranking in Canada, I feel I have earned the right to question somebody else’s lists—and even if I haven’t, here goes anyway.
What follow are Golf Digest’s Top 100 Courses in the World Outside the U.S., with a few comments. (Note that Canada has 13)

1. St. Andrews (Old) St. Andrews, Scotland
(The classic of classics. That said, were it built today, the architect would be fired tomorrow.)
2. Royal Melbourne G.C. (Composite) Black Rock, Australia
3. Royal Portrush G.C. (Dunluce) Portrush, N. Ireland
(A great 18 without a weak link, but not as magical–and probably not as good–as County Down.)
4. Royal County Down G.C. Newcastle, N. Ireland
(Just awesome, spellbinding links golf. And the only course in the world where the signature shot includes the hotel right behind it (the Slieve Donard)
5. Royal Dornoch G.C. (Championship) Dornoch, Scotland
6. Muirfield Gullane, Scotland
7. Ballybunion G.C. (Old) Ballybunion, Ireland
8. New South Wales G.C. Sydney, Australia
9. National G.C. Woodbridge, Canada
It used to be No. 1 in Canada, but probably just No. 3 in Ontario right now, behind Hamilton and St. George’s. Hopefully by the time they stop tinkering with it, it’ll still be as good.)
10. St. George’s G. & C.C. Islington, Canada
(I’d forgotten what a great test of golf—particularly your short game—this place was before I played it again right after the Canadian Open in July. The new bunkering and course conditioning were exceptional. If infrastructure were not a concern, the course itself could host the Canadian Open next week.)
11. Turnberry (Ailsa) Turnberry, Scotland
(My favourite course in Scotland. A vast, mesmerizing property best experienced when the wind howls. And who knew that Ailsa Craig, the big stone of an island just off the coast, has furnished the granite for two-thirds of all curling stones in existence! Also a five-star resort with one hell of a spa!)
12. Carnoustie G.C. (Championship) Carnoustie, Scotland
(A better course when they DON’T set it up as an Open Championship venue.)
13. Kingston Heath G.C. Melbourne, Australia
14. Hamilton G. & C.C. Ancaster, Canada
(A testament to how classic design can still hold the best players in the world at bay with a course that measures less than 7,000 yards. Also a great caddie program—one of the few in existence in Canada.)
15. Royal Porthcawl G.C. Porthcawl, Wales
16. Royal St. George’s G.C. Sandwich, England
(Ha! Founded 120 years ago, 13 British Open championships, but only the second-best St. George’s!)
17. Casa de Campo (Teeth of the Dog) La Romana, Dominican Republic
(Great, but probably not as good as Playa Grande on the northern coast of the D.R., one of the most photogenic courses in the world.)
18. Sunningdale G.C. (Old) Sunningdale, England
(Had Sunningdale GC in London, Ontario finished ahead of them, England would have developed a complex.)
19. Beacon Hall G.C. Aurora, Canada
(A great golfer’s club—five-star food and service, and a suberb four-and-a-half star course, even if it does have a schizophrenic pair of nines.)
20. Kingsbarns G. Links St. Andrews, Scotland
Breathtaking from front to back. Looks like it’s been there forever. Easily the youngest course among the world’s elite at just seven years of age. Also a very cool bag tag!)
21. Loch Lomond G.C. Luss, Scotland
(By far and away the best non-links course in Scotland—and maybe the coolest clubhouse known to man)
22. Highlands Links Cape Breton, Canada
My favourite course in the world. Not just great golf, but a supreme golf experience. There’s something in the air here. And for God’s sake, walk the 11K. If you take a cart, you’ll miss a lot.
23. Swinley Forest G.C. Ascot, England
24. Hirono G.C. Hyogo, Japan
25. Leopard Creek G. Estate & C.C. Malelane, South Africa
26. Royal Birkdale G.C. Southport, England
27. Lahinch G.C. (Old) Lahinch, Ireland
28. Golf de Morfontaine Morfontaine, France
(Ron Fream’s Le Fregate design in the south of France is definitely more memorable.)
29. Gary Player C.C. Sun City, S. Africa
30. Portmarnock G.C. (Old) Portmarnock, Ireland
31. Royal Westmoreland G. & C.C. St. James, Barbados
32. Royal Adelaide G.C. Adelaide, Australia
33. Le Golf National (L’Albatros) Guyancourt, France
34. Royal Troon G.C. (Old) Troon, Scotland
35. The National G.C. (Moonah) Cape Schanck, Australia
36. Royal Lytham and St. Annes G.C. Lytham St. Annes, England
37. Cruden Bay G.C. Cruden Bay, Scotland
38. San Lorenzo G.C. Almancil, Algarve, Portugal
39. Macrihanish G.C. Campbeltown, Scotland
40. Tokyo G.C. Saitama, Japan
41. Woodhall Spa G.C. (Hotchkin) Woodhall Spa, England
42. Ganton G.C. Ganton, England
43. Les Bordes Beaugency, France
44. Kasumigaseki C.C. (East) Saitama, Japan
45. Mid Ocean Club Tucker’s Town, Bermuda
(They moved the Grand Slam from Poipu Bay in the mid-Pacific to this sterling, albeit less spectacular layout in the mid-Atlantic. Which reminds me—where, pray tell, are all the Hawaii courses here? Maui’s Kapalua or two Makena courses? Kauai’s Prinnceville and Kiele Course at Kauai Lagoons?)
46. Redtail G. Cse. Port Stanley, Canada
A very good course with mint-conditioned greens and one of the world’s great exclusive golf experiences. You’ll never accidentally stumble across Redtail. Either you know where you’re going (a few turns off some very rural roads near St. Thomas, Ontario), or you don’t. You just might be the only foursome on the course that day—and how cool is that?)
47. Cape Kidnappers G.C. Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
The most jawdropping course from the air on planet earth.
48. Domaine Imperial G.C. Gland, Switzerland
(I evidently don’t get around enough. I haven’t even heard of this one.)
49. Barnbougle Dunes G. Links Bridport, Tasmania, Australia
(You could be in Ireland, if you didn’t know better)
50. Taman Dayu G.C. Pasuruan, Indonesia
51. Spring City G. & Lake Resort (Lake) Kunming, China
52. Spring City G. & Lake Resort (Mountain) Kunming, China
53. Playa Dorada G. Cse. Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
(No how, no way, not if you’re on hallucinogens does this brutal track make it on to the top 100. It wouldn’t even make the top 400 in Ontario! They HAD to be thinking Playa Grande and gotten the wrong course on the same island.)
54. Wairakei International G. Cse. Taupo, New Zealand
55. Santa Elena G.C. (RTJ2) Cabuyao, Laguna, Philippines
56. Capilano G.C. West Vancouver, Canada
(Still haven’t played it! And I call myself a golf writer!)
57. Russley G.C. Christchurch, New Zealand
58. Puerto Azul G.C. Ternate, Cavite, Philippines
59. The Links at Fancourt George, South Africa
60. Paraparaumu Beach G.C. Paraparaumu Beach, New Zealand
61. The European Club Brittas Bay, Ireland
62. Durban C.C. Durban, South Africa
63. Cabo del Sol G.C. (Ocean) Los Cabos, Mexico
There’s a four-star course or better every three miles along this strip at the bottom of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. Incidentally, it’s a little more than an hour’s drive to the actual Hotel California from this place.)
64. G.C. de Barbaroux Brignoles, France
65. Western Gailes G.C. Irvine, Scotland
(By all accounts one of the more well-hidden gems of the world)
66. Metropolitan G.C. Melbourne, Australia
67. Royal St. David’s G.C. Harlech, Wales
68. The Lakes G.C. Sydney, Australia
69. Saujana G. & C.C. (Bunga Raya) Selangor, Malaysia
70. The Mines Resort & G.C. Selangor, Malaysia
71. Royal Montreal G.C. (Blue) Ile Bizard, Canada
(Sorry, but possibly the most over-rated course in Canada).
72. Pinx G.D. Jeju Island, South Korea
(OK, I’ve actually played here and it’s not even the best course on this tiny island—Nine Bridges, about 15 minutes away, is WAY better, and boasts one of the most memorable collection of holes I’ve played in my life)
73. Royal Liverpool G.C. Hoylake, England
74. Greywolf G.C. Panorama, Canada
(This Doug Carrick design is home to one of the planet’s most spectacular holes, the par-3 sixth, a.k.a “Cliffhanger.�)
75. Valderrama G.C. Sotogrande, Spain
76. The Gulf Harbour C.C. Whangaparaoa, New Zealand
77. Banff Springs G.C. (Stanley Thompson) Banff, Canada
(You’d blow two roles of film before the invention of the digital camera. It includes another of Canada’s most picturesque holes, the 200-yard par-3 fourth, a.k.a “Devil’s Cauldron.�
78. Angus Glen G.C. (South) Markham, Canada
(I have loved playing here since it first opened. Always an enjoyable round and exceptional service…but #78 in the world?)
79. Lynx at Kingswood Park Fredericton, Canada
80. Aberdovey G.C. Aberdovey, Wales
81. Fox Harb’r G. Resort & Spa Wallace, Canada
(They used the best land for the par-3 course, and the 18th turns AWAY from the ocean. Graham Cooke, what were you thinking?)
82. Buenos Aires G.C. Bella Vista, Buenos Aires, Argentina
83. Shenzhen G.C. Shenzhen, China
84. Vilamoura G.C. (Old) Vilamoura, Portugal
85. Luisita G.C. Tarlac, Philippines
86. North Berwick G.C. North Berwick, Scotland
87. Kawana Hotel G.C. (Fiji) Shizuoka, Japan
88. Yalong Bay G.C. Hainan Island, China
89. Emirates G.C. (Majlis) Dubai, United Arab Emirates
90. Rye G.C. Rye, England
91. Sotogrande G.C. Sotogrande, Spain
92. Waterville G. Links Waterville, Ireland
93. Kauri Cliffs G.C. & Lodge Northland, New Zealand
94. Olivos G.C. Buenos Aires, Argentina
95. Wentworth G.C. (West) Virginia Water, England
96. Mission Hills G.C. (World Cup) Shenzhen, China
97. Jockey Club (Colorada) San Isidro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
98. St. Andrews (New) St. Andrews, Scotland
99. Golf de Fontainebleau Fontainebleau, France
100. Arabella Estate & G.C. Kleinmond, South Africa

Coming up Aces
Helen Blair from Peterborough informs me that I overlooked a local highlight in my most recent column in Ontario Golf magazine (“Lightning in a Bottle�), which dealt with a rare two aces in a single round by Guelph’s Connor Russell
“While I was a member at Glenway G&CC in Newmarket, about six or eight years ago,â€? Blair writes, “Brenda Smith aced both the second and 17th holes in a single round. The usual recognition for a hole-in-one was observed, but the club was somewhat negligent in properly recognizing this extraordinary feat–until a year later! Pity you failed the lady too.â€?
Consider this more rare accomplishment duly noted!