By Trevor Jackson
AS most people would know, a hole-in-one on a golf course does not come around too often.
Whether it is luck or skill is not the point – you have to hit the ball as close as possible to the hole anyway and if it is a good shot, there is a chance of it going in.
It can be hard enough to hit the green off the tee, let alone get it in the hole.
In fact, it can be a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, if at all.
To have two hole-in-ones in two consecutive days on the same hole, using the same club and the same ball takes it to another level.
That was the scenario for Jess Parsons at the Mount Gambier Golf Club when she teed up on the eighth hole last week.
Having played golf for “a couple of years”, Parsons said it was the furthest thing from her mind.
“I didn’t expect one for at least 10 years or longer,” she said.
“The closest I have come was 26cm – that was about 18 months ago.”
The first ace came when on a practice round with her daughter.
“I was pretty excited about that one,” Parsons said.
“I was stoked … it was more shock really.
“I heard it hit the pin, but I didn’t see it go in.
“My daughter said she thought it was in the hole.
“When we got down there I was really excited and she was excited for me which was nice.
“I sent a snap chat out to my friends and came home bragging.
“I knew my husband hadn’t had one.”
The next day in the women’s competition the pressure was on to repeat the feat, after Parsons let everyone know about her hole-in-one.
“I had bragged on Facebook and on the way home I walked past my neighbour and told them I had a hole in one,” she said.
“We always have a bet about who will play the best.
“They said to put the ball away, but I said I was going to use it the next day.
“I thought it would be my lucky ball.”
A lucky ball it certainly was, but there was some pressure when Parson was about to hit the ball the following day on the same hole.
She pulled out her trusty rescue club, an FY Wilson, which she describes as something between a fairway club and a hybrid and prepared to tee off.
“When I went to tee off, all I could think of was getting over the ferns,” Parsons said.
“It felt the same, it was a really nice hit and the other lady I was playing with said it was going to go in.
“When it went in there was a lot of cheering.
“It is a great club to play at and they are all very supportive.
“My playing partners knew I had one the day before because I told everyone.
“There is minimal chance of ever having one, so you have to brag about it when you get one.”
It seems the challenge of acing a hole is not something you need to dwell on either, at least not for Parsons anyway.
“There was no science to it,” she said.
“I just use the same club every time on that hole.
“Then I cross everything and hope it hits the green.”
