Over the last eight months, something quite remarkable has been happening at Valley Gardens Golf Course. In a stunning display of skill, grace and dumb luck, one of our long-time regulars, Bruce Barlow, has recorded four hole-in-ones since October 27, 2014. The last two occurring within a month of each other, making aces on May 3 and June 7 this year.
According to his playing partner Wayne Negro, the last one was a beautiful shot with a slight draw that looked like it was going in as soon as it left the club. He also said that Bruce didn’t think it was such a great shot, yelling for the ball to “Get up!” because he thought it was too short.
Adding these four aces to his previous hole-in-one from three years ago, Bruce is garnering quite a reputation around the course. When asked about the secret to his success, Bruce listed two factors.
“One, it’s important to be able to kind of hit the ball,” Barlow said, “and two, you have to hit it kind of at the green. Do those two things and you have a chance.”
Sounds simple when he puts it like that, but take it from me and the rest of the ace-less, making a hole-in-one is far from easy. To give some perspective to the rarity of this feat, according to a study commissioned by Golf Digest, the odds of an average player making a hole-in-one are around 12,000:1. The same report estimates that an average player needs to play about 3,000 rounds to make a hole-in-one. For Bruce to make four over such a short time period is downright miraculous.
Even on a shorter course like Valley Gardens, a hole-in-one is a rare treat. Besides Bruce’s two (on holes #3 and #8), we’ve seen six others this year. In order of appearance: Susi Downing (#3), Linda Jensen (#3), Rock Velasquez (#3), Steve Hall (#9), Jeff Conrad (#7), and Brian Reynolds (#9). For an instant, these golfers achieved perfection. They made perfect swings. At that moment, not Tiger or Phil or Jack or Arnie could have done any better.
One of golf’s greatest traditions is the obligatory round of drinks that come with a hole-in-one. So if you’re thirsty, come hang out when Bruce is playing, and, if his luck continues, he might just buy you a drink.
