The story

Twenty-two years ago, I picked up a golf club for the first time, under rather unusual circumstances that will be the subject of another story.
Over the past 22 years, I’ve heard a great deal about that legendary shot, which is rare among amateur golfers: the famous hole-in-one.
Rare among amateurs, yet not all that uncommon for professionals, who nevertheless often win lavish prizes for them.

I read that Tiger Woods himself has only managed three throughout his entire career (the first of which was at the age of six), and although the ‘trend’ of keeping track of holes-in-one is fairly recent, it seems that some professionals have never managed one.

This legendary shot, sometimes called the golfer’s Holy Grail, whilst it may bring professionals the joy of winning a luxury car, can also pose problems for a mere amateur, who is bound by custom to spend large sums on drinks for the clubhouse.

IS HE REALLY OBLIGED?

Even though there is no formal obligation for the player who achieves the feat to buy a round of drinks for everyone – especially if they cannot afford it – some feel compelled to do so and end up having a rotten day.
Not to mention the barrage of criticism promised upon arriving home, full of pride as they recount the adventure to their wife, who is patiently saving for the holidays whilst her clueless husband spends a fortune on golf (a cliché, of course, intended tongue-in-cheek).

You can read a nice article on this subject on Golf Planète:
https://www.golfplanete.com/le-fil-golf-planete/faut-il-vraiment-payer-une-tournee-generale-quand-on-reussit-un-trou-en-un/

And there’s a plethora of articles on the same theme online.

So, in 22 years of playing golf, I’ve been lucky enough to witness a hole-in-one twice – on par-3s, needless to say. Although this feat has been achieved on par-4s and was even recorded once on a par-5!

Of course, I’ve seen them often on TV; it’s a moment that’s frequently broadcast because it’s so photogenic.

But in those 22 years, it had never happened to me. You’ll notice I’ve written in the past tense because, as you might have guessed, I found the Holy Grail on Thursday 9 April!!

The feat or… the miracle

The exceptional event took place on the 5th hole at the Royal Golf Club of Hua Hin, a short par 3 measuring 131 yards (around 120 metres). This hole is unique in that the tee and the green are both raised to roughly the same height, separated by a deep ravine. There is therefore no real fairway, and it is virtually essential to land the ball on the green – but not much further, as beyond that lie the trees.

This shot was played with an 8-iron, struck very loosely with a slight fade; the ball landed near the flagstick, about 2 metres to the left, and was carried into the hole by side spin, at precisely 7:11 am.

Why all these precise technical details? Because they had to be recorded on the scorecard.
Indeed, at the Royal, as soon as the hole-in-one was observed and confirmed by the cadet, with the groundskeeper who was watering the green early this morning acting as a further witness, my cadet Tae informed the caddie master by telephone that a hole-in-one had been achieved. She took several photos on the green – photos that prove nothing, but no cadet would be so foolish as to make a false claim about something of such importance!

On the other hand, her very spontaneous and demonstrative joy was a pleasure to see. She may well have thought, quite rightly, that the tip would be a little more generous, but she was genuinely delighted by the gifts I was about to receive.
Indeed, here the player is not required to spend half his monthly pay on drinks for everyone in the clubhouse (which was rather quiet at that early hour); instead, he is systematically rewarded by the club.
As soon as the round was over, the cadet accompanied me to the office where we filled in the aforementioned form and made an appointment for this morning, the 10th, to receive the gifts and capture the moment.

It’s time for the gifts

So this morning, 10 April 2026, we headed to the clubhouse for a photo with an official from the Royal Golf Club… and lots of presents! See for yourself!