I was playing in a Stableford competition at Foxhills Golf Club, standing on the tee at the 8th—a 186-yard par 3—with a nearest-the-pin prize up for grabs.
I’ve always used a Titleist TruFeel, and after a bit of indecision over club choice, I switched from a 7-iron to an 8-iron. It wasn’t exactly a confident swing—I’d just carded a triple bogey on the previous hole, so expectations were low.
As soon as I struck it, I knew it wasn’t right. The ball started drifting left, missing the green by what I thought was at least 10 yards. I was already cursing it mid-flight.
But then something incredible happened.
The ball landed on a slope to the side of the green—more of a hill than a gentle incline—and began to roll. It gathered momentum, tracking down towards the green. For a moment, I lost sight of it completely as it dipped behind a crest. Then it reappeared, still moving, still tracking… and suddenly—drop.
It disappeared.
Straight into the hole.
The four of us completely lost it—shouting, jumping around, absolute disbelief. None of us could quite process what we had just seen.
Because it was a competition, I had the presence of mind to record myself walking up to the green, just in case I needed proof. As I approached the hole and looked down into the cup, there it was—my Titleist TruFeel.
Even better… I hadn’t noticed the number before. Looking back up at me from the bottom of the hole was a 1.
Perfect.
I play off 21, so it was a huge moment for me—and to top it off, it meant 5 Stableford points for the team.
As I walked to the next tee, a buggy pulled up and handed out free beers all round, which only added to the madness of it all.
For winning nearest-the-pin, I picked up a box of Pro V1s, a Titleist hat, and a towel—an incredible bonus to an already unforgettable moment.
I finished the round on 29 points, but to be honest, nothing else mattered after that shot.
To round it all off, the pro shop gave me a commemorative bag tag, so I’ve got something to remember the day forever.
An experience I’ll never forget—and proof that in golf, anything can happen.