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Hole in One on a Par 3

If you’re writing down a 1 on the card, it counts as far as I’m concerned.
 
What else are you going to call it? A hole in two?

The mentality that it wouldn't count is dumb, IMO.
 
The ball would go in a little monument on my desk boldly declaring a HOLE IN ONE!
 
baylrballa said:
I agree, like a "par 3 course" HIO, or "pitch shot" HIO.

If you can justify it to yourself at the end of the day, that's all that matters. Similar to an unwitnessed HIO.
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I can justify an unwitnessed hio to myself all day long. It sucks, but I'll buy myself a drink!
 
So we can all have our opinions of what SHOULD be the criteria for a hole-in-one. But the fact is the USGA is the one that gets to decide the criteria. Length is NOT a criterion. These are however.

The USGA recommends that a hole-in-one be considered valid:
  1. If made during a round of at least nine holes, except that a hole-in-one made during a match should be acceptable even if the match ends before the stipulated round is completed.
  2. If the player is playing one ball; a hole-in-one made in a practice round in which the player is playing two or more balls should not be acceptable.
  3. If attested by someone acceptable to the Committee.
  4. If made at a hole with a temporary tee and/or putting green in use, even if the Committee did not specifically define the teeing ground with tee-markers; the length of the hole at the time should be stated on any certificate.
  5. If made in a "scramble" competition, which is played as follows: A side comprises four players. Each member of a side plays from the teeing ground, the best drive is selected, each member plays a second shot from where the best drive is located, and so on.
 
I grew up on a par three course- 18 holes from 90-200 yards. Paper published HIOs from this course in the sports section along with every other course in the area. Counts the same to me.
 
Ok how about this scenario:

I played in a scramble recently where the winning team had “2 HIO”. The first one was on a par 3. The team was comprised of people from one of the sponsors, so it was actually caught on film. Pretty cool and I’d still tell everyone I got a HIO if it was me even if during a scramble.

The second “HIO” was at a special hole that had a potato gun modified to shoot golf balls with a tail that looks like an arrow (like the old school nerf footballs). You paid $20 to charity and got to shoot it. That first shot with the gun didn’t count as a shot. So, they shot up to the green and sunk the putt for another 1 on the scorecard. I didn’t see this one but I wonder if they celebrated it haha. Do you go around telling people you got 2 HIO that day?
 
leftshot said:
So we can all have our opinions of what SHOULD be the criteria for a hole-in-one. But the fact is the USGA is the one that gets to decide the criteria. Length is NOT a criterion. These are however.

The USGA recommends that a hole-in-one be considered valid:
  1. If made during a round of at least nine holes, except that a hole-in-one made during a match should be acceptable even if the match ends before the stipulated round is completed.
  2. If the player is playing one ball; a hole-in-one made in a practice round in which the player is playing two or more balls should not be acceptable.
  3. If attested by someone acceptable to the Committee.
  4. If made at a hole with a temporary tee and/or putting green in use, even if the Committee did not specifically define the teeing ground with tee-markers; the length of the hole at the time should be stated on any certificate.
  5. If made in a "scramble" competition, which is played as follows: A side comprises four players. Each member of a side plays from the teeing ground, the best drive is selected, each member plays a second shot from where the best drive is located, and so on.
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Interesting I never knew about #4 & #5. I actually thought I had read that it didn’t count in those situations. I must have misinterpreted I guess. In the #5 scenario would it still count in a 2-person or 3-person team scramble? I wouldn’t see why not, but it did specify 4-person team
 
Papatortuga said:
Ok how about this scenario:

I played in a scramble recently where the winning team had “2 HIO”. The first one was on a par 3. The team was comprised of people from one of the sponsors, so it was actually caught on film. Pretty cool and I’d still tell everyone I got a HIO if it was me even if during a scramble.

The second “HIO” was at a special hole that had a potato gun modified to shoot golf balls with a tail that looks like an arrow (like the old school nerf footballs). You paid $20 to charity and got to shoot it. That first shot with the gun didn’t count as a shot. So, they shot up to the green and sunk the putt for another 1 on the scorecard. I didn’t see this one but I wonder if they celebrated it haha. Do you go around telling people you got 2 HIO that day?
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I think that second scenario definitely deserves an asterisk. :)
 
Space Bandito said:
I think that second scenario definitely deserves an asterisk. :)
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I agree.. You essentially got the shot into the green for free and sunk a putt. The first one in counting for sure!!
 
I forgot to mention the potato gun hole was on a par 4. We each took a shot with it and I will admit it was a lot of fun! We played my ball that ended up on the fringe at the top of the green. We two putted for a nice “eagle”. That was our finishing hole and on the drive in my friend flipped his cart. It’s a hole I’ll never forget hahaha
 
I get where the angst comes from but anything near a Hondo counts in my book.
 
NEhomer said:
Folks, the rule is not intended to malign shorter holes. The reason why it can't be a par 3 course is that you have 9 chances a side vs the 3 allowed by the rule.

I have made 4 hole in ones on the same hole. Now, that hole is the 90yd wedge shot I have on my own property that comprises the entirety of my private golf course. Those 4 HIOs came from hitting thousands of wedges from my hitting mat over the years.

Taking multiple shots at reachable holes is a chance thing. Now, I agree that for most intents and purposes, yeah it's a hole in one whenever it happens but I believe that's why the rule reads as it does.
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What rule? Did I somehow miss this one in the Rules of Golf?
 
OGputtnfool said:
Allowed by what rule?

Three chances per side? What if there are three par 3's and a 260y par 4 on one side? Does that negate any HIO on that side?
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I haven't looked but I always believed that for a hole in one to be officially recognized, a player must be playing at least 9 holes, it must be witnessed and the 9 holes may not have more than three par 3s. Again, I agree that any HIO is a HIO...but that's my book not the USGA's.

If your theoretical 260yd hole is officially a par 4, then no, it wouldn't negate anything.
 
I would suggest to all who have never had a Hole in One......find a par 3 course and play until you have one. The odds of you having one doesn't change...It's just you will have more chances.
 
NEhomer said:
I haven't looked but I always believed that for a hole in one to be officially recognized, a player must be playing at least 9 holes, it must be witnessed and the 9 holes may not have more than three par 3s. Again, I agree that any HIO is a HIO...but that's my book not the USGA's.

If your theoretical 260yd hole is officially a par 4, then no, it wouldn't negate anything.
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Is this like my belief that stop signs with white borders are optional? :ROFLMAO:
 
I think that most 18 hole courses only have four chances to make a hole in one. While executive courses have somewhere around ten to fourteen and par 3s usually all 18. That in itself does not rule out a hiO but the distances usually are pretty short and that is what makes the difference. If you ever make one on a par three course I doubt most people would accept that as a Hole in One. But if you do make one just enjoy it and be happy you did it.
 
NEhomer said:
Well if this site is legit, it says nothing about the par 3 course restriction but other sites do list it so I'm not sure.

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That's weird. The USGA recommends that a HIO be considered acceptable "If made in a "scramble" competition, which is played as follows: A side comprises four players. Each member of a side plays from the teeing ground, the best drive is selected, each member plays a second shot from where the best drive is located, and so on." I'd think that'd be a strict no go since scrambles are only a loose form of the game.
 
NEhomer said:
I haven't looked but I always believed that for a hole in one to be officially recognized, a player must be playing at least 9 holes, it must be witnessed and the 9 holes may not have more than three par 3s. Again, I agree that any HIO is a HIO...but that's my book not the USGA's.

If your theoretical 260yd hole is officially a par 4, then no, it wouldn't negate anything.
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It's still another "chance" (as is a 400y par 4, I guess, although a very slim chance). What if the 260y hole is officially a par 3?
 
My lone HIO was on a very short par 4. I was told on here that it wasn’t an albatross as those are only hole outs in 2 on par 5’s. Isn’t 3 under par an albatross? I count it as both.

To the discussion at hand, if a true par three course, hell yes I’d count it. We have several around here with yardages ranging from 120-180. If a pitch and putt (one, I’d never be on one) I’d count it but explain it was only 50 yards or whatever anytime I brought it up.

We have an executive course around here I like to play. It has 8 par 3’s and 10 short par 5
4’s. The par 3’s range from 100-145 yards and the par 4’s range from 245-320. The shorter par 4’s are WELL guarded making it almost suicide to go for them. A couple of the longer ones are green lights but I hit more 5i-7i off the tee on the par 4’s than I do driver. It’s the one course that I really have to think much. I’ve played it probably 10 times and only been on one of the par 4 greens in one once. Been around a few of them a lot but some are basically an island green that’s 270 yards away. Even I’m not dumb enough to go for that.
 
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