As the historian of Rancho Park Golf Club, it was my great pleasure to score a hole in one on Rancho’s 65th Birthday (July 3)!
“I don’t want any of you to hear the wrong story, it was just bloody lucky!”
July 3, 2014 - John Jones hole in one at Rancho Park, Los Angeles
166 yards according to David Akhavi’s “range finder”. The wind was swirling. Both green’s of Rancho’s 16th are uphill from the tee. The right green is protected by trees on the right, and runs in the direction of the shot, so it’s very hard to get the distance and the line.
I took my 1992 Bullet .444 Invincible II blade 5 iron, and aimed straight at the flag. There was a reaction from the 13th fairway when it disappeared from my view. I thought it was right at it, and the perfect length and trajectory to land at the hole. But a player on the 12th tee said they heard the ball hit the flag, or the hole, and go in. David drove up to the green and declared it a hole-in-one!
I used a #3 Titleist Pro V1 X, with the remains of a Welsh dragon and my JJ initials, on it. I have used this same ball for my last three tournaments. Time to retire it!
My hole in one Titleist Pro V1 X golf ball!