Golfers have different goals, whether it’s breaking 90 for the first time, driving the ball 300 yards, or simply becoming a consistent one-putter.
But nearly every golfer dreams of getting a hole-in-one.
Peabody’s Chris Collins, a newcomer to the sport and playing just his 39th hole, did just that the weekend of August 2.
Playing at The Meadow at Peabody, Collins recorded an ace on the 312-yard, par-4 third hole. Using a driver from the white tees, the ball disappeared into the air — and, eventually, the hole.
“Me and my brother (Sean) were playing with a couple of randoms, and I decided to hit my driver just to see what would happen,” Collins said. “When I hit it, it went over the rocks, so we lost it in the air.”
Collins and his playing partners searched for his ball for about five minutes — checking the adjacent fairway and behind the green — but couldn’t locate the ball.
Assuming it was lost, Collins took a drop near the rocks and chipped onto the green, where his brother was waiting.
“I was a little mad because it was a good drive,” Collins said. “My brother was on the green, standing by the cup, and he looked down and saw the neon yellow ball. He was, like, ‘no way,’ and we all went crazy.”
“We played two rounds at Wenham, and then, on the 39th hole I’ve ever played, I got a hole-in-one,” he said.
Now part of an exclusive club, Collins has taken the opportunity to joke around with his dad, Stephen, a longtime golfer who has yet to record an ace.
“I’ve been saying, ‘Golf really isn’t that hard — you still haven’t gotten one?’ But in reality, the sport is hard. I just got really lucky,” Collins said.
