The Hole in One Bar Dilemma

Over the past several months, the MGA has enjoyed seeing several members get a hole in one as well as others on non-MGA and tournament days. We sure hope the trend continues! It does though beg the question, “Why do I have to buy everyone a drink?” Research has shown that in the late 1800’s in Scotland, a golfer who made a hole in one was celebrated and thus received drinks from his friends at the golf club. This unfortunately led to golfers falsely claiming aces for free drinks, but the Scots caught onto this soon enough, so the tradition then evolved to the player making the hole in one having to buy the drinks as a way of 1. Proving it and 2. Celebrating their good fortune with others. When you think of it this way, a golfing tradition that somehow defies practical logic does make a little bit of sense. Fast forward to current day where we must ask what is the accepted, yet gentlemanly way to handle this golfing conundrum without breaking the bank entirely. For us in the MGA we are fortunate that an insurance budget is set aside each season where if during an MGA event, a player makes a hole in one, $450 is reserved for that member to absorb some or all the cost of buying drinks for others. Additionally, our club has a hole in one insurance program whereby any member can enroll and will be charged $7 to be "insured". After every hole in one at the course (non MGA) you will be re-charged the $7 to cover the next one. For non-MGA events though, when a player is fortunate to make an ace, there are many accepted practices based mainly on tradition but with situational nuances, buying drinks can become a delicate balance for the “lucky or unlucky” guy with the Ace.

Some considerations, voluntarily of course, could be:

1.    Buy a round for your playing partners, and/or the small group you may have been a part of who was there to have been a part of “the shot heard around the world”……..at a bare minimum please!!!

2.    Offer a free drink to everyone present in the bar when you come in and banter to all about your fantastic accomplishment. And tell the bar your $$ and time ceiling so no emergency shark loans are needed!

3.    Buy a keg or two! from the bar and offer it to all until it is finished. Be careful on the way home!

4.    Buy a nice bottle of top shelf whiskey in true Scottish fashion and have the bar make an announcement that a wee nip is open to all on your behalf until it too is finished.

5.    Canvas club management to perhaps offer cost pricing on a keg or top shelf bottle as a way of drumming up additional support for the celebrated achiever!

6.    If you are not comfortable with this age-old tradition, no worries, may I suggest a very quick Irish No Goodbye and prepare for some well-deserved needling next time your back in the bar!

7.    Lastly, if you are the lucky recipient of a fellow members hole in one, don’t be the guy that orders some fancy or top shelf drink you never buy yourself! Not to mention going after a few more free ones! After all, this is a gentlemen’s game so act like one.

I have been fortunate and lucky enough to have had 8 holes in one, and I can tell you for certain I may have been a little poorer at the time but wouldn’t change it for the world. Enjoy the moment and the chance to celebrate such a cool achievement! It’s priceless! Drinks for all my friends!!

Rapper Musing Vol.4

9/26