All players dream of it, but most will never see it. For one Beaver Bank golfer the dream came true – a hole in one.
At 6:45 a.m. on Aug. 22, 45-year-old Larry Harding and his friend Paul Clarke were already on course at Lost Creek Golf Club in Beaver Bank. He knew it was going to be a good day when he hit his longest drive ever, and just missed a birdie to make par on the first hole. Little did he know the best moment of his golfing career or hobby was about to happen.
“We were on the second hole,” said Harding. “I grabbed my 56 degree wedge. It was 120 yards and when I hit it I knew it was good. It was an elevated green and I saw the first bounce and I thought it looked close. When I got there I couldn’t see my ball. I walked across the green and didn’t see it, I walked back across the green and I didn’t see it. Finally I decided to check and there it was.”
The first thing Harding did when he saw the ball in the hole was to yell at his friend Paul.
“He didn’t believe it at first. He said ‘Get out of here,’” remembered Harding. “When he finally saw it he congratulated me. There was no one else there to see it, so I held it up to the people at the first hole.”
Harding said he’s getting a lot of ribbing, but he doesn’t mind, he’s happy to tell everyone he sees. His wife JoAnn is very proud of her husband, but she thinks all the attention may be going to his head.
“Seriously,” she laughed. “He’s only been golfing for five years, but he’s always been a great athlete. He played hockey and soccer. He’s used to having his name in the paper.”
blhall@eastlink.ca
