In golf, a hole in one or hole-in-one (also known as an ace, mostly in American English) is when a player hits the ball directly from the tee into the cup with one shot. (It is not necessary that the ball go directly into the cup. It may hit other objects, or the ground, on its way.) This is most possible on a par 3 hole. Longer hitters have accomplished this feat on shorter par 4 holes. Nearly all par 4 and par 5 holes are too long for golfers to reach in a single shot; a hole in two on a par five (or a hole in one on a par 4) is known as an albatross, and is significantly rarer than a hole in one on a par 3.[1]
Hole in ones are extremely rare, and while it depends largely on the golfer's skill, there is often also a great element of luck involved, although skill definitely increases the probability.[2]
Occasionally special events host a hole-in-one contest, where prizes as expensive as a new car, or cash awards sometimes reaching $4 million are offered if a contestant records a hole-in-one.[3] Usually such expensive prizes are backed by an insurance company who offers prize indemnification services. Actuaries at such companies have calculated the chance of an average golfer making a hole in one at approximately 12,500 to 1, and the odds of a tour professional at 2,500 to 1.[4]
Among the memorable hole-in-ones, one occurred in the 1973 British Open when at age 71 Gene Sarazen made a hole-in-one. Bobby Charlton also made a hole-in-one in a celebrity charity game. Felicity Sieghart, 76 years old at the time, is believed to hold the record for the oldest person to make two hole-in-ones during one round.[5] Kim Jong-il is alleged to have scored hole-in-ones on a regular basis when he played, scoring 38 under par on his very first outing, which would necessitate a large number of hole-in-ones. Kim Jong Il claimed 11 Aces in that round. [6]
Hole-in-ones ("aces") are also recorded in the sport of disc golf, in which a round plastic disc is thrown toward a metal basket-shaped target.