I recently had a hole-in-one, my 3rd. And if you haven’t heard me share the details, I will later.
First, though, I want to tell you about a guy who made two aces on consecutive days on the same hole. And maybe did something no other golfer has ever done. His name is JD Ardell, now forever known as Ace Ardell.
Ace Ardell made his two aces with two different sets of golf clubs.
Think about that for a moment. Why would someone use two different sets on two different days? While you ponder that, let me share JD’s story with you. 
JD was invited to play in a Member-Guest at Sara Bay CC in Sarasota, Fl with his college buddy, Jack Mylott.
JD arrived in Sarasota, but his golf clubs did not. Jack quickly arranged for a replacement set for JD to use, a newer version of the Titleist irons that JD plays with. Excellent hosting, Jack!
Day 1 - 2024 Member-Guest at Sara Bay CC
In their first nine-hole match on the front side, JD and Jack played well but lost. The clubs JD used were nice, but adjustments were needed. The pair were 1-up in the second nine-hole match when they got to the 16th tee.
The 16th hole played 190 yards from the white tees with the pin in the back that day. Bunkers are on both sides of the green, with a fall-off around the back and the left side.
The front of the putting surface is open, allowing shots to run up to the two-tiered green. There is a bowl in the narrow front and a much wider plateau in the back part of the green.
JD hit a 6-iron, and he hit it well. He told me he “flushed it.” Witnesses confirmed the ball landed short of the pin, took a hop, and slammed into the jar. But the golf ball rattled out, came to rest on the lip of the cup, and then, after a moment, fell back into the cup—big, cliffhanger drama.
The 16th hole is visible from several other holes at Sara Bay. People on the 17th tee and those on the 11th green and the 12th tee are nearby. You can see the 16th green from the 2nd green, the 13th green, the 14th tee, and the 15th green.
It was a stage for many people to hear and see the shot. And even if they did not see the actual shot, they knew something extraordinary happened.
High fives, backs slapped, and huge smiles. An ace is unique, and seeing one in person never gets old. Jack and JD were now two up in the match with two to play.
JD told me he got distracted by his first hole-in-one. His mind wandered. Jack had his first hole-in-one less than a year earlier, and the two low-handicap golfers previously thought they might never make one. Now they did, and it felt great. They were thrilled for each other.
But they lost the next two holes and halved the match. The good news was JD’s clubs finally reached the golf course.
Drinks on JD
The odd tradition in golf is that the guy who makes the hole-in-one buys drinks for everyone at the club. Strange because you would think people would congratulate the golfer who makes an ace and offer to buy THEM a drink.
But golf is funny that way. “Congrats on your hole-in-one, and thanks for the Single Malt.”
However, the tradition does get everyone involved and establishes an obligation to listen to the story over and over again.
The celebration cost JD a few bucks, but he didn’t mind. He was ecstatic to be in the ‘Struck Once’ club.
JD Ardell
JD has been playing golf since he was 10, around 25 years. He grew up mainly in Arizona, played for the Brown golf team – The Bears, and now lives in San Francisco.
These days, he plays about 25 rounds a year. He has an intense job, a young daughter, and his wife is not a golfer. Somehow, he has managed to keep his game close to scratch, and like most, JD plays less golf than he would like to.
When asked, JD used a Matrix metaphor, saying it felt like a glitch in the software. Something happened that was not supposed to happen. But it did, and JD felt exhilarated as he was toasted in the clubhouse.
Day 2
Saturday came early with the three-hour time difference and brain fog from the more-than-usual alcohol. A sleep-deprived JD asked himself, “Did I really make a hole-in-one yesterday?” Yes, he did.
On Day 2 of the Member-Guest, Jack and JD started on the back, #10. JD did not play any better with his own clubs, and their match was even when they returned to the 16th.
There was a backup, so a few groups lingered on the tee box. JD told me the stupid cliches were flying, “Why don’t you make another one?” “Let’s see how he does today”, etc.
The pin was middle front, and the hole measured 170 yards. JD pulled his 7-iron and hit a poor shot, far from flush and not on the sweet spot.
Good golfers can hit less-than-perfect shots, and their golf ball still goes a long way.
Someone said something about another ace, then realized they should get their mouth off JD’s ball.
The little white orb rolled up onto the green complex and disappeared.
Two Aces
Fewer people were at the nearby holes, but plenty of golfers saw this shot. JD’s second ace in as many days. Two Aces in two days.
JD’s second ace was with a Titleist 4. The previous day, JD took his Titleist 4 out of play; he did not want to lose it. Same with the second Titleist 4, which he put in the same compartment in his golf bag.
Now he can’t tell his Titleist 4s apart. Which one was first? Nice problems to have.
All day Saturday, JD received texts from friends and family offering congratulations, remotely participating in the celebration.
Now he had a clever reply: “I did it again!”
This time, the experience was surreal to JD. He said he felt out of his body and recalled looking down at himself on the golf course.
At some point, Jack took a video of JD talking about his two shots, thinking this would be a good way to capture the moment. The only problem was Jack did not press ‘Record.’ Not great hosting, Jack!
What JD said was no doubt profound, probably touchingly eloquent. But this way, we are all left to imagine what we would say at that moment.
In this first match of the day, JD and Jack won 1up. They still had another match to play, which they would lose, finishing the tournament 1-3-1.
If not for JD’s two eagles, they would have lost all their matches.
The clubhouse was like Groundhog Day. A massive group of golfers offering congratulations and a massive bar tab.
JD drove to Tampa to catch a flight home. All he could do was laugh to himself about the last 36 hours and his two aces.
Golf History at Sara Bay Country Club
Back to the history books. Has anyone ever made two holes-in-one on two consecutive days at the same hole? Yes, most certainly. But with two different sets of clubs? Maybe, but highly unlikely.
So, I’m going with JD “Ace” Ardell as the only golfer in history to have two aces in two days on the same hole with two sets of golf clubs.
He has a story, better than most golf stories, to tell for the rest of his life.
Now, let me tell you about my hole-in-one…