Getting it in the hole is the name of the game, and something we have to do on every hole, hence myriad descriptive terms for this seemingly simple act
Holed it
The obvious starting point - straightforward and unfussy, if just a little unexciting given what else is on offer. Does exactly what it says on the tin.
Made it
A similarly simple and straightforward term that somehow took on a more glamorous nature when Seve mouthed “I made it!” after his Open-winning putt dropped in the hole at St Andrews in 1984. The iconic image of Seve pumping the air in celebration went on to become the Spanish magician’s logo.
Canned it
The hole is a broadly similar shape to a baked bean can, so this is a reasonable and perfectly understandable colloquialism.
Boxed it
The hole is not a similar shape to your typical box, so this colloquialism is a little harder to fathom and comprehend… unless your box is cylindrical, I guess.
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Drained it
A descriptively emotive term usually reserved for unexpectedly successful efforts from long range, as in “Can you believe he’s just drained it from down town.” Or she, as was the case with Paula Creamer's ridiculous HSBC Women's Champions winning putt last year...
Rolled it in
Perhaps says it better than anything, given the manner of the ball’s motion from putterhead to hole. Also implies that the player has put a good stroke on it
Sunk it
This one gets across the satisfying element of the ball disappearing below ground once and for all. Hole over!
Slam-dunked it
Basketball term for those rare moments when you’ve hit it twice as hard as intended, only for the ball to slam into the back of the cup, leap several inches in the air and drop, when the laws of probability dictated that it should really have rebounded some distance from the hole.
Tapped it in
The term for those tiddlers only an idiot could miss. Hands up who hasn’t been an idiot at some stage… Check out our video below if 2-3 footers fill you with dread!
Held it
Finally, a strangely mistaken but surprisingly common term uttered by some golfers. Means absolutely nothing, and can surely only be attributed to some sort of past tense confusion over the words “holed” and “hold”.
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How Long Must A Hole-In-One Be To Count?Is there a minimum length? Are there circumstances where you might have to accept that your ace wasn’t the real deal?
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What To Do If You Get A Hole-In-OneWe explain what the etiquette is when someone makes a hole-in-one and and how this can vary according to the club
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Howard Clark's Hole-in-One on the 17th at TPC SawgrassClark's 8-iron from 137 went in whilst the camera was rolling
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6-year-old makes incredible hole-in-oneIt happened during the young boy's first competition
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First hole-in-one for 11-year-old earns a puppy
The young girl found the hole from 109 yards over a water hazard
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Should it really be drinks all round for a hole in one?Should you really still be expected to buy drinks all round for a hole-in-one?
