It was a beautiful fall day and I was playing with good friends. The 8th hole at Pine Ridge (a great muni in Baltimore, Maryland) is always a pretty and challenging hole (par 3), with water in front and on the left side. The green is two tiered with the back tier higher than the front. The hole was playing longer than I'd ever played it, 187 yards from the white tees to the pin. The pin placement also was one I'd never played, with the pin all the way back and just a few feet from the left fringe and a steep hill that leads right into the water. As it was playing so long, I decided to use a 5 wood and try to land it short of the pin (on this hole all I ever want to do is keep the ball out of the water and try to be on or close to the green, and below the hole. After yuckin up with my buds, I stepped up and took a nice relaxed swing. I struck it well with a ever so slight cut. As I hoped (but have learned never to expect or take for granted) I actually landed the ball on the green short of the pin. Surprisingly, and unusual for me with a 5 wood, the ball released when it hit the green. It started tracking right at the pin and kept rolling and rolling until it vanished. Though we couldn't actually see if it vanished into the hole or off the back of the green, my group and the group behind us, who were all watching us tee off, erupted into cheers and yells and hugs and high 5's. Though I was in a state of shock and disbelief, it was a ton of fun and very exciting. As I was the last to tee off, we hustled over the water and up the hill to the green. One of my playing companions, who had never even seen a hole in one before, jumped off the cart and ran up to the hole and looked in. He raised his arms triumphantly and said, "it's in the hole"! More hugs, high fives and cheers (from the guys back on the tee box). And pictures! After shock walking through the 9th hole, we reached the turn where we had beers and shots of whiskey. No more holes in one the rest of the round, but felt pretty darn good. What an unlikely, unexpected but fun round of golf, on a beautiful day at a beautiful course. And to share it with good buddies, well it just doesn't get any better than that