I'm with you Carl T. the victor should be bought drinks, not pay for them. Still, I've had to shell out a  few times, but only with my buddies.

I'd buy my group drinks, but the entire bar! Maybe if I was a member at Augusta or Cypress, I'd buy drinks for everyone!

Buying for the club house can get a bit ridiculous.  We always keep it within the group for a couple of rounds. 

The person making the hole-in-one is supposed to buy drinks for anyone who witnessed the event.  The random donks who just happen to be in the clubhouse can kick rocks.

I have never been lucky enough to have a hole-in-one, but at my course, all those who choose to put a dollar into the pot, receives that pot if and when they hit a hole-in-one.   I understand completely the views that the lucky ball striker should be the recipient of the free drinks, but what if they do not drink?  By the same token, why should they have to pay for drinks for those in the bar, just because they hit the shot of their lives.  Most course seem to have the set standard that the lucky one gets to pay for those in attendance, I just hope mine never comes on league day, tournament day or at a private club I may be a guest at.  It is not that I do not object to sharing my good fortune with others, I would just prefer that it did not costs me hundreds of dollars that could be more wisely spent in a manner of my choosing.  

I haven't experienced this problem YET!

However, at our course, the people I have talked to about it (some have actually made a hole in one) agree that the person that gets the Ace buys a drink for all who witnessed it, that could include not only the group you are playing with, but perhaps the group that just left the green and decided to watch while waiting to tee off on the next hole.

It would still be worth it in my opinion :)

I always have a warm case of Natural Light in the trunk of my car just for those occasions...

Let me tell you it's very Old...

Cheers!

Dr. K

Being fortunate enough to get one ace in my modest golfing career, my experience went down like this.  My ace came on the 11th hole on an early Saturday afternoon.  From there I decided it to purchase drinks on the course for my foursome for the remaining 7 holes.  Afterwards, in the clubhouse, my group was kind enough to celebrate with me, on them, for the remainder of the time spent there.  It turned to be  mutual celebration kept within the playing partners and enjoyment was had by all.

It's my opinion that private clubs have an Hole-In-One insurance program that members pay into and that's fine and good for those of us who belong to one.  However, if your ace happens to come on a public track playing with friends, you should buy your group a drink or two and leave it that.  It's not your obligation to buy a clubhouse of strangers drinks for something they weren't a part of or will they relive this great experience with you in future outings.

P.S.  

I did call my wife on the 12 tee to inform her what happened and that she will most likely will have to come pick us up later for fear of driving unnecessarily, and she gratefully agreed. That's the biggest decision to be made by all.  Enjoy you great moment, but not at the cost of others.  Have fun but BE SAFE in doing so!!

I don't drink but, I would buy a drink for my playing partners.  

I had a hole in one at our member guest once and as you can imagine with several hundred players, it seemed like it was definitely going to be a big bar bill.  The club was gracious enough to work with me and I bought two bottles of wine for each table.  Everyone was happy and I bought the house drinks!

The good thing as mentioned by a few others here is to be a member at a club where you have hole-in-insurance.  Last year one of my guests got a hole in one but virtually no one was in the lounge so his drink bill was very cheap! 

Buying drinks is and always has been a tradition of the game. At our club being a member of the MGA provides 500.00 of coverage. Unfortunately I was at another club when I got mine. I gladly paid up because it's tradition.

At my club, hole in ones mean drinks for anyone who knows about it that day (they post it.) You can buy insurance, which I do. I never cash in on the free drink from others and always hope for the same in return. :) That great moment should never be followed up by worring all day about the bill you'll get. Buying drinks for your playing partners is well worth it and something I would enjoy doing. They also take an addional dollor from each member in that months montly statement, which goes to the hole in one person for shop credit. That's about $350.

I play with a few guys who just never say they did it. All pretty silly really.

I am a member of a private club and we do not have a hole in one insurance although we do have a hole in one club where you join for a modest fee and it pays out to the lucky golfer x amount of dollars in credit for pro shop purchases but does not cover any bar tabs. I like the idea of buying drinks for your group who were witnesses but paying for 50 to 150 guys in the grill could get outrageous. Also our MGA does not cover a bar tab for a hole in one. That is a good idea and I might mention it to the higher ups that run the show.

I was playing at a Semi Private course when I hit my Ace. I bought drinks for my foursome.

I was just recently talking about the same issue. The club pro said that by having a membership the club covers a tab of a hundred dollars then after that it's on you. I found that quite disconcerting considering that the tab will obviously exceed the hundred mark easily. Is it normal for a club to only "insure" you that much?

I was once at a PGA Tour event and witnessed a hole in one...

Still waiting for my drink...what do the pros do when this happens????

DR.K

Carl,

I bought my foursome lunch.  It consisted of 4 hotdogs and pop.  I agree that it can get crazy if you buy for the whole clubhouse but that is up to the person who hit the ace.

Good thing we aren't in Japan. There they buy gifts for people.

I got off relatively easily when I had my hole-in-one.  It was the last day of our senior association year end tournament, with about 36 participants.  Because it was the last day, several participants had departed the course immediately following their round, knowing they were no longer in the running for any prizes.  Additionally, the course has a policy that you pay what you shot for your "first" beer following the round.  I was charged only $0.74 per beer, plus one bottled soft drink and ended up paying only $12.75 total.  I volunteered to buy drinks for all those who participated int he senior tournament, but did not provide for an open bar for anyone who happened to be there.

In a related note, I played in an interclub event at my home club during which someone from one of the other clubs holed out on a par 4.  He won a skin, but did not buy drinks for the group.  He may have bought drinks for his foursome, but I'm not even sure he did that.

Seems to depend on the individual, the course, and the circumstances.

It seems to really depend on the circumstances and the individual.  This is a tough question and a good one however tradition is tradition...not saying I agree with it, that is why most clubs have hole in one insurance! LOL

I say drinks for your group and MAYBE any other people who witnessed it.  All the people who just happened to be hanging out in the clubhouse because they have nowhere else to go can kick rocks.  

I draw the line at my playing partners, but I buy them as many as they want. Fortunately, it has only happened once!

If I ever when I make a hole in one I will gladly pick up a hefty bar tab.  I won't be buying everyone three fingers of Johnny Blue, but I will gladly cover a cocktail's cost.  I look at it this way, a bar bill will only sting for a moment, but a hole in one will last for eternity.

That said, my club actually has hole in one insurance.  Anyone who makes an ace earns everyone in the bar a free libation.  It's a pretty cool way to celebrate.