An ace, also known as a hole-in-one, is a score of 1 on a golf hole.
To score an ace, a golfer must hit their tee shot in the hole.
Aces happen almost exclusively on par 3s, but there have been instances where players have aced par 4s and even par 5s!
On any hole, the terms ace and hole in one are interchangeable, but there can be other terms used to describe a hole in one depending on the par of the hole:
On a par 3, an ace is also technically an eagle (2 under par on a hole).
On a par 4, an ace is also technically an albatross or double eagle (3 under par on a hole).
On a par 5, an ace is also called a condor (4 under par on a hole) and on a par 6, an ace is also called an ostrich (5 under par on a hole).
How Rare Is An Ace In Golf?
Aces are very rare.
Hole in ones occur mainly due to luck, particularly for amateur golfers.
Most golfers go their whole lives without making an ace.
But then are also stories like that of Taylor Crozier.
In 2016, Taylor had the honor of being the first person to play Tiger’s new golf course in Houston, Texas.
On the first hole, and with the first swing ever made at The Playgrounds at Bluejack National, Crozier made a hole-in-one while Tiger looked on:
Hole-In-One Stats
- According to the National Hole-in-One Registry, the odds of the average amateur golfer making an ace is 12,500 to 1, while the odds of a PGA Tour player making an ace is 3,000 to 1.
- The odds of one player making two hole-in-ones in the same round like PGA Professional Corey McAlarney did, is 67 million to 1!
- About 128,000 hole-in-ones made per year.
- The most hole in ones made by one player on the PGA Tour is 10, by Robert Allenby and Hal Sutton.
- There has only been one ace on a par-4 in PGA Tour History: Andrew Magee on hole 17 at the Waste Management Open in 2001.
Aces Vs Albatrosses
Although aces are rare, albatrosses (double eagles) are much rarer.
The odds of a PGA Tour player making an albatross is 72,000 to 1.
The odds of the average amateur golfer making an albatross?
Likely over 1 million to 1.
Tiger Woods has made an estimated 20 hole-in-ones in his career (3 on the PGA Tour) but 0 albatrosses.
Has Anyone Ever Aced A Par 5? What Is An Ace On A Par 5 Called?
Yes, there have been five aces officially recorded on Par 5s.
An ace, or hole-in-one, on a par 5 is called a condor.
Reward For Making An Ace
Just made a hole-in-one?
Congrats.
Now you get to buy drinks for everyone that saw it!
I have no idea how or why this started, but it’s a tradition that has endured, so if you make an ace, be ready to pay for it.
