What Is an Ace in Golf? (Tips on How to Make One)

An Ace in golf refers to a hole-in-one, where a player hits the ball from the tee box directly into the hole with a single shot.

An ace in golf is a very rare achievement. The odds of achieving a hole in one for am ateur players is 12,500 to 1. Most amateur golfers will never achieve a hole in one in their lifetime playing golf. Making the ace a very special moment for any golfer. Normally, golfers will keep and frame their ball afterwards. That’s just how special it is!

What is An Ace in Golf?

The Basics of a Hole-in-One

An ace in golf is when a player only takes one shot to complete a hole. Therefore this will always have to be done from the tee box of the hole.

Almost all hole in ones are made on Par 3 holes. This is because par 3 holes are at short distances designed to reach the green in one shot. Although aces have happened on both par 4 and par 5 holes, the feat is extremely rare and have only been done a handful of times.

If you were to achieve a hole in one on a par 4 it can still be called an ace. However, the scoring term would be considered an albatross. Likewise for a par 5 hole, the scoring term would be considered a condor.

One of my favourite aces of all time came on Par 4. Scroll down to the Famous Aces section to see Matt Sharff accomplish the ridiculously hard feat.

Why It’s Called an “Ace”

An ace is a very popular sports term that at the core means perfect. If a tennis players makes a point directly on a serve (only hitting the ball once for that rally), it is referred to as an ace. It’s only normal that it would also have a home in golf, as a hole in one is a one shot finish on a given hole.

Do You Get a Prize for an Ace?

Some PGA tournament will have sponsored donated prizes for a given par 3 in the tournament. Should a player ace the hole, they get the prize.

This isn’t exclusive to pro events. Some charity tournaments will offer a prize for a hole in one as well. There are even companies that sell “Hole in one insurance”. Companies like American Hole in One, will put up the prize for a tounement for a fee. If no one hits a hole in one, which is likely, they keep the money. if someone does, the cover the price of the prize. Pretty cool!

However, if you’re new to golf and your hoping your local course will give you a reward for hitting a hole in one, I’m sorry to inform you thats not the case. In specific cases a course may do something special but its not often. Most of the time, the course will take your picture with your ball and post it on their social media. Hooray!

Techniques and Tips for Achieving an Ace

Choosing the Right Club

Although the odds of hitting a hole in one are 12,500 to 1 and most golfers will consider it luck. Which I don’t disagree with. However, you can still do quite a bit of work to help you get a little luckier.

Keep in mind, I am only referring to par 3 holes. Trying to change or improve strategy for the sole purpose of making an ace on any hole is not good golf practice. Doing so on anything other than a par 3 makes absolutely no sense at all.

With that being said, the first choice a player makes on any par 3 is what club they are going to hit. if you choose a club that wont carry the far enough to ever get to the hole, you’ll never make a hole in one. So making sure you have enough club (a club that you can actually hit the distance of the hole) is the first step. This may seem logical but not every golfer will attack the pin on a par 3. Sometimes, the pin will be dangerously in the back of the green. A shorter club will allow for a bigger margin of error. This is good shot planning.

Distance will not be the only factor when it comes to choosing the right club. Conditions like green firmness and pin position will come into play. If the pin is right after a ridge, a player may select a club that will carry less distance but roll down to the hole after it lands. Same goes for if the ground is hard and cold, regardless of where the pin is, the ball will be less likely to stay where it lands. Players will use a less yardage to compensate for the extra roll their ball will receive. Making it more likely to make an ace.

If you don’t think your golf clubs are a good fit for you and you think you should consider getting professional help, try using QuickFit. A free online fitting tool that pairs you with the clubs most suitable for you.

Perfecting Your Swing

If we are going to make an ace, which may come down to luck, we still need to be able to hit our ball on target. Many amateur golfers struggle with hitting the ball where they are aiming. It may even come down to where they feel they are aiming versus where the are actually aiming. A lot of the times we think we are aiming at a certain target but in reality we are more looking there. We need to make sure our club face and our hips are pointing at the target.

When it comes to trying to make an ace in golf, we may not always be aiming right at the flag. We may be anticipating roll out from left or right. Therefore, we need to pick a target in the distance and set up accordingly.

A very simple and effective way to improve aim is to pick a target in the distance, a tree, Pole, or a shrub and then point your club at it and then bring your club down to the ground on that same line and finding something on the ground like a leaf or imperfection in grass and then setting up using that as your target. This will allow you to quickly check your alignment and have a better feel for the aim point.

If your aim seems to be on point but you can’t seem to get the ball there, consider working on your tempo, club path, or takeaway. All these are fundamental’s of the golf swing and can help you get your game to a place where you’ll have a better chance of making an ace, should the golf gods let it.

Factors That Affect the Likelihood

Just like any shot in golf, the environment plays a huge factor in the odds of making an ace. For starters, the further away the hole, the harder it is. Most hole in ones will come on par 3 holes on the sorter side.(under 150 yards)

On any yardage hole, the pin placement will play a huge factor on the chances of an ace. If the pin is on, below, or above any kind of ridge this will make it harder. The ball will have to roll up, down, left, or right a ridge to get to the hole. When a ball does so pace has a huge impact on hoe it will break. This is make it that you have to hit a perfect shot to make an ace on that pin.

Depending on golfer’s skill level, an ace may be out of the question immediately. If I hit my farthest club (dirver) in the bag 230 yards and the hole is 263 yards away, I can kiss that ace chance goodbye. It’s just not possible with my current skill level.

Finally, some easy holes can become more difficult if its extremely windy or rainy. These will make it substancially harder to make an ace as I will have hit a perfect shot while accounting for the perfect amount that the wind will puhs my ball in the air and exactly how soft the ball will land because of the rain. Making it pretty much a hit and hope situation for many amateur golfers.

Famous Aces

Every fan probably has their favorite aces.There’s just such beauty in them and they do happen on tour. Almost at least once a tournament.

However, the first Ace I think of is one that came from a YouTube golfer on a par 4. Which would also be considered an albatross (3 under par). Watch Matt Sharff accomplish the near impossible on camera.

Funny enough, my second favorite ace isn’t one counted towards a pga score. However, Jon Rahm’s skip in ace at par 3 16th at Augusta National may always be the craziest par 3 ace. 

The shot was made during a practice round at the Masters on a Wednesday before the tournament. Watch it below!

Conclusion

An ace in golf is one of the rarest and most exciting moments the game has to offer. We covered what an ace actually is, why it almost always happens on a par 3, and just how unlikely it is for the average golfer. We talked about club selection, understanding conditions, improving alignment, and sharpening the fundamentals that at least give you a chance when the opportunity presents itself.

But here is the truth. You should not be trying to make a hole in one.

When you stand on a par 3 thinking only about the ace, you stop playing smart golf. You start forcing shots. You aim at pins you should not attack. You swing harder than normal. That is not how good golf is played. A hole in one is almost always a byproduct of a well struck, well planned shot that was simply on the perfect line with the perfect speed. It is a little skill and a lot of luck.

Your focus should always be on making a committed swing, choosing the right club, and hitting your number. If the ball happens to track toward the hole and drop, enjoy it. Frame the ball. Take the picture. Celebrate it. But never build your strategy around chasing it.

Keep working on your alignment. Keep refining your tempo. Keep learning how wind, firmness, and pin position affect your shot. Over time, you will hit more solid tee shots on par 3 holes. And when you give yourself enough good looks, maybe one day the golf gods will let one fall. Until then, play smart. Play patient. Keep getting better. Because the real win is becoming the kind of golfer who is capable of hitting the shot in the first place.