Shel Jahn next to his golf ball that is lodged in the hole on number 6 at the Preserve.
Shel Jahn Scores an Ace on Hole 6 at the Preserve
Alan Doan
On Feb. 13, Shel Jahn was playing at the Preserve with Dennis Marchand, Joe Oczak, and Don Plappinger. On Hole number 6, Shel selected a 9-iron for a 140-yard shot over a deep arroyo to a front pin position.
His ball flew directly at the flag, landed softly, rolled to the pin, and stopped. Dennis, standing beside him on the tee box, said, “That looks like it’s just inches from the hole.”
When they parked their carts near the green and looked down at the flag, the ball appeared to be very, very close. Then, when they reached the ball, they saw that it was actually lodged between the pin and the lip of the hole, which is why the ball was still visible from the tee box. Now he could celebrate.
This was Shel’s first hole-in-one after playing golf for about 20 years, the last 15 being here in SaddleBrooke.
Congratulations, Shel. Well done!
Karen Wilson retrieving her fifth ace from a cup that frequently runneth over.
Karen Wilson’s Fifth Hole-In-One
Ann Lange
Karen Wilson saw her fifth hole-in-one Feb. 2 during the MountainView/Preserve Women’s Golf Association (MPWGA) Tuesday playday on hole number 6 at the Preserve. This was her third ace on Preserve number 6, in addition to previous aces on Preserve number 14 and MountainView number 17. This day’s game was called “Whiners,” in which each player eliminates the highest score from one par 3, par 4, and par 5. No doubt Karen kept the score from par 3 Hole number 6, enjoyed the rest of her round, and didn’t have a single thing to whine about.
The undulation and layout of the sixth green usually make it difficult to track the flight of a ball all the way to the cup. This day, the pin placement in center back opened the view right up for all to see. Karen took a look at the 96-yard path to the blue flag from the elevated tee box. She didn’t even give a thought to the pesky ball-eating gully below, brownish “Velcro patch” over the green, steep desert rise to the left, and deep bunker to the right. Using a 9-iron, she showed her TruFeel ball who was boss, and lofted it on a direct route straight to the pin. Without so much as a drumroll, and without missing a beat, the ball landed center stage on the dance floor, and hopped right in the orchestra pit, inspiring a little percussion from the others in her foursome, Linda Linegar, Susan Becker, and Donna Roth-Hillis. There was no celebratory clinking or clanking of glasses after the round, but a hearty toast with water bottles from six feet apart, a standing ovation right on the tee box, and wishes for many more encores.
Karen has lived in SaddleBrooke and has been an active member of the MPWGA for 16 years, including service on the board. She calls the MPWGA a great group, and likes that it can be competitive, or just for fun. She golfs several times a week and enjoys playing with her husband Jim. Karen always seems to carry a spare ace around in her back pocket. We hope she continues to have deep pockets, especially when her son or grandson come for a golf visit, so she can show them exactly how a hole-in-one is done.
The MPWGA appreciates the support of hole-in-one sponsor Travelinda, LLC, owned by local SaddleBrooke resident Linda Stack. Travelinda supports us monetarily and provides prizes for Acers throughout the year. We thank our golf pros Matt Hudson and Mike Karpe and their friendly staff, Paul Hallock and his maintenance crew, and those of the 111 members of the MPWGA currently taking their turn in contributing their service on the board and various committees so that the cups of our lives continue to be half-full and fun during this challenging time.