It was gone. I hit the ball, saw it on its downward trajectory, and then it disappeared. Was it an optical allusion? Maybe it was just hiding behind the pin. It seemed surreal. I took a cheap shot at the ball. I was so sick of the sluggish pace of play, that I smacked the ball, with the boys in front of us barely off the green. My heart raced, my mom screamed, and my sister did not even know what had happened. I had just accomplished something that only one in 31,000 golfers accomplish.

As the ball was in the air my mom said, 'Looks like you are buying drinks honey!' and I uttered back, 'no it is going to be off the back of the green'. I saw the pin wiggle and heard a ping. Then the ball disappeared. Before I knew it my mom was running straight for the green and I found myself quickly following in her footsteps. It was all happening so fast. As I approached the green, thoughts raced through my head. What if the ball was not really in the hole? All these people were watching my mom and I charge down the fifth hole of Hopkinton Country Club. They probably thought we were crazy because nobody runs or screams while on a golf course. We reached the green 138 yards later, out of breath and anxious. We looked down into the hole and wedged between the side of the cup and the pin was my ball. It was an exhilarating feeling to look down into the cup and see my Nike Velocity 3 resting there. I had scored a hole-in-one.

On the fourth hole, I scored a fifteen, which is almost unheard of in golf. After the fourth hole I wanted to quit the round and go home. I had done so awfully. However, I had no option but to continue playing. So I proceeded across the street to the fifth hole, a par three. We had to wait for the two kids in front of us to clear the green. I was pissed that they were playing so slow and just sauntering off the green. As they were walking off I grabbed my five iron, a lime green tee, and my new Nike Velocity 3 ball out of my bag and prepared to hit. Normally, I make sure I am aimed to the target, take a couple of practice swings, and then hit the ball. But today I just wanted to leave, partially because we were going to Canobie Lake park that afternoon and I was so excited, and also because I was playing so poorly. So, I walked onto the tee box and hit the ball. The shot was beautiful and headed in the direction of the green. That is when it dropped in the cup for my first ever hole-in-one.

After nine holes I returned to the club house. There, I was congratulated many times. They said they heard a rumor from some other golfers that one of the McGowan's scored a hole in one on the fifth hole. Everybody thought it was my mother though. Many were shocked to find out that a fourteen year old girl who had been playing golf for only two years got a hole in one. I was the first female golfer at the club as well as the youngest golfer to score a hole-in-one, and the first person ever to score a hole-in-one on the fifth hole at the club.

Before I got my hole-in-one I was a discouraged golfer. It seemed as though everybody was better than me. The hole in one inspired me to continue golf and pursue it because I never knew what could happen. From the summer of 2005 onward I have played more golf than I could have ever imagined I would. I have improved drastically and anxiously wait for my next hole-in-one to occur.

My hole-in-one has inspired me to take risks that I never believed I would take. I have played soccer my whole life. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would quit soccer. Well, just that happened my junior year of high school. I knew that making the girl's varsity soccer team was going to be difficult, so I thought about trying out for the boy's golf team. There is no girl's golf team offered at Algonquin, so playing on the boy's team was the only option. I mulled over this for a while. During July of 2007 I decided that I would tryout for the golf team. I cannot say that anything besides passion swayed to make this decision, because making the boy's golf team was going to be much harder than making the girl's soccer team. However, I tried out and made the team. As a member of a boy's team I definitely felt out of place, but overall I enjoyed being part of the team. The team had a successful season, with a record of 12-6. I played in some matches and played well. I was just one of the boys. I learned that all the hard work I had put in myself paid off. I feel that my belief in myself helped me to make the golf team. I knew that having a negative attitude would get me nowhere; therefore I always attempted to maintain a positive attitude. My hole-in-one taught me that anything is possible if you do not give up.

My hole in one was one of my first positive experiences with golf. It inspired me to pursue what I am passionate about. It also taught me that anything can happen. Although this is not a high caliber situation, I learned from it. My hole-in-one encouraged me to be the determined person that I have become. I am determined to continue to play golf and improve. My hole-in-one showed me something that I will never forget: do not give up. I know that anything can happen if I just keep trying.