I achieved my first hole-in-one on hole #15 at the Ponoka Community Golf Course during the final round of an eleven-day golf trip with my husband, Gary Sandberg, my dad, Dale Lewis, and my dad’s significant other, Susan Johnston. This is our third annual golf trip, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to golf with both my dad and my husband. We even coordinate our outfits, with my dad starting the tradition, and on the last day, we all wore matching blue “hammer time” shirts. It’s always a lot of fun.
This particular trip was especially meaningful to me, as it marked the beginning of my recovery and my return to golf after a year of treatment (surgery, chemo, and radiation) following my breast cancer diagnosis in July 2023. I received the all-clear in May of this year and have been savoring every moment on the course.
The hole-in-one came as a complete surprise to me. Despite golfing regularly for over 30 years, I had no grand expectations when I teed up at the 102-yard hole from the forward tee boxes. In fact, I was just happy to see my ball clear the front sand trap with my pitching wedge, even though it wasn’t my best shot. But then it bounced, rolled toward the pin, and disappeared. I couldn’t believe it at first. When I turned to my husband, he confirmed it with a nod and raised arms. That’s when the excitement kicked in – I cheered, screamed, threw my club down, ran a victory lap around the tee box, and shared hugs with everyone around. My jubilation made it clear to everyone within a three-hole radius what had just happened.
Some of my friends and family believe that this hole-in-one is a well-deserved reward after the challenges I’ve faced in the past year. I wholeheartedly accept it as such! There’s no shortage of reasons to keep smiling!
