Aces Wild at Gypsum Creek

Tom Buzbee, PGA

17 million to 1. According to those who meticulously keep track of such things, those are the odds of the miracle that took place on the 151-yard par 3 17th Hole at Gypsum Creek Golf Course in Gypsum, CO on Masters Saturday.

Playing in the same foursome, Fred Kessler, Dan Eby, Randy Marsh and Matt Larson headed to the 17th, which most local golfers fondly refer to as the “cliff hole.” Kessler, from Gypsum, hit first.

His well struck iron shot arched high into the sky.  Safely on the green, a bounce, a roll and into the hole!  A golfer’s dream!  The celebration could be heard all the way to the clubhouse.  

A dream come true!  The entire foursome was ecstatic. When they calmed down, Eby realized he was next up to hit.  The Gypsum resident had been back at the cart, getting an extra ball and fretting about what club to use and did not even see Fred’s ball go in. Still kicking himself for not paying attention, Eby launched a pitching wedge, thinking it too, looked pretty good sailing toward the green. 

A bounce, a roll and once again, as Bill Murray would say in Caddyshack, “It’s in the hole!”

This time, Eby and the entire, astonished foursome saw the ball disappear into the hole, right on top of Kessler’s.  On this Master’s Saturday, the roar erupted again from the 17th tee. 

Two players. 

Two swings. 

Two aces, within seconds of each other! No one at Augusta or anywhere else for that matter had pulled something like this off. Not today. 

While there was room for a third and technically even a fourth ball in the cup, normalcy returned to the cosmos and the final two to play settled for more predictable shots that would simply come to rest on the green.  Their role as witnesses to this incredible feat had been forever etched in their minds and in history.

The group hurried through the final hole and made their way to the clubhouse.  People were gathering as the news spread quickly around the course. 

Kessler, who had lived on the Gypsum Creek course for years, hadn’t played much lately.  He sat stunned, looking at the scorecard almost an hour later.   He shook his head while re-telling the story over and over again, “It was my first round of the year and I honestly didn’t expect much.” “Certainly nothing like this.”

Eby, on the other hand, was jubilant.  “I decided to get an annual pass to Gypsum Creek this year.”  “Then I told myself I was going to join the men’s league on Thursday afternoons and try and play a little better this season.”