Hole-in-one two-fer?

Ellie Rice (left) and Jan Markham managed dual holes-in-one while playing the same
foursome at Crooked River Ranch golf course July 28.

Gary G. Newman

Spokesman staff

Two Crooked River Ranch golfers pulled off one for the record books July 28 when they each hit a hole-in-one on the same hole while golfing in the same foursome.

Jan Markham and Ellie Rice were out for a round of golf with Anita Britton and Judi Skaurud. On the 106-yard 11th hole, Markham teed off with her brand new eight iron, her preferred club for 100-yard shots.

“When I hit it I didn’t think it was that good,” said Markham, 76, who has three previous aces and a double eagle to her credit in 43 years of play.

But Britton, who Markham and Rice both call “Young Eyes,” said she saw it go in.

That struck Rice, 74, as just wrong. After all, she’d never hit an ace in her 35 years of playing golf and Markham had three.

“Ellie came over and said 'that’s not fair,’” said Markham.

Britton teed off for her shot and then Rice walked into the tee box with her pitching wedge. The shot was true, and again the message came from “Young Eyes” that the ball went in.

The women were yelling so loud they got the attention of the male foursomes golfing ahead of them and behind.

The tradition for those who hit holes-in-one is to buy drinks for everyone in the house; Markham said they told the men in the foursomes to go to the  Big Dog Saloon at Crooked River Ranch.

“We went to Sandbaggers,” she added with a mischievous gleam in her eye. The men were left looking for their free drinks in the wrong watering hole.

The odds of two people in the same foursome getting a hole-in-one on the same hole are 17 million to one, said Rice, who looked it up.

“We’ve been told this is so rare,” said Markham. “We should be on ESPN.”

The story does have a downside.

Britton had shot even par for the first 11 holes, but she double boogied the 12th hole.

“She complained that we ruined her game and she still shot a 77,” said Rice.