About once a year, I have to travel for work to San Diego. Without exception, my plan is to arrive early the day before, rent a car, and head immediately to Torrey Pines. Upon my arrival this year, I was told that the greens had recently been aerated... but I couldn't turn down the chance to revisit the beauty and challenge of the South Course. When we stepped up to the 11th tee - which measures 204 from the blues - one of the guys in my group, Mark, used his range finder and targeted one of the guys on the green. "One eighty-four to the guy in the yellow," he said. Given the stiff 15-20 mph headwind, I decided to try my old Tommy Armour 845 2-iron (which I had recently put in my bag on a lark). As I stepped up to the ball, Mark said with a cautious look, "Hey Ross, I'm now shooting 198 to the pin." For some reason, I didn't change my club choice, and barely altered my pre-shot routine. The ball came off perfectly. Nice and low, with the gentle fade I want when hitting a 2-iron. I've had an ace before, and I recall that moment, right when the ball is at its apex, when everyone is silent. Given the aerated greens, all I could see was the splash of sand. I looked at Mark and said, "that's tight." Having watched the landing through his range-finder, he said, "I think I just witnessed a hole-in-one." I tried to play it cool. There's nothing worse than thinking you have an ace, only to realize that you've actually blown it well over the green. But when I got up there, I looked down in the hole and saw that beautiful Titleist #5 staring right up at me. For me, it's always magical to play Torrey. I love that it's not just an elite track, but a municipal course - open to anyone on any day. I can't believe it, but I now love that place a little more. I can't wait to tell the story when I walk up to #11 tee next year...