Longest Hole-in-One Ever? Not So Fast

The San Diego Golf Academy has put out a press release, and put up a page on its Web site, touting what it is calling the "world record hole-in-one."

The shot in question is an ace made by Bret Melson, a student at the SDGA Hawaii Campus, on the 448-yard, par-4 No. 18 at the Ko'olau Golf Club in Oahu, Hawaii.

"I think every golfer dreams of acing a hole at least once in his or her lifetime, but never in my wildest dreams would I have thought about acing that particular par 4," Melson said. "I knew the ball had reached the green, but when my friends and I got up there, we couldn't find it. We looked for 15 minutes and I was totally shocked to find it at the bottom of the cup."

The Ko'olau course is considered one of the toughest in the world, and the hole Melton aced is the No. 1 handicap hole.

A significant and impressive feat, to be sure.

But it might not actually be "a new world record for the longest hole-in-one ever scored," as San Diego Golf Academy is touting it.

First off, there have been numerous holes-in-one on par-5 holes. Yes, nearly all of those par-5 aces are on holes with severe doglegs, on which the acer has cut the corner of the dogleg.

The SDGA seems to acknowledge the par-5 aces when, in one instance in the press release, it refers to Melson's ace as "the longest straight-shot hole-in-one in golf history."

But hold on again. According to the U.S. Golf Register, which is, About.com says, endorsed by the USGA as the official clearinghouse for holes-in-one in the U.S., that SDGA claim doesn't hold up, either.

Because in 2002, a fellow named Mike Crean aced the straightaway, 517-yard par-5 at Green Valley Ranch Golf club in Colorado.

True, that ace took place at altitude. But Melson's ace in Hawaii was on a downhill hole.

But Melson definitely deserves all the back-slaps and high-fives he's probably been getting. We all dream of a shot like that - whether it truly is the longest-ever ace or not.