MIKE GABBARD

MARCH 21

'EWA VILLAGES

HOLE NO. 18, 175 YARDS, 5-IRON

I wasn't going to play golf on March 21, but the weather forecasters kept predicting big storms coming later in the week. I went to 'Ewa Villages where I knew I could team up with some regulars.

We teed off on the 10th hole around 6:30 a.m., with black clouds looming above.

Because of the rain, No. 18 was scaled down from a par 4 to a par 3.

I looked down at my ball with a 5-iron, wishing it was a 4-iron (I left my 3- and 4-iron at home because I was carrying my bag and didn't think I would need them).

Always the optimist, I know all about the positive swing thoughts. However, the only thought I could muster looking uphill at the green, with a gentle trade wind blowing in my face, was: "This ain't gonna make it."

I made good contact. The five of us were staring the ball down. It was straight at the pin. Someone said, "Hey, I think it went in." I thought, "Nah, for sure the ball went 20 to 30 feet beyond the pin."

As we approached the green, someone in the group said, "Hey brah, it's in the hole."

I was looking beyond the rough, but didn't see anything.

Then I snuck up on the hole very slowly, hoping, but also preparing for the big letdown.

There, resting snugly against the pin at the bottom of the hole was my Titleist 2 smiling back at me. My first hole-in-one.

Mike Gabbard is a former Honolulu City Council member.