Hole-In-One for X Games Europe

Frank Wells

Gunny (Snow Park Technologies builders of all the best parks and pipes) sent me this classic story the other day on his way back from Tignes France where they were planning out the upcoming European X Games venue.  If you Golf you’ll really enjoy it

As some of the people reading this email know, I am a bit of a primadonna golfer….the best Titleist and FootJoy equipment, only ProV1 balls, proper stretching and practice before a round, appropriate attire, etc.
I even have to have my special ball-marker (off of Poppa’s army uniform) in one pocket and my lucky divot tool in the other, before I’ll even hit range balls.
Followed by all of this is the fact that I am lucky to play golf regularly at some very nice courses with exceptional layouts, immaculate greens and fantastic overall maintenance. I am spoiled when it comes to golf.

Well, my friend and co-worker, Frank Wells, is no different. All the same golfaholic tendencies as mine. Frank’s Titleist AP2 irons even have “Wells” engraved on the clubheads.

Frank and I are just now returning today from a trip to France where we were doing a site visit for the upcoming European Winter X Games. The host resort, “Tignes”, is absolutely massive…dwarfs anything I’ve ever seen. The French Alps there are incredible, steep and jagged. Two years ago, the final mountain stage of the Tour De France finished there.

After our meetings on Wednesday, the resort (after hearing that Frank and I were golfers) offered to host us at their golf course. Unlike resorts here in the US, the entire resort of Tignes is a city owned municipality. One phone call from the Mayor’s office (seriously) and we were all set.
We had been eyeing the course each day as we passed from our hotel to the venue location. It is a really odd 18 hole layout, with 9 holes on either side of their lake. Some of the holes extend more than 500 vertical feet up the mountain-side making it a SERIOUS walking course (no carts) with an occasional 300 meter+ walk from one green to the next tee box.
Really funky hole layouts, difficult to tell where the fairways begin and end, plus everything is a major slope toward the lake. The greens were extremely slow and bumpy. A total “goat track”…literally. A LONG ways from the pristine holes of the Tahoe Mountain Club.
But, when the offer was made, Frank and I jumped at the chance to play golf in the Alps.

We were met by the Director of Golf at the “pro-shop”, an 8 x 10 shack next to a putting green, where they gave us rental clubs that would be considered poor by Reno Garage Sale standards. Each bag had about 5 random clubs (mine had two different 7 irons) and a putter, Frank and I had never heard of the brand of clubs, but suffice to say they had probably gone out of business in the 80’s.
And we were given 5 balls each….some with logos I’d never heard of. You could not buy a sleeve of balls, the course gave you 5 balls from a bin (looked like they had fished out of the lake) and you hoped you didn’t need any more.
They asked us if we knew how to play golf and we respectfully replied that we were avid golfers and honored to be hosted at their course.

The Director Du Golf personally took us over to the first hole, a 135 METER par 3 with about an 80 foot elevation drop down to the green. The golf director told us in broken English that it would play equivalent to a 150 yard shot minus the drop, so maybe 140. Meanwhile, the small bar and restaurant overlooking the first hole had a few locals hanging out to check out the American X Games Celebrities in town.

I’ll stop right there and explain that this will be the first European Winter X Games and there is a HUGE amount of pride for Tignes that they have landed a 3 year deal to host the event. We were treated like celebrities every minute we were there. It was no secret who we were in that small town in the French Alps. The resort personnel and locals were exceptionally accommodating.
Frank, myself and Tim Reed (X Games sports and competition director and a good friend) stepped up to the tee box wearing jeans, hiking boots and Burton weather coats (it had been raining) fresh off of the muddy summer ski slopes after our walk of the course venues. Jet lagged, no stretching, no range and not one practice swing.

Did I set it up enough? OK…
YUP, Frank Wells: Hole-in-fuckin-one on the first swing, first hole, first shot of the day!!!!!
The ball hit at the front of the green, rolled about 18 feet and just trickled into the cup…
With the golf director standing 6 feet away!!! And an audience on the deck!
Amazing! We all went absolutely crazy!
In 26 years of playing golf, Frank finally gets his first hole in one in the most unlikely of places, conditions and circumstances with a graphite shafted “MidMax” 9 iron and a MaxFli POS (piece of shit).
UNBELIEVABLE!!!
(See photo 1 from tee.)

Now, not to take ANYTHING away from Frank’s incredible shot of a lifetime…but, when we had all calmed down and it was finally my turn to step to the tee, I told Frank that I should use his “lucky club” for my tee shot. Again, no stretch, no swing, no range (just an 18 hour flight to loosen up) I step to the tee and put the ball on what can only be described as the exact same flight pattern as Frank’s ball. A high, slightly drawing 9 iron shot with a lot of drop due to the elevation change.
The ball hit in the exact same spot, rolled up on the same line as Frank’s ball….taps the flag stick and squirts about 8 inches from the hole. As close to a SECOND hole in one as you can get!
We all swore it was going on while it was still moving. (you can see in the 2nd photo how close it came to going in)
The golf director stood looking on with huge eyes, unable to believe what he was seeing at his course.
(see photo 2 at hole)

Needless to say, the French realized right then and there that the Americans had arrived.
Thanks to the golf director that story quickly traveled through the town of Tignes and we (mainly Frank) were superstars!
I think European X Games is going to go pretty well this year!
Viva Le France!!!
CG