Gil Hanse scores his first ace - on The Cradle at Pinehurst

For all the holes renowned golf architect Gil Hanse has created, built or restored to glory, he had never hit a hole-in-one.

Until Wednesday.

On The Cradle, the short course at Pinehurst.

Which Gil built.

Using a borrowed 58-degree wedge on the 78-yard second hole – named Colonnade – Hanse made his first ace.

“We saw it go over the little hill just past the bunker, and thought it might be close,” Hanse said. “But we couldn’t see the hole. As we walked up, I saw something white behind the green, but it was actually a tee. I looked in the hole – and there it was.”

Gil Hanse’s Cradle scorecard, with his ace.

Hanse designed and built The Cradle in 2017, a short course that Golf Channel called the “most fun 10 acres in all of golf.” There have been nearly 300 aces on The Cradle in the two years it has been open.

Though, while he hit the shot, Hanse can’t take ALL the credit. Hanse said his design partner, Jim Wagner, built the second green of The Cradle.

“Oh, I can’t wait to tell him,” Hanse said. “He’s going to hear all about it.”

Multiple times, we’re sure.