hole-in-one

IPA/ˌhəʊl ɪn ˈwʌn/
IPA/ˌhəʊl ɪn ˈwʌn/

hole-in-one — noun

1. In golf, a situation where a player sends the golf ball off the starting area in

1.nounA2
Definition

In golf, a situation where a player sends the golf ball off the starting area into the cup using only one stroke, finishing the hole with that single swing.

Example

Yuki could not stop smiling after making a hole-in-one at the weekend tournament.

make + a + hole-in-one — achieving one

Folake's first hole-in-one came after twelve years of playing golf every month.

possessive + first hole-in-one — first achievement

Common collocations
  • get a hole-in-one
  • make a hole-in-one
  • hit a hole-in-one
  • score a hole-in-one
  • first hole-in-one
Synonyms
  • ace

    More informal term used mainly among experienced golfers; a hole-in-one is called an ace

Grammar Patterns

get/have/make/hit + a + hole-in-one

hole-in-one + on + [hole number]

Usage Note

Commonly used with the verbs get, make, or hit. The phrase almost always needs a or an. Although the plural is sometimes written as holes-in-one, it is rarely needed because the event itself is unusual.

Common Mistakes

He hole-in-oned the 7th hole.
He got a hole-in-one on the 7th hole.
hole-in-one is only a noun, not a verb.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Both hole-in-one and ace describe the same golf achievement: hitting the ball from the tee into the cup in a single stroke. Hole-in-one is the standard, more formal term used in news reports, scorecards, and tournament commentary. Ace is more informal and commonly used among golf players themselves. For example, a golfer telling a friend might say 'I got an ace on the 12th hole,' while a newspaper would write 'He recorded his first hole-in-one at the age of 62.' Learners should master hole-in-one first and treat ace as optional, sport-specific vocabulary.

hole-in-one ↗ace ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • get a hole-in-one
  • make a hole-in-one
  • hit a hole-in-one
  • score a hole-in-one

Prepositions

  • on [hole number]
  • at [tournament/event]

Etymology

EnglishEnglish (golf terminology)

This compound noun comes directly from golf scoring vocabulary. The 'hole' is the cup on the green where the ball must finish, 'in' shows the direction, and 'one' means the number of strokes taken. The term started appearing in golf writing in the early 1900s, when the sport was growing in Britain and the United States.

First known use

1925

1925, in the meaning defined above