MILLERSVILLE, Pa. — On a hot day at Crossgates Golf Club, Jeff Conklin searches his bag and makes a choice for a club that will bring the perfect combination of distance and accuracy.
"It's that one swing where you have the opportunity to create the memory of a lifetime," said golfer Jeff Conklin.
From May of 2021 until April of this year Conklin, who loves the game of golf, has been on a hot streak.
"It has been great, it's fantastic and I want more," Conklin said.
Some would call that attitude a little greedy, but Conklin is locked in on pins and has racked up an ace count.
"Five in the last year," he smirks to the camera knowing that is more than people have in a lifetime.
This isn't a fable. Every one of Conklin's hole-in-ones has been verified. That would be five hole-in-ones at Millersville's Crossgates Golf Club.
"Five in a year is just crazy," says Scott Greiner, who is often a playing partner of Conklin's at Crossgates. He vouches for every single swing.
"They were all with other people, all with our groups and they were all legit," said Greiner
He isn't one to fabricate a story for a friend, as he is the Lancaster County Golf Association's tournament chairman.
The memories of each ace can be recalled at a moment's notice for Conklin.
"May 1st of 2021, [I] proceeded to [hole] 17, and hit a perfect seven iron right in," Conklin said.
"Now number two," Conklin continued. "[The] sunlight was so sharp we could not see it go in the hole. November 11, on the 13th hole, a nine-iron just a perfect shot right in front, it one hops off the pin and in."
Ace number four is the one Greiner remembers best, "Fourth one, to be honest, was the biggest," he beams.
Conklin slow plays it, "I got to the sixth hole, that was the only hole I had not made a hole-in-one on at [Crossgates]."
Greiner says he saw it coming.
"I yelled across and said 'Jeff, you need one for the Crossgates slam, let's get it over with.' And he hit the ball and we knew it was around the hole."
Conklin on the tee could only watch, "Just a perfect eight iron, the sun was glaring, we couldn't see it for sure."
But they let every know that the ball was in the clown's mouth.
"Until they got to the green, we didn't know it was in the hole," says Greiner. "We heard everybody yelling and screaming and we were like 'oh my gosh, you got the 4th one!'"
Four aces in a year, Conklin was not about to stop.
"Then, this year, I actually made a hole-in-one on April 13th, 2022 on the 17th hole."
The expectations now when Conklin and his group hit a par three are high.
"We are disappointed if he isn't really close or he doesn't get a hole-in-one," Greiner laughs knowing that the expectation is unrealistic.
Conklin knows that as well. "I thought I dropped over and died," he said. "I asked my friends if I was dead because making a hole in one almost every week was odd, but I liked it!"
Still tickin' and still swinging. Conklin keeps looking for those aces.