Historic Hole-In-One
VALENCIA — It's been a season of memorable golf shots for the Bartley family.
Josh Bartley sank the first two holes-in-one of his golf career a month apart during the summer.
Valencia resident TJ Bartley did his younger brother one better last month, sinking the first hole-in-one by anybody at the Topgolf facility in Bridgeville.
Topgolf, a three-story high golf facility that enables golfers to practice and/or play golf year round, opened in July of 2018.
“My office (for work) is in Southpointe, so I get over to Topgolf quite a bit, either for lunch, with fellow employees or to entertain clients,” the 33-year-old Bartley said.
He estimates playing there 30 times in the past year.
“I wasn't planning on going that particular day, then decided to stop in for my lunch break,” Bartley said. “I'm glad I did.”
Bartley was hitting from the second floor, out of a heated bay and off a carpet similar to those used at driving ranges.
Each shot taken is at a specific target down below. Bartley used a soft 8-iron to secure his ace from 125 yards out.
“It's so difficult to shoot a hole-in-one at a place like that, much harder than on a regular golf course because you can't roll it in,” Bartley said. “It almost has to be a slam-dunk type of shot.
“I definitely got a lucky bounce, but I'll take it.”
Bartley said his shot landed a few inches from the hole, “bounced off a padded brace and into the cup.”
Then the waiting game was on.
Even Bartley wasn't certain the ball actually went in.
“The way it works, a flag-stick lights up on a monitor in your bay,” he said. “I thought something may have accidentally triggered the signal, maybe.
“I had to wait 20 minutes or so while officials went out there to verify that the ball was actually in the hole.”
It was.
He was then greeted by about 15 Topgolf employees and officials who presented him with a $1,000 check for becoming the first hole-in-one golfer at the facility. He also received his golf ball back with a glass case to put it in.
“When I saw them coming with that check, I gave a Tiger Woods fist pump,” Bartley said, laughing.
Bartley is a 2005 Mars graduate. His two brothers and father, Tim Bartley, all played on the Planets' golf team.
Bartley is a former assistant golf pro at Treesdale. Josh Bartley won the PSAC Championship while golfing for Indiana (Pa.) University in 2017. Josh also competed on the Swing Thought Tour down south over the summer.
TJ Bartley said he only golfs “maybe 10 times a year now” since entering the oil and gas industry, leaving the golf profession five years ago.
“Golf has been a big part of the Bartley family for a long time,” he said. “I guess this shot just added to it.”
