Golfer fakes hole-in-one, resigns from Missouri club
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- Zach Holland, a former college golfer with a reported 2-handicap, resigned from WingHaven Country Club in O'Fallon, Missouri after admitting to faking a hole-in-one during the club's Member-Member Tournament.
- Holland told his playing partners he needed to take a personal phone call about his "mortally ill grandmother" so he could tee off ahead of them at the par-3 fourth hole, then reunited claiming he "thinned" his tee shot and didn't see where it went.
- WingHaven staff reviewed security footage showing Holland driving near the fourth green well before his scheduled tee time, leading to his admission and resignation.
- Nathan Charnes, acting PGA of America president and general manager at WingHaven, confirmed the incident to GOLF.com, saying the club "promptly addressed the matter" and considers it closed.
- The Member-Member Tournament included a hole-in-one prize pot; Holland acknowledged "we were giving two shots back to the field" but said there was "no excuse" for the deception.
- Holland told 101 ESPN St. Louis that he and his family — including his wife and two young children — have received online threats, with his main concern being the stigma his family will carry.
Why it matters: For WingHaven, the matter is officially closed after security footage exposed the pre-tournament ball placement. For Holland, the fallout extends well beyond lost membership: he and his wife and two young children are now receiving online threats, and he acknowledged his children may carry a stigma that "your dad is a [cheater]" for years to come, even as he insisted he is "not a cheater on the golf course."
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