How to Qualify a Hole-In-One

The process of qualifying a hole-in-one is much simpler than achieving the rare feat.

With odds of roughly 1 in 33,000, most players will never experience the rush of scoring a hole-in-one in their careers. If you're lucky enough to manage this memorable shot, registering it helps immortalize your accomplishment in U.S. golfing history, and there are a number of organizations that maintain registries.

1. Visit the golf course's pro shop after the completion of your round to speak with the PGA professional on duty. Show him your scorecard and have any witnesses who saw your shot attest to the validity of the hole-in-one. Depending on the course's policy, the professional might ask for a copy of your scorecard and the signed accounts of your witnesses.

1. Select the organization or organizations where you wish to register your hole-in-one.

2. You are not limited to registering with just one organization. The PGA of America offers a registry (www.playgolfamerica.com/holeinone/), as does The Hole In One Society (www.holeinonesociety.org/pages/ace.aspx) and the United States Golf Register, which describes itself as "the nation's official historical registry of holes-in-one."

1. Visit the website of the of the organization or organizations you have selected to register your hole-in-one with.

2. Fill in the supplied online form for each organization with your personal information and the details of your hole-in-one. The forms vary from one organization to another.

3. For example, the PGA site requires only the date of the event, the course name, and the state. The PGA then confirms the hole-in-one with the course's PGA professional. The United States Golf Register requires information such as your name and contact information, details about the golf course, the date of the accomplishment, the hole number, par and yardage, the ball you used, your club model and make, and the names of any witnesses.