The odds of two amateur golfers in a foursome each getting a hole-in-one on the same hole are 26 million to 1, according to the National Hole-in-One Association. 

The odds of those two golfers being brothers, one of whom had hit an ace on the same hole 14 years ago while playing with the same brother … unknown.

But for Tahoe residents Paul and John Wood, who pulled off the feat on the 14th hole of the Incline Village Championship Golf Course on August 19, beating the odds seems to come easier when they’re playing with family.

While 63-year-old Paul is an enthusiastic golfer who plays twice a week and has recorded three previous holes-in-one (prior to last month’s double ace), his younger brother John, 55, is a twice-a-year player who had never gotten a hole-in-one before. Rounding out the foursome that day was another brother, Mark Wood, and Victoria Thompson, who both witnessed the feat.

Playing in the evening, the group was reminiscing about Paul’s ace from 14 years ago on the tee box at the 14th hole, right before he stepped up and recreated the feat with his 8-iron.

“We stepped to the tee and sure enough, I hit it in the hole and we were all excited,” says Paul. “And then our other brother Mark hit. And then John gets up and hits his on the same line as mine and boom, boom, boom … in the hole.”

For John, it was his 7-iron and barefoot style (a habit he picked up years ago after going shoeless on the back nine, after a mid-round sole delamination, and shooting the best nine holes of his life) that proved the perfect combination in creating a magical family moment.

“When I stepped up I jokingly said, ‘Hey, is there room in the hole for one more?’” John says. “I had never gotten a hole-in-one before so I didn’t really think lightning would strike twice.”

After driving up to the green and verifying that both balls were indeed in the hole, the brothers went into celebration mode.

“It was pandemonium,” says Paul. “We were all jumping up and down and taking selfies.”

Choosing to call it a day at that point and drive in, the brothers were left with one final dilemma to solve: Whether the first or the second hole-in-one buys the traditional celebratory round of drinks.

About the 14th hole

The par-3 14th at the Incline Village Championship Course plays 219 yards from the black tees with a water hazard protecting the left-hand side of the green and bunkers awaiting those who hit their ball too long.