Projo Politics Blog

It's not all bad news on Smith Hill.

Governor Carcieri's assistant, Marge Gartelman, is probably still smiling today after sinking a hole-in-one during a golf tournament earlier in the week at the Exeter Country Club.

"We were jumping for joy," said Gartelman, who's been playing golf for just nine years She's been sharing the good news with many of her State House colleagues this week.

She did a little research too, finding that just 17 percent of all hole-in-ones are made by women. That's according to holeinone.com, she says.

The miracle shot came during a benefit tournament for the Smithfield Fraternal Order of Police on Monday. Gartelman said she felt good about the shot off the tee. It was the course's Par 3 11th hole, which is 130 yards from the women's tee.

She's still giddy when she tells the story: "I said, 'I think I hit the pin.' But [my friend] said, 'I think it went in.'"

It wasn't until she saw the ball in the cup that she believed it.

"It's luck, sheer luck," she said.

In good golfing tradition, Gartelman was forced to buy drinks after the round. But she says she only bought drinks for the women.

She didn't go away empty handed, though. The tournament organizers gave her a $500 gift card for a Glocester liquor store.

 Tags  Exeter Country Club hole-in-one Marge Gartelman Rhode Island Smithfield Fraternal Order of Police

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