Truth & Rumors: Washington hole-in-one hoax revealed

Ah, the hole-in-one. Golf's white whale.

Anyone who's had one calls it skill, and anyone who hasn't calls it luck. Anyone who tricks a reporter in Kitsap, Wash., into thinking a foursome of his buddies each had one in a single round…well, anyone who does that just calls it comedy.

We'll explain, with a hat tip to Golf Digest's Derek Evers, who turned us on to this story.

Turns out a report filed last week about each member of a Washington foursome recording an ace in a single outing was a hoax, the work of a local comedian. Make that a self-titled comedian.

Cris Larsen, the aforementioned jester, told Kitsap Sun reporter Jeff Graham about this bizarre occurrence two weeks ago. Of course, since he's funny, it was a lie. Larsen's group, which included the course's director of golf, hit their shots from the tee and then rolled the balls in with their hands, according to a very earnest and quietly seething retraction issued by Graham himself.

The story turned out to be one dumb joke on me and you, the reader.

Larsen delivered the punchline Wednesday morning at a meeting of the East Bremerton Rotary Club. Kitsap Sun Editor David Nelson was sitting in the room when Larsen announced, with a laugh, that he'd put one over on the Sun.

Ah, yes. The East Bremerton Rotary Club. Where Seinfeld got his start. Or was it Carrot Top? I don't remember. Details don't matter -- just ask Cris Larsen.