Verifying a Hole-in-One

Anyone who has ever played in an event with a hole-in-one grand prize has no doubt seen a person trying to be inconspicuous near the green. That person didn't just land there randomly. The presence of a “witness” is mandated by the insurance.

Generally, one independent (non-playing) person is required to act as a witness to verify a hole-in-one. If the grand prize has a value of $100,000 or greater, an unedited videotape is required.

Rules vary but most insurance companies will only require one witness for up to $25,000 in grand prize. Over $25,000 they may require two witnesses (one at the tee and one at the hole) and for prizes of $100,000 or greater, they are usually looking for a police officer or a PGA Tour official and the unedited videotape.

For prizes with a value of less than $5,000, a non-playing witness is usually not required.