Zach Holland, an amateur golfer boasting a 2-handicap and a former player at William Carey University, has resigned from his seat at WingHaven Country Club. This decision follows the revelation of security footage capturing him fabricating a hole-in-one during an exclusive members-only event at the O’Fallon, Missouri course.
Speaking candidly in a Friday interview with “The Morning After” show on 101 ESPN St. Louis, Holland acknowledged his misconduct to club authorities. He also shared the unfortunate backlash his wife and two young children experienced after the incident came to light.
“When you engage in something as foolish as I did, consequences are inevitable,” Holland remarked, reflecting on his actions.
Holland confessed to placing his golf ball in the hole on the par-3 fourth hole even before the event had commenced, an event that featured a prize for a hole-in-one. He then misled his fellow players with his false claim.
“What I did was inexcusable,” Holland admitted, expressing deep regret. “There wasn’t any rationale behind it—just pure foolishness. Even though we were giving two shots back to the field, it’s not a justification. There’s no excuse for my actions.”
After completing the first three holes with his group, Holland told his playing partners he needed to take a personal phone call, allegedly regarding his ill grandmother — and that he would tee off on the fourth hole ahead of them and meet them later on the green.
Holland eventually returned to the group and explained that he “thinned” his tee shot, but wasn’t sure where the ball landed.
That’s when his group found the ball in the cup and celebrated what they believed was a hole-in-one by Holland.
Security footage reviewed by WingHaven staff showed Holland driving near the fourth green before his scheduled tee time, resulting in him confessing to the fake hole-in-one and resigning from the club.
“I made a bad decision, and I have to suffer the consequences,” Holland said. I’m trying to move forward as best I can and it’s been rough.”
He added that he’s worried about his family, who’ve been collateral damage due to backlash from his actions.
“I made a terrible mistake,” Holland said. “The lack of moral character — I can take the banter and the chatter and the heat because I deserve that from a golf perspective.
“What I am most worried about is my family. … It’s not fair to them for me to put them in that situation where when they walk through a room, there is a stigma there that your dad is a [cheater]. So questions that they may get asked or be getting asked down the road, that’s the worst part. The golf is secondary.”
Nathan Charnes, the acting PGA of America president and general manager at WingHaven, said that the club “promptly addressed the matter” and the incident is closed.
“WingHaven Country Club is aware of the recent attention surrounding an incident involving a former member during a Club event,” Charnes told GOLF.com. “The Club promptly addressed the matter.
“We care deeply about the integrity of the game and the experience we provide for our members and guests. Because this situation involved the actions of an individual and has been resolved, we consider it closed and have no further comment.”