Student Golfer Celebrates Incredible Hole-in-One at CLF’s Fairways to Justice Golf Classic

May 2025

A hole-in-one is a rare event. The odds, 1 in 12,500, are definitely against it. In fact, only 1 to 2% of all golfers accomplish the feat each year. But anyone who has ever achieved it always has a great story to share.

Meet Hannah Jugar. The California State University, Long Beach graduate student did the unimaginable. The setting was California Lawyers Foundation’s (CLF) inaugural golf tournament, held at the magnificent Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport, California. It was supposed to be a friendly game of golf among attorneys, students, and legal professionals benefiting CLF’s California Legal Pathways Collaborative.

“I had never met any of the people I was playing with before,” explains Jugar, setting the stage for her “ace,” a golfing term for hole-in-one. “It was such a beautiful hole,155 yards, overlooking a canyon. I was the forth to tee up in my group. The first three players unfortunately all hit their balls into the canyon, so I felt the pressure to hit a good shot. I was playing with two other students and an attorney.”

She continues, “It was a scramble, so we were starting on hole number four of the South Course, a par three. It was literally my first swing on the course. I stepped up and hit my 8-iron. I saw my ball go towards the pin, then it disappeared. The attorney I was playing with said, ‘I think it went into the hole.’ I thought he was kidding around. So we took a golf cart, rode up to the green, and looked inside the hole. My ball was in it. It was insane!”

The hole-in-one was rewarded with a generous $5,000 scholarship presented by Jason Meyers, President and Founder of 19^th Hole Productions. The company provided CLF with assistance in developing the action-packed fundraising event. “I was so surprised to receive a scholarship. I am really grateful,” says Jugar. “I will put it directly toward my student loans.”

Jugar is a NCAA Division 1 golf athlete. She began her collegiate golf career at the University of Redlands, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in environmental science and minored in spatial studies. She will receive her master’s degree in geographic information science in May 2025, and plans to pursue professional golf. Her goal is to combine her athletics experience with her education and passion to advocate for sustainability in the golf industry.

“I feel so fortunate that I was invited to participate in CLF’s tournament by the Law Office of Vincent C. Ewing,” says Jugar.  “Mr. Ewing’s firm was an event sponsor; however, he wasn’t able to play. He supports the Long Beach community and reached out to my golf team. It was such a great opportunity to network with law students. Our studies are different, but they intersect. I have worked in the environmental consulting field, and lawyers play a big role in such things as developing mitigation reports, acquiring permits, and how to comply with many environmental laws.”

Unbelievably, Jugar confesses that this was actually not her first, but her fourth hole-in-one. “It was my most memorable ace so far,” she is quick to say. “It was such a great day to see lawyers golfing along with us, as students. It was a friendly competition, but also a good way to build connections and gain career advice. I think golf teaches you so much – networking, patience, perseverance, and more. I’ve played many times with complete strangers. After a few hours on the course with them, I’ve developed some lasting friendships.”

To learn how you can support CLA, visit: https://calawyersfoundation.org/

To follow Hannah’s sustainable golf career, visit: @the_hannah_j on Instagram