ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - Grace McNamara already knew there was something special about Nov. 11, 2011 but never figured a friendly golf outing would figure into the once-a-century date.

According to the Ruggles Golf Course Facebook page, on Nov. 11, 2011, McNamara stepped onto the tee on the Par 3 at 1:11 p.m. and "with one swing, she recorded her first hole-in-one using an 11-wood. Golf Manager/PGA Pro Richard J. Bond and PGA Pro/Instructor Dave Correll went to the third hole to validate the distance and, well you might have guessed it, the recorded distance was 111 yards. [McNamara] used a Callaway ball number 1."

McNamara said it was her first hole-in-one ever, after just eight years of regular golfing.

"Of course it was about 40 degrees and windy which made it that much more difficult, which is why I used that 11 wood," she said. "I watched it bounce, then roll into the hole and said 'Wow!'"

The significance of the date didn't hit until her until her group returned to clubhouse. Everyone was excited and after the news spread, that included family members, she said.

"Only one of our daughters plays golf, but both of them said, 'Great job, mom!'"

McNamara said when she first started playing, she took advantage of the golf lessons offered at Ruggles. Since then the courses at APG have gotten better and better, she said.

"The greens are coming together like the clubhouse and the new [Sutherland] grill is much improved," she said, adding that players can place orders at the 9th hole before they head in.

"We've eaten dinner and watched football on Sunday there," she said. "The people there are so nice. The greatest change was improving access to the course when they moved the gate back."

With all the pluses of playing on the Courses at APG, Mother Nature comes in No. 1, McNamara said.

"I love the layout, the trees and the animals, I've watched wild turkeys flying in on No. 8; I've seen coyotes and I've seen eagles. It's just beautiful to be out there with nature."

Grace McNamara is the spouse of Tim McNamara, deputy to the APG garrison commander.