NATCHEZ — Allen Smith knew he hit a solid drive that had a good chance to end up on the green on the par 4 12th hole at Duncan Park golf course Nov. 3.

“I had just birdied the 11th hole before that and hit my drive well, so I was pretty confident in my driver on the next hole,” Smith said.

When he and his playing partners walked up to the green that stood approximately 285 yards from the tee box, Smith did not see his ball anywhere.

“It hit in front of the green and bounced up on the green,” Smith said about his drive. “I didn’t see it go in the hole, and we walked up and looked around.

“One of my buddies said, ‘Go up and look in the hole.’ I said, ‘I ain’t looking in there.’”

Eventually Smith did check the hole, and that is where his ball was sitting.

“We all high-fived and shook hands and took pictures,” he said. “I had to buy everybody a drink when we went back in to the club house.”

Saturday’s hole-in-one was actually Smith’s second in his 44-year golfing career, but it was his first on a par 4.

“I’ve been pretty dang lucky I guess,” he said. “But I’ve been playing since I was 10 years old.”

After the ace on the 12th, Smith said he kind of packed it in for the day and ended up shooting a 77.

“After that I wasn’t worried about it,” he said.

After Smith triumphantly removed the golf ball from the hole, he and his playing partners signed it, and he plans to keep it as a souvenir.

“I put it straight in the bag,” he said. “I’m going to keep it with the other one.”

Duncan Park will also commemorate Smith’s hole-in-one with a plaque.