Golf in North Carolina has been nothing short of spectacular.

I learned the game in this state and I plan on playing more golf here in the future.

But for now, I will be taking my game up to Massachusetts and staying for a while. This will be my last golf column, so I will leave you with one last bit of advice.

Use your imagination around the greens. I have practiced the same chip shot with every club in my bag, from my sand wedge up to my driver. You will find that using each of these clubs will give you more options when you are hitting the ball around the green.

Many uphill chips will require you to hit the ball low and let the ball roll like a putt. For this shot, I will use my 3-wood or 7-iron to get the ball moving quickly.

Practicing with each of your clubs will give you more confidence to try using your imagination around the greens.

Cotton Valley holes-in-one

Ron Lappin of Greenville hit a hole-in-one on the par 3 15th hole at the Links at Cotton Valley.

The 15th hole is the start of the final four holes known by many as Deadman's Corner. The 160-yard par 3 is the hardest par 3 on the course with water guarding the front left of the hole and a sand bunker guarding the right side of the green.

The hole-in-one occurred around 10:30 a.m. on July 21.

Lappin used a 5-hybrid club to hit the hole-in-one, which was not his first.

Nashville native Howard Franks hit his first hole-in-one on the 12th hole at Cotton Valley.

Club pro Tom Johnson said he witnessed the hole-in-one and that it bounced off a hill beside the green and rolled into the hole on the back of the green.

Franks used a 9-iron on the 142-yard par 3.

The hole-in-one occurred around 12:30 p.m. on July 29.

The 12th hole at Cotton Valley is guarded in the front by a lake with a large mound on the right side of the green.