Hole in One

Today is transfer day. So about 250 km by car was announced. From the volcanic fields we go south to Lake Taupo and then to the southern end of the Tongariro National Park. The destination is a small hut with a great view of the 2797 high Ruapehu (mountain). (Pictures)

Before that, however, I prevailed against the strongly protesting travel companions and took a little detour through the city of Taupo. And that should be worth it. The road leads directly along the lake and so I immediately noticed the floating pontoon, which was rocking in the waves about 100 meters from the shore. It read "Hole in One" in very large font. That means something like making a hole on the first attempt. That's why I'm familiar with the term even as a non-golfer. In any case, someone here had a clever business idea and that's how you can get it The raised embankment shows off your skills when putting the hole in. 1 attempt costs NZ$3, 25 balls cost NZ$35 and with 50 balls you have a marginal cost of NZ$1, which is exactly NZ$50.

Now you have two questions: 1. What's the point? and 2. How many golf balls are in the lake?

To 1. If you get a hole in one, you'll get NZ$10,000 cash on your golf glove. Secondly, not many at all, as there are always divers on duty in the lake who get the balls out of the water for 0.07NZ$ each, or around 4 cents. I verified this, it's only 4 cents per ball.

The third question is: has anyone ever done this? I don't know, but the board said that there had already been 1281 winners. But most of them are said not to have been professionals and had their lucky shot. So I didn't even try it. I think the odds of hitting, if I had even gotten that far, would have been like winning the lottery. So in the range of 1:14 million. A bad deal for the golfer. But the hope for miracles is a pronounced defect in humans, so many business models can be built there. Be it eternal life or the hole in one on a swaying platform with changing winds from all directions. If I had to choose, I would golf.

When I get back, I will submit an application to the city of Koblenz to set up a pontoon like this in front of the Deutsches Eck.

Tee off is then from the monument. The strange rider then has to go. I'm sure this will be approved.