Holes In One... They're Like Buses

Kevinmarkham · 05-05-2014 08:50AM #1

Not a bad day at Greystones Golf Club on Friday. It was the annual Pro Am and the sponsors - Newcastle Motors - offered a prize of a car for a hole in one at the 16th (see pic below - pin is directly in front of the smaller of the two trees behind the green)...

... only problem was that there were two holes in one, including the 1st group of the day. I'd say the second guy was sweating it for a while, wondering if he'd win a car as well (a Peugeot 208).

And the guy verifying the scores on the hole reported that there was very nearly a third. The hole is 139 metres.

Dr_Colossus · 05-05-2014 09:03AM

Interesting and unusual scenario. Were the two players that got the holes in one professionals? Presume an amateur would be limited to the max value of prizes whatever they are now (few hundred euro although hard to know if applicable with classics and charity events offering holidays and other high value prizes).
Bad day for the sponsor but unless they'd explicitly stated that it was for the first hole in one not sure how they could avoid the negative publicity if they were to renege on the offer. Perhaps they hadn't stated it was for a new car and instead could offer two used cars of that specific make from their stock.

Goldenjohn · 05-05-2014 09:14AM

Was that not changed in the last set of rules? Think you can now stay as an amatuer and claim the prize previously you would have had to give up your amatuer status to claim the prize....i may be wrong though.

I'd say the dealer had insurance in place for at least one of the hole in ones.

Kevinmarkham · 05-05-2014 09:43AM

Both amateurs and both able to claim the prize. Not sure what the rule is, but I'd take the car and give up my amateur status for the year if that was required... wouldn't you?

Yes, insurance was in place but I don't know if it was for just one hole-in-one.

Senecio · 05-05-2014 09:45AM

Poor choice from the promoters to pick that hole.

If I was putting up a €20k price for a local pro am I would specify a hole that required more than an 8/7 iron.

redhill · 05-05-2014 10:35AM

Senecio wrote: »

Poor choice from the promoters to pick that hole.

If I was putting up a €20k price for a local pro am I would specify a hole that required more than an 8/7 iron.

Rubbish, a great choice of hole, the insurance for a pro-am is not very much, (less than a grand), the publicity the car company will get from local press etc alone will more than outweigh this especially as there was 2 holes in 1....

Dealerz · 05-05-2014 10:41AM

Great free advertising for the car company, they should make sure this goes everywhere on the internet, send the story to golf channel etc and you would expect two cars is a cheap expense.

But two aces in one day on same hole....any mathematicians work out them odds?

Kevinmarkham · 05-05-2014 11:31AM

Senecio wrote: »

Poor choice from the promoters to pick that hole.

If I was putting up a €20k price for a local pro am I would specify a hole that required more than an 8/7 iron.

Unfortunately the longest of our five par threes is the first hole at 160m.

Dealerz wrote: »

Great free advertising for the car company, they should make sure this goes everywhere on the internet, send the story to golf channel etc and you would expect two cars is a cheap expense.

But two aces in one day on same hole....any mathematicians work out them odds?

If they're two people in the same four ball who ace an hole it's 70 million to one. I couldn't find the stats for two on the same hole in the same comp.

I've already blogged about it and I know Brian Keogh is going to as well... so yes, they'll get lots of publicity out of it!

slave1 · 05-05-2014 11:45AM

Didn't we have two groups in a row ace a par three during the fed ex play offs either last year or the year before, the course on the NY island, KJ Choi was one of them AFAIK...

brick tamland · 05-05-2014 12:06PM

Mad stuff. Did they both get a car or was the value split between them?

Rikand · 05-05-2014 10:54PM

Senecio wrote: »

Poor choice from the promoters to pick that hole.

If I was putting up a €20k price for a local pro am I would specify a hole that required more than an 8/7 iron.

It's not that bad.... it's only a peugeot

FixdePitchmark · 05-05-2014 11:08PM

Lads - I don't think the odds are as high as people think.

Unbelievable - but the fact it happened - means it was not improbable. To look at it backwards.

The odds for 2 amateurs in the same group is 1,300,000 to one. They were not in the same group. And as it was a big outing ( I guess you had 50 + golfers) - the chances are reduced.

Another stat is there is a 1 in 12500 chance of a hole in one.

http://www.golfdigest.com/blogs/the-loop/2013/11/want-to-know-your-odds-for-a-hole-in-one-well-here-they-are.html

denishurley · 05-05-2014 11:11PM

Last year, two players -both former Waterford hurlers - in the same group did it, but at different holes

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/waterford-hurling-stephen-frampton-dave-bennett-967747-Jun2013/

kiers47 · 05-05-2014 11:13PM

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Lads - I don't think the odds are as high as people think.

Unbelievable - but the fact it happened - means it was not improbable. To look at it backwards.

The odds for 2 amateurs in the same group is 1,300,000 to one. They were not in the same group. And as it was a big outing ( I guess you had 50 + golfers) - the chances are reduced.

Another stat is there is a 1 in 12500 chance of a hole in one.

http://www.golfdigest.com/blogs/the-loop/2013/11/want-to-know-your-odds-for-a-hole-in-one-well-here-they-are.html

Nice link. What about your man claiming to have a 517 yard hole in one. Surely that cant be right!!

FixdePitchmark · 05-05-2014 11:16PM

kiers47 wrote: »

Nice link. What about your man claiming to have a 517 yard hole in one. Surely that cant be right!!

Use to read them in Guinness Book of records.

Always a wind of about 70 - 100 kmh.

Played in one myself in America. So is possible.

FixdePitchmark · 05-05-2014 11:21PM

I'm too depressed to think.

But - you could say that the events were unrelated - Both lads had a 1 in 12500 chance to have a hole in one.

To bring the maths to a crazy example - if both lads had played 12499 holes without a hole in one.

Sorry just confusing myself (lol)

Seve OB · 07-05-2014 09:28PM

Yet another hole in one today @ greystones. This time @ 11th. Have to feel sorry for the lad cause all he is gonna get is a few golf balls!

shane 007 · 08-05-2014 06:19AM

stevieob wrote: »

Yet another hole in one today @ greystones. This time @ 11th. Have to feel sorry for the lad cause all he is gonna get is a few golf balls!

There just be something in the air.... There was 2 hole-in-ones in Kilkenny on Monday!

Kevinmarkham · 08-05-2014 06:39AM

stevieob wrote: »

Yet another hole in one today @ greystones. This time @ 11th. Have to feel sorry for the lad cause all he is gonna get is a few golf balls!

shane 007 wrote: »

There just be something in the air.... There was 2 hole-in-ones in Kilkenny on Monday!

Jeese, we better get out there lads. Hope it lasts till the weekend - playing Old Head... now that would be a nice hole-in-one to brag about

Golfgraffix · 08-05-2014 07:25AM

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

playing Old Head... now that would be a nice hole-in-one to brag about

Sorry to hijack the thread, Kevin could you do me a big favour and take some photos of the new 13th tees?, I was down on Thursday last week and forget to take them

J

Kevinmarkham · 08-05-2014 08:12AM

Golfgraffix wrote: »

Sorry to hijack the thread, Kevin could you do me a big favour and take some photos of the new 13th tees?, I was down on Thursday last week and forget to take them

J

Certainly... although the forecast suggests rain - lots of rain.

Kevinmarkham · 10-05-2014 12:19PM

Golfgraffix wrote: »

Sorry to hijack the thread, Kevin could you do me a big favour and take some photos of the new 13th tees?, I was down on Thursday last week and forget to take them

J

J, I have your photos! Holy cow that's some hole. Stood on the tee and promptly watched as my baseball cap sailed over the cliff. I'll post a pic this evening

Golfgraffix · 10-05-2014 02:41PM

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

J, I have your photos! Holy cow that's some hole. Stood on the tee and promptly watched as my baseball cap sailed over the cliff. I'll post a pic this evening

LOL, it was a calm day when I was there last week but I can see how he wind would whip around there.

Thanks for taking the photo

J

bobwilliams · 10-05-2014 06:27PM

Senecio wrote: »

Poor choice from the promoters to pick that hole.

If I was putting up a €20k price for a local pro am I would specify a hole that required more than an 8/7 iron.

a pretty tough hole to hit it close in my experience,not a hacker btw,playing off 5 so totally disagree with ya,

Kevinmarkham · 11-05-2014 07:58AM

Golfgraffix wrote: »

LOL, it was a calm day when I was there last week but I can see how he wind would whip around there.

Thanks for taking the photo

J

Thought it would be easiest to put them up on the blog. Let me know if you want me to email them to you.

www.theirishgolfblog.com/2014/05/old-head-of-kinsale-new-13th-hole.html

kiers47 · 11-05-2014 05:27PM

Apparently some yank got 2 hole in ones playing the old head today. Crazy sh*t!!

Holes In One... They're Like Buses

Comments