Scott Bess is a long, long time friend of mine. We started playing golf together when we were about 15 or 16 years old. Scott was #1 on my Hickman High School golf team and was a big part of the team winning 3 state titles in a row. My senior year we won the title by 13 strokes, beating Tom Watson’s team by 27 strokes, they were favored to win. Yes, it was that Tom Watson. Scott finished 2nd in the state behind Tom, Jeff Smith and I finished tied for 7th and Tom Dersham, finished 12th in the state. We pretty much lapped everyone that year.

Scott was also the only golfer to beat Tom in the Missouri State Amateur tournament that Tom started winning when he was about 17 or 18 years old. Watson won 5 out of 6 years, only being beaten by Scott.

After college Scott turned pro and has been playing and working in the golf industry his whole life. And he is funny.

He sent this to me today and I couldn’t resist posting it:

“I was thinking to myself the other day that it had been so long since I had a hole-in-one, that I couldn’t remember the last one.  Somebody asked me how many I had and I said 6, then later remembered another to make 7.  To be clear, I was thinking that almost every day in the paper somebody has one at a nearby course, and I was feeling left out.

In short, I guess I need to keep my hole-in-one stories to myself, but I had to tell somebody!  S”

Can’t wait for your 9th one!

 What a great story! Blind for 26 years as a result of diabetes, Sheila Drummond made a hole-in-one on the 144 yar,d par-three fourth hole at Mahoning Valley Country Club, near Lehighton, Pennsylvania. Now for all of you guys who bemoan never making a hole-in-one… there is hope. For all of the pros we so lavishly cover, this story is mch more inspring than anything you have done recently. So, congratulations to Sheila!

Blind Golfer Sinks Hole-In-One

“(CBS/AP) For an ordinary golfer, the odds of hitting a hole-in-one are more than 12,000 to 1.

But that’s nothing compared with the astronomical odds against one golfer in eastern Pennsylvania.

No matter, Sheila Drummond beat them anyway.

She didn’t need to see her hole-in-one. She heard it.

Drummond, blinded by diabetes 26 years ago, experienced the highlight of her golfing career Sunday, recording an ace on the 144-yard, par-three fourth hole at Mahoning Valley Country Club, near Lehighton, Pa.

Playing with her husband and coach, Keith, and two friends in a steady drizzle, and using her signature pink ball, the 53-year-old Drummond hit a driver on the hole. The shot cleared a water hazard, flew between traps and landed on the green, where it hit the flagstick before dropping into the hole. ”

For the entire article, click here.

You heard it right a 7 year old had a hole in one.

I was 25 years old when I had my one and only hole in one, boy was that fun. I’ve seen 3-4 hole in ones since them in various tournaments I have played in over the years, but I can’t even imagine being 7 years old and recording my first.

But as great as the accomplishment of young Mr. McGarry, the Rocky Mountain News published this morning the second hole-in-one by 7 year old Elizabeth Wang. As soon as I get this electronically I’ll post it.

Here is the story about Ryan McGarry, click here.

Mancil Davis Podcast- Part Two

Part Two: I interviewed Mancil Davis, The King of Aces for Hole-in-OneNews.com. This was shortly before Mancil recorded his 51st hole-in-one. Mancil talks about how he got started and most importantly, how he goes about getting hole-in-ones. Enjoy!

To hear the podcast, click here:

http://eaccountable.com/hio/mancil_davis_041307-002.mp3

“And not one person answered, “The hole.” The typical response was, “The grain.” or “I’m trying to miss the bunker.” or “I’m trying to get it over the water.” But most of them said, “The grain.” or “I’m just going for the center.” It was amazing that not one person said, “I’m trying to make it.” So I do believe there is something to it.

Ben Hogan. This is an incredible story. Ben Hogan, and I have a hard time saying this, Mr. Hogan and always will be. I had the honor of meeting him several times throughout my career and I was actually the director of golf at the only golf course Mr. Hogan ever designed right there in the Dallas area, the Rowan Oak and the Trophy Club but I had been told by every source out there that Ben Hogan had never made a hole-in-one. And I would laugh and say, arguably, at that time the greatest ball striker in the world never made one and at the time I had 35 or 36 or whatever. I said, “It doesn’t seem fair or right.”

Well, I found out that just before he died, about two years before he died, Golf Digest was doing an article again on golfers who made holes-in-one and somebody elected to double check the Hogan story. And he said, “That’s not true.” He said, “I’ve had two.” And what followed was a comment that I thought was incredible. He didn’t say, “I might have had more.” or “I should have had more.” and “Maybe I would…” He said, “I would have had more holes-in-one but I rarely aimed at the flag. I aimed at a position on the green affording the best birdie opportunity.” 

Thank God, Mr. Hogan was a practical soul or he would have the record. [Laughter] But what a great story. Maybe he would have had more and he was very sincere with it.

Read the rest of this entry »

Mancil Davis Podcast- Part One

I interviewed Mancil Davis, The King of Aces for Hole-in-OneNews.com. This was shortly before Mancil recorded his 51st hole-in-one. Mancil talks about how he got started and most importantly, how he goes about getting hole-in-ones. Enjoy!

http://eaccountable.com/hio/mancil_davis_041307-001.mp3

For the transcription of the interview, please read below: 

Durk Price: Here I am. This is Durk Price, the editor of Hole-in-One News and, of course, what would be a better way to do our first podcast on Hole-in-One News than to have the all-time, record holder in number of hole-in-ones, Mancil Davis. And so, Mancil we are extremely excited to have you here at Hole-in-One News

Mancil Davis: Well, first of all, I’m excited to be here. It’s not the greatest of days here at the Woodlands where I live. I am not hitting golf balls which I desperately need to do. [Laughter] But let me actually clarify one thing. I actually have the PGA or Professional World record version. I don’t know all of the details.

Golf Digest recognizes my record but there is an amateur by the name of Norman Manly out in Long Beach, California. I don’t know if Mr. Manly is still alive. I know he would be well up in years if he is. I hope he is. I hope he is out playing. He actually has 57 or 58 and I don’t know all of the details very bluntly but at one point Gold Digest decided to just avoid any confusion, they elected the list minus the professional or PGA world record. So, I want to give Mr. Manly his due. 

Read the rest of this entry »

Hats off again to Mancil Davis as he records his 51st Hole in One. And you heard about it first on Hole-in-OneNews.com!

Golf King Of Aces Adds to Hole-in-One Totals

Mancil Davis, perhaps better known as the “KING OF ACES’ for his PGA World Record 50 holes-in-one, has now added to the total, scoring his 51st career ace on Monday, April 16 at the Woodlands, Texas. Davis Scored the record extending shot during a Celebrity Golf Event, on the 7th hole from a distance of 154 yards.

(PRWEB) April 19, 2007 — Mancil Davis, perhaps better known as the “KING OF ACES’ for his PGA World Record 50 holes-in-one, has now added to the total, scoring his 51st career ace on Monday, April 16 at the Woodlands, Texas. Davis Scored the record extending shot during a Celebrity Golf Event, on the 7th hole from a distance of 154 yards.

Davis, who appropriately enough serves as the Director of Golf Operations for the Dallas, Texas-based National Hole-In-One Association, first claimed the PGA record in 1982, when he surpassed the late Art Wall, who held the title with a total of 42 holes-in-one.

Mancil appears at corporate, charity, member-guest, or any special golf event. Corporate or charity guests enjoy a full day with the PGA’s career hole-in-one leader (a total of 51) and will also have the chance to win fabulous prizes for scoring their own hole-in-one.

About NHIO
The National Hole-In-One Association (NHIO), with offices in Dallas and London, is the world’s oldest and largest provider of hole-in-one insurance and prize insurance for golf and other sporting events. NHIO has 26 years of experience adding a feeling of excitement and integrity to your corporate or charitable events and amateur tournaments. Unmatched experience in hole-in-one and putting contests, as well as million dollar shootouts ensures a successful day with each detail handled with precision. Increasing your revenues or making the most of a charity event is easy when you feel confident that every detail has been attended to with meticulous care. NHIO provides services related to hole in one insurance, hole-in-one contests, hole in one prizes, driving contests, putting contests, golf promotions, golf contests, promotional insurance, Million dollar hole in one contests, Million dollar shootouts, prize insurance, hole in one coverage, charity fundraising, golf signs, contest insurance, golf tournaments, tournament services, promotional insurance, charity golf tournaments, golf awards, golf hole in one, golf promotions, hole in one promotions, hole in one contests, hole in one programs, million dollar contests and million dollar hole in one prizes.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Mancil Davis
936-321-9007

NATIONAL HOLE-IN-ONE ASSOCIATION
888-446-1912
DALLAS, TX

Hey fellow hackers, I just got this email from PGA Hole-in-One record holder Mancil Davis about his latest hole-in-one. I would like to take credit for it, but I am a good blogger, not a great golfer. Way to go Mancil! Our podcast interview will be ready in a few days!

102-Year-Old Golfer Sinks ‘Hole-in-One’

CHICO, Calif. (AP) — Elsie McLean thought she might have lost her ball on the par-3, 100-yard fourth hole at Bidwell Park. Instead, the 102-year-old Chico woman became the oldest golfer ever to make a hole-in-one on a regulation course.

Because of the slope of the green, McLean and her partners couldn’t see where her ball landed after she teed off.

“Where’s my ball?” McLean asked.

Her friends, Elizabeth Rake and Kathy Crowder, found it in the cup.

“I said, ‘Oh, my Lord. It can’t be true. It can’t be true.’ I was so excited. And the girls were absolutely overcome,” McLean said.

It was McLean’s first ace.

“Well everybody wants a hole-in-one, and I said, ‘Why can’t I have a hole-in-one?’ I came within inches once,” McLean told television station KNVN.

McLean, who used a driver, broke the age record of 101 set by Harold Stilson in 2001 at Deerfield Country Club in Florida.

For more, click here.