Q Golf - Official online magazine for Golf Queensland QGolf - Spring 2017 | Page 18
THE TEN ‘ONE-ERS’
WHO ACED
COOLUM
By Tony Durkin
Golf Digest says the odds of an amateur golfer scoring a hole-
in-one are 12,500 to one. And the chance of two amateurs each
acing the same hole in the same round are 26 million to one.
But calls to a number of bookmakers have resulted in a ‘write
your own ticket’ response to the almost-implausible revelation
that 10 members of Mt Coolum Golf Club on the Sunshine
Coast have registered holes-in-one in a recent six-week period.
“I would equate that to someone winning Lotto four weeks in a
row – it is that phenomenal,” said UBET media manager
Gerard Daffy.
In the six-week period from June 22 to August 3, an incredible
10 holes-in-one have been scored at Mt Coolum in competition
rounds, one of them by 92-year-old Roy Aiken and another to
77-year-old Judy Reilly.
Others in that period to have their names displayed on the
ever-expanding honour board are Rick Barrett, Darryl Crank,
Brian Cunningham, Philip Doolan, James Jansen, Peter O’Neill,
Jan Wilson and Helen Wilson.
However, that is not the end of this incredible coincidence.
Since the fourth day of February 2017 when reigning match-
play champion and plus one marker TJ King aced the par-three
12th hole, 19 holes-in-one have been scored on the course.
But in fairness to other golf clubs who may feel abandoned by
Lady Luck, Mt Coolum does have six par threes in its par 72
layout, two on the front nine and four on the back. The longest
is 187 metres, the shortest 114.
It is still an unbelievable record and one General Manager,
Sharon Purnell, believes should attract an influx of the many
golfers who annually visit the Sunshine Coast.
“It is quite incredible. I cannot fathom why all of sudden people
are holing out all over the course,” said a stunned Ms Purnell.
18 Q Golf
Spring 2017
www.golfqueensland.org.au
FRONT: JUDY REILLY, HELEN WILSON, JAN
WILSON, JAMES JANSEN; MIDDLE: RICK BARRETT,
ROY AIKEN, PETER O’NEILL, DARRYL CRANK,
PHILIP DOOLAN; BACK BRIAN CUNNINGHAM
www.golfqueensland.org.au
Spring 2017
Q Golf 19