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That Ever Elusive Ace

January 5, 2015 | By Chris Chirico | Leave a Comment

There are a few things on every golfers list that they would like to achieve – some of it based on skill level.  Newbies and stinky golfers, for instance, may want to break 100.  Still stinky, but maybe a little more skilled golfers, may look to break 90.  The better at this game we get, breaking 80 may become a goal.  And then the best of us amateurs eventually may push to shoot, or even break par.  But no matter the skill level, be it a PGA pro or your average, everyday hack, the old hole-in-one is an achievement that every golfer wants to check off their list one day.  So when someone gets their hole-in one, you’re happy for them.  But what about when someone gets more than one?

Gus Andreone
Gus Andreone (photo by Tom Balog – golf.heraldtribune.com)

Has anyone heard about Gus Andreone?  Gus has been playing golf longer than most of us have been alive.  And he has a hole-in-one total that will make us all envious.  Gus has a total of eight aces since 1939.  Eight!  OK, granted, that’s a span of 75 years.  But if you do the math, that works out to one every nine or so years.  So by that math, I should be working on my second one.  But instead, in my golf career, I’ve only come pretty close once or twice.

Now, as if Gus having eight aces isn’t enough, to rub it in our faces even more…he just recorded the latest one a couple of weeks ago…at the age of 103.  How’s that feel?  A 103-year old man has now done for the eight time something that most of us, even in the primes of our careers, will never do.

On a good note, he has been playing golf for at least 75 years.  Many of us hope to live for 75 years!  He’s been playing golf for at least that long!  Maybe if I can put together a golfing lifespan even remotely close to that amount of time, I too can record at least one hole-in-one.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Filed Under: Stinky Golfer Paradise Tagged With: ace, Gus Andreone, hole in one

Book Review: Little Balls Big Dreams

May 25, 2011 | By Golf Stinks | Leave a Comment

golfstinks golf stinksYou know that feeling you get when you hit a ball on the sweet spot of the club? When everything clicks – a smooth, fluid swing; perfect balance; solid contact…And, of course, the ball goes exactly where you intended it to go. You think to yourself; “If I could only hit it that way all the time.”

We all have those “perfect” shots inside us, we just need to work on hitting more than one a round (or season…or lifetime). But what if one perfect shot led to another and another and before you knew it, everything you ever learned about how to correctly swing a golf club connected both physically and mentally on a regular basis? Sounds a bit fantastical, doesn’t it? One shot and BAM! You’re a scratch golfer. Come on, that’s the stuff of fiction.

Well, actually, it is the stuff of fiction – in James Wolf’s novel “Little Balls Big Dreams” that’s exactly what happens to Matt True, the story’s lead character. Matt is your average guy in his 40s with a wife, kids and an 11 handicap. That is, until one day at his local club, he hits that “perfect” shot on the par 3, 6th hole. Everything connected – a smooth, fluid swing; perfect balance; solid contact…And, of course, the ball went exactly where he intended it to go…in this case, right in the hole for an ace.

But things didn’t end there for Matt. He knew deep down that the ace changed him. He was confident that he could reproduce that swing every time and with similar results…and he was correct – he finished his round at two under par (pretty impressive for an 11 handicap). After that, Matt continued to play scratch golf and he quickly began to resurrect his teenage dreams of becoming a pro golfer on tour. And that’s where the story really begins.

In Little Balls Big Dreams, Mr. Wolf takes you on an adventure of “what if.” What if you could become a scratch golfer after just one, game-changing shot? What would you do? Would you put yourself through Q-school when most of the players there are half your age? Would you sacrifice your family life and your stable job for a shot at life on the PGA Tour? Would your spouse even let you give it a go?

This short novel (167 pages) takes you on Matt’s journey to answer these questions and follow his dreams. I found myself seriously thinking about what I would do if I suddenly were a scratch golfer. And I could relate to the conversations Matt had with his wife over him pursuing his dream. And I could also relate to his concerns about being away from his children for long stretches of time. The only thing I couldn’t relate to was the feeling of being an awesome golfer – so until that happens, I guess I’m not really sure what I would do.

But in the book, you can sit back and enjoy how the story unfolds – how Matt’s decisions lead him to where he ends up when the last page is turned. Little Balls Big Dreams is a thought-provoking and entertaining story of golf, family, dreams and what really matters when you get right down to it.

You can purchase Little Balls Big Dreams HERE. Remember, Father’s Day is coming up!

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: ace, book review, golf book, hole in one, james wolf, little balls big dreams, pya tour, q-school

That Elusive Hole in One…and Free Steak!

August 4, 2010 | By Greg D'Andrea | Leave a Comment

Recently, I was traveling in Omaha, Nebraska on business. I had just gotten finished visiting the Omaha Steaks stand at the airport (I was buying this beef jerky they sell for dogs – no lie, my dog loves them) when my co-worker Matt asked me if I had ever gotten a hole in one.

Immediately, I told him that I had not, but then I started making excuses. I explained that I had holed a couple shots from par-3-distance (one from 125 yards and one from 200 yards). I mean, if I were on a tee box when I took those shots, I would have two aces under my belt. Heck, I should get more credit for my two shots since neither were off a tee (and we all know it’s easier to hit off a tee).

Alas, I had to settle for eagle (the 125 yard-shot) and birdie (the 200-yard shot). That 200-yard birdie should have been a double-eagle, but I hit my drive OB on a short par 5 and was hitting my provisional from the fairway…typical. So no, I have never gotten a hole in one. It doesn’t really bother me…but I’ve played a lot of golf over the last 20 years, you would think the odds are with me. Of course, I am a self proclaimed “stinky golfer” and write for a blog called “Golf Stinks” so I guess the odds are right where they ought to be.

Anyway, shortly after my visit to Omaha last month (and in a rather interesting coincidence), I received an email from Omaha Steaks. I initially thought it was a customer satisfaction survey for my dog to fill out. Instead, they explained Omaha Steaks is running a “Hole in One” promotion for the month of August through their Facebook page – If you get a hole in one, you win a FREE package of 4 Omaha Steaks Filet Mignons!

But what about if you don’t get a hole in one? That’s OK! Because the good folks at Omaha Steaks have secured a $20 gift card for one lucky Golf Stinks reader! All you have to do is:

1. Make sure you “like” both the Golfstinks Facebook page and the Omaha Steaks Facebook page.

and

2. Post “I Entered the Omaha Steaks Contest!” on the Golfstinks Facebook page.

That’s it – we’ll automatically enter you to win during a drawing on August 16th!

Good Luck!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: ace, golf, golf stinks, golfstinks, hole in one, omaha steaks, steak

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