NAPLES, Florida — John Nicholson and George Rand were playing in a foursome last Thursday at The Glades Golf & Country Club in Naples when something amazing happened.
The septuagenarians sank consecutive holes-in-one on the 15th hole of the club’s Palmetto course, a feat nearly unheard of, and for good reason. The National Hole in One Registry puts the odds of consecutive aces by two different golfers on the same hole at 17 million to 1.
“It’s incredible,” Rand said. “I would much rather hit the lottery, but I’ll take the hole-in-one.”
The 73-year-old Nicholson, a part-time resident at the Glades from Lafayette, Ind., notched the first ace. Teeing off third in the group, which also included Ed Quinn and Steve Gorski, Nicholson lost sight of his drive on the 125-yard hole.
“I couldn’t see the green, so I didn’t see it go in,” he said. “George got out his range finder and looked all over the green and said ‘I don’t see a ball. I’m going to congratulate you right now.’”
After taking a couple of practice swings, the 71-year-old Rand, a Massachusetts native who lives 10 months of the year at the Glades, followed by calling his shot, a la Babe Ruth.
“I looked at John and I said, ‘You’re not going to get mad at me if I put this right on top of your ball, will you,’” Rand said.
What came next was the equivalent of a golfing miracle.
“I was yelling all the way, ‘John, that’s going in the hole. It’s going right at it,’” Rand said. “And it just disappeared. We both jumped up, we couldn’t believe it happened. It’s pretty remarkable.”
It was the third hole-in-one for Rand, but his first at the Glades. Nicholson, whose previous hole-in-one came in 2011 on No. 16, said he had everyone in the group sign his ball as a memento.
“I told them they’re always going to be in my thoughts,” he said.
Another pair of long-shot aces
History was also made last Saturday at Hunters Ridge Golf & Country Club in Bonita Springs when Ken McConnaghay and Wayne Reese each notched holes-in-one in consecutive groups on the same hole.
That’s a first for the club, according to assistant director of golf Trip Stracka.
McConnaughay made his ace on the 120-yard 5th hole with a 4-iron hybrid in front of playing partners Stu Miller, Norm Jalbert and Omer Peak.
About 10 minutes later, Reese aced No. 5 with a 6-iron hybrid witnessed by Dr. Lou Degennaro, Jim Fitzpatrick and Wayne Slabach.
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