Jamie Garbis, Cosmo Guzaldo, Dan Malloy and Ryan Paul were booked for a 6AM tee time at Springbrook Golf Course on Wed., July 3, according to Springbrook Head Golf Pro Mike Lyzun.
The foursome greeted Lyzun as he arrived for work a little before 8AM with news that Malloy, pictured above, had hit a hole-in-one.
“They were all excited, wondering if we did anything special to recognize holes-in-one,” explained Lyzun, who has been at Springbrook Golf Course for 25 years. “And we do.”
Lyzun himself reminisced momentarily about the excitement he’d experienced when he hit his one-and-only hole-in-one back in the late 90s at a golf course while attending a golf convention in Florida.
“Dan will be listed on a perpetual plaque that includes all the golfers who’ve hit a hole-in-one at Springbrook,” Lyzun added. “In fact, I need to order a new one as the one we have is filled.”
Lyzun said golfers who hit a hole-in-one also receive a flag from the hole and he takes photos whenever asked.
In case you’re not a golfer and the term “hole-in-one” has escaped you, it alludes to a perfect stroke in golf, where the golfer drives the ball from the tee into the hole with a single stroke. Holes-in-one are considered special because they don’t happen every day. No shortcuts are permitted. Many golfers have never hit a hole-in-one. Many others have never witnessed one.
What’s more, golf rules that a true hole-in-one counts only during a legitimate, complete round of golf on a real golf course. Holes-in-one on miniature golf courses don’t count.
Malloy’s hole-in-one on July 3 was his first.
Naperville resident Malloy is a 2001 Waubonsie Valley High School graduate. He and his wife, Megan, have three children.
Malloy’s golfing buddies, friends since high school, verified this story and aim to make it forever memorable.
Springbrook Golf Course is located at 2220 83rd Street in Naperville.
Non-golfer PN searched online for info about holes-in-one
According to “Odds of a Hole-in-One” published on March 19, 2021, at PGA.com…
Each year there are 450 million rounds of golf played in the U.S., which is approximately 25,000-30,000 per course. Each course reports between 10-15 aces per year. Basically, that means a hole-in-one is scored once in every 3,500 rounds.
Only 1-2% of golfers score an ace in a year. The average years of playing golf for a player before making an ace is 24. Can you believe that?
The age group that makes the most hole-in-ones? That would be golfers between 50-59, which account for 25% of aces each year. The next highest percentage age group consists of players between 40-49, who account for 24% of annual aces. 16% of holes-in-one are made by women and the average age of those women is 55.
These numbers may be staggering, but it is also worth noting that the average handicap of a golfer who makes a hole-in-one is 14. That should prove encouraging for a lot of folks. You clearly don’t have to be the best player on the course… you just have to be the luckiest, once.
Congratulations to Dan Malloy and friends!
Photos submitted by Jeff Penick
