The National Hole in One Association, which provides insurance coverage for contests, used data from over 300,000 charity tournaments and golf outings to establish the likelihood of a payoff on a par-3. For professionals, the odds shrink to 2,500-to-1.
The National Hole in One Association, a Richardson, Texas organization that since 1981 has provided hole-in one insurance coverage at over 300,000 charity tournaments and corporate outings, says that data drawn from its experiences suggest that the odds of an amateur golfer getting a hole in one on a par 3 should be set at 12,500 to 1.
With an estimated 450 million rounds of golf played each year in the U.S., those odds mean that nearly 150,000 amateurs enjoy the thrill of a hole in one every year, the association says.
For professional golfers, the general odds of scoring the ace shrink to 2,500 to 1, the association says.
The youngest known player to score an ace was Jack Paine, who was three years old when he made his first hole in one, the association says. Tiger Woods made his first ace at age six, and Michelle Wie at age 12, it notes.
According to the World Golf Hall of Fame, the record for the most aces goes to The King of Aces™, Mancil Davis, with a career total of 51.
The association has posted results of its findings, along with other hole-in-one-related trivia, in an “infographic” on its website, at http://www.hio.com/the-odds-of-hole-in-one/ Golf professionals and club managers are encouraged to use the material for bulletin-board postings or in club newsletters.
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