What percentage of golfers get a hole in one in their lifetime?

[ASEAN NOW News]

Some people seem to make aces left and right, while other golfers go their whole golfing careers without one.

 

Standard Hole-In-One Odds for Amateurs and Pros

 

What are the odds of any given golfer holing out from the tee on a par-3 hole? Your typical hole-in-one, in other words (as opposed to some of the extraordinary circumstances we will see below).

 

It partially depends on how good the golfer is. Making an ace includes a heavy dose of luck, but the better you are, the more likely it is you will eventually get one (because you are hitting more shots onto the green, more balls closer to the hole).

 

• Odds of an amateur making a hole-in-one: 12,500 to 1
• Odds of a low-handicapper making a hole-in-one: 5,000 to 1
• Odds of a professional golfer making an ace: 2,500 to 1
• Odds for an average golfer on a 200-yard par-3: 150,000 to 1
•  

Odds of Making a Hole-in-One in Your Lifetime

 

What are the odds of recording at least one ace over the span of a golfer's playing career?

If you are a low-handicapper and play 1,000 rounds in your life (an average of twenty-five rounds for 40 years), you have a 20-percent chance of making at least one hole-in-one.

 

How many rounds do you have to play to make the odds even - 1:1? If you are a low-handicapper who plays 5,000 rounds (one hundred rounds a year for 50 years), you are even-money to have at least one ace.

 

 

(Obviously, the odds are much higher for average golfers.)

 

Hole-in-One Odds for a Group of Golfers

 

Much, much rarer than one golfer making one ace during a round of golf is two golfers from the same group making aces during the same round.

 

• Odds of two golfers in the same group of four making holes-in-one at any point during the round: 1.3 million to 1
• Odds of two golfers in the same group of four acing the same hole during the same round: 26 million to 1

The odds are much better, however, for a field of average golfers. According to US Hole In One (which provides hole-in-one insurance), with a field of 100 amateurs on a golf course that has four par-3 holes, there is a 1-in-32 chance someone will make an ace during that event.

 

PGA Tour

 

Odds of a hole-in-one during the four days of a PGA Tour event, according to the same outfit, are 1:1.

 

Even More Extraordinary Aces and the Hole-in-One Odds

 

We have told the stories of some amazing aces here, and, of course, you can find many more stories out there on the web at large. Holes-in-one that are so unusual, their odds must be astronomical.

Here are a few examples:

• In 1971 a European Tour pro aced back-to-back holes (one of which was a par 4) in a tour event. Odds: 50 million to 1.
• A husband-and-wife duo aced the same hole on back-to-back swings. Odds: Who knows! So rare it has not been (cannot be) calculated.
• A beginning golfer who had never even birdied made two holes-in-one in five holes. Odds: Get outta here with that crazy talk! (But it really happened - instructor Rick Smith saw them both.) The odds of one player making two aces in the same round have been calculated at 67 million-to-1.
• At the 1989 U.S. Open, four pros aced the same hole (No. 6) during the same round (second). Odds: 1.6 million to 1 (much lower than you might expect because these guys are so good).

 

Let us know how many Holes in One you have had?

 

(Note on sources: Unless otherwise noted in the text, primary sources are the calculations of Boston University mathematician Francis Scheid, Ph.D., on behalf of Golf Digest; and National Hole in One, which provides hole-in-one insurance for tournaments.) 

 

 

 

 

[berrec]

5 hole in ones in my 60 years of playing golf.

 

None in the last 45 years

 

But 2 hit the cup in the last 2 years

 

All par 3 holes.

 

HC 14

 

All holes were less the 160 yards.

 

[LNKDES1]

Never had a hole in one in my 60+ years of playing, but been in groups where I've witnessed one. At my home course here in Kanchanaburi, I've hit the pin on every par three & sunk a 170 yard 2nd shot on a par 4. I'm not giving up yet though.

[LPCustom69]

I’ve been close, but never had one. I’ve witnessed two.

[Tropposurfer]

Me ????????????????????  2nd hole Cromer (Sydney, Australia, northern beaches) 184 or 5 yards (?) if memory serves. Par 3. 1 bounce and in she went lol ☺️. 

[jerrymahoney]

My late Dad got his one and only hole-in-one after 50+ years playing golf -- Bay Hill, Orlando, FL

[TigerandDog]

Had my first one in 2005 at Phoenix G C in Pattaya. My 2nd and last one was at Riverlands G C in Sydney around 2009. When I was on tour caddying in Australia & Europe I witnessed 4 by pros in tournament play.

[Will B Good]

Had two, but didn't see the ball drop in either case as both greens were not visible from the tee box.

 

Not the same as actually seeing them drop.

[LarrySR]

 

I was a novice golfer...Had only been golfing a few times prior with my 'hole in one' coming before I ever had a birdie! 

My lucky 'hole in one' came at the first tee at the beautiful Peter Hay short course, next to the Lodge at Pebble Beach.

The course is maintained by the same greenskeepers as the scenic Pebble Beach pro course. Needless to say, IT IS NICE!

The Marshall at this Par 3 course was very cool and would let locals play free. Just walk on anytime. Very rarely anyone else there. 

Tourists or those that weren't in on it paid for the round, but if you had some local knowledge, you could just hop on.

 

NOT FREE, is the adjacent world famous Pebble Beach pro course open to the public but very difficult to get a tee time, booked months in advance.  If you want a tee time, it's recommended to stay at the PB Lodge $940 - $6950 per night + $550 tee fee + cart $45. You'll probably have dinner at the PB Lodge so throw in another $1,000 if you include a modest bottle of wine.

Well over $3,000 for a couple to play a round.

 

Recently the Peter Hay short course was redesigned by Tiger Woods.

Just walk on like you own the place and you might get a free round. Hopefully you'll knock one in like I did. 

 

[Thailand]

Happy to met my maker after hitting my third hole in one.

 

Slim chance though as yet to hit my first!

[Paradise Pete]

2 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Had two, but didn't see the ball drop in either case as both greens were not visible from the tee box.

 

Not the same as actually seeing them drop.

I've had one, also not visible from the tee. One member of our group who started walking as soon as I hit it did see it, but I didn't.

I agree, not nearly the same as seeing it go in.

 

I've witnessed a few holes in one, but the most amazing thing I've witnessed was albatrosses on consecutive days on the same par 5. For the second one, as we were approaching his ball, I told the golfer that I had seen someone hole out from about the same spot yesterday. And then he stepped up and did it.

 

[bluebluewater]

I've played golf for some 50 years.  In my prime I had a handicap of 5 or less and yet no hole in one.  Indeed, I have only been, what I would call "close", on a couple of occasions.  Alas, there never will be an ace for me as my hands and wrists don't allow me to play anymore.  'Tis a cruel world . . . . 

[tgw]

My hole in one history is rather crazy.

 

I have been playing for over 35 years.

 

I shot TWO hole in one during the same year in 2007, 2 months apart, on 2 different par 3 of the same course, both during a competitive event.

 

 

[jesimps]

Never had a hole in one in 60+ years of playing. Never been close. Always swore that if I got one I'd walk away from the game forever. Go out on a high so to speak. Would've save me years of misery, lost sleep, money and agro from my ex wives.

[Kenneth White]

I have lipped out now and then but no hole-in-one. I have a friend that took up golf and in the beginning he was a slicer. His handy cap was...well we could count that high LOL!. I suggested he get lessons with Joe Rue at the Fountains CC. About a month later we were playing at my CC and wouldn't you know it the par 3 - 7th hole 165 yards he made a hole-in-one. I drove him to the Clubhouse and let him off. We are no longer friends...Just kidding. Randy became a single digit handy capper in less than a year. Me, I am 73 and no longer play golf, and have never had a hole-in-one. I was a 6 hand cap.

[4MyEgo]

I hit a 4 in one...... and almost died from a heart attack.

 

 

True story.

 

 

 

[Thailand]

Had a friend who I introduced to golf about 6 years ago. His first real attempt at a full round ended with a 9 on one of the par 3's. The following week he went with another friend and holed in one on that hole he hit 9 on the previous week.That is a true story

[Paradise Pete]

11 hours ago, bluebluewater said:

I've played golf for some 50 years.  In my prime I had a handicap of 5 or less and yet no hole in one.  Indeed, I have only been, what I would call "close", on a couple of occasions.  Alas, there never will be an ace for me as my hands and wrists don't allow me to play anymore.  'Tis a cruel world . . . . 

My hole-in-one probably isn't in my top 40 best golf memories. It's a fluke. I hit a good shot, but nothing particularly special about it other than that it happened to roll in. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[lelapin]

Lowest handicap I ever reached was  18. In 35 years of golf 3 holes in one (9 iron, 7 wood and driver) including one aged 76 at Siam Country Club where I was awarded a framed photo of my scorecard and presentation of gift from the club.

[Neeranam]

My father got a hole in 1 at  a golf course on the Black Isle, Scotland. 

Amazing as he never played a full round in his life. Just played a few shots with my brother and I. 

 

[JimHuaHin]

1 only - 49 years ago when I was a teenager!!!!

[Pmbkk]

On 10/15/2021 at 10:00 AM, Will B Good said:

Had two, but didn't see the ball drop in either case as both greens were not visible from the tee box.

 

Not the same as actually seeing them drop.

 

You can thank the caddies assistant for that ????