Volvik announces that eight new hole-in-ones have qualified for the $500 winning prize in the Volvik DS-77 Hole-in-One Challenge. There have now been 22 official hole-in-one winners and the contest was recently extended to Sept. 15, 2015 due to its extreme popularity, an extension of almost three months from the original June 30 contest end date.
There’s always a story behind a hole-in-one and this latest batch of winners is no different. One winner had two hole-in-ones on the same day with the same DS-77 golf ball in two different rounds, one of the aces happened on the last hole of a rain filled round that the winner never gave up on, one of the winning hole-in-ones was the 24th for the winner, one of the aces happened on the first ever swing on the DS-77 ball for her first hole-in-one and one golfer even called his shot!
Winners have been reported from every part of the country. All in all, 16 winners have been men and six have been female covering 11 different states: (7 Florida, 3 Arizona, 3 California, 2 South Carolina, 1 North Carolina, 1 Mississippi, 1 Iowa, 1 New Jersey, 1 Connecticut, 1 Minnesota, 1 Wisconsin.)
#15 Hole-in-One #15 occurred on April 25th at Scholl Canyon Golf Club in Glendale, CA when Alex King holed out from 104 yards on hole #18 with an Orange DS-77.
“I went out with a few buddies one Sunday to play a fun round of golf at Scholl Canyon in Glendale,” said King. “It’s a nice course, short mostly par 3s but still challenging and fun. We were having a great time playing some decent golf until the 14th hole. That’s when it started to rain heavily. My buddy Nathan couldn’t handle it he had to leave. Julien and I didn’t want to quit, maybe it was because we were stubborn or stupid or both. But we continued forward playing some of the worst golf I have ever played. By the time we got the 18th I was exhausted, cold, wet and ready to give up on the game of golf itself. I walked up to the tee took out my 54-degree wedge whacked that thing like there was no tomorrow. I hit it perfectly, it was beautiful. The green was elevated, but by the time I walked up I was surprised to notice my ball wasn’t on the green. I thought I was delusional but Julien told me to go check. Once I saw that ball in the hole, I let out the biggest scream of my life. The club pros heard me yell and he came out. We were so excited and we left and had a few drinks on me. I love these Volvik balls. At first I got one ball and then he went back and bought at Roger Dunn West LA. The DS-77 has a good feel and is a great fit for me. Great ball. It’s my 2nd hole-in-one, but my first in over 10 years. What was such a long and exhausting day turned out to be one of the best golf moments of my life!”
#16 Hole-in-One #16 took place May 17th on the 126-yard Hole #12 at Fairways Golf Club in Orlando, Florida. Jackie Chechile hit an Orange DS-77 with a driver directly into the hole.
“I’ve been golfing for 40 years and this was my 1st hole-in-one,” said Chechile. “I lived in the park since 1997 and have been playing with the ladies league. I got married almost two years ago and my husband and I started playing in the mixed leagues. I was standing on hole #12 and the boll rolled up the hill on the green and into hole. I almost fainted. We could see it go in and I was surprised. I ran off the tee jumping up and down. I had been playing the DS-77 since January 1st and signed up for the contest then, not thinking I would ever win. May 17th was the day that my great-grand-daughter was born. I like the ball, it gives me a little more distance and it worked, I am going to keep playing it. I just a new box full!”
#17 The 17th Hole-in-One of the contest transpired on June 7th when Larry Fusco holed out with a 7-iron from 153 yards with a White DS-77 on Hole #7 of the Virginia course on Mallory Hill Country Club in The Villages, Florida. A few hours later, he hit his 2nd hole-in-one of the day with the same golf ball on the 130 yard 8th hole of the Amanda course at Malory Hill.
“I was not planning to play that day,” said Fusco. “I got a chance to join someone and got the first ace. Then got luck again with another hole-in-one on another hole. I’ve had 8 hole-in-ones in my life. It’s always nice, but it’s also kind of like ‘there I did it again.’ The people I was playing with didn’t even ask me to buy them drinks. When I was in high school and I had my first hole-in one, I bought water for everyone. When I was in the military, I had to buy nine drinks for the groups I was playing with. I got one playing with Lawrence Taylor at Boca Raton Country Club, that one was expensive. I had a couple in Palm Desert, but I’ve never had two in one day. This sets a new record for me. Especially two with the same ball. The DS-77 is a nice feeling ball. It gives me a perfect flight off the driver, a nice feel off the irons and it has great backspin on it. One of the hole in ones actually rolled back into the hole. I really, really like this golf ball.”
#18 Hole-in-One #18 happened was the 24th hole-in-one for 71-year-old golf professional David Lindbom. In 1980, Lindbom had 17 putts in a round, a national record for 20 some years.
“I was playing the Tollwood Country Club in Hebron, Connecticut with a hall of fame golfer by the name of Dennis Coscina,” said Lindbom. “We both teach together. The shot was from 165 yards out with 6 iron. Ron Ingata, a close friend, has been with me for six hole-in-ones. This was my 24th hole in one in my career. I’ve had a few that cost me a heck of lot of money buying drinks, so this one is like a dream come true! The ball was very high in the air and it went straight to the bottom of the hole. It was the first one I’ve ever had like that, just straight in. I really like the DS-77, it’s a very good ball. I’ve had four lip-ins with the same ball over a month and a half. I’ve come close to a hole-in-one with the DS-77 seven to eight times, so yes, I absolutely enjoy the ball.”
#19 The #19 hole-in-one of the contest came on June 20th when Dennis Coon hit his White DS-77 into the cup with a pitching wedge on the 112-yard Par 3 Hole 7 at 5X80 Country Club in Menlo, Iowa.
“I was playing with my wife and another couple for their 50th Class Reunion,” said Coon. “As usual I didn’t think I had the correct club, but obviously I did. This was my fourth Ace. I have played golf for 48 years & never had an ace until last year. After the 2nd one, now I expect them all to go in!”
#20 Hole-in-One #20 also came on came June 20th when Linda Calhoun hit a Yellow DS-77 into the hole with a 6-Hybrid on the Par 3 13th, a 129 yard hole of Fiddlers Elbow Country Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
“I was carrying the ball around in the cart all day after being given one DS-77 golf ball at the LPGA Tour event at Stockton Seaview Golf Course,” said Calhoun. “My husband had just used the ball, I was yelling at him to stop so he didn’t lose the ball. On the last par 3 of the day, I looked at the ball and said it was time to finally bring it out. My shot bounced on the front of the green and tracked the pin. It was the perfect shot, playing with husband and son-in-law, , I felt like I jumped about 5 feet off the ground I was so excited. This was my first ever hole-in-one! Of course, I love the ball now!”
#21 On June 28th, Charlie O’Rourke made a $500 winning hole-in-one at Dodge Point Country Club in Mineral Point, Wisc. on the 137 yard Hole #18 with a Yellow DS-77
“I am a 9 handicap and we tee’d off at 6 am,” said O’Rourke. “I was a little over par for the day, 8 or 9 over. I took my 6-hybrid instead of an 8-iron. When I hit it, I said ‘Geez, this is going to be good,’ and it was right on line. It went right for the pin , bounced once and went right in. We still weren’t 100% sure so we drove up and took a look in the hole and sure enough, it was there. I said ‘There it is, the Volvik #1.’ I called the head pro on the phone and had him come out and check it. Everyone came out and congratulated me. It’s my 6th one. I’ve been golfing 66 years so I’ve had a lot of chances. I like the DS-77. I started in the Spring just playing Par 3’s with it. I get same amount of distance as a Pro V1 and I get plenty of spin. It’s amazingly durable, I used the same ball at least eight rounds and it looks brand new. I am going to be playing this ball for a while now, it is a great ball. I brag it up to everyone and I love the color.”
#22 On July 10th at Como Golf Course in St. Paul, Minn., Earl Gurtner hit an Orange DS-77 in the hole from 138 yards away using his 7-iron.
“I registered the Volvik ball at the PGA Show in January 2015,” said Gurtner. “I never thought I would actually get a hole-in-one with a ball I had never used before. My wife encouraged me to play this ball on Friday, July 10. The hole-in-one happened during the National Senior Game, a three-day event with over 1500 golfers. It was held at one of the better courses around and it was playing extremely difficult. Very hard and difficult greens. Hole 16 was the last Par 3 hole of the day and my playing partner Gary hit his ball, it hit the flag and bounced a foot away. I actually told him I would show him how to do it, in jest. And I proceeded to hit the perfect shot with my Volvik ball. Thank you Volvik ball!”
Don’t Forget to Pre-Register for the Contest!
All 22 hole-in-ones have been confirmed through the rules of the contest as all golfers had pre-registered at www.volvik.com/hole-in-one and each filled out the proper paper work naming their witness and providing proof that they played golf that day. Each hole was beyond the 95-yard requirement and occurred in regular stroke play. The Volvik DS-77 Hole-in-One Challenge began September 15, 2014 and it now goes until Sept. 15, 2015. To read the full rules of the contest, please visit www.volvik.com/hole-in-one.
“To our knowledge this is the first time a manufacturer has rolled out a contest that rewards the golfer for making a hole-in-one with their equipment,” said Claffey. “The idea came to us after we saw the how many hole-in-one reports we were seeing with Volvik golf balls. We were getting two or three reports of hole-in-ones being made with Volvik golf balls almost every week. We realized we have the perfect hole-in-one ball with the DS-77 and we wanted to reward all the golfers making a hole-in-one with our product.”
The DS-77 is Volvik’s new extreme distance ball that is designed to perform with more spin on the ball around the greens. The DS in the name stands for Dual Spin as the ball is made to be long off the tee with reduced sidespin with more spin on the greens, making it the perfect hole-in-one ball. It is available in Yellow, Orange and White and retails for $22.99 a dozen. There is no purchase necessary of the DS-77, but it must be the ball in play for the hole-in-one. The contest is not valid in Rhode Island or New York.
“Golfers get multiple chances to win as every time they play they will have four shots at it so the odds are much greater than the usual one-shot hole-in-one events,” said Claffey. “This is a really great performing golf ball that has tested with 10% more greenside spin compared to the other leading soft compression balls on the market. People will have a lot of fun with this ball.”
22 $500 Winners in the Volvik DS-77 Hole-in-One Challenge
#1 November 11th – Joe Bowditch – Sun N Lake/ Deer Run Sebring FL
#2 November 16th – Nghi Le – Fallen Oaks at Beau Ridge Resort Saucier, MS
#3 November 21st – Pat Dell – Sun “N Lake/ Turtle Run Sebring, FL
#4 December 21st – Dan Parisi – Ahwatukee Country Club Phoenix, AZ
#5 December 30th – Eunjoo Lee – West Ridge Golf Course La Habra, CA.
#6 January 5th – Zeke Robertson – Silo Run Golf Course Boonesville, NC
#7 January 17th – Do Yeon Kim – Northwood Golf Club Columbia, SC
#8 January 26th – Richard Haug – Whirlwind Golf Club Chandler, AZ
#9 February 22nd – Gigi Roberts – Rio Pinar Country Club Orlando, FL
#10 March 1st – Felipe Garcia – Arcadia Golf Course Arcadia, CA
#11 March 5th – Robert McIntyre – The Ridge at Kings Ridge Golf Course Clermont, FL
#12 March 11th – Dave Humphreys – Dobson Ranch Golf Course Mesa, AZ
#13 March 21st – Janet Abrams – Callawasie Island Magnolia Course Okatie, SC
#14 March 30th – Pamela Howell – Crane Lakes Golf and Country Club – Port Orange, FL
#15 April 25th – Alex King – Scholl Canyon Golf Club – Glendale, CA
#16 May 7th – Jackie Chechile – Fairways Golf Club – Orlando, FL
#17 June 7th – Larry Fusco – Mallory Hill Country Club – The Villages, FL
#18 June 10th – David Lindbom – Tollwood Country Club, Hebron, CT
#19 June 20th – Dennis Coon – 5X80 Country Club, Menlo, IA
#20 June 20th – Linda Calhoun – Fiddlers Elbow Country Club, Bedminster, NJ
#21 June 28th – Charlie O’Rourke- Dodge Point Country Club, Mineral Point, WI
#22 July 10th – Earl Gurtner – Como Golf Course, St. Paul, MN
About Volvik
Volvik is the #1 Color Golf Ball on Tour with over 75 professionals using Volvik’s ultra high-performance color golf balls on the world’s professional tours. Since 2012, players using Volvik golf balls have earned over $8 million in prize money on the PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour, Champions Tour,Web.com Tour, Ladies European Tour, LAGT and Symetra Tour with 13 victories and over 100 Top 10 finishes.
Volvik has experienced more color golf balls in play on the world’s professional tours than any other manufacturer in the history of golf.
Volvik is dedicated to the production of specialized 3- and 4-piece multi-layer golf balls that feature 41 worldwide patents. In over 30 years of golf ball production, Volvik has developed a reputation based on highly innovative development, quickly becoming one of the most significant and trusted golf ball manufacturers in the world.
Contact:
Jon Claffey
National Director/Sales and Marketing
Volvik USA INC.
Email: jclaffey@volvik.com
Office: 407-649-0013
Fax: 407-649-0015
Website: Volvik.com
Twitter: @volvikUSA
Facebook: facebook.com/VolvikUsa