Eds note: Billy Gest passed away April 10 at age 85. He had played golf on April 6, as he did every day. An avid golfer, here is a reprint of the story of his second hole-in-one from July 28, 2016.
Most golfers would give a vital organ
to reach golf’s Holy Grail—the hole-in-one—just once in their life.
For Billy Gest, it’s becoming par for the course. (Get it—par for the course?)
Gest, 83, bagged his second ace July 12 when he used a driver to guide the ball into the hole at the 160-yard, par 3 No. 5 at the Rockdale Country Club.
Witnesses were members of his regular playing group—Jerry Mitchell, Bob Burnett and Ray Kuchera.
The ball landed on the edge of the green and made a bee-line for the cup.
“I could see that it was going in. Jerry kept saying, ‘you hit a good shot, you hit a good shot, I think it went in’.”
Six years ago, “Ace” racked up his first hole-in-one and coincidently, it was also on No. 5. He used a different club then, a three wood. Give the guy a break. He can’t hit it as far as he did when he was 77.
Gest and his band of bag jockeys play three or four times a week, teeing off at 8 a.m when most of us are still wiping the sleep from our eyes.
Gest is a relative novice on the links, he didn’t start playing until 1998 when he was 65 and it came easy to him.
“It wasn’t that hard for me. I was always pretty coordinated. I always know where my ball is going. I just try to hit it straight.”
Gest’s grandson Lance (RHS ‘10) was one of the top junior golfers in the state.
He admits he doesn’t keep score most of the time, but still shoots in the high 80s when he does.
It is tradition for anyone who records a hole-in-one to buy a round of drinks after the round.
Gest beat the rap because he didn’t have any money on him.
Another tradition is that you never hit that lucky ball again.
“It didn’t affect me,” said the man who owns two holes-in-one. “I probably hit that ball in the water later on.”
“Just another day at work,” Gest said, tongue planted firmly in cheek. “It’s more luck than anything.”
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