By Gary Curreri
It took a little more than half a century; however, Bill Delaney finally got his second hole-in-one.
Delaney’s first ace came as a 14-year-old at the George Wright Golf Course in Boston when he used a 5-iron from 145-yds. out on the fourth hole.
He recorded his second hole-in-one on the 17th hole at the Palms Course at Pompano Beach Municipal during a Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association Two Best Balls of a Foursome tournament on Halloween.
“I think my skill level had something to do with it,” joked Delaney, 65, of Ft. Lauderdale, who used a 5-hybrid on the 155-yd. hole. “It didn’t allow me to get any closer. It’s actually the luck of the draw. I have had seven or eight balls that I have left inside of 2 in. of the cup. I have had three or four that I have left literally hanging on the cup.”
Delaney, a retired printing company president, helped his team – George Disch, Don Mann and Carlo Spirito – to a third place finish in the tournament with a 121.
“It was nice day,” Delaney added. “I was playing very well. I was hitting it straight all day long. There was a fair amount of humidity in the air and there was a moderate breeze.”
Delaney said after hitting his shot straight as an arrow, the ball hit the pin and dropped straight down into the hole.
“I knew when it hit the pin that it was in,” Delaney said. “It hit the pin with such a loud smack, I felt pretty confident that it went in and, sure enough, when we got up there, we saw it in the hole. My understanding is that when someone gets a hole-in-one, they come in groups. I sincerely hope that between now and when I am 70, I will get a three or four more.”
Delaney started playing golf when he was 12 years old and tries to play three to four times a week. He has an 18-handicap at Pompano because of the conditions; however, he said his actual handicap is around a 12. He said he plays a fair amount of golf at Palm Aire, Heron Bay, Woodmont and Woodlands Country Clubs in Broward County.
Delaney is an admitted chocoholic, so it was pretty fitting and sweet when he scored the second hole-in-one of his golfing career on Halloween. “Given the fact that I love candy, this was probably as good,” Delaney said. “I have absolutely no favorite (candy). As long as it is chocolate, I’ll devour it. I had a jar of candy when I got home that night.”
