Hole-In-One Stories: Mike Ricciuto and Heritage Club

The hole-in-one is one of the game’s greatest feats, particularly for amateurs. The odds of recording the elusive ace vary according to who is doing the estimating, but the best guess (according to insurers and they should know) is about 1 in 3,125.

In Myrtle Beach, 1 in 3,125 occurs a lot more frequently than it does in other places. A million golfers flock to the area and while all of them leave with memories of the Golf Capital of the World, some depart having made the shot of a lifetime. With that in mind, we want to share the stories of golfers who recorded a hole-in-one in Myrtle Beach.
 

Name: Mike Ricciuto
Hometown: Hilton, NY
Age: 58
Handicap: 9

Setting the stage: Ricciuto and his wife were playing at Heritage Club with two guys they were paired with, one from Texas, the other Oklahoma. Ricciuto, who hadn’t played in nearly two months prior to the trip, hit an eight iron from 135 yards on the par 3, eighth hole.

What were you thinking on the tee and as you struck the shot?
It was a nice, sunny day with just a little breeze in our face. It looked like it was going toward the hole and it bounced in front of the pin and up onto the ridge (behind the pin) and rolled back. I didn’t see it drop in unfortunately. It looked like it stopped, and we went back to our bags.

When we got to the green we didn’t see it, and I said, ‘It couldn’t be off.’ We went to the hole and there it was.

What was everyone’s reaction?
Everybody high-fived. My wife was real excited screaming, ‘I got to see you get a hole in one.’ There was a ranger at the hole, but he was looking at the tee box so none of us saw it go in. One of the guys I was playing with got to the hole before I did, and he was probably more excited than I was.

Was it your first hole in one?
It was my second. The other came at a golf course in Illinois two years ago (when he lived there).

Did you buy drinks for everyone in the clubhouse?
There weren’t many people in the clubhouse. I bought for my playing partners. We had a few beers and lunch.

What did you shoot?
I shot a 79. I usually shoot around 80-81. My wife got a birdie that day as well. (The hole-in-one) really sunk in after the round.

How often do you take a Myrtle Beach golf trip?
We’ve been coming to Myrtle Beach for 25 years. We do this about twice a year in the spring and fall. My wife started playing in 2001 and she is as avid as I am … We just enjoy the area. We like the ocean, we like the variety of courses and the restaurants. More less, it’s where we want to retire.