Three Holes In One on Same Day

We just heard a story of a man in Florida who hit three holes in one on the same day. Apparently, Bob Beattie was playing at his home course (Six Lakes Country Club) in North Fort Myers last week when he hit a hole in one on three different par three holes that day. The first hole in one came on the 13th hole while he was playing in his weekly men's league event. He then hit a hole in one just two holes later on number 15. Realizing that he should keep playing golf (why stop when you are on such a roll) he played another round of golf with his wife later that day and hit a third hole in one on hole number 5.

A couple questions come to mind when I hear of a story like this. How good of a golfer and how old is this guy? Well, his wife has been playing two years longer than he and he's 80 years old! What are the odds of hitting three holes in one out of 24 holes (the course has 12 par-3's and he played the golf course twice that day)? About 966 Million to 1. Did he win a prize on any of the holes? From what we can tell there were not any prizes on the holes so it sounds like Bob went home empty handed. Did he have to buy 3 rounds of drinks in the clubhouse or just the first round? We haven't been able to get any confirmation regarding this. We'll just assume he picked up the entire bar tab knowing that this will probably never happen again!

The lessen in all of this is that you never know who is going to hit the hole in one, when it is going to happen and how many times it will happen at your event. That's exactly why you should be sure to cover your next golf tournament with hole in one insurance. Imagine how much bigger Bob's story would have been if he won a new car on one hole, $50,000 cash on another hole and a new house on the third hole all in one day!

What Exactly Is Hole In One Insurance?

So what exactly is "hole in one insurance"? We get asked this question all the time here at Foresite Sports. Well, hole in one prize coverage (more commonly known as hole in one insurance) is a service that allows golf tournament organizers to remove the risk involved in running a hole in one contest. The idea is best explained through an example. Imagine, if you will, that you are hosting a golf tournament and on a particular par 3 hole you hold a hole in one contest. Let's say you offer every golfer in your event the opportunity to win a brand new car if he or she can successfully make an ace. Now, if hole in one coverage didn't exist, and someone made a hole in one, you would be fully responsible for paying for that brand-new car; you'd be out tens of thousands of dollars. Not surprisingly, a lot of golf outing organizers are unwilling to take such a big chance, no matter how long the odds may be on a golfer making an ace.

Now, if you purchased hole in one insurance, the story changes dramatically. Initially, the coverage will set you back several hundred dollars, but that is where your liability ends for the hole in one contests. If you purchase hole in one coverage and a golfer makes that special hole in one, our insurance company covers the cost of the prize, you don't pay a dime. And if the stars align and more than one golfers sinks an ace, each of them will receive the brand-new car, all at no additional cost to you. Effectively, by purchasing hole in one contest coverage, you are transferring the risk involved in hosting the contest to your coverage provider.

Foresite Sports is a leading provider of hole in one contest coverage. Additionally, Foresite Sports is backed by an A+ rated underwriter, the highest rating in the industry. Any further questions you may have regarding hole in one contest coverage can be asked of our knowledgable tournament consultants.

The Ladies' Tee and Hole In One Insurance

A common concern for many tournament organizers who are hosting hole in one contests is what to do about the ladies' tee box. The question arises from the fact that nearly all hole in one insurance companies require that the ladies tee off from a distance relatively close to the men. For example, at Foresite Sports, our hole in one insurance packages dictate that the women must tee from no more than 15 yards away from the guys. So, if a particular par 3 hole measures 175 yards from the mens' tee, then the ladies must play from a distance no less than 160 yards. But what if there is no tee listed on the scorecard at 160 yards?

Well, there are a number of options available to you as you are setting up the hole. The first option, but perhaps the least desirable, is to just have everyone play from the same yardage. This decision can be alright in cases where the men are teeing from a reasonable distance of, say, 170 yards or less, but anything longer than that will probably upset your female golfers as those distances may require the use of a driver or fairway metal club just to reach the green. Nobody wants to have to hit driver when competing in a hole in one contest!

Your second option is to reassess which tee your men will be playing from that particular day. For example, if your golf course has tees set at 210 yards, 182 yards, and 177 yards, instead o using the 210 distance for the men, move them up to the 182 yardage as the ladies can then be accommodated. Even if the 182 distance isn't a part of the tee set that you're playing that day (for example, the 182 yardage is part of the white tees, but your men are playing from the blues), most golf courses can accommodate your request and move a particular set of markers for you.

Finally, if neither of these options is all that appetizing, find out from the golf pro what the range of teeing distance are for each tee box at the hole. Though 175 may be printed on the scorecard, many times teeing areas are large enough that that tee can be set at various distances. For example, if the tee box is big enough, that 175 yard hole may measure anywhere from 162 up to 184. These ranges can then be manipulated to get your mens' and ladies' tees aligned within the 15 yard rule found in the hole in one insurance package.

Should you have any questions at all about setting the ladies' tee in accordance with the rule and regulations governing your hole in one contest prize coverage, don't hesitate to ask one of our knowledgeable tournament consultants for further assistance.

What Are Bonus Prizes?

Imagine, if you will, that you are playing in a golf outing, get up to a par 3 hole that features a brand-new Porsche automobile as a hole in one prize, and fail to make an ace. No harm, no foul, right? Well, imagine that you get to the next par 3 hole on the course, and this time you sink a hole in one. Imagine how fantastic that would be! Or would it? After all, if you had made the ace on the previous hole you'd have a '1' on your scorecard AND a brand-new Porsche. Doesn't seem fair, now does it?

Well, to combat this possible disappointment, hole in one insurance companies have created a concept called Bonus Prizes. Bonus Prizes are smaller hole in one prizes that can be placed at the other par 3 holes on your course so that ever one has a hole in one prize. So, in our previous example, you may not win the Porsche with that ace, but you could walk away with a set of golf clubs or a flat-screen television. Just about every company in our industry offers these additional hole in one prizes, free of charge, when you purchase coverage for a larger prize, like the Porsche.

Now, you may be asking yourself, what kinds of bonus prizes should I be looking for? Well, we can offer a few words of advice with regards to this question. First of all, we recommend avoiding any sort of vacation packages. Despite the audacious claims of some providers in the industry, most bonus prizes retails for between $500-$1,000. If you see an advertisement for a prize valued much more than that, be skeptical. Though a certain vacation package may retail for $5,000 during a particular season, you can rest assured that your contest winner will probably be forced to travel during the low season when weather may be an issue, or during days of the week that are terribly inconvenient. Instead, stick to prizes that have known values or advertise no restrictions with regards to use. For example, a set of golf clubs has a known value that you can look up at your local pro shop. Additionally, as of this writing, the several companies offering airline tickets usually do not have blackout dates. Remember, hole in one contests are supposed to add value to your event. Don't let a poor choice of prizes compromise the fun of your golfers if they end up saddled with a prize they don't want or can't use.

So, next time you're considering purchasing hole in one insurance, remember that along with your grand prize coverage, you will receive a set of bonus hole in one prizes as well. That way each and every par 3 hole at your golf course will have a prize, have a contest, and can potentially have one happy hole in one winner at the end of the day!

Foresite Sports offers bonus hole in one prizes with any purchase of hole in one contest coverage. Our lineup of bonus prizes consists of a set of Callaway Big Bertha Irons, a Sharp LCD flat-screen television, and two (2) Roundtrip Domestic Airline Tickets. If you have any questions regarding our prize packages, please contact us and ask to speak with one of our tournament consultants.