(March 31, 2022) – The odds of one player recording a hole-in-one are 12,500 to 1. Only 1-2% of all golfers each year record an ace. In 2021 Marc Angiletta of Southington had three.
You didn’t read that wrong! He carded three hole-in-ones during the 2021 golf season. Before last year Angiletta had never had an ace and as a matter of fact he had never even seen one.
“My golf buddies and I talked about hole-in-ones a lot and you always dream of getting one but before last year the closest I had come was six inches,” Angiletta said. “I called my wife all three times and by the last time, she said, ‘Don’t even tell me. You got another hole-in-one?’ ”
The first one came in late April during his Wednesday evening men’s league at Southington Country Club. Angiletta, an owner/project manager at Crystal Restoration Services of Connecticut, launched a gorgeous 8-iron high into the air. From the moment it left the club on the 145-yard par-3 third hole Angiletta knew it would be good. He just didn’t know how good.
The ball landed in the middle of the green and pitched towards the back pin. A few moments later the ball rolled into the bottom of the cup. Ace number one.
“There was a lot of screaming, shouting, and high-fiving,” Angiletta said of the celebration.
The 62-year-old Angiletta, an 11 handicapper, first picked up the game in his early 30s as his competitive softball days were winding down. But now he can’t get enough of the sport.
“I love that you are by yourself and you control your mind and golf shot,” said the Pequabuck Country Club member. “Then I just like being outside. I love to play nice golf courses. I go on a golf trip with a bunch of buddies every year and that is always a lot of fun.”
Hole-in-one number two came three months later in July. Once again Angiletta was playing in his Wednesday evening men’s league at Southington CC. This time he was on the par-3 seventh hole. With a 5-iron in hand, Angiletta sent the 190-yard downhill tee shot into the air and watched it make its way towards the green. Once again Angiletta knew it was a good shot. However, his view of the cup was partially blocked and it wasn’t until a player in the sixth fairway raised his arms in celebration did Angiletta know he had once again recorded an ace.
“The second one I was the only one who thought it went in the hole until the guy in the next fairway celebrated. By then you are sort of humbled. The second one was almost embarrassing getting another one with all the same guys in the league.”
By the time the third ace fell in September Angiletta said it was, “comical.” A member until recently at Chippanee Country Club Angiletta was playing the par-4 third hole during a member guest.
With a large crowd on hand, Angiletta purred his hybrid towards a front pin location 170 yards away. The ball hit just short of the green, took a big bounce, and then rolled into the hole.
“The third one was really just funny. It was really exciting to have one of my best friends there to see it. Plus, at Chippanee we pay $3 a month for hole-in-one insurance so this time I was covered when it came to drinks in the clubhouse.”
Fast forward to 2022 and Angiletta seems to have magic about him. He attended the Waste Management Phoenix Open and he was watching on the famous par-3 16th when Carlos Ortiz recorded a hole-in-one during the final round.
His own game also seems to be locked in already as well. In one of his first rounds of the season, Angiletta came up just short of another hole-in-one while playing at Rolling Meadows Country Club.
“The more I think about – a lot of people say an is ace is lucky. One is a lucky shot. But all three of mine were good golf shots.”
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut State Golf Association functions as an extension of the USGA and provides stewardship for amateur golf in Connecticut. Founded in 1899, it is the country’s oldest state golf association and conducts over 60 Championships, Qualifiers, and One Day Tournaments throughout the year.
