How Unlikely Is a Hole-in-One?

If golf is hard (and it is), sinking a hole-in-one seems practically impossible -- but it does happen. Learn the odds of getting a hole-in-one in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeart Radio, Hey
brain Stuff, Lauren boglebom Here. A standard regulation sized golf
ball is a smidge smaller than one point seven inches
that's four point three centimeters in diameter, or, for comparisons sake,
just a little larger than your garden variety ping pong ball.
The standard round cup that snuggles into an earthen hole

(00:24):
on your run of the mill manicured green on any
of the more than fifteen thousand golf courses in the
United States or the more than thirty three thousand throughout
the world, is by rule four point to five inches
or ten point eight centimeters in diameter. Relatively small ball,
relatively big hole. So what's the problem, said no one
who has ever swung a club at a golf ball

(00:46):
in their life. Golf is hard, certainly harder than the
professionals make it look. And for proof other than trying
it for yourself, that is, the non golfer should consider
the holy grail of golf, the ever elusive, never foreseen,
always magical hole in one. If golf is hard, the
quest for a hole in one is downright cruel. The

(01:06):
odds of it aren't quite hitting the lottery odds, but
they might as well be To be sure, Pros like
Bryson D. Shambo and Justin Thomas can pop an ace
every once in a while, and they have on the
same day at the most prestigious tournament in the world,
the Masters, no less. But for your average golfer, let's
go to the scorecard. According to the National Hole in

(01:27):
one Registry, somewhere north of one hundred and twenty eight
thousand holes in one are registered every year, which sounds
like a lot, except golfers play somewhere around four hundred
and fifty million rounds of golf every year. That means
a hole in one is officially registered about once every
three thousand, five hundred rounds around, generally being considered eighteen holes,

(01:47):
though the United States Golf Association sometimes accepts a hole
in one on a shortened round. So if you play
a round of golf a day, it would take more
than nine and a half years to get in three thousand,
five hundred ounds. If you played twice a week, it'll
take you more than thirty three and a half years
to get in that many rounds. Another business national hole
in one insurance, which provides protection to golf courses that

(02:09):
give out prizes for holes and wondering competitions estimates that
for your average player, the odds of holding out in
one stroke are twelve thousand to one. A p G.
A tour pro like d Hmbau or Thomas faces two thousand,
five hundred to one odds on every chance at an ace.
These numbers undoubtedly are a little soft. The United States

(02:30):
Golf Association isn't exactly looking over every golfer's shoulder. Video
proof is not required. A credible witnesses about all you need. Still,
as any weekend duffer who's gone at the pen on
par three knows just about any ace flat out cheating
and Deover's nonwithstanding is a legit ace. Today's episode was

(02:53):
written by John Donovan and produced by Tyler. Playing brain
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