Study reveals majority of golfers stick to costly hole-in-one tradition

Ever hit a hole-in-one and had to fork the wallet out for a round?

If carding an ace wasn’t fortunate enough, then you could be even luckier depending on the venue.

That’s because a new study has revealed how much it costs to stay true to tradition – buying a round of drinks after a hole-in-one.

Insurance specialists Golf Care surveyed 2,396 UK golfers and found out just how much an ace could set you back.

Less than a third of golfers have hit a hole-in-one, but the survey shows that 70% of those have bought a round of drinks afterwards.

More than a fifth (22%) said they bought a round consisting of between 16 and 20 drinks, making it the most popular round size.

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Golf Care also revealed a difference of nearly £6 between the cheapest pints at two of Great Britain and Ireland’s top golf courses.

The most expensive entry level pint is an £8.50 Schiehallion at Trump Turnberry, in Ayrshire, while a pint of Guiness at Tralee in Ireland is €3.20 (£2.78).

That means the difference in a round of 20 drinks would be £114.50, charging £170 and £55.50, respectively.

John Woosey, founder of Golf Care, said: “Hitting a hole-in-one is every golfer’s dream yet so few of us can say we’ve done so.

“A hole-in-one is without doubt a cause for celebration and it’s nice to see that long-standing traditions are still respected within the game.

“Although it’s understandable that many golf clubs have had no choice but to increase prices in response to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, this can very quickly add up for the average golfer.”

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Only 5% of golfers who didn’t buy a hole-in-one round said it was because they didn’t want to, while 13% said it was because the rule was not enforced by their club.

However, 71% of non-buyers said it was because there was nobody else present in the clubhouse at the time. A further 11% said it was because they couldn’t afford it.

The research also showed that 5% of golfers bought a round of 46-50 drinks, which could cost a whopping £425 at Trump Turnberry.

According to statisticians, the average golfer has roughly a one in 12,500 chance of hitting a hole-in-one.