What would you wager for an ace?

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There's a local club here in Atlanta doing something pretty interesting. On one of their par 3's (I don't know the hole's specifics), they have a kiosk setup on the tee box. You place a wager at the kiosk for a hole in one. The odds are 5,000 to 1. The minimum bet is $1 to $500 with the payouts ranging from $5,000 to $2.5 mil.

If I understand correctly, the guy who owns this new venture is a member of the club and they have it setup 24/7 on this one hole. The machine takes your bet, takes a picture of your face, and there are a couple cameras on the green for validation. I believe it's been setup for a couple months and so far they've had one $2 bet get an ace ($10K payout).

I don't know about the business model or who's underwriting the payouts, but I'd have a hard time not going at least $2 every time I stepped on that tee - at least $10 if I'm hitting it good that day. :)

Anybody not putting something in when they get to this hole?
 
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Erik_K

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Short answer: waste of money

Longer answer: at $1-$2, this is harmless and often at charity events there may be awards given for hitting a green, closest to the pin, etc. Just like in Vegas, the odds are tilted to the house. The owner wouldn't bother setting this up if he wasn't making money (a lot of it probably). I suppose it is like playing the lottery.
 
If you play once a week and bet $1 each time, you'd have to play for over 96 yrs to not get an ace and make a "profit".

That's practically a lock! :)
 
I'd do it for a one time thing for charity. We each throw $5 into the hole in one pot and after every Quota game if there's any money left over goes into the pot. Typical pay out is usually ~ $150-$175.
 

jimmyt

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I'm 54 years old, been playing golf for 30 years......1 ace.

I live in Vegas and I would pass unless for a good charity.
 
Back in the day when I was still working as a club pro, a group of members and I would take an annual trip to Myrtle Beach (late Feb / early Mar) for 5 or 6 days and play at a different club every day. Can't remember the year (around 1990), we were playing at a course that had one of the "charity" HIO contests - put up $5 - hit the green get a sleeve of balls - HIO get $15K (maybe it was $20K). In my 4 some that day, one of my members (19 hdcp) put up his $5, and holes a 3 iron on a 195 par 3 into the wind and over water (big guy - strong hitter) to win the pot.

Treated the group (16 or 20) to dinner that night.

Bruce
 
I have been fortunate to make 8 "aces" - several in competition.

Holed a 4 iron in a US Open local Q back in the 70's.

Won an all expenses (first class air) week for 2 in Ireland for making a HIO (6 iron) in the VA State Open in 1991.

Aced the 17th hole (6 iron) in Minnesota in the 1998 Sr Tour event there on Sat. If I had "waited" till Sunday, it would have been a "Caddy".

Bruce

Bruce
 

hp12c

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Heck I would just hang around that hole between groups and keep hitting into it, getting the feel for the shot and start betting 5 maybe 10. I would be there all day.
 
I'm 54 years old, been playing golf for 30 years......1 ace.

I live in Vegas and I would pass unless for a good charity.

I'm 34, played for 24 years, 0 aces. The course I used to play with my Uncle had a guy that sat on the 10th hole and you put a dollar in the pot and would win the whole pot with an ace. I used to do it every time, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I made an ace and didn't put in my dollar. My cousin made a hole in one on that hole but it was right after someone else did so he only got about $75 (the other guy won a couple thousand).
 
I reckon if you stood on the tee and hit 500 balls your chances of holing one would be much higher than the normal statistics for HIOs. Might be worth it, unless there's a disclaimer that you can only hit one shot during every round.
 
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