Naples man has 3 holes in one in 5 days WOT?

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Jim Wolklin had three of a kind from Feb. 12-16 at Heritage Bay Golf & Country Club in Naples.

Three of a kind as in three aces.

"Just a wild time," Wolklin said last week.

Golf has been pretty wild for Wolklin since he got back into the game in the 1980s. The three holes-in-one at Heritage Bay gave him a total of 11.

"When you least expect them, they go in the hole," said Wolklin, 68. "It's when you're not thinking about it, and you're just trying to make par."

 

 

Wolklin's wild stretch started on Feb. 12 on No. 13 on the Cypress Course, holing out with an 8-iron from 144 yards with Gary Bradbury, Brad Kroll and Randy Johnson witnessing. Three days later, Wolklin made his second on the 148-yard No. 21 Oak with a 7-iron, with David Foltz, Anthony Nizzardo and Michael McCarthy witnessing. The third was the next day, with his wife Cheryl, Steve Kosek and Mary Kosek witnessing the 9-iron from 130 yards on No. 26 on the Oak Course.

"It's regular rounds playing with friends," Wolklin said. "I hit a good shot and then it's one or two bounces right in the hole."

 
Wolklin almost got to witness another ace that wasn't his on the first one. Bradbury nearly put his ball on top of Wolklin's.

"I actually thought his was in," Wolklin said. "Another player standing on the tee box said it rolled right by the hole."

On the second one, Wolklin's playing partners had never witnessed an ace.

 
"You're not going to believe this, but I had one on Friday," he told them afterward.

On the last ace, his wife Cheryl got to witness it when the two of them and another couple were playing near dusk.

"We got up on the green and there was one ball on the green, and we knew that there were two balls going toward the green," he said. "We were getting closer and closer, and there's definitely a ball in the hole. I look down and it's my ball in the hole."

 
Mary Kosek's ball was the other on the green, and 4 feet away. She made her birdie putt.

"That was one of the most rewarding things," Wolklin said.

Wolklin, who played golf in high school, has been at Heritage Bay for two years after being a member at Lost Lakes in Hobe Sound. His home club is Stanton Ridge Golf & Country Club in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. Seven of his aces have been there, with the other coming at Somerset Hills Country Club in Bernardsville, New Jersey. For that one, his son Luke was caddying for him.


"I just have had a lot of luck," said Wolklin, who owned boat dealerships and catering halls, and still owns a hotel and one hall. "I don't know what to tell you. I play with pros and some of them don't have any."

But there is that expectation from his playing partners when Wolklin steps up on the tee at a par 3 he has to try to block out.

"When we get to a par-3, and I set up, the people are expecting it to go in the hole, which adds a little bit of pressure," Wolklin said. "They call me Ace now, though."


Figueroa makes the cut: Former St. John Neumann and FGCU golfer Edward Figueroa had played in the Puerto Rico Open seven times before last week's. He had never made the cut, and it appeared the 27-year-old was going to just miss it again Friday.

But after hitting over the green in two on the par-5 18th, Figueroa chipped in for eagle to make the cut. He then birdied four of his first six holes in the third round to shoot a 69. Figueroa shot a 73 in the final round and tied for 58th, 10 spots ahead of Fort Myers' George McNeill. The former Puerto Rico Open champion closed with a 71. 

Tiburón Golf Academy: High school golfers program on Thursday afternoons from 4 to 6 p.m. Some of the time will be spent on the range and some of the time on the golf course. The drop-in rate will be $50 per session. For more information, call Tom O'Brien at 239-250-3164.

 
The academy also has started a pre-junior golf program for ages 3-6 on Sundays from 9 to 9:45 a.m. Call the Tiburón Golf Shop with any questions at 239-593-2201.

First Tee of Naples/Collier: The Middle School Golf season is upcoming, with applications going live on Jan. 29. Tournaments will begin the week of April 5 and go through the end of the week of May 3. All matches will be a 4:30 p.m. shotgun start. The championship tournament will be May 15-16. For more information, go to firstteenaplescollier.org.

Impact Zone Golf:  Bobby Clampett and his instructional staff are available for private, group, and corporate lessons, as well as New Student Assessments at both IZG Academies, which are located in Naples at the Indoor Performance Center at 1040 Collier Center Way and in Fort Myers, at the new Academy at the Club at Renaissance at the intersection of Daniels Parkway and Interstate 75.

For juniors, Impact Zone has introduced the new national U.S. Player Development Model for Golf, through a partnership with U.S. Kids Player Pathways, and includes an afterschool program at Renaissance. 

Because of the pandemic, class sizes will be small. The program will run for four weeks at a time; you will have the flexibility to do one or two days a week ($160 for once a week, $240 for twice a week based on the 4-week class). If you miss a class, there will only be one makeup day regardless of how many classes are missed. If your junior is going to miss a class, 24 hours' notice is requested. Classes are Wednesdays and Fridays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

 
To sign up or for more information, contact Olivia at omesner@impactzonegolf.com or call/text 239-236-5536.

Durland Golf School:  Durland, who is located at Naples Grande, is available for lessons from Monday through Saturday.

School openings -- Two-Day/Full-Day golf school Wednesday, March 24 and Thursday, March 25.

Golf schools are based on a 3-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio with all instruction conducted by Durland.

True Spec Golf, a club fitting company, also is located at the school.

The Ladies Learning Club with Amber Richardson meets Wednesday mornings, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., and started Jan. 6. Tuition is $50 per student per session. Contact Richardson at ladieslearningclub@gmail.com. 

To contact Durland, email info@durlandgolf.com or call 784-2208.