Lowry’s aces fall within a year

Warren’s Don Lowry plays golf six days a week and walks the course most of the time.

Not very unusual you say.

Well, Lowry is 80 years old and just last week recorded the second hole-in-one of his career at Northwood Golf Course in Champion.

His most recent ace came on the No. 9 hole, which plays to about 140 yards, and it came less than one year since he had made his first hole-in-one on the very same hole.

“I made the first one last July,” said Lowry. “I started playing golf back in 1939 and played 68 years without ever making an ace and then get two in the span of less than a year.”

Lowry is part of a group of retirees who play golf six days a week at Northwood.

“We take Sunday’s off,” he said.

Lowry said he walks the nine-hole course most of the time.

“When it gets real hot I usually ride, but I still enjoy walking.”

A year ago Lowry was playing in group that included his friend Carl Antonelli.

“I remember the day very well,” said Antonelli. “We were playing the par-5 No. 8 hole and Don had just dunked his third shot into the creek. He then dropped another ball and holed it out for a par.”

“Then he walked up to the next tee and knocked it in the hole for his first-ever ace,” Antonelli said. “He played the last two holes without taking a putt at age 79.”

“I remember that I hit a 6-iron last year to make the ace, but this year I went down to a 7-iron that landed right in the cup,” Lowry said.

Lowry has been very involved in golf over the years, spending 10 seasons as secretary of the Warren City Golf League. He was a caddy at Mill Creek Park in the late 1930s.

“We used to play four nights a week back then starting out at Yankee Run, then Candywood and the old Eastwood and Avalon,” Lowry said. “We had a lot of fun in those days. I really loved the old Eastwood Course and Gig Caldrone who ran it.”

“We have a lot of fun in our group now at Northwood,” he added. “I’ve been playing there since 1989 and we just keep adding players and it’s a great bunch of guys to be around.”

“I’m the oldest,” he added.

Witnessing Lowry’s last hole-in-one were Bill Sine, Jim Gintert, Jim Northcutt and John Bohovich.

Team tournament at Mill Creek

On July 27 at Mill Creek Golf Course a local qualifying event will be held for the PGA McGladrey Team Championship, an event for amateurs.

RSM McGladrey, which has offices in Northeast Ohio, is the official accounting, tax and business consulting firm of the PGA of America and the two are partners in this tournament.

The local qualifying event will involve three-man amateur teams, a total handicap of 54 if all players are male, 70 with one female, 80 with two and 90 if all three are female. It is an 18-hole one best-ball of three event.

A minimum of seven teams is required to hold a local event and qualify one team to the sectionals. Events with 18 or more teams will qualify two teams to the sectional.

Sectional competition will be held at 41 sites across the country and will be conducted in August and September. Winners at the sectional level will advance to the national championships Oct. 20-22 at Pinehurst, N.C.

For the sectionals and the national championships each amateur team will be joined by a PGA professional.

To get more details about the event contact Mill Creek Golf Course at (330) 740-7112 or go to the tournament’s web site, teamchamp.pgalinks.com.

XPete Mollica writes about golf for The Vindicator. Write to him at mollica@vindy.com.