A single incredible stroke of luck is all Mark Kinsella needed earlier this week.
The octogenarian St. Albert resident was playing in a foursome during the Youville Home's 17th annual Golf Classic fundraiser on Wednesday when fate shone down on him in a big way.
He got a hole-in-one on the 159-m (174-yard) 17th hole and consequently won a brand new Chevy Cruze.
"I just hit a long liner that went about 140 yards in the air and then hit the ground and rolled. It curled up and went into the hole," he exclaimed. "I couldn't do it again in a million years!"
That isn't quite true. He drained a hole-in-one once before during his nearly 30 years playing the game.
Kinsella never thought that he would get a second chance at glory, especially with such a prize on the line. He was just out to play for fun.
"I was golfing with three young guys and they were all licking their chops on this car. I figured there's not much use in me getting excited about that."
"Usually you get a hole-in-one, that's a pretty big deal. To get a car on top of it, that adds a little spice to it."
He is also particularly pleased that the new car will replace his current car, an older model that he calls a "gas guzzler." He also claims he's never won anything big before.
"This is my first and only."
Utterly pleased with his good fortune, he laughed that he also accomplished Wednesday's feat using a wood driver.
"I'm 82 years old. I'm not using the irons too much any more."
Deb Dover, the event's co-ordinator and co-chair, was thrilled to see the car go to such a sweet and humble man.
"It was the most exciting that ever happened."
She added this marked a unique moment for the Sturgeon Valley Golf Course as well. She related how course manager Mark Beckwith said that he has never before experienced someone winning a car for a hole-in-one during a tournament in his 20-plus years.
Kinsella picked up the keys to his new car at the Ron Hodgson Chevrolet Buick GMC dealership yesterday morning.
The other good news
Dover said the golf classic itself was a winner, with all of the spots sold out a month previous. Dozens of prospective registrants were held on a waiting list. People even drove up and left their names to be invited to next year's game.
"It was fantastic. It was a hugely successful golf tournament."
She is still tabulating the final dollar amounts but she expects that it will be a good number.
The event is one of the major fundraisers to support the Youville Home. It brings in attention and money to help pay for projects and enhancements that fall outside the scope of government funding. These projects include a wheelchair accessible van and electric beds. The proceeds from this year's tournament will support the creation of a landscaped outdoor area for the residents to enjoy.
The Youville Home is managed by Covenant Health, the country's largest Catholic health care organization. It is a non-profit long-term care facility that offers 24-hour care to more than 220 residents of all faiths.
The facility is located at 9A St. Vital Avenue next to the St. Albert Parish.
For more information, call 780-460-6900 or visit www.youvillehome.ab.ca.
