Local golf: Estero realtor sinks two aces in same round

On Sunday at Stoneybrook Golf Club in Estero, 29-year-old realtor Jack Mancini was the one, making a pair of aces in a nine-hole span.

"It was an incredible experience," said Mancini, who went into the pro shop prior to the round and bought a sleeve of Nike balls called "one."

He aced the 154-yard No. 5 hole with a 6-iron into a gusting wind. If it wasn't windy, Mancini usually hits an 8-iron.

Mancini couldn't see the ball go in because of a bunker in the front of the green, which is surrounded by water.

"I knew it was going right at the flag, but you couldn't see the bottom part," said Mancini, who has lived in Stoneybrook for a year and a half and plays at least once a week. "We get up there and there's no ball on the green and I knew it was in, because it was right at it. I saw a ball mark about four feet short of the pin."

Mancini had to start his shot, a draw, out over some rocks to the right. "I do it every day, it just never goes in the hole," said Mancini, who has had four previous aces, the last six years ago.

Nine holes later, Mancini and playing partners Dean Oyster and Bill Hanson came around to No. 14. With the wind howling behind him, the scratch golfer pulled out a 7-iron on the 186-yard hole. One swing later, the ball hit on the front of the green, took a bounce and went in the hole.

"We just slowly made our way over to the hole," said Mancini, who was told by the United States Golf Association that making two aces in the same round happens two to six times a year. "And there was that beautiful Nike that I just bought three hours prior."

Mancini, who is married with a four-month-old daughter, wrote "SB" and the corresponding hole number on each of the hole-in-one balls with a marker. He plans to get them framed along with the scorecard and hang them either in his office at home or at the Stoneybrook pro shop.

Mancini, who is originally from Fort Lauderdale, shot a 67 for the round, including a 31 on the back nine.

"It was a good day, my best day ever on a golf course," he said.

In April, 60-year-old Bob Kenney of Fort Pierce made two holes-in-one in a span of three holes at Mariner Sands Country Club in Stuart. He aced the 141-yard No. 6 with a 7-iron for his second career hole-in-one, then aced the 151-yard No. 8 with the same 7-iron.