On Friday, November 4, 2022, Tony Banks achieved his 13th hole-in-one while playing at Cypress Head Golf Course in Port Orange, Florida. Banks made the shot on hole #7 at 172 yards using a 7-iron Callaway Club and Vice Pro 1 ball. Banks’ playing partners were C.C. Clarke, Allen Blackwell and Ron Wilson.
Banks lives in Aberdeen, NC, and says that his golfing journey started back in 1957, when his mom, a nurse who normally did not normally have to work on weekends did have to work on one particular weekend. Needing someone to watch her son, family friend Mr. James Waddell was asked to watch young, 9-year-old Tony that day.
Not wanting the favor to interfere with his regular golf schedule, Mr. Waddell took the youngster with him to the golf course. While sitting in the caddie shack, young Tony was asked to caddie for Mr. Waddell. Having never done so, this was a new adventure for Tony. However, he got the hang of it fairly quickly, shagging balls and handling the heavy golf bag.
“After the round, Mr. Waddell gave me $6 for caddying the 18 holes,” says Banks today. “I was so surprised because back then, that was a lot of money because you could go see a double feature at the movies for only 25 cents!”
After two more times of caddying, Banks says, “I was hooked.” —but more so on the money, rather than golf though. “Almost every weekend I was out there caddying at the course, earning $12+ tips. That was big money for me and I bought my first pair of Converse Chucks with my earnings.”
Banks came to love golf so much, until today, the 75-year-old has played all over the world.
