Golfers With the Most Holes in One: Record Aces in Golf
Some golfers have recorded dozens of holes in one over their careers. This article covers the players widely known for accumulating the most aces in competitive and recreational golf.
Holes in one are among the rarest achievements in golf, yet a handful of players — amateur and professional — have managed to accumulate them in extraordinary numbers over long careers. While no single governing body tracks every lifetime ace, certain names appear repeatedly in the conversation about who has made the most holes in one in golf history.
Why Lifetime Hole-in-One Totals Are Hard to Pin Down
Unlike strokes on a scorecard, holes in one made during casual rounds, pro-ams, charity events, and practice sessions are rarely logged in any official database. This makes definitive rankings difficult. Most credible tallies are self-reported or collected through golf associations and club records, which vary in rigor.
That said, the golf community has documented some remarkable lifetime totals, particularly among players who spent decades competing and playing high volumes of rounds each year.
Notable Names in Hole-in-One History
| Player | Notable Context |
|---|---|
| Norman Manley (USA) | Often cited in golf lore for one of the largest lifetime ace tallies, reportedly recorded over several decades |
| Mancil Davis | Known as the “King of Aces” in amateur circles, with a widely reported career total across recreational play |
| Art Wall Jr. | PGA Tour winner famous for his ace count; had a well-documented collection of holes in one including several in major tournaments |
| Jacqueline Guthrie | Among female golfers frequently cited for high lifetime ace totals |
Art Wall Jr. deserves particular mention in the professional context. A PGA Tour champion in the 1950s and 1960s, Wall was nicknamed for his prolific hole-in-one production — he reportedly made aces in multiple Masters Tournaments, which is exceptionally rare even for top professionals.
Holes in One on the PGA Tour
On the PGA Tour, holes in one made in official competition are tracked more reliably. Multiple aces in a single tournament season is considered notable. Several professionals have achieved two aces in the same tournament round — an extraordinarily rare feat.
What separates professionals from amateurs in ace production is not just skill but also volume: touring professionals play more rounds per year, often on courses with tighter setups that expose par-3s to flag positions specifically designed to reward precision iron play.
Factors That Lead to More Aces
- Longevity: Players who compete or play recreationally for 30-plus years have far more opportunities.
- Volume of rounds: High-frequency players naturally accumulate more chances.
- Precision iron play: Accuracy off the tee on par-3s is the primary skill factor.
- Course type: Some courses feature shorter or more accessible par-3s that increase ace frequency.
Are Hole-in-One Records Official?
No single governing body — not the USGA, the R&A, or the PGA Tour — maintains a universally recognized lifetime hole-in-one leaderboard. Golf’s ace records live in a mix of club attestations, newspaper archives, and self-reported tallies. This is part of what makes comparing lifetime totals across eras genuinely difficult.
For PGA Tour competition specifically, ShotLink tracking (introduced in the early 2000s) has created reliable modern records, but historical data from earlier decades is incomplete.
Quick summary: The golfers with the most holes in one are typically long-career players who combined exceptional iron play with high round volume over decades. Art Wall Jr. stands out among professionals for documented aces in major events, while amateur players like Norman Manley and Mancil Davis are widely cited for the largest reported lifetime totals — though such figures are difficult to verify through official channels.
Frequently asked questions
What is the world record for most holes in one?+
Norman Manley of the United States is widely credited in golf lore with the highest documented career total of holes in one — reportedly more than 59 — though such lifetime tallies are difficult to independently verify.
How rare is a hole in one?+
For an average amateur golfer, the odds of making a hole in one on a par-3 are estimated at around 12,500 to 1. For a touring professional, those odds drop significantly, roughly to 2,500 to 1 or better.
Which PGA Tour players have the most holes in one?+
Several PGA Tour veterans have recorded holes in one across competitive rounds. Players like Hal Sutton and Gary Nicklaus are noted among professionals with multiple tour aces, though many pros accumulate more aces in practice rounds and pro-ams than in official competition.