The edited version of this article will appear in Golf Teaching Pro Magazine in January of 2011 and will be distributed throughout North America and Europe. It was a typical Vancouver November day in 2009 with grey skies and light falling rain on the already soaked greens at the Stanley Park Pitch and Putt Golf Course. A day when only fools or golf enthusiasts would dare venture out and there I was, the only person on the course, putting for a birdie on the second hole. From out of nowhere a slight older man appeared wearing large work boots and carrying some clubs. His first words were “my name is Lloyd and can I join you for a game of golf?” That day turned out to be a special beginning to a friendship as Lloyd and I played golf and exchanged stories in the pouring rain. As we golfed and laughed that day I learned more about Lloyd Gauthier, that he was a teaching golf professional of Cree heritage and his seven under par that day proved he knew his craft well.
March 5, 2010 was a bright and warm day at Northlands Golf and Country Club in North Vancouver, it was late afternoon as the sun was starting to set over the 16th green. The pin was at the back making the downhill hole play about 150 yards as Lloyd struck his seven wood that sent the ball towards the green with a slight fade. Hal and I lost sight of Lloyd's ball as the setting sun blinded our view but it looked like a great shot. As we walked down the hill towards the hole I could not see Lloyd’s ball and I remarked “it’s either over the green or in the hole.” The latter was soon confirmed by the cheers from the next tee as the four golfers ahead of us witnessed the hole in one that we could not see. As Lloyd bought beer for the house he informed me that it was his 12th hole in one of his golfing career and over a few glasses of beer he recounted his previous hole in one achievements.
Lloyd’s first hole in one was in 1975 at the Palm Springs Golf Club, struck some 130 yards with his 8 iron and witnessed by good friends Ray Stewart and Doug McGimsey. Hole in one number 2 and 3 came in tournament play in 1977 and 1982 at the Kamloops Golf Club in British Columbia. Hole in one number 2 was a blind shot over a hill measuring some 212 yards and struck with a two iron and hole in one number 3 was a 130 yard hole struck with and 8 iron.
Hole in one number 4 came in 1983 and was especially memorable because it was a short par four measuring some 270 yards at the Highlands Golf Club in Calgary, Alberta. Lloyd hit driver off the tee and did not see the ball land on the green. Although a straight hit off the tee the ball could not be found on the fairway so his playing partner, Greg Huston, took a look in the hole and found the ball at the bottom of the cup.
Hole in one number 5 happened in 1992 in San Francisco at Lake Chabot Golf Club. Lloyd was playing with a group of golfers who had just watched a tournament where Nancy Lopez had chipped in from 20 yards to win. Moments later they were even more excited as Lloyd used a wedge on the 8th hole, playing some 110 yards for a hole in one. That same year at Waterton Lakes Park Golf Course in Alberta he recorded his 6th hole in one in tournament play. Using an 8 iron on the 135 yard thirteenth hole, Lloyd hit the ball past the pin and spun the ball back some 15 feet on the sloping green into the hole.
The next hole in one, number 7, took thirteen years and occurred in 2005 at Cordova Bay Golf Club, Victoria BC on the 13th hole measuring some 140 yards uphill. Lloyd used his 6 iron to ace that hole and started to sense that he and the number 13 had a special bond. Hole in ones number 8 and 9 were also recorded in Victoria BC, number 8 was at Mount Doug Golf Course in 2006 and number 9 was in 2009 at Ceader Hill Golf Club on the 6th hole measuring some 130 yards and made with a nine iron.
Hole in one number 10 was made in Sept ember, 2009 at Ambleside Golf Course, Vancouver BC, a short but difficult 75 yard hole using a wedge. In October number 11 was recorded at Galiano Island Golf Club on the second hole playing some 110 yards and made with a 9 iron.
It was April 19th, 2010 when I got a phone call from an excited Lloyd Gauthier who had just made hole in one number “lucky” 13. He was playing his annual game with good friend Charlie Maxwell at the Squamish Golf and Country Club in BC. It was the 6th hole measuring some 140 yards, the hole was aced using a 7 iron.
However Lloyd’s excitement was not only about the hole in one but the fact that 13 was his favourite number, a number that held a spiritual significance, a number representing destiny. He went on to explain that ever since reading “ Golf And The Kingdom”, he was captivated and inspired by the mystical golf adventure of Seamus MacDuff, the holy man who haunts the ravine on the 13th fairway at Scotland’s legendary Burningbush golf course. It also happens that Lloyd’s best friend, Ray Stewart, a noted professional golfer has his birthday on the 13th . The number 13 is also significant in that Lloyd had to wait 13 years for hole in one number 7 that, as you guessed it, occurred on hole number 13. For Lloyd hole in one number 13 is like arriving at a special golf destination after a long journey, there is nothing more to prove but to enjoy the accomplishment. Congratulations Lloyd Gauthier on lucky number 13.
Since lucky number 13, Lloyd has gone on to record two more hole in ones bringing his total to 15.
Posted by Wes
Will Willier (Calgary), Terry Willey (Vancouver), Wes Hadkin (Vancouver), Hall McInerney (Vancouver)
