The late John Wooden achieved almost incomprehensible basketball coaching feats during his glorious life, which sadly ended earlier this year at the age of 99.
But almost as rare as winning 10 national basketball championships and 88 games in a row with UCLA was a golf feat that Wooden has long been credited with, but was never indisputably verified.
That is, until his family started to clean out his Encino condo recently.
Wooden had long claimed that he once scored an ace and a double-eagle in the same golf round many, many years ago at a course in Indiana. As recently noted by Jill Painter of the L.A. DAILY NEWS, Golf Digest magazine has past reported that only four people have ever actually documented such a personal occurrence. Including pros.
Make it five.
Painter reports that Wooden’s daughter recently located the scorecard from Wooden’s landmark golf round:
One of the most meaningful came in a little box with a 1-cent stamp attached. It was the scorecard of Wooden’s historical round with a double eagle, also known as an albatross, and hole-in-one on June 26, 1939.
Wooden, the former UCLA basketball coach and avid sports enthusiast, died June 4 at 99.
Nan Muehlhausen, Wooden’s daughter, couldn’t remember exactly where she found the golf scorecard from the Erskine Park Golf Course in South Bend, Ind., but believes it was in his rolltop desk drawer.
“It was loaded with stuff,” Muehlhausen said.
“Daddy said he had it but he didn’t know where it was,” Muehlhausen said. “I said I’ll make a copy (when we find it) and send it to them. (My brother) Jim was offended. They wanted proof. He said, `If daddy said he did it, he did it.”‘
Wooden played with two partners on that Wednesday morning: Walt Kindy, a good friend and his assistant basketball coach at Central High of South Bend, and friend Burnett Ball. Six people signed the scorecard. Wooden’s name was listed as “John W.” on the scorecard line.
On the back nine, he scored a 6 on a par 6, then went bogey, par, bogey, par, par and double eagle - a 2 on a par 5 - before finishing with two more pars. He shot a 4-over 75.
Here’s how the article described his ace: “the ball landed to the right of the pin and bounced in the hole sideways.”
Interestingly, only nine months ago, Wooden told the L.A. TIMES that the round didn’t happen at Erskine Golf Club:
Although Golf Digest reports it as taking place at the Erskine Park Golf Course in South Bend, Ind., Wooden said Monday that it was at the Chain of Lakes course, now the South Bend Country Club.
“I used a four-iron for the hole in one,” Wooden said from his home in Encino. “It was about 185 yards. Then I made the two on the par five on the back. Used a brassie.”
A brassie was the rough equivalent of a two-wood.
Wooden said he kept the card and has it stored somewhere. He said he remembers the local paper running a little story the next day. He also retains his typical self-effacing humor about this feat.
“I shot a 77 that day,” he said. “You go five under on two holes and a 77 doesn’t look all that good.”
So at age 99, just months before his passing, Wooden was able to recall a round of golf that happened 71 years ago and virtually nail the facts.
That recall is every bit impressive as the feat itself.
12:42 pm on August 20th, 2010
it is going to come out that John Wooden is Chuck Norris’ father.
Seriously, there isn’t a “John Wooden Facts” website? Hell, the truth about him would be as good as anything we could make up.
2:30 pm on August 20th, 2010
That is definitely Erskine Park. Hole 10 is a 600+ yard behemoth that easily could have been a par 6 in 1939. The rest of the holes match Erskine par-for-par identically.
6:16 pm on August 20th, 2010
“So at age 99, just months before his passing, Wooden was able to recall a round of golf that happened 71 years ago and virtually nail the facts.”
A good man
6:18 pm on August 20th, 2010
Sounds like a bunch of bull to me. He does something that’s apparently unique like that, and then doesn’t frame or store the scorecard somewhere memorable? Then his daughter miraculously finds the apparent score card, and it looks like its on fresh white paper with non smeared pencil led. If the score card was from 1939 there is no way that the paper and led would have remained in such pristine condition in a roll top desk drawer as stated by the daughter.
We’ve also got two conflicting stories about when and where it happened.
The chances of a Pro golfer (or anyone) making an ace and a double eagle in the same round are astronomical, and we’re supposed to believe that some high handicap hack achieved the feat in one round.
There is too much that smells foul about this tale. Perhaps the daughter made up the card for her “5 minutes of fame”, or the coach made it up to try to raise his pompous ego. Regardless of where this fabrication came from it is filled with more holes than a screen door.
6:29 pm on August 20th, 2010
I concur with Michiana Guy… I grew up playing Erskine GC in South Bend - all those yardages match hole by hole (only exception is #5 which is now a little longer).
Also, the ace is described as a bounce to the left into the hole - that fits the slope on that green (#6).
8:18 am on August 21st, 2010
Seek the Truth, you suck!! John Wooden is the most honest person since JC himself!!! You are a loser!!!!
10:07 am on August 21st, 2010
Hey seek the truth,
Zoom in on the card,I am sure you will change your mind. What would be her gain and where would she find an old card from that time? I believe it is the original
11:49 am on August 21st, 2010
He said he shot 77…scorecard says 75. I wasnt there but who knows…and what difference does it make? Ofcourse i would have probably forgot what i shot also after 71 years lol.
8:30 am on August 22nd, 2010
Ever notice how idiots on blogs with names like ’seekthetruth’ want to do anything but that?
Most likely a lonely old guy with zero friends.
I’ll bet if you asked him ‘Who is John Wooden and what did he do?’ he’d just say DUHHHHHHHHHHH with drool dripping off his chin.
10:11 am on August 22nd, 2010
I find it sad that someone like SeekTheTruth is so comfortable writing with such angst about a gentlemen the caliber of John Wooden. Does ANYONE really think Mr. Wooden and / or his family would find any need to falsely report a golf score from the 30’s?
The dirty aspect of these “Submit Comment” sections is individuals like SeekTheTruth can write things they would never have the guts to verbalize directly to the targets of their comments. My guess is SeekTheTruth would be beside himself with excitement had he actually ever come in contact with John Wooden. With that said, please, show some respect for a man that always showed respect for others. BTW…the correct term is 15 minutes of fame and Mr. Wooden was known for having a self-deprecating persona…not pompous.
3:46 pm on August 22nd, 2010
I went golfing 3 times last week and can’t remember a single thing.
6:01 pm on August 22nd, 2010
Hey “SeektheTruth”,
In addition to being a LOSER you obviously don’t know
a thing about golf. Someone who shoots a 77 is in
no way a “hack” as you so describe it. And the fact that
few pros have done it just simply means it is partly
luck (duh) and has nothing to do with handicap.
Anyway, I’m sure you are a cheater and suck golfer.
Wooden could have kicked you butt, even in his 90’s!!!
2:05 pm on August 23rd, 2010
Seekthetruth—Like his daughter needs to plant a bogus story for a guy who has done so many incredible things and accomplished so much in his life. Anyone who knows anything about Wooden knows that the man was as humble as they come and wouldn’t frame the card unlike Bobby Knight.
2:08 pm on August 23rd, 2010
I have never heard of a par 6, or maybe thats something they had in the 1930’s.
2:44 pm on August 23rd, 2010
John Wooden was one of the finest ahtletes of the first half of the 20th century. I doubt he was a hack golfer. More likely he could have been a professional if he had put his efforts there.
If he said he did it, you can take it to the bamk.
4:01 pm on August 23rd, 2010
I had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Wooden speak at a corporate event…what a wonderful man and truly one of a kind.
4:20 pm on August 23rd, 2010
John Wooden was a hero and a sports icon who should be honored and cherrished by anyone who claims to be a sports fan. I would have given anything to meet him and shake his hand. If his family says that scorecard is legit….than that scorecard is legit. End of story.
7:06 pm on August 23rd, 2010
Even MORE impressive is that he didn’t shit himself the day he recalled all that info!
7:44 pm on August 23rd, 2010
Gotta admit the scorecard looks pretty pristine for 70 years old…..but if John Wooden said it happened, it happened. No more honest man has walked the earth. He makes Abe Lincoln look like a con artist.
9:19 pm on August 23rd, 2010
There is no one that has responded to this article that knows anything about what they are speaking about! Stay in your lazy boy chair and leave a dead man lay in his tomb. He’s dead don’t mar his image spouting all of this shit!! John Wooden was a human being quit putting him in leauge with God he would’nt want everyone spouting about him being this or that.
2:26 pm on August 24th, 2010
Rough Rider - It seems to me most of these people know what they are talking about. If ever there was a most repected man in all of sport it’s John Wooden. Obviously SeekTheTruth knows nothing of what kind of man Wooden was.
3:28 pm on August 24th, 2010
No word of a lie, my uncle got an hole in one and the next hole he got an albatross. Was “athlete of the week”
4:45 pm on August 24th, 2010
I think he may have got the ace. I think maybe the albatross was at best 1 or 2 strokes off. I know how golfers tend to lose count of their strokes. I play with a few of them…….after a few beers their count is even worse.
8:26 pm on August 24th, 2010
Pretty pristine paper for a 70+ year old score card… but Johnny W did walk from Westwood to Hawaii so who can doubt…
9:25 pm on August 24th, 2010
JC - the man was more modest that Job himself! And he was a man of integrity. We need more people like John Wooden. The world is a better place with people like John Wooden
10:46 pm on August 24th, 2010
Seek The Truth, you should seek some facts before making comments on the internet.
John Wooden was as honorable as any man could be who has ever walked the face of the earth. He didn’t frame the scorecard because he WASN’T a pompous asshole but instead a humble man who correctly thought that scoring an ace and double eagle in a single round, while impressive, isn’t jack shit when compared to winning 88 games in a row and 10 national championships as coach of the Bruins. The reason the scorecard is in great condition is because it was placed in his roll top desk for 71 years, probably having seen the light of day no more than a few times during that period. You sir, are a jackass. Calling Wooden a “HACK” makes me want to hunt you down and smack you around until you apologize to every one of John Wooden’s fans you have offended on this blog.
9:02 am on August 25th, 2010
While John Wooden was undeniably one of sports’ greatest example of what is right with athletics, one can see why there might be some skepticism regarding the freshness of the scorecard paper and the clarity of the graphite. Graphite won’t fade but will easily be rubbed by other paper or from just being folding over itself. This is what makes some doubt the authenticity of the scorecard’s date. But, could Mr. Wooden have scored a hole-in-one and a double eagle in one round? Why not, both scores can be attributed to luck, and luck can appear at any time in any guise. Every golfer, no matter of what skill level, will shoot the round of his/her life. It’s guaranteed, since one round has to be better, even by but a slight margin, than every other round one may play. There has to be the best and there has to be the worst. Unfortunately with golf for most of us, they usually trend toward the worst, and that’s why we have what are rightly called handicaps.
4:18 pm on August 26th, 2010
You guys are so far up Wooden’s ass. You all realize that he and his dynasty are just as bad (if not worse) as all of USC’s recent troubles.
Does no one remember Sam Gilbert??
4:43 am on September 30th, 2011
I have never heard of a par 6, or maybe thats something they had in the 1930’s.