The majority of golfers have a lifelong dream of making that enigmatic hole-in-one.
At time 90,  , Ray Riek , has enjoyed a lifetime of cards.
The Southmont citizen made a hole-in-one on the par-3 No. 5 at , Berkley Hills Golf Course , this history month. By Riek’s matter, that was his 15th job win. Berkley Hills manager , Derek Hayes , and associate manager , Tony Mondi , each announced the miracle as Riek’s 15th.
” Being 90 years older, it feels really good”, Riek said after playing a round of golf Friday at the nine-hole, city-owned program. ” I’ve definitely played sport here more than anyone else.”
After the conflict in 1946, my father used to raise me around.
” I’ve been golfing off and on since”.
Known as” The Herd,” Riek is a regular at Berkley Hills and a member of a group of golfers.
On the 153-yard, second opening at Berkley Hills, Riek made a shot near the edge of the green with a 7-wood. The opening was carefully rolled into before the ball rolled in. Witnesses , Barry Kohr , and , Sam Zima, people of” The Herd”, were elated after the , Oct. 18 , win.
” It was a lovely picture”, Kohr said. ” It hit just short of the clean, rolled up and went in the gap. He’s wonderful – 90 years older. I do n’t know anyone his age who is able to get a hole-in-one, and then to have 15 on top of that. Besides that, he’s a great person to perform golf with”.
A few months prior, Zima had a hole-in-one on No. 8 at Berkley Hills. He appreciated being Riek’s most recent win.
” It’s wonderful when you’re as old as Ray and you can still hit a hole-in-one”, Zima said.
” He’s a fantastic golf for a guy that’s off in time like that.
When I mention his time, he occasionally gets a little crazy.
” It was a great picture”, Zima added.
” It came across the clean and was rolling, rolling, rolling toward the pin, and then it really disappeared”.
Riek said all but two of his holes-in-one have been at the , Berkley Hills Golf Course. He said one was on a training in , Donegal, Westmoreland County, and another during a large played in , West Virginia.
” I do n’t remember when I had my first hole-in-one. It was ( at Berkley ) though”, Riek said.
Born in 1934, Riek was a bag at , Sunnehanna Country Club , at age 11 and began playing the next year.
He was given the game by his late parents.
” I caddied until I signed up for the military”, said Riek, a veteran who served elsewhere.
Despite not looking 10 or 15 years his junior, Riek still manages to run the course well and moves the program consistently.
When asked how he keeps his sport activity strong, Riek had a simple solution.
” I do a lot of work around the backyard”, he said. When I was 57, I retired. At Cambria Equipment, I lost my position as a warehouse director. I did enjoy golf a lot after retiring”.
Riek and his family, Debbie, have two children, three children and four great-grandchildren.
But, does Riek see another hole-in-one in his coming on the references?
” I keep trying”, Riek said.
” I played 18 holes ( Friday ) and did n’t play good. The day before, I shot 76 and I was glad about that”.
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