July 27, 2022, a day like any other summer day in Southeast Georgia. At a balmy 91 degrees in the shade, it’s not what most would consider the perfect day for a golf game.
Unless you’re Roy Curry.
For Curry, July 27 turned out to be the ideal day for a round of golf on Hunter Army Airfield’s Hunter Golf Course. A day he’ll surely never forget after scoring a rare albatross on the course’s hole 14, a par 5.
An albatross, sometimes called a double eagle, is the rarest golf achievement anyone can make. It’s accomplished when a golfer lands their ball in the hole after only two shots on a par 5—a feat that the National Hole-in-One Registry states has the odds of nearly 6 million to 1.
Curry, a native of Birmingham, England, moved to Savannah in 1984 to work as an engineer at Gulfstream Aerospace. It was through his job that he discovered Hunter Golf Course during a scheduled company golf blitz nearly 20 years ago.
From that point on, it was history.
One annual course membership and a Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation visitor’s access pass later, Curry found his home on the links at Hunter Golf Course. Now retired, he still enjoys playing at the course as often as he can after all these years.
As a child, Curry enjoyed being active and played a number of sports ranging from soccer to tennis. He began golfing for fun at the age of 18. However, as a self-proclaimed amateur, he’s no stranger to unusual accomplishments on the golf course.
“The only other time I’ve ever done anything like this was when I got an eagle back in England,” he said. “I got it on a par 5 when my third shot went in. Now this time I got an albatross on a par 5. I’ve never had a hole-in-one or anything, these are the two main things I’ve ever had happen on the golf course.”
Golf course director Brad Baumann said it’s a feat he’s only ever seen one other time in his golfing career; made by a fellow golf pro during a game in Knoxville, Tennessee.
“An albatross is super rare. The numbers alone will tell you how rare it is,” Baumann said. “And one thing that Mr. Curry failed to mention is that he’s 78 years old and shot a 76 on our par 72 course that day. Some people don’t realize what a feat that is within itself.”
When asked how he felt after he realized he’d made such an accomplishment, Curry admitted that he didn’t fully understand the extent of what he’d done until arriving back at the clubhouse and witnessing everyone’s excitement.
“Everyone was really excited,” he said. “I didn’t know if I should buy everyone a round of drinks to celebrate or not. I will say one thing, I did try the lottery on my way home that day.”
And while he didn’t win the Georgia Mega Millions that weekend, he did find fortune in accomplishing golf’s rarest achievement, something he says he’ll never forget.
“I’m amazed,” he said. “When I made the shot I thought the ball had gone over the green. A couple of guys I was playing with got so excited when they saw what I'd actually done. I didn’t believe them until I saw it for myself. Then I saw that the ball had gone in the hole. I couldn’t believe it. It was quite an exciting few minutes.”
For golfers out there who would like to experience the same type of accomplishment, Baumann offered some parting advice.
“Practice,” he said. “Of course there’s some luck to achieving an albatross, but at the end of the day, practicing definitely increases your odds.”
To learn more about golfing on Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield visit https://stewarthunter.armymwr.com/categories/recreation.
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