Seems like a simple question: What are the odds of getting a hole-in-one?

Not so simple, says Golf Digest, which has been tracking the issue for more than half a century. Not so simple, say insurance companies who issue policies to tournaments that offer big-time prizes for an ace.

The odds of making a hole-in-one do vary quite a bit. One problem is that nobody knows the true number of aces made every year. There are numerous organizations that track holes-in-one, but not every ace that is made is reported. And there have been some infamous cases of aces that were reported - but not made.

In 1999, Golf Digest reported, "One insurance company puts a PGA Tour pro's chances at 1 in 3,756 and an amateur's at 1 in 12,750."

Ireland's National Hole in One Club says, "The estimated odds of acing a hole with any given swing are one in 33,000." And Sports Illustrated put the odds at 45,000 to 1 for "scoring a hole-in-one on a typical par-3 golf hole."

What about the insurance companies? One such company, SCA Promotions, says the odds of a golfer holing out from 150 yards is somewhere from 10,000 to 15,000 to 1.

In 2000, Golf Digest hired Francis Scheid, a Ph.D. and the retired chairman of the math department at Boston University, to calculate the odds using the latest and best information available.

The odds Scheid came up with were lower than any others cited above: 5,000 to 1 for a "low-handicapper," 12,000 to 1 for an "average player." If you are a low-handicapper and play 1,000 rounds in your life, according to Scheid, you have a 20-percent chance of recording an ace. If you play 5,000 rounds, your odds are 1:1.

The Golf Digest study provided many great nuggets of information, even breaking the odds down by quality of play:

** Tour player making an ace: 3,000 to 1.

** Low-handicapper making an ace: 5,000 to 1.

** Average player making an ace: 12,000 to 1.

Some other highlights from Scheid's calculations:

** Average player acing a 200-yard hole: 150,000 to 1. ** Two players from the same foursome acing the same hole: 17 million to 1.

** One player making two holes-in-one in the same round: 67 million to 1.

It's something to discuss around the 19th hole.

Look who's buying

With that in mind, I have a few holes-in-one to report:

** Ron St. Pierre was a guest at Highland Country Club in Attleboro this week when he grabbed a seven iron on the 125-yard fourth hole and "just hit a perfect shot." The ace was the first in his 20 years playing golf. Witnessing the event were Johnny Rodgers, Larry Rezendes and Mike Publicover.

** Jerry Pereira aced a 128-yard hole at MGA Links at Mamantapett on Sept. 12.

** Lee Johnson got a hole-in-one on a 74-yard hole at the same par-3 course on Aug. 31. (The Web site did not specify which holes the aces were recorded.)

** Jennifer Borislow used a seven iron on the 16th hole at TPC Boston during the Sept. 3 pro-am for the Deutsche Bank Championship.

More deals

I noted in this space last week that Highland Country Club was offering deals now to entice members to join in 2010. Wentworth Hills Golf Club in Plainville is doing the same, offering free golf for the rest of 2009 and packages starting as low as $1,250. Find out more at wentworthhillsgolf.com.

And play well.

MIKE KIRBY can be reached at 508-236-0344 or at mkirby@thesunchronicle.com.