Winnetka man sinks hole-in-one, wins $10,000 from Swing King
By Steve Reaven
Pioneer Press |
Aug 23, 2018 | 11:45 PM
Winnetka resident Wade Keats (right) won $10,000 from Swing King after making a hole-in-one at Chevy Chase Country Club in July.
Wade Keats couldn't have been more thrilled after making his very first hole-in-one. His ace came July 12 on the par-3 13th hole at Wheeling's Chevy Chase Country Club.
But soon, the Winnetka resident learned some more good news: His hole-in-one came with a $10,000 paycheck.
That unexpected windfall was courtesy of Swing King, a Chicago-based company that partners with courses to reward players for holes-in-one on specified par-3 holes at those courses.
The 4-hybrid club Keats used on the 160-yard par 3 worked its magic at the perfect time.
"It was the kind of shot that when you hit it, you don't even feel it in the club," said Keats, a member at Skokie Country Club in Glencoe who tries to play once a week throughout the summer. "I knew I hit it really good and really straight, and someone in my group said, 'That's right on the pin.' "
Indeed it was.
Keats didn't actually see the ball clank into the hole. After an on-green celebration, he texted his wife, Christine Keats, and a few friends before finishing the round. While turning in his scorecard, playing partner and work colleague Donna Brand casually mentioned Keats' feat. That prompted the club pro to tell the group about Swing King's automated contest and the $10,000 prize.
"I was already in total shock, but that floored me," Keats said.
Keats wasn't even aware that he had been entered into Swing King's contest. He was playing at a Wheeling/Prospect Heights Chamber of Commerce outing, and the event organizers had purchased an entry for each participant.
Typically, a player would be asked about entering the contest in the pro shop before the beginning of the round. A $5 entry fee can lead to the $10,000 prize, and $10 could net $20,000. Swing King could pay as much as $1,000,000 for special events.
"Lloyd's of London underwrites all of our payouts, and they're fully insured and guaranteed," said Swing King CEO Mike Jakob.
Jakob said that Swing King has rewarded more than 100 golfers since its 2015 founding, including 52 in 2017 alone. With a nationwide client list including more than 300 courses in 29 states, Jakob said his company makes four to eight payouts per month.
The technological piece to Swing KIng's contests hinges on a proprietary system in which an unobstructed HD camera is mounted on a single pole behind the green.
"If they hit a shot, they (the golfers) notify the course, the course notifies us and we make sure everything is proper," Jakob said.
Swing King, which raised another $4 million in seed money last summer, shares the revenue generated through the contests with its course clients. It has also begun selling video of holes-in-one that weren't entered in a contest.
"Our goal is to have everyone in the contest all the time," Jakob said.
And count Keats, 63, among the increasing number of satisfied customers.
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He said his wife's first question after his $10,000 payday was, "Where are we going?" But besides popping some champagne later that night at home, Keats has resisted the temptation to spend a cent of his winnings.
His love of golf, and his swing, remain in solid shape as well.
"I don't think I've missed a green on a par-3 since," Keats said. "Some people said I should quit, but it's inspired me to play more. I wish every golfer could experience the same euphoric feeling."
So does Swing King.