Deni Byrne Made ONE!
Carole Schumacher
Denise Byrne got her first ever hole-in-one on Aug. 15, 2023, at Tuscany Falls East on hole number 17. She was playing a casual round of golf with Joan Knight and Sandy Clinton. “I used a 9 iron, and the flag was at 90 yards,” said Deni. Deni is a member of the PebbleCreek Ladies Golf Association (PCLGA).
“I call it my Ricky Fowler shot. Nine iron, high in the air, dropped on the green about 5-10 inches, lower left of the hole. It slowly tracked up and to the right and dropped in the cup. Absolutely saw it all the way!”
Deni’s been playing golf since 1990, so this was a long time coming!
Congratulations, Deni!
Gus Gladding Scores His Third Career Ace at Tuscany Falls East
Howie Tiger
On Sept. 18, Gus Gladding made a hole-in-one on hole number 13 at Tuscany Falls East. This was his third career hole-in-one. He made it while playing with the Bandits golf group. It was not as lucrative as his prior one that he made during a PebbleCreek Men’s Golf Association (PCMGA) tourney, but still exciting.
The 13th hole played 130 yards from the white tees to a front middle pin placement. With a slightly hurting wind, Gus hit his 8-iron straight at the hole. It took a few bounces and disappeared. His playing partners were Roger Johnson, Joe Jones, and Bob Parise. Roger said, “I think it went into the hole!” A skeptical Gus said, “Let’s wait and see until we get there.” The foursome arrived at the green and checked the hole. Voila, it was in. High fives and cheers commenced.
Gus grew up in San Jose, Calif. He started playing golf at his father’s club, San Jose CC, at the tender age of 8. He played golf all four years at James Lick High School (famous for NFL player Jim Plunkett and Pro golfer Roger Maltbie) and was team captain his senior year. For all those four years, his team won the Eastside High School District Championship. He is a graduate of Linfield College and earned his master’s at Pepperdine University.
Gus was a 20-year career pilot for the U.S. Air Force. He was an aircraft commander with a crew of six flying B-52 Bombers. He was also an instructor and an evaluator pilot. After retiring from the Air Force, Gus flew MD-80s and 737s for US Airways while based in Pittsburgh, Penn.
His first hole-in-one came on Feb. 20, 2009, on the 5th hole at Coldwater Golf Course in Avondale. His second came on Jan. 17, 2019, at the 17th hole of the East course, which earned him a share of the PCMGA annual prize fund.
Congratulations, Gus!