Vincent Costa doesn’t hesitate to call his recent hole-in-one a case of blind luck. And for good reason.
Legally blind for more than 20 years, Costa is a regular on the links at Vasari Country Club in Bonita Springs, Florida, where he and his wife Joan are members. On Monday, one day after celebrating his 85th birthday on Easter, Costa played a round alongside regular partner Michael O’Keefe and two first-timers in their foursome.
“Michael’s a friend so at the beginning of the round he tells these two guys, by the way, my partner’s legally blind,” Costa said. “And then I par the first two holes so they’re probably wondering if this was an April’s Fools joke.”
But that was just a warm-up for what Costa did on No. 16, acing the par-3 hole from 120 yards out.
“It was a 7-iron and I hit it flush,” he said. “Naturally I didn’t know where it was going because I never know where the ball is traveling. But then everyone had their arms up like I had just won the tournament. It was really exciting.”
The Costas, who split their time between Bonita Springs and Long Branch, New Jersey, have lived at Vasari since 2004. The couple will celebrate their 63rd wedding anniversary in May.
Vincent, who is legally blind in his right eye and has peripheral vision in his left, said he’s been playing golf for 60 years and never considered quitting the game, even as his vision deteriorated.
“It’s the only thing somebody like me could play in sports because I can’t see a moving ball,” he said. “I have good friends and a good family that are willing to golf with me and drive me around. They know exactly where the ball goes so all I have to do is get out of the cart and there’s the ball.
“So you need good friends, good family and a good attitude as well.”
Joan said her husband is an inspiration to others, both inside and outside of their family.
“I know people in Vince’s situation very often think their life is over,” she said. “His doctor has told us that once this happens, people generally just throw in the towel. But people are always amazed at the things he does.
“Everybody here they just revere him because of his attitude and how he’s gone on to live his life.”
This is the second hole-in-one for Costa since he’s been legally blind. The first came in 2006 at Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township, N.J.
“I figured that would be the only one,” he said. “They called it blind luck at that time and I guess this one, it must be the same thing.”