Whole In One is a full-length family comedy about marriage, golf and lightning. Michael has an obsession—get a hole in one—and a secret as to why he wants to achieve one. Sharon, his wife, wants him to stop playing golf and focus more on her and their marriage. So she presents him with a challenge—get an ace within a certain number of shots or give up golf forever. Hovering in the background is Fred, a mysterious character who seems inordinately afraid of lightning.
The Play
Whole in One was first workshopped in 2000, when it was selected as one of the winners of that year’s Petro-Canada Stage-One Plays competition. It went on to win the 2001 Canadian National Playwriting Competition. It was staged later that year at Calgary’s professional theatre, Lunchbox, followed by a run at Toronto’s Fringe Festival in 2002. Several amateur productions have also taken place.
“Four stars,” Calgary Sun, Oct. 3, 2001.
“The woman in front of me roared with laughter and kissed the man sitting next to her.” Calgary Herald, Oct. 3, 2001.
Origins of Golf
Although the origins of golf are disputed, Scotland claims, quite fervently, that it’s the home of the game played by some 65 million people worldwide.
A spokesman for the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, one of the oldest Scottish golf organizations, has said, “Stick and ball games have been around for many centuries, but golf as we know it today, played over 18 holes, clearly originated in Scotland.”
The Mother of Golf
During the 16th century, Mary Queen of Scots, who brought the word “caddy” to Scotland from France, was a keen golfer. It’s said she was so ardent a golfer that she played a round but a few days after the murder of her second husband rather than mourning his death in a proper manner.
The Odds of Getting a Hole In One
Lightning
Lightning is a lurking danger to anyone who plays golf. It’s a truly fascinating phenomenon (11 Awesome Facts About Lightning) that, unfortunately, kills about 2,000 people around the world every year, some on the golf course.
Despite most golf clubs posting warnings about lightning with clear instructions on what to do when a storm erupts, some golfers ignore them and take shelter under a tree, which is a dangerous place to stand.
Even professional golfers are not immune, as this Golf Digest’s story shows: How a foursome of tour pros learned (almost tragically) that lightning is nothing to fool around with.
Please contact the Playwrights Guild of Canada or the author to obtain a copy of the play. Amateur rights are negotiated by PGC. For professional rights, please contact the author.