Joe Malay gets his 19th ace at Rolling Hills Golf Course

Local amateur golfer Joe Malay took one step closer on Nov. 4 to a 2020 golfing goal. Working toward “20 in 2020,” Malay said he scored his 19th hole-in-one on a beautiful day at Rolling Hills Golf Course in Weiser.
 Immediately after the yellow golf ball landed in the hole, he told his two friends present and then called another who had been cheering him on.
 A life-long golf player, he was surrounded and inspired by professional golfers from a young age, including unique dresser Doug Sanders who Malay said likely influenced his own way of dressing.
 After leaving the U.S. Marine Corps, he began to play more seriously and competitively in amateur tournaments, eventually allowing him to travel across the country and the world.
 “It’s been a wonderful gig for me,” said Malay. “It’s taken me places I would never get to go.”
 From Hawaii to Taiwan, he said he has won 13 state championships, between 30 and 35 club championships at Rolling Hills and in one year played in at least 54 tournaments.
 He has collected at least one of his holes-in-one in Weiser, Payette, Ontario, and Caldwell. His first hole-in-one was likely at 20-years-old in Weiser, however Malay said the most recent shot is always the freshest in mind.
 He said the number of times a golfer can almost reach a hole-in-one is astonishing and the amount of quality golfers that never achieve their first hole-in-one even more surprising.
 “There’s a lot of people that golf their whole life that never get any,” said Malay. “I think it’s a combination of skill and luck. I’ve always had a little skill and a lot of luck.”
 Malay said he left work at 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 4 and noticed the beauty of the day, then changed clothes before making his way to the golf course. He said he played well throughout the day, totaling 32 points. He had not achieved a hole-in-one in three years and this one was special because he and spectators were able to observe the ball making its way to the hole.
 His competitive nature and love of the game has allowed Malay not only to travel but create opportunities that would otherwise not be available. His golf adventures include attending a senior golf championship in Bel Air and playing in the China Trust Cup in Taiwan. His friends have also received similar opportunities, with one achieving a hole-in-one in Scotland.
 “I love the game, I love to travel, I love people,” said Malay. “It’s open doors up to places I’d never get to see or go or do.”
 Malay has never been a professional golfer, saying that his game has not been polished enough to reach the professional level.
 Surrounded by golf since childhood, his father played and Malay was a caddy at a golf course.
 In 1970, he said he wanted to continue to play while moving into civilian life. The transition to competitive golf was an easy one for him, always being athletic and boasting a decent baseball swing. He said he was always able to hit a ball far and make several putts, giving him an advantage to play in competitive tournaments.
 “I’ve never been a great golfer, but golf has been great for me,” said Malay.