Father McIlhenny, 99, Tells of Hole-in-One

Rev. Bernard R. McIlhenny, S.J., dean of admissions emeritus, has played the Falls course at the Country Club of Scranton enough times to understand its nuances and quirks.

“There’s a little bit of a roll, right to left, around the green,” he said. “And then the green itself has a couple of different rolls.”

As Father McIlhenny hit from the tee during a round last month, he grabbed a 7-iron and swung for the green. Then, he went looking for the ball.

“The other three guys, they find their balls,” Father McIlhenny said. “But I can’t see mine.”

Father McIlhenny assumed the worst — that his ball had strayed off into the rough — but was instead greeted with the best news: his ball was in the cup.

Father McIlhenny, 99, had made a hole-in-one.

“It’s always a wonderful thing and a sheer point of luck,” he said. “That started a lot of laughing, a lot of celebration and so on. That’s been going on now for a couple days … it’s been a lot fun connecting with it and I’ve really enjoyed it honestly.”

Father McIlhenny was born in Philadelphia and attended St. Joseph’s Preparatory School, where, he said, he wasn’t much of an athletic kid.

It was at West Baden College in Indiana — about 60 miles from Louisville, Kentucky — where, from 1947-50, he started playing golf with Eddie Maloney and Jack Alexander.

“They were from the New York province and they were very good golfers, especially Father Maloney, who was the one that taught me how to play golf,” Father McIlhenny said.

Father McIlhenny has played golf ever since. This was his second career hole-in-one; the other happened in 1955 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Father McIlhenny came to Northeastern Pennsylvania in 1958 as headmaster of Scranton Preparatory School, where he served until 1966, when he was named the University’s director of admissions. He served in that role through 1997 and resides at the University’s Campion Hall.