FORE Magazine

Top Menu

  • About Me
  • Contact Us
  • Home

Main Menu

  • Current Issue
  • Digital Book
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login

logo

FORE Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Digital Book
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
Fall 2015Profiles
Home›Issues›Fall 2015›Counting his Blessings: The long and winding road of Denny Kovacs

Counting his Blessings: The long and winding road of Denny Kovacs

By Matt McKay
October 1, 2015
5739
0
Share:
Counting his blessings- Denny Kovacs

When Denny Kovacs hits the road for a round of golf, he always takes his “Bible” with him — a three-ring binder about five inches thick, jammed with laminated sheets filled with personal golf statistics. And at the end of the day, he’s got another entry to make, another chapter to write.

In the very near future, the Indio resident, golf shop assistant at Indian Springs GC and native of Ohio will take out his Bible and log the entry marking the 700th golf course he’s played along the way.

“I try to make each hundred significant,” he says. “At 600, we went to Primm Valley, and then went on to Vegas and played two more. Now that I’m on the cusp of 700, we’re trying to figure out where I’m going to do that. I’d like to do it somewhere really special.”

Counting his blessings- 1973 RoundsKovacs, 67, played his first round of golf in June 1971 at the age of 24. Like many players, he immediately realized easily collectable data was available from each round, data that could help document his progress — or lack thereof. He saved the scorecards from his first few rounds, and has been able to chronicle his data from the very beginning. By the end of 1971, he had 30 scores recorded in his folder.

As time went by, Kovacs began to expand his database. He began to record his birdies, eagles, pars, bogeys and so on. He documented other personal bests, such as longest holed shot, and longest putt holed. And of course, there were the strokes, the number building round after round.

Soon, Kovacs realized he was not only accumulating data that would reflect his playing arc, he was also notching a significant number of rounds at different courses across the country. He became aware of this particular stat just as he was approaching the 300-course mark, and has since made notations after passing the 300, 400, 500 and 600-course mileposts.

“I was on a course one day,” he tells, “and the ranger came up to me and said, ‘That guy in front of you is playing his 500th golf course today. He’s a retired doctor from Florida.’ And I thought, ‘Wow, I like that number. I’d like to play 500 golf courses someday too.’ So I said, ‘Let me get to 300 first.’ And thankfully Michigan, per capita, has more golf courses than any state but Florida and California. So by the time I left Michigan for California, I’d played 261 courses.”

His folder became “The Bible” over the years as the rounds piled up, and Kovacs added categories as data permitted. There are notations on the number of new courses played per year, and charity accomplishments, including playing 190 holes in 11 hours in 2006. It includes his personal Top 50 courses (Pebble Beach Golf Links is currently listed No. 1). There are hand-written notes on encounters with wildlife. It even includes projections to the year 2020, when he hopes to have played all the courses in the Coachella Valley; crested the 300-course mark in California; raced through the 800-course mark; and have played rounds in 26 states (he’s currently played in 22).

Although the monumental 700th round is in sight — wherever it might take place — it’ll just be another milestone passed for Kovacs. He won’t walk off the course that day, brush his hands together, have a couple of celebratory beverages, and put his clubs in the closet. More likely, he’ll walk off the course, make his notations in The Bible, and immediately begin to consider where best to play course No. 701.

“I’m going for 1,000,” he says. “But after 700, I’m going to be lucky to play 20 a year because, logistically, I’m 130 miles from any public golf course I haven’t played!”

KOVACS’ BIBLE HIGHLIGHTS

First course: Ridgewood Golf Course, Parma, Oh.

4,592 rounds*

41,328 holes

198,445 strokes

0 Holes-In-One

17 Eagles

1,547 Birdies

14,690 Pars

17,069 Bogeys

First Birdie: 1972

First Eagle: 1985

1,000th Birdie: 2009

100,000th Stroke: 2002

Longest Putt Holed: 97 feet

Longest Shot Holed: 140 yards

Lowest 18-hole round: 69 (-2)

Lowest 9-hole round: 32 (-4)

*-includes 9-hole rounds

Previous Article

An Enduring Legacy: Celebrating 100 Years at ...

Next Article

Music to your Ears: A ringing Endorsement ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Matt McKay

Matt McKay is an Idyllwild-based freelance writer and radio show host. Originally from Oklahoma City, Okla., and an Oklahoma graduate, he moved to Southern California in 2008 after spending 25 years in Dallas, Texas. In Dallas, Matt served 11 years as area golf columnist for The Dallas Morning News, winning four Bob Galt Awards for media contribution from the Northern Texas PGA.

Related articles More from author

  • At The TurnProfilesSummer 2024

    2-Under 30

    July 22, 2024
    By Michael Williams
  • plusFOREProfiles

    If the Crown Fits: 2015 Miss America Kira Kazantsev Rediscovers Her Love of the Game

    June 1, 2016
    By Julia Pine
  • Fall 2018Profiles

    Play Fast And Have Fun: Rancho Park Golf Club

    October 22, 2018
    By Jonathan Coe
  • FORE HerProfiles

    Q&A With The First Lady Of Golf

    April 26, 2018
    By Sharon Don
  • More for Gore- Jason Gore
    Profiles

    More For Gore: A Re-energized Jason Gore Makes his Way Back to the PGA TOUR

    January 1, 2015
    By Bob Buttitta
  • ProfilesSummer 2022

    Don’t Stop Believing: Troy Mullins is in the Driver’s Seat

    July 24, 2022
    By Adam Hawk

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Recent Posts

  • 19th HoleFeaturedIn The ClubhouseSpring 2025

    Pelican Brief

  • CoversFeaturedSpring 2025

    A Unified Response

  • Core MissionFeaturedKnow the RulesSpring 2025

    Rule 25

  • 19th HoleFeaturedSummer 2024

    A Feast for the Senses

  • FeaturedOn The TeeSpring 2025Sustainability

    More Green, Less Grass

FOLLOW US

Facebook 0Fans
Twitter 0Followers
Instagram 0Followers
Youtube 0Subscriber
  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • John Henebry

    By Judd Spicer
    May 15, 2025
  • Fun & Games

    By Kevin O'Connor
    May 15, 2025
  • Rule 25

    By Jimmy Becker
    May 15, 2025
  • Doing More With Less

    By Kevin Fitzgerald
    May 15, 2025
  • Original Wonder Woman

    By Joe Passov
    May 15, 2025
  • The Diva Golfer

    By Azucena Maldonado
    January 31, 2017
  • The USGA’s Major Proposed Changes to the Rules of Golf

    By admin
    December 14, 2017
  • Stand By Me: Temecula Native Joe Skovron On Life As Rickie Fowler’s Caddie

    By Jonathan Coe
    October 26, 2016
  • Remembering Jim Murray: Best of the Best

    By Bill Dwyre
    February 14, 2017
  • Watching the Tiger Watchers

    By Andy Brumer
    February 20, 2018
  • リアルラブドール
    on
    May 8, 2025

    Horse Sense: Micro Investing in Everything From Ponies to Golf

    When comparing canned options,look ...
  • Julie
    on
    November 13, 2022

    The Single Life: The Simple Pleasures of Being “That Guy”

    Thanks for this. I ...
  • free proxy list
    on
    December 5, 2018

    Top 4 College Golf Names You Need To Know

    Hello,I log on to ...
  • Adela C. Garcia
    on
    November 17, 2018

    Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”

    Azucena Maldonado is a ...
  • Rose Sauceda
    on
    November 15, 2018

    Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”

    Congratulations my lovely Amiga ...

RECENT COMMENTS

  • リアルラブドール on Horse Sense: Micro Investing in Everything From Ponies to Golf
  • Julie on The Single Life: The Simple Pleasures of Being “That Guy”
  • free proxy list on Top 4 College Golf Names You Need To Know
  • Adela C. Garcia on Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”
  • Rose Sauceda on Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”
© 2016 FORE Magazine About Us | Contact Us | Advertise