By Chris Sokoloski

csokoloski@gtowntimes.com

Virgil Dugan waited 40 years to get his first hole-in-one.

He only had the wait one year and three days to get his second.

"I heard holes-in-one were like DUIs, once you get one you get another pretty quickly," Dugan said.

What's more remarkable about the Georgetown native's feats is that he only has one arm.

Dugan, 66, lost his right arm in an industrial accident in 1964. He didn't start golfing until after the accident so he has no idea what it's like to golf with two hands.

His golfing buddies at Wedgefield Plantation Country Club call him the "one-armed bandit."

Dugan's second hole-in-one came on June 9 on the 13th hole at Wedgefield. The par 3 hole was playing at 115 yards, so Dugan pulled his pitching wedge out of his bag.

The ball landed about five feet from the hole and rolled in.

"It just kept rolling and rolling and finally it trickled in the hole," Dugan said. "I figured I had my one for my lifetime. The second one was icing on the cake."

His playing partners that day were Frank Clemmons and David Harsh, the same two partners as when he got his first hole-in-one.

Last year he used a hybrid 5 iron on Wedgefield 6th hole, a par 3 that was playing at 169 yards, to get this first hole-in-one.

Dugan said he enjoys golf more now than when he first started playing.

"It's an individual sport, if you do good or do bad you have nobody to blame but yourself."

He also enjoys watching golf and was happy to see Ernie Els win another Open Championship last weekend.

His two holes-in-one are definitely highlights of his golfing life, but he said he's as proud of making par at the old Georgetown Country Club and Winyah Bay courses and at Wedgefield.

"The first par round was almost as invigorating as the first hole in one," he said.

He's played most of the courses in the area and finds Wedgefield to be one of the most challenging, he said.