By Marilyn Miller

Maybe a hole-in-one at Pines Hills Country Club is not that rare. It doesn’t happen that often, but it happens. What makes this story rare is that the man who hit the ball into the hole at #12 in one swing last week is 90 years old.

William Hilburn has been playing golf since he went to work for Ludlow in 1960. His boss wanted to play a round, and William couldn’t exactly say “No.” So he learned. He remembers Rodney Elzen helping him pick out his clubs and Sonny Jeter teaching him the ropes.

As for his recent hole-in-one, he was using a six iron and he was teamed with Teddy Brown. It was his fifth hole-in-one. But he can’t slack off…friend Jerry Rogers has six!

What seems to mean more to William than golf, however, is people.

“I’m very fortunate to have so many good friends out here (at Pine Hills),” he said. He spent time reliving some of his moments in golf with buds like Jerry Rogers, Roger Anderson, Roger Slack. There was his best friend, Fred Berry, who had hit a hole-in-one shortly before he died in 2024. “But he was only 89,” William smiles. He remembers and misses Matt Martin, who was a “good listener” and got him into hunting.

Although he doesn’t hunt anymore, he does stay very busy. There’s Monday night “cards” with the likes of James Clark, Robert Clark, Roger Anderson, Jerry Rogers, Tommy Elshout and Mike Beaird. That’s been ongoing since 1998. William usually cooks for a gathering of friends at the old Bill Martin house up near Evergreen every Saturday.

Here’s where his “lady friend” of many years, Joyce Sandifer, should be mentioned. Anyone who has used Dr. Richard Campbell for a number of years knows Joyce, who is now retired. Roger & Becky Anderson, O.H. & Debbie Haynes, Jerry & Jane Rogers and sometimes more, join William & Joyce somewhere for supper every Wednesday. Acadiana Seafood is a favorite.

William faithfully attends St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Minden. He has three children, Lynn Slack (Roger), Susie Davis (Darris), and Glen Hilburn. He has a granddaughter, Lauren Culver (Casey); and “three great grandboys.”

“I have three things in my life right now – Friends, Family, and Faith,” William noted.

And a little golf every now and then…