Female Amateur golfer Diane Conti known as “The Ace Machine of the Sandhills” of North Carolina has a golf record most professionals only aspire to achieve. Only four aces shy of Tiger Woods’ holes-in-one record, golf’s spring fever could lead Conti to her sixteenth ace. Remarkably, Conti plays with a prosthetic right leg that she was fitted for when she was ten years old. Her first hole-in-one occurred on September 11, 1988 and her latest ace, number fifteen, occurred on November 6, 2007 on the sixteenth hole of the Creek course, a Robert Trent Jones, Sr. design at Carolina Trace Country Club (CTCC)—commemorating nineteen years with fifteen holes-in-one.

Conti’s fifteen aces are extensively documented with numerous witnesses, newspaper archives, and sanctioned by golf professionals.

Conti’s fifteen holes-in-one rank with some of golf’s greatest players. Golf Digest reported (November, 2007) a sample of career holes-in-one by many accomplished golfers, including casual rounds, and reveals “Art Wall with 45 holes-in-one, Tiger Woods with 19 holes-in-one, Jack Nicklaus with 15 holes-in-one, Kathy Whitworth with 11 holes-in-one, Nancy Lopez with 9 holes-in-one, Ben Hogan with 4 holes-in-one, and Patty Berg with 1 hole-in-one”. A golf record with many notable highlights is equally matched by Conti’s friendly personality and humble demeanor who describes golf as “a game of integrity”.

When Conti was thirty-one years old, she picked up her first golf club after being convinced to play a round with her husband—she was determined to learn how to swing with a prosthetic leg. At sixty-three years old, Conti has never had a professional golf lesson and simply “hates to practice”.

Conti currently holds an eleven handicap with six aces on the sixteenth hole of the Creek course, four aces on fourth hole of the Creek course, and two aces on the seventh hole of the Creek course. She has earned the title of Women’s Club Champion thirteen times: at Fox Bend Club in Oswego, Illinois, she won in 1985 and 1986 and at Carolina Trace Country Club in 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2007.

Four years after beginning golf, by 1980, Conti was consistently breaking a score of 80. In 1993, the CTCC WGA Saturday group started on the tenth hole of the Creek course and the first shot of the day was Conti’s third hole-in-one. In 1995, her fourth hole-in-one marked a grand slam of aces for each of the par-3s on the Creek course (holes #7, #4, #10, and #16). In 2000, only fifteen days separated her eighth hole-in-one (March 15, 2000) on the fourth hole of the Creek course from her ninth hole-in-one (March 28, 2000) on the sixteenth hole of the Creek course. Conti’s only ace on the Lake course occurred on the eighth hole, the signature hole in 2005. Approximately eighteen weeks (one-hundred and twenty four days) separated her fourteenth and fifteenth holes-in-one in 2007. Conti, The Ace Machine, represents excellence in golf.

Three decades have been devoted to her love of golf with a simple strategy, “I aim at the hole and try to hit it long enough, and then hope. I play against the course and try to use good course management” said Conti. An athlete at heart, Conti’s passion for life to overcome adversity inspires many people. “I was born with a congenital condition that caused my right leg to be smaller than the left, I would not let it affect me, over the years I’ve played many sports” added Conti.

“I’ve had the pleasure of being Head Golf Professional at Carolina Trace CC for almost ten years, and our two courses are extremely challenging. I have been at work on each of the days Diane has scored a hole-in-one. You can hear the excitement all over Trace with a Conti ace, not to mention the bar gets crowded as Diane buys all the girls a drink at the bar with each hole-in-one. Diane’s accomplishments on the golf course are remarkable, but I admire her most for how wonderful she treats her fellow golfer” stated Head PGA Golf Professional, Michael B. Krick.

“I have witnessed most of her aces and despite all of her golf achievements, Diane is a very humble person. We have played golf together since 1988, she is a very honest person who will call you on the rules--she has a lot of class” says Jane Westmoreland.

Conti plays golf about five days a week and her fellow golfers briefly mention her golf record, but it is her character that truly shines. “I have been playing with Diane for fourteen years and have witnessed four holes-in-one. She can find something nice to say about the worse shot you’ve ever had” comments Marie Carhart.

“A true champion” is the simplest way to describe Diane Conti says Sue Palmer who has played with Conti for seven years. “When you add up the scores at the end of the round, you don’t even realize how good she is, as she just broke par. Diane is the last person on Earth that would promote herself—unbelievably sincere and genuine” says Sue Hodges.

Brad Bourret, General Manager of Carolina Trace Country Club remarks, “Diane Conti is indeed a first-class person and accomplished golfer, but more importantly she represents the Carolina Trace family of many great talents. Diane is passionate about the game, has that persona about her that is just enjoyable to be around, and is the consummate ambassador for the game of golf”.

Diane and Ron Conti moved to the Sandhills of North Carolina to Carolina Trace in 1988, just outside of Pinehurst. The Conti’s were immediately attracted to a gated country club community featuring 36 holes of championship golf designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. with incredible value in homes complimented by a true sense of community, “It’s like living in a little piece of heaven at Carolina Trace. Little did I know when she picked up golf thirty years ago, she would earn the reputation of an Ace Machine” added Ron Conti.

Conti has used Toski Smooth as Silk woods for twelve years, Lady Toski irons for fourteen years, prefers Lady Precept balls, and wears Foot Joy shoes—outfitted like a true golf enthusiast.