Ely golfer fires ace at Fortune Bay course

An avid golfer, Ely business owner Steve Piragis has played countless rounds since taking up the game more than 30 years ago.But there was something special about Piragis’ June 20 trip to the brand-new Wilderness Course at Fortune Bay.That’s when the 52-year-old recorded his first hole-in-one.It came on the par-3, seventh hole at the course next to Lake Vermilion near Tower.“All I could do is stand there and laugh,” Piragis recalled last week. “I’ve played a thousand par-3s, and finally one goes in.”Piragis, who golfs about twice a week, used a nine-iron on the 156-yard hole and fired from the back tees at the course.“The wind was about 20 miles an hour and steady right to left,” said Piragis. “I had no idea what to hit, so I pulled out the nine-iron and whacked it way to the right and let the wind pull it back, and it landed on the green and rolled seven yards to the pin. I thought it might hit it and come out but it went in, I just started to laugh. I was by myself so I called my friends on my cell phone.”It wasn’t Piragis’ first trip to the Fortune Bay course, but it was certainly his most memorable.“I would recommend it to everybody,” said Piragis. “It’s a great course. This just goes to show no matter how long you play, keep swinging and never give up.”