Anyone who plays golf will tell you that it is far more than just a game; the people you meet, and the memories you make are worth far more than any game could ever be.  

Just ask Fr. McIlhenny S.J. (Fr. Mac), a staple of our Scranton community, who has been golfing for over seven decades. To him, golf is a “wonderful way of life.”  

Recently, I had the great pleasure of sitting down to speak with Fr. Mac where we conversed about much more than just about his stories on the golf course.

Fr. McIlhenny was born and raised in Philadelphia and said there was not much thought about golf in his early years. He grew up six blocks away from Temple University- “a real tough neighborhood.” He attended Saint Joseph’s Prep, Saint Joseph’s University, and was a parishioner at a Jesuit parish before deciding that he wanted to join the order; and Fr. Mac joined ranks of many great Jesuits in 1944. He completed his regency as a teacher in Gonzaga High School in Washington D.C. Fr. Mac recalled that he “enjoyed teaching very much.”  

After his ordination in 1956, Fr. Mac’s first job took him from the capital to the Electric City. Starting out in Scranton Prep School, Fr. Mac became the headmaster. He recalled that the widening of Mulberry Street forced him to relocate the school to a new building, which is the same location they have remained since.  

Despite the difficulty of the task, Fr. Mac surely prevailed and joyfully looked back on the time. From there, he transitioned to the Dean of Admissions at the University of Scranton which he deemed the highlight of his career while noting that they were “very important years” for the school.  

He remained in that role from 1966 until 1991 and takes great pride in having helped transform the university from a local commuter school into the widely known institution it is now. Fr. Mac even recalls the school becoming coed during his tenure as the Dean of Admissions. After his retirement in 1997, Fr. Mac became the administrator for the Jesuit community for 15 years where he took care of day-to-day operations.

And yet, during his time in all these roles, Fr. Mac has always found time to play the game he loves: golf.  

Taught by two fellow Jesuits, Fr. Mac learned to golf in Indiana at then West Baden College. And he has been playing ever since. He achieved a feat envied by every golfer in 1955 outside of Baltimore when he shot a hole-in-one at Woodstock College in Maryland - an incredible achievement so early in his golfing career! Fr. Mac, 99, spent the next seven decades perfecting his skills on the course and he still plays today.

As if the aforementioned was not enough, Fr. Mac added yet another accomplishment to his long list of achievements; he recently shot another hole-in-one on the Falls Course at the Country Club of Scranton (where he has been a member since 1961). It was the second hole on the course and a par three hole; Fr. Mac used a seven iron. He said that the green rolled from right to left so he played it to the right. After taking his shot, Fr. Mac joyfully recalled saying to his partner that “I can’t find my ball.” And that was when one of his opponents found it lying in the hole!  

This once-in-a-lifetime shot happened for him twice, notably separated by 70 years! Fr. Mac had short and simple advice for the golfers here on campus: “As far as a hole-in-one, keep trying because it’s sheer luck. - sooner or later, it’s going to happen.”

Most golfers will go their entire playing careers without getting the chance to experience a hole-in-one, but Fr. Macs decades playing golf stand as proof that the value of the sport doesn’t lie in the game itself, but the people and memories it brings with it.

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