# Episode 331 - 1971 Bally Hole In One **Source:** For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast **Type:** podcast_episode **Published:** 2016-02-05 **Duration:** 4m 49s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://foramusementonly.libsyn.com/episode-331-1971-bally-hole-in-one --- ## Analysis Nick Baldridge examines Bally's 1971 Hole in One, a golf-themed bingo pinball machine known only from a single backglass image. The game appears to have used a six-card bingo layout identical to Stock Market, with skill ratings (good, excellent, superior) and golfer imagery, but no evidence exists of production, completion, or even a test machine. The machine was apparently scrapped, leaving only speculation about its mechanics and features. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Hole in One is a golf-themed bingo machine from Bally in 1971 — _Nick Baldridge, podcast host, based on backglass artifact_ - [HIGH] Only a single backglass image is known to exist for Hole in One — _Nick Baldridge describing available documentation_ - [HIGH] No evidence exists that Hole in One went into production or was completed as a test machine — _Nick Baldridge stating 'nobody knows if it ever went into production or if it was ever even completed as a test machine'_ - [MEDIUM] Hole in One used the same backboard layout as Stock Market — _Nick Baldridge and Phil Hooper theory based on card position matching_ - [MEDIUM] The game likely lacked double or nothing, corner scoring, or other advanced features — _Nick Baldridge inference: 'There are no extra features which are denoted on the back glass, and so it's unlikely that this game had double or nothing'_ ### Notable Quotes > "All that exists is a backglass, a single backglass." > — **Nick Baldridge**, ~1:00 > _Emphasizes the extreme rarity and limited documentation of this machine_ > "Nobody knows if it ever went into production or if it was ever even completed as a test machine or a sample." > — **Nick Baldridge**, ~0:45 > _Establishes that Hole in One's status in Bally's production pipeline is entirely unknown_ > "Phil Hooper on bingo.cdyn.com theorizes that you earn a skill rating based on how you play and somehow that translates into some kind of replay or award" > — **Nick Baldridge**, ~3:30 > _Attributes game mechanics speculation to Phil Hooper's analysis on bingo documentation site_ > "whatever the case is, they apparently scrapped it. And that's all we know." > — **Nick Baldridge**, ~8:00 > _Concludes that Hole in One was abandoned in development, with no remaining knowledge of why_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Nick Baldridge | person | Host of For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast, episode 331 analyst | | Phil Hooper | person | Bingo pinball researcher and maintainer of bingo.cdyn.com, theorist about Hole in One mechanics | | Bally | company | Historical pinball manufacturer, produced Hole in One (1971, unreleased) | | Hole in One | game | 1971 Bally golf-themed bingo pinball machine, status unknown, known only from backglass | | Stock Market | game | Bally bingo pinball game with six-card layout; Hole in One appears to have reused its backboard design | | For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast | organization | Podcast series hosted by Nick Baldridge focused on electromechanical and bingo pinball games | | bingo.cdyn.com | product | Phil Hooper's website documenting and analyzing bingo pinball machines, source of Hole in One analysis | ### Signals - **[historical_signal]** Discussion of an extremely rare Bally prototype or design artifact from 1971 (Hole in One) known only from a single backglass image, with no production or testing confirmation (confidence: high) — Entire episode focused on sole surviving artifact and mystery of machine's actual existence - **[design_innovation]** Hole in One apparently reused the backboard and six-card bingo layout from Stock Market, suggesting cost efficiency in game design or rapid prototyping methodology (confidence: medium) — Nick Baldridge notes 'the card position is exactly the same as stock market' and theorizes same backboard usage - **[design_philosophy]** Hole in One featured a skill-based rating system (good/excellent/superior) that potentially influenced replay awards, reflecting golf sport mechanics in game design (confidence: medium) — Phil Hooper theorizes skill ratings earned through play translate to replays; golfer imagery at three progression stages on backglass - **[manufacturing_signal]** Hole in One was apparently scrapped during development with no known reason for cancellation or production decision (confidence: medium) — Nick Baldridge: 'whatever the case is, they apparently scrapped it. And that's all we know.' - **[archival_signal]** Only one backglass image survives as documentation of Hole in One; represents extremely limited archival record for prototype/unreleased game (confidence: high) — Repeated emphasis: 'the only thing known about it is the backglass' and 'All that exists is a backglass, a single backglass' - **[community_signal]** Phil Hooper's bingo.cdyn.com serves as collaborative knowledge base for documenting and theorizing about obscure bingo machines, demonstrating active community interest in archival research (confidence: high) — Nick Baldridge cites Phil Hooper's theories and bingo.cdyn.com as source for Hole in One analysis and mechanics reconstruction --- ## Transcript What's that sound? It's 4 Amusement Only, the EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast. Welcome back to 4 Amusement Only, this is Nick Baldrige. Tonight's episode is about Bally's 1971 Hole in One. Hole in One is actually a golf themed bingo. Now unfortunately, the only thing known about it is the backglass. Nobody knows if it ever went into production or if it was ever even completed as a test machine or a sample. All that exists is a backglass, a single backglass. This backglass has a word bally and then hole in one. The O in the hole is a golf ball with a putter sticking The first three of six bingo cards It a six card just like stock market And in fact the card position is exactly the same as stock market So the theory is that it uses the same backboard as stock market Now your first three bingo cards are blue, and up above them you have your number for the card, which is actually the hole with the flag in it. One, two, and three. Then below that you have a little wood paneled section which is about a little more than a third of the back glass. On this you have a skill rating, good, excellent, and superior. Now Phil Hooper on bingo.cdyn.com theorizes that you earn a skill rating based on how you play and somehow that translates into some kind of replay or award beside the skill rating you have a golfer in midswing a golfer that's about to putt and then a golfer that has completed a swing or perhaps a golfer in midswing a golfer right as they about to connect with the ball and then the golfer after they finished connecting In between the first two golfers you have a credit window Now this also happens to be the position of the replay counter in stock market. And so the theory is that yeah you're looking at the replay meter. Then below that you have cards four, five, and six. Those are in red, and above which are a red hole and flag with the number of the card. So, unfortunately that's all that's known. There are no extra features which are denoted on the back glass, and so it's unlikely that this game had double or nothing, it's unlikely that this game had corner scoring, or much of anything. All we've got is this one image to go on, It's not an image of the reverse of the glass. We also don't know how many replays you won for being good, excellent, or superior. And I'm assuming that you get good if you get a three in a row excellent for a four and superior for a five My guess is that you earn because we talking single digits At centimet I'm sorry to say that I didn't make the six card, which was ultra compliant with many of the laws, but perhaps it was too compliant. Anyway, whatever the case is, they apparently scrapped it. And that's all we know. Well, thank you very much for joining me. My name again is Nicholas Baldridge. You can reach me at 4amusementonlypodcast at gmail.com Or you can call me on the bingos line. That's 724-BINGOS1. 724-246-4671. You can listen to us on iTunes, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, via RSS, on Facebook, on Twitter at bingopodcast. You can follow me on Instagram, also at bingopodcast. Or you can listen to us on our website, which is foramusementonly.libsyn.com. Thank you very much for listening and I'll talk to you next time. _(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-08-04 | Item ID: f6786638-78f6-4902-a910-2b08b1668d29*