Maleny Golf Club has been celebrating not just one hole-in-one, but two historic Aces on the same hole within a week of each other during competition rounds.

The rare pair of deuces on the 9-hole Graham Papworth-designed course came just as the club prepares to expand the tricky links-style layout by bringing three new holes into play – two Par 4s and a Par 3.

Geoff Smith (pictured left) struck a majestic shot on the Par 3 Third hole from 150 metres out with a 6-iron on Saturday morning (14/4/18) from the front tee and watched in awe as the ball kicked toward the pin and went in.

Alas, his celebrity status was short lived! Members hardly had a chance to hear about his good fortune when Chris Pottinger (pictured below) took on the same hole the following Saturday with a driver from the middle Tee 175 metres out and Aced it as well.

Club President Dr Max Whitten said members were astonished and delighted to be celebrating two more historic hole-in-ones in such quick succession – reminiscent of events in 2016 when the club celebrated two Aces within 8 days.

“We were all very excited for Geoff and now Chris has done it as well and both during competition rounds too, so our congratulations go out to them. We’re still a young golf club so historic feats like these are particularly memorable,” he said.

The odds of an amateur golfer achieving a hole-in-one are estimated to be around 12,500-to-1 – let alone two on the same hole within a week.

Geoff’s Ace was the first ever scored by a male player on the Par 3, 3rd hole during a competition round while Chris’s was the first from the Men’s White Tee during a competition round.

“I just heard a tink from the tee,” recalled Geoff, a 66-year-old teacher who only returned to the game a couple of years ago and had never scored an Ace before.

“We knew the ball had hit the pin, but could not see if it went in, so I wasn’t really certain until I got to the green and retrieved the ball from the cup. It’s every golfer’s dream isn’t it?”

Chris, a 70-year-old retiree, said he too was thrilled.  “I used my driver and got a kindly member’s kick off the front left bank which really helped and we all saw it go in,” he said.

Traditionally, golfers who score a hole in one shout the bar.

While Geoff got off rather lightly there was quite a contingent on hand when Chris, a tee-totaller, announced his good fortune to a field of almost 40 participants who’d just completed their rounds off a Shotgun Start.

Richard Owen