Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle / Sport

Deputy mayor sinks Hole in One

By Jared Smith
Sports Editor·Whanganui Chronicle·
12 Jun, 2017 10:38 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Nigel Belsham

Nigel Belsham

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Nigel Belsham is more used to stories about his civic duties rather than sport, but Rangitikei's deputy mayor had a different tale to tell at the Hawkestone Golf Club on Saturday.

Representing Marton in the Transport Cup competition against teams from the Hawkestone, Rangitikei and Rangatira clubs, Belsham sank the first 'Hole in One' of his playing career on the fifth hole - a 144m Par 3.

"Pretty cool. Unfortunately didn't see the ball roll into the hole," he said.

The fifth hole green sits in a hollow below sight from the tee where Belsham took out his 5-iron club.

"All you're aiming up is a flag stick."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

There were five golfers playing the hole ahead of them watching from up on the hillside, and Belsham said there had been some good-natured banter between the two groups during the round.

"Next thing, they're jumping up and down with their hands in the air.

"We actually thought they were taking the mickey out of us."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Belsham told his playing partners he would wait to celebrate until he had confirmed the ace himself, and when they got down there he found it in the hole with a nice chunk of dirt on the side, moving on to shake hands with his witnesses.

Remembering stories of other golfers who kept playing their round with the magic ball after an ace and proceeded to lose it, Belsham pocketed his prize and will get it mounted.

"It's not something that comes along every day."

The deputy mayor also exercised responsibility back at the clubhouse, as the rules state any member must buy an ace-getter a drink if requested, however Belsham had to drive himself home.

He took up the golf around 1995, which included taking a hiatus from playing while his children were growing up.

On Sunday, Belsham also managed a two on the 16th hole, but noted that while those two efforts got him nine points, he could only secure 20 more.

"Those were two of the better holes of the whole round.

"It was a very average other 16 holes."

It is believed to be the first ace in the wider region this year, although Wanganui Golf Club's Johnny Keating scored an unofficial ace on April 29 when a magpie picked up his ball off the green at the ninth and dropped it in the hole.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Whanganui Chronicle

Coaching guru moves south to take role at Cricket Whanganui

Sport

Rugby: Tough preseason ahead for Steelform Whanganui

Sport

Rugby: Marist Clovers reclaim title with dominant win


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Coaching guru moves south to take role at Cricket Whanganui
Whanganui Chronicle

Coaching guru moves south to take role at Cricket Whanganui

There will not be much 'sitting in the office and looking at a screen'.

20 Jul 05:00 PM
Rugby: Tough preseason ahead for Steelform Whanganui
Sport

Rugby: Tough preseason ahead for Steelform Whanganui

17 Jul 05:00 PM
Rugby: Marist Clovers reclaim title with dominant win
Sport

Rugby: Marist Clovers reclaim title with dominant win

17 Jul 05:00 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP