His ace at last - 50 years later

It was a shot five decades in the making.

Ever since he took up the game at age 24, Castlecliff Golf Club veteran Clive Eades had hoped one day he could score an ace, especially as he had watched many playing partners at club events over the years, some of whom had only been in the sport for less than a year, manage a hole-in-one.

But finally, during the Castlecliff's stableford evening on Wednesday, Eades managed the magic swing with his 7 iron on the 4th hole, a 120m par 3.

"It's the ideal one for a hole-in-one. It can be a bit tricky," the 74-year-old said yesterday. "But it was a good shot. It wasn't a fluke.

"It was right on the pin when I hit it."

Eades' drive cleared the bunker in front of the green, always the first consideration, and then with just a couple of bounces dropped in the hole.

While his playing partners let out the big "whoopee", for Eades the shot brought satisfactory relief.

"That's been 50 years. I can die in peace now. I've done it.

"Some of these guys I play with, they play for a few months and then they've got one."

American golf insurance company US Hole In One calculates the odds of the average player making the shot at 12,500 to 1, with 2500 to 1 for professionals.