Hole-in-one lesson in luck for director

The only downside for Blue Davies making the first ace of his golfing life at the Belmont Links last Thursday was that it came on a school night.

The director of the Military Services Academy at City College used a 9 iron to "baby stroke" a hole-in-one on the par 3, 115m ninth hole during the Business House league at Wanganui Golf Club.

This helped his City Crushers team to finish third on Course A for the evening, so the magic shot was witnessed by a playing group of about five two teachers, a soldier, a German student and bemused City College principal Peter Kaua.

"He reckoned he was dragging us through and was glad someone else stepped up," said Davies.

"It was just one of those freak shots that hit the green, and bounced, and it went in the hole.

"I've still got the ball, I'm going to get it mounted."

Getting back to the clubhouse, Davies was happy to shout his team a drink, although as school staff they had to temper the celebrations.

He was also relieved to be informed he could forego the tradition of shouting the whole bar given there were 20 teams taking part in the Business House league.

Davies immediately went out to buy a Lotto ticket to see if he was truly standing under a lucky star, although the fates decided having one perfect golf swing was sufficient. "You read about people getting them all the time, the hole-in-one is a golfer's dream."

The ninth hole at the Belmont Links has proved a happy hunting ground as veteran golfer Keith Johnson also made a hole-in-one there back on October 3, the second time he had achieved the feat on that very green.

American company US Hole In One a leading provider of hole-in-one insurance for golf events calculates the odds of the average player making the shot at 12,500 to 1, with professionals 2500 to 1.