27 Aug 2024 | Participation | Clubs and Facilities | Amateur golf |
Bendigo couple finds secret to a happy marriage
by Patrick Taylor
Husband and wife Ben and Georgina Haines have a hole-in-one story that just about beats them all, recording consecutive aces in their weekend competition round of golf at Neangar Park Golf Club.
Ben and Georgina play golf together most weekends at their home course, on the northern edge of Bendigo, but have experienced nothing like what happened on Saturday as they found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, or, in this case, at the end of the 136-metre par-3 12th hole.
The odds of back-to-back aces by different players are estimated to be 17 million to one.
Admittedly “dragging the chain” a bit on their way around in the Saturday comp, Ben stepped up with his 8-iron on 12, and without much thought, had a hit to keep the group moving.
"I came off a pretty miserable bogey on the 11, so yeah it was just a hit and hope into the green on 12 and fortunately for me it went in," Ben said.
A group of younger players on the 13th tee confirmed Ben's hole-in-one with hoots and hollers, but the celebrations back on the tee between Ben and Georgina were only just beginning.
"I just went up to my ball, and I use the same club (6-iron) on 12 every time, but there was not even a thought in my mind I could get it in," said Georgina.
"I just pushed it up there, it came off nice and then the boys yelled out again, 'it's another one!'.
“Same day, same hole, consecutive shots by two people who are married.... What are the chances?”
It was both Ben and Georgina's first hole-in-one, and the shared delight made the rest of the round rather enjoyable, and Ben says there was one other special hole other than 12 on Saturday.
"The 19th was probably my favourite hole after that," he laughed.
"The club actually shouted us which was great. They hooked us up with a bottle of bubbles and a couple of beers.
"The car stayed the night at the golf club. We live nearby the course, so it was a nice short walk home."
The celebrations were slightly curtailed on Sunday however, with both Ben and Georgina believing they may have used up all their luck for one weekend.
"We're Carlton fans! So the luck didn't go that far," Ben laughed.
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