Luck, or skill?

Tauranga Golf Club manager Michelle Towersey says it’s possibly a bit of both after three members hit holes in one within 24 hours.

“Aces”, she said, tend to come in waves.

“This year already we’ve had three between January and February, and then this week three within 24 hours is pretty funny.”

On Wednesday evening, Gary Pettitt hit a hole in one - also known as an ace - at the club’s fourth hole.

The following afternoon, on the same hole, Hayden Beard matched the feat, and later that evening Peter Renouf also hit a hole in one on the ninth hole.

It was Pettitt and Renouf’s first ever ace - yet it was Beard’s third.

Beard, a qualified PGA professional, has played in Australia and across Asia and now teaches young people how to play.

He said nailing his third hole in one was “just business as usual”.

“I hit a pitching wedge, kind of just drew it nicely, was just trying to hit the green and give myself the chance to birdie.

“There’s a lot of luck involved, it’s one of those things a lot of people play their entire lives and never get one.”

He said the fourth hole was “unusual”.

“There’s actually two greens, so some days it’s on one side and the other days it’s on the other, it usually alternates.”

Hayden Beard hit his third hole in one on the fourth hole at Tauranga Golf Club the evening after another member hit a hole in one on the same hole. Photo / Supplied

“I think he [Pettitt] got it in on the right green and I got it in on the left green.”

Beard said to have three aces in 24 hours was “very unusual.

“Golf is so popular at the moment, we’ve seen a real increase at the club and the amount of rounds being played is significantly higher, therefore it makes sense that the amount of holes in one is starting to increase.”

Towersey said the “cheering and yahooing” could be heard across the course.

“Some would say it’s lucky, and some would say it’s skill.

“A lot of it’s just luck, the way the ball rolls, you hit a decent shot onto the green and at the end of the day it’s going to stop somewhere, lucky if it does stop in the hole.”

Pettitt has been playing since he was a kid, and said when he hit the hole in one for the first time he went “absolutely nuts.

“As soon as I hit it, everybody was in silence because it went straight over towards the pin, bounced once and rolled in.

Gary Pettitt hit his first hole in one at Tauranga Golf Club on the fourth hole and said he went "absolutely nuts." Photo / Supplied

“Everybody went crazy and the group in front was still there [fourth hole], so they turned around and saw it so they were cheering as well.”

He said he had been playing “okay but not amazing” and that it was the perfect distance with an 8-iron.

“I thought of an old lesson I had years ago and I just went through that routine, one practice swing, hit the ball.

“I still can’t believe it, you just never think you’re going to get it, it’s what other people do but it was just my day.”

Renouf, who had enjoyed golf for more than 50 years, said the achievement was “surreal”.

“I didn’t see it go in, so it was a bit of delayed reaction, but once I found the ball it felt really good.

After playing golf for over 50 years, Peter Renouf hit his first hole in one on Tauranga Golf Club's ninth hole saying it was a "surreal feeling." Photo / Supplied

“It was just a good hit, a very good straight hit.

“Obviously it is hard and there’s a lot of luck in it but I’ve ticked it off and let’s hope this starts a bit of a rush.

“There must be something in the water.”

-NZ Herald