A Welsh golfer is trying to find out if he has achieved the longest hole-in-one in Wales, after aceing a 366-yard par four.
Radyr Golf Club operations manager Matt Underwood managed the feat on the 7th hole at Tredegar Park Golf Club near Newport, where it is thought one of the previous records had also been achieved.
In 2001 Ray Willmott had a hole-in-one albatross at the very same hole when the distance was 348 yards – an achievement marked by a plaque on the course, before a new tee extended the hole to the current distance.
“I took a 3-wood because it is a downhill par four, and a driver can be too much for me, it was a good shot with a bit of luck at the end,” said 45-year-old Underwood, who plays off a plus-one handicap. “It was a team match against Newport last summer and I went first, we saw it bouncing towards the green, I picked up my tee thinking it might get on, looked up and saw it going towards the flag, hit it quite firmly and then just disappeared. The two of us saw it go in, my opponent shook my hand and said he had to hole his tee shot for a half!
He added: “Word got round as we finished the match so by the time I got back to the clubhouse there were quite a few people there. It was quite expensive, but worth it. I have eight holes-in-one now, but never on a par four before.”
In 2013, 18-year-old John Roberts-Jones holed his tee shot on the 355-yard fourth hole at Denbigh Golf Club, thought to be the previous Welsh best. The world record is 517 yards, achieved at altitude in Denver in the USA, while the UK record was achieved in England on a 496-yard hole at Teign Valley near Exeter, but that involved cutting off a dogleg so the distance covered is less certain.
Underwood now he wants to find out if it is the longest ever hit in Wales. “Sadly, Ray Wilmott passed away this year, but his wife is planning to spread his ashes on that hole and we are looking to update the plaque which says his effort was the longest hole-in-one in Wales,” explained Underwood. “I am involved on the committee at Tredegar Park, which is why we are trying to find out if it is right that was the Welsh record and whether my shot is now the Welsh record.”
Sandy Veale, Wales Golf’s Operations and Handicapping Manager, commented: “We are keen to help Matt find out if this is indeed the longest hole-in-one ever recorded in Wales. Thanks to the World Handicap System and centralised scoring databases, we now know of every recent hole-in-one scored in Wales along with the information about which hole it was scored on. However, that information only goes back as far as the WHS in the last few years, so we are appealing to golf clubs and club members if they have anyone who has hit a longer hole-in-one in Wales. It will be fascinating to find out.”