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They’re calling Kevin Joyce ‘Mr Hole-in-one” up at Forster Golf Club these days. And for good reason – he’s managed to bag not one, but three aces in the last six months.
“Three in six months, yeah, I’m copping a bit of stick about it,” Mr Joyce said.
The 66-year old’s freakish run began in October last year when he recorded his first ever ace on the Par 3 6th at Forster using his trusty 3 wood. It was only a fortnight later when he watched his second one disappear into the cup, but this time on the 17th.
“The second one was on Remembrance Day, who could forget that,” he smiled.
In what could be seen by a cynical observer as somewhat of a hole-in-one drought for Mr Joyce, it was another five ‘long’ months before he nabbed his third about three weeks ago.
“I wasn’t hitting anything very well that day. It was into a really strong westerly on the 6th again, so I went for a bit of a change and I hit my new driver. I teed it up a bit higher and got it coming down soft. It went in! A one-in-a-million shot three times in six months.”
The remarkable effort has all of the tongues wagging up at Forster Golf Club now.
“My mates around the club just can’t believe it. The bar staff see me coming and they call out, ‘Here comes Mr Lucky, Mr Hole-In-One.’ They’re all having a bit of fun.”
“I’m hoping the luck rubs off when I buy a few lottery tickets. But a few of them reckon I’ve used up all of my luck.”
Through the support of the Golf NSW Hole-In One Club by Fine Wine Partners and St. Hallett Wines, Mr Joyce will receive another St. Hallett Wines Hole-in-One Club polo shirt to go with his first two.
“St. Hallett have got my shirt size on file now,” he laughed.
The 66-year old has been playing golf for 10 years now and joined the Forster-Tuncurry back in 2006. Semi-retired these days, Mr Joyce gets out on the course frequently and keeps a tidy handicap of around 18.
“I play a couple of times a week with my mates and have a bit of fun. We have a side bet and give each other a bit of stick. I love my golf but the wife gets a bit sick of it.”
While his mates have begun to call him the Mid North Coast’s luckiest golfer, Mr Joyce is happy to take all the good-natured ribbing they can dish out about his efforts.
“At least they didn’t bounce in off any trees before going in, and besides I keep asking them, where’s the ball? In the hole, and that’s all that matters,” he grinned.