Derby golfer celebrates "once in a lifetime" hole-in-one shot - the day after his 90th birthday
Watch as we meet John Payne, 90, to discuss his “miracle” achievement after 30 years playing the sport.
One of Britain's oldest amateur golfers has celebrated sinking his first ever hole-in-one – the day after his 90th birthday.
John Payne has been playing golf for 30 years and struck his perfect shot on the sixth hole of Brailsford Golf Course, near Ashbourne, Derbys.
John, who has deteriorating eyesight, didn’t realise he had achieved a hole-in-one on the par three hole until another player told him. He said: "I didn’t realise that it had gone in. It’s 200 yards from the tee to the hole. I never imagined I’d get it in one.
"I hit the ball with my driver and it hit the downslope of the bunker. It rolled and rolled until it dropped in the hole. When I was told I’d hit the perfect shot I felt magic, it is a once in a lifetime shot. Most people never achieve this.
"It is a miracle because it is very difficult. I have played here for 30 years and I've never had a hole-in-one.
John, who boasts a handicap of 26, only took up the sport after retiring from his management job in his 60s. He said: "When you’ve come to the end of your working life you want to keep busy, you want to be out, and not cooped up. We play Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning - a little group of eight of us come and play. It’s a nice little group of us.”
John celebrated his hole-in-one with his family, including 16 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Operations manager at the course Gurj Bowbanks said: "I think we are all in awe of him and he's put us all to shame. We are really over the moon for him."