Brendan Payne’s first-shot lands in the hole at Maclean Golf Club skins day

It might not be in an official competition, but Brendan Payne will take his ace in the hole just the same.

Brendan Payne has played golf the past 35 years, he always joked the one time he’d hit the elusive hole-in-one by himself.

And playing the unofficial Wednesday skins event last week, he raced down to the 11th hole to make the shotgun start in time, ready for his first swing for the week, with only a few looking on.

“I was ready first, so I just lined it up, into the wind with a seven iron and swung,” he said.

“I hit it not too bad, though I didn’t think it was 100 per cent.”

“I saw it hit the green, and then it rolled up and disappeared – I thought it must’ve rolled off the back of the green.”

Brendan Payne holds up his ball after his hole-in-one on the 11th at Maclean Golf Club. Photo: Miles James

It wasn’t until they reached the green he realised his once-in-a-lifetime moment – the ball was in the hole.

“it was pretty anticlimactic – I thought there’s my luck it’s on a Wednesday,” Mr Payne said.

“At least I didn’t have to shout the bar when I got back.”

Mr Payne plays off a five handicap, and plays as often as he can when he returns home after working in Darwin for long periods.

“I’m away as much as I’m at home, so I play a bit of golf when I’m back,” he said.

Mr Payne said he’d never been what he’d consider close to a hole-in-one before, his next best effort a shot on a short Par 4 when he was playing off a 20 handicap that landed 8 inches from the hole.

And testing out whether lightning might strike twice, he couldn’t wait to get back out and try for an official ace.

“I went back out the next day for the Thursday comp, and I didn’t go too bad, but it didn’t go in the hole then,” he laughed.