Chris Is A Hole-In-One Hat-Trick Hero

The game of golf definitely rewards people of all ages, as recently proven by Glossop’s Chris Eccles who achieved something many golfers can only dream of.

Chris, a member of that elite group, the sporting octogenarians, stood on the third tee at the club in a seniors’ competition, and sent his ball flying towards the green only to watch it disappear into the cup for a hole-in-one. 

However, what was all the more remarkable about this feat was the fact that 82-year-old Chris had now completed that rarest of feats … a hat-trick of hole-in-ones. Most golfers would be happy with a single hole-in-one in their golfing careers, but not Chris. 

His is an achievement that is seldom seen anywhere else in the country and is just reward for all the years he has supported the club in his various guises as committee chair and club captain.

The summer season itself was completed in unusually good weather and playing conditions as some members continued to wear shorts and t-shirts throughout the month of October. 

A stableford event was won by Graham Dodd of Division One on 39 points. Colin Booth finished second with 37 and Robert Henry completed the first three placings with his score of 36. 

Division Two was taken by John Kuczaj on 38, followed by Stuart Crymble’s 37 as he held off third placed Nigel Elliott who finished on the same score.

A two-man Texas Scramble resulted in a win for Robert Barnes and Kevin Drinkwater, who posted a tremendous net score of 58, four ahead of Liam Bottomley’s and Sam Godfrey’s 62, with third-placed Mick Hartshorne and Jason Birkhead ending their round on the same score.

A four ball better ball competition saw Keith Edwards and Stephen Pearson winning with 41 points after a card play-off was required to separate the top three teams. 

John Wilkinson and Graham Singleton’s 41 finished second as third place went to the father and son pairing of Graham and Alex Dodd on the same score.