Clifden golfer Timothy Hickey is celebrating a hole-in-one during a recent club competition at Connemara Golf Links.
Mr Hickey, aged 66, scored his ace on the 176-yard, par-three 13th at Connemara Championship Links, and the 19-handicapper was rewarded with membership of the exclusive Boss Watches H1 Club and a specially-commissioned, commemorative timepiece.
He said: "I was playing a reasonably good game in cold, dry, but blustery conditions. As we faced a pretty strong, diagonal wind, I decided that it would take at least a very good three wood shot to get near the raised green.
"I placed my ball on a wooden tee and rifled the shot which went very straight at a nice trajectory. We watched the ball as it hurtled; it landed on the green and rolled and rolled towards the pin. I let out a roar when it dropped in the hole and high fives followed.
"When I removed the ball, giving it a kiss, my partner said, ‘put that in your pocket and do not play it ever again,' which I duly did. This date will be forever etched in my memory. At least I have one thing in common with Rory McIlroy. We both got a hole-in-one during the same week, although it's taken me over 40 years."
