My brother scored a hole-in-one a couple of weeks ago! This was on the 5th hole, a Par 3, during the Monthly Medal tournament at St. Andrews Golf Course in Moka, so it’s official. The golf shot was taken from the Blue tee which is a longer distance. Here’s John’s account:
“The pin position was at the back right and the distance was measured at 163 yards (downhill). I hit a ‘less than full’ five iron. It was a perfect hit directly at the flag and when it landed, it rolled slowly towards the hole. Due to the shadows and glare, we were not sure that it went in. I then looked through my measuring device (which magnifies the view) and could not see the ball, so I said that I think it went in.” A fellow player signalled that it definitely went in.
This is a big deal, typically a once-in-a-lifetime event for a non-pro golfer. The odds are 2,500:1 for a Pro golfer, 5,000:1 for a low handicapper and 12,500:1 for an average player. John won a nice bit of money and had to buy drinks for everyone at the club. He has been playing golf since he was a child, and currently has a 7 handicap. We grew up next to the course when it was situated in lower Maraval, where the residential area of Fairways (hence the name) is located now.
I come from a golfing family – my father, uncle and several cousins were/are low handicappers and regular competition winners. One cousin actually turned professional (Pro). Another cousin, Steven, got a hole-in-one two years ago on the 15th Par 3 hole, on the same course. His father, Peter, had quite a few, and my cousin, Robin, had a fluke hole-in-one in his youth when the club was in lower Maraval. My father, Ossie, achieved his only hole-in-one while on holiday in Peru with borrowed clubs. His opponents were quite upset as he won their money after telling them he was quite rusty at golf.
Unfortunately, I never inherited the golfing gene but I had to hear about every great drive and every missed putt when John came home from a round of golf. So I know what this achievement means to him. His wife, Majella, organised a family celebration and we toasted him with bubbly.
The St. Andrews Golf Club in Trinidad is the fifth oldest golf club in the Western Hemisphere, having been established as a 9 hole course in 1891 in the Queen’s Park Savannah, with the Queen’s Park Hotel as the club house. From there it moved to St. James where St. Mary’s Sports Grounds are now located, and then to Maraval (Fairways) where it became an 18 hole course designed for free by the great British golf architect, Harry Colt. In the early 1970s, the club moved to the beautiful valley of upper Maraval, in the residential area of Moka.
The golf course is surrounded by rain forest-covered mountains, complete with occasional wildlife, such as manicou, quenk, deer, agouti and many snakes, that wander onto the fairways from time to time. The squawking noise of parrots is common and you may be lucky enough to see a colourful macaw.
My Uncle Peter was in charge of the construction and actually did some design work himself. It’s a challenging golf course, of finest championship quality, with contoured greens and narrow fairways, dotted with mature tropical trees. If you are into the game, visitors are always welcome to this lovely place to play golf.
I enjoyed reading your blog as it’s always so informative loaded with so much history. I’m not a good enthusiast but surely picked up a few pointers. Keep on blogging.
Loved this article Sue. Congratulations to John! Very interesting that the golf club is so old. My husband John and I are still trying for that very elusive achievement!