Ace Jim Elliott is the toast of Penn

The 81-year-old claimed his first ace on the club’s par three, 136-yard 11th hole.

A six iron pitched before the green and then found the cup – but Jim didn’t see the magic moment!

“I used a six iron and it bounced just short of the green and then ran on,” he said.

“There is a bunker and a bit of ridge and if you get it on the ridge it runs down to the hole.

“I could see the pin but I couldn’t actually see the ball. I expected to see it going off the back of the green.

“I didn’t realise until I got to the green that it had gone in!”

Jim, who lives just round the corner from the course in Wakeley Hill, has been a member at Penn for 18 years.

He was a late starter on the golfing scene having taken up the sport 20 years ago, with rugby his first love.

He played for his home-town club Carlisle before his job took him to Sunningdale in Berkshire and then

on to Darlaston in 1966, where he worked for Wellman Smith and Owen.

“I have been playing for about 20 years,” he added. “I play Monday and Thursday with the seniors and play off 26, although I did get down to 19 for one month!”

And Jim’s stunning achievement was well received by his fellow golfers, with tradition ensuring the club paid for the drinks to celebrate.

“The tradition is that the club actually pays, up to a certain limit, for drinks when someone gets a hole-in one,” said Jim. “But once they leave the lounge there is no free bar.

“The news passed round the course while I was playing and every time we passed another group they were shouting ‘hey, don’t leave the lounge until we come in’.”