GOLF club chairman Alan Foots has a hole at his local course off to a tee.

For he has holed in one twice at the 150-yard 17th at Seaham Harbour Golf Club, in County Durham.

A veteran golfer of more than 40 years, it is about a quarter of a century since 72-year-old Mr Foots last achieved a coveted ace.

But the first came as an early Christmas present during the club's Saturday morning stableford competition on December 24. A five-iron shot sailed straight from tee to hole.

To his amazement, Mr Foots repeated the feat, this time with a five-wood, in worse weather conditions, on March 11.

"It's odd because, while you know you've hit a decent shot, you can't see down to the hole too well," he said.

"It's really only when there's a big reaction from the other people you're playing with that you know it's gone in.

"I always said a hole-in-one is five per cent skill and 95 per cent luck. You try to hit the ball in the right direction and if it goes in it's a great feeling."

The two shots helped Mr Foots scoop both £90-plus kitties, paid in by all those taking part, to be won by the person firing the lowest score on any individual hole on the day.

But it earned him a ribbing from fellow members, who are threatening to re-name it: "The Chairman's Benevolent Fund".

He did not walk away with all the money, however, as, in keeping with tradition, he footed the bill for a tot of whisky for the other players in the clubhouse after each game.