Hugh's just Ace!

Golf? An easy game! Just put the ball on a tee peg, take aim and hit it in the hole! No, it’s not quite that easy, you say? It seems to be for Headingley member Hugh Barrett who’s done exactly that not just once or twice but an incredible FOUR times, this year alone. Hugh had already been in contact with Yorkshire Golfer about his remarkable hat-trick of aces in 2022, when he went out for a knock in a club competition on Saturday October 1st. The ace marksman takes up the story: “I had my playing partner Richard take photos for the Yorkshire Golfer article, celebrating my three holes in one. I then stepped up (at the 17th) and hit a 7-iron, the ball carried the left green side bunker and I saw it roll down the bank towards the hole. From the raised tee, I couldn’t see it go into the hole, but I had a sixth sense that it had gone in ... when I walked down and couldn’t see the ball on the green, I knew it must have gone in and sure enough, there it was sat in the hole!” It was Hugh’s second one-shotter at the 17th. “It is amazing and unbelievable, at the same time, something that will probably never happen to me again. My playing partners, Richard Duggleby and Peter Fleming, whom I have played golf with for 27 years, were as stunned as myself. “I need to give a mention to another golf buddy, Alan Smith, who was with me for three of my holes in one this year. To finish the story, I am a massive Seve fan and saw him when he came to Leeds to play in the early 80s and was privileged to see his iconic Open Championship wins, in 1984 at St Andrews and in 1988 at Lytham St Anne’s. “I am in contact with Seve’s son, Javier Ballesteros on Instagram and he sent me a kind goodwill message when he heard about my four holes in one. I asked him if Seve had any aces, in his legendary career. His message reads: ‘Hi Hugh! Wow four holes in one it’s a lot! I’ve had two, but on practice rounds. My dad had at least one in competition in La Moraleja, in Madrid. Not sure of more. Kind regards’.” Hugh has been a member at Headingley for 46 years and his 39 points in the club stableford competition lowered his handicap to 7.8, having been down to 5-handicap 18 months ago. His brother Patrick is a fellow member at Headingley while other brother John plays off single figures at Moortown. His first ace of the year came at the 17th on January 6, with a 6-iron from 157yds. That lucky 6-iron also struck gold at the 173yds 10th on May 21 and from 148yds on September 24, before he went down a club to his 7-iron for the latest. This year’s four aces take Hugh’s career tally to a magnificent seven – one as a teenager at Gotts Park, and a pair at Headingley’s 6th hole. Luckily, as he added, he has insurance for his holes in one!