Red Cliffs’ hole-in-one heroes

TWO teenage prodigies from Red Cliffs Golf Club have stunned in their junior pennant outings this year while both recording one of sport’s most difficult feats — the ever sought after hole-in-one.

One of the strokes occurred on a par three, while the other was achieved during a mind boggling par four hole.

Sixteen-year-old Charlie Goldup who is Sunraysia’s current junior district champion for pennant, aced the 294 metre par four on the ninth hole at Red Cliffs Golf Club.

Goldup was a member of the Red Cliffs side who clinched the Murray Darling Golf Association junior pennant title in March this year and is also a part of the Sunraysia Academy of Sport Drummond Golf set up.

“He was playing with some friends outside of a competition,” said Red Cliffs coach and senior pennant player Ben Hogan.

“He managed to have a hole in one on the par four which is incredible.”

Hogan, alongside Chris Thomas, has mentored and managed the talented crop of Red Cliffs golfers including Goldup.

The ninth at Red Cliffs, Hogan explained, is far from simple driving to navigate.

“That’s 294 metres of dogleg right, with out of bounds on the right hand side,” he said.

“Personally, for me I find it challenging so for anybody at all to stand on a par four tee and be able to tee it off, hit the ball onto the fairway, onto the green and for it to go into the hole, it’s just incredible.

“I think the statistics on that are like quadruple what it is to hole-in-one on a par three.”

Just last Wednesday, one of Goldup’s Red Cliffs pennant winning teammates Jack Crowe, aged 15, joined the club’s growing highlight reel.

He sunk an ace on the 120 metre par three eighth hole at Red Cliffs during a competition round.

“When you play at a short par three like that, it catches a lot of golfers undone,” said Hogan.

“So, for Jack to have had a hole in one on that hole is a huge achievement.”

The rapid progress of Goldup and Crowe has been displayed through their changing handicaps.

“Charlie’s handicap was 25 back in March, and I think he’s down to 14 as we speak,” said Hogan.

“Same as Jack Crowe, he was off 24 back in March and he’s now down to nine handicap.

“They’ve both been putting a huge amount of effort and work in practicing after school and Jack Crowe is also playing B Grade men’s pennant scratch currently for the Red Cliffs Golf Club.”

Last Sunday, Crowe won his B Grade pennant matchup against Josh Flemming one up at Riverside.

“Jack’s undefeated currently, he’s had two starts, two wins beating the men,” said Hogan.

Like Goldup, Crowe has been under the guidance and tutelage of Hogan and Thomas.

“It’s extremely exciting at the moment with the flourish of young golfers that we have at Red Cliffs,” said Hogan.

“They’re getting involved with the golf club, caddying for men’s pennant, playing men’s pennant.

“We couldn’t be happier and prouder as a golf club, the way these kids go out and hold themselves in competitions as well as just everywhere generally, it’s a huge credit to them.

“Honestly, the sky’s the limit, they have an untapped amount of potential, turning professional is certainly on the cards for a few of the junior golfers down at the Red Cliffs Golf Club.”