IT is the holy grail of golf - an elusive hole-in-one. Most amateurs will go a lifetime without tasting the sweet success of an ace and nearly all will only have tales of missed opportunities.

IT is the holy grail of golf - an elusive hole-in-one.

Most amateurs will go a lifetime without tasting the sweet success of an ace and nearly all will only have tales of missed opportunities.

Perhaps their luck has gone the way of Ipswich golfer Graham Hart, who defied unimaginably high odds by holing out in one shot - before scoring another hole-in-one during the same round.

The 59-year-old, of Lanercost Way, was playing with his son and two friends at the Great Salterns Golf Club in Portsmouth when he sunk his tee shot at the 150-yard par-three 15th.

Mr Hart, a bus driver for Ipswich buses, said: “It started as a horrible day. We had a rain storm and then it became nice and sunny.

“On the tee, I had a slight wind behind. I took a seven iron and hit it slightly left of the pin. It landed on the green and rolled in.

“I didn't believe it myself. Everyone was shouting, but I thought it must have gone through the back.”

Not content with his extraordinary feat, the 20-handicapper repeated the achievement on the last hole.

Mr Hart, who is a member of Seckford Golf Club in Woodbridge, added: “On the 18th, I hit an eight iron again slightly left of the pin and it also rolled in.

“The youngsters were more excited than I was. They were over the moon but I didn't believe it.

“To do it in front of your son was a great thing. I thought it would be easier to win the lottery.”

Traditionally, the person who makes a hole-in-one must buy everyone in the bar a drink, but as they was no bar at the club, Mr Hart instead enjoyed an understated celebration in a pub nearby.

The chances of winning the UK National Lottery are around 14million to one.

Insurance companies which calculate the chances of hole-in-ones believe the odds of an amateur scoring two in the same round can be as high as 67million to one.

CALCULATING the odds of a hole-in-one is far from an exact science, but there are companies who have worked out some figures for when it comes to selling insurance to tournament promoters.

There are many variables involved, including the quality of the play, the difficulty of the course and the number of times the golfer plays.

Magazine Golf Digest has reported that one insurance company puts a professional's chances at one in 3,756 and an amateur's at one in 12,750.

While Golf Digest reports that the odds of an amateur making two holes-in-one in one round are 9,222,500 to one, another company believes it is more like 67million to one.

Other odds include:

Acing a hole with any given swing - 33,000 to one.

If you are a low-handicapper and play 1,000 rounds in your life, you have a 20 per cent chance of recording an ace.

If you play 5,000 rounds, you are almost certain to achieve it.

An average player acing a 200-yard hole - 150,000 to one.

Two players from the same foursome acing the same hole - 17million to one.