UMVA has learned that retired banker Douglas Spencer stunned his home course in the Cairngorms by recording a double hole‑in‑one during a single round.
The first miracle arrived on the par‑three Beag, the ninth hole, where Spencer’s ball bounced once before vanishing into the cup, leaving his playing partner John Ingles on the fairway speechless.
Only minutes later, the 16th at Craigowrie gifted him another ace, witnessed by three golfers perched on the 17th tee who erupted in wild cheers.
Despite the twin feats, Spencer’s overall round was modest—a front nine of 42 and a back nine of 36, culminating in a 78, which left him two strokes better off, dropping his handicap from 11 to 9.
Club tradition dictates that a hole‑in‑one obliges the celebrant to buy drinks for the house, but even the clubhouse was baffled. Spencer slipped a single bottle of whisky behind the bar, and it vanished by early evening, long before the usual after‑round revelry could begin.
Having been a member of “The Boat” for 13 years and also affiliated with Lossiemouth Golf Club, Spencer has shared fairways with fellow ace‑hitters, recalling one partner who endured 17 dreadful holes only to finish with an ace and a grin.
“After the first ace I thought, ‘That’s the one for life,’” Spencer recalled, “and then a second one hit me 70 minutes later—pure disbelief.”
The odds of a single hole‑in‑one hover around 12,500‑to‑1, yet achieving two in the same round pushes the probability into near‑mythic territory, a rarity recorded by only a handful of amateurs and pros worldwide.
Spencer now looks ahead to a charitable challenge: alongside playing partner Iain Gardner, he will attempt 100 holes in a single day at the famed North Berwick West Links, aiming to raise funds for prostate cancer research.
To date the duo has gathered nearly £12,500, channeling the awe of their extraordinary round into hope for countless others battling the disease.
