GEOFF Hope didn't know he had chalked up his first ever hole-in-one - until he couldn't find his ball!

The Rishton GC golfer, 44, was playing in the President's Day competition on the par three 13th hole at his club.

Hope, who plays off 13 and has been at Rishton for five years, hit the ball with a six iron on the 181 yard hole and then wandered over to see what had happened.

"It is a blind hole," said his friend and fellow Rishton member Colin Parkinson. "There is a hump in front of it so he went looking off the green to see if he could find his ball and then the lad he was playing with said 'you better look in the hole' - and there it was.

"He thought it was totally fantastic. He has never had a hole-in-one before and he gave a great speech at night, when he was presented with a special tie. He is still celebrating!"