Hole-in-one for Mark Buttenshaw at Orange's Duntryleague Golf Club

Competing in Saturday's C division at Duntryleague Golf Club, the Orange-based livestock manager and Orange Emus second-rower used the general rugby bye to play a few holes with his mates.

"We didn't have footy and looking back at it now, all of the stars aligned," Buttenshaw said.

The first group to tee off in the early morning frost, there wasn't a lot of fast movement on the course from the outset, with the group of four prepared for a slow-moving, yet easy start to their 18 rounds of golf.

Deciding on the six iron as the club of choice on the par three, Buttenshaw was the last rookie golfer in his group to tee off at the 11th hole.

Only the second hole of play - they started on the back nine - the group's sluggish beginning, quickly transitioned to an unexpected turn of events.

"We were fairly set for a bit of an average day on the golf course, just sort of poking along at the time," he said.

"The other boys hit their shots and we used fluro [fluorescent] balls, because you couldn't see the white ones among the frost, so they were pretty easy to see.

"I hit it and we saw it land right at the front of the green - it was trickling, trickling, trickling towards the hole.

"We were all holding our breath and when it dropped, the bright fluro ball just disappeared from sight."

Celebrations detonated at Duntryleague at the early hour of 7.30am, with one of Buttenshaw's peers, Harry Cummins recounting the glorious event.

"We all waited with bated breath as the ball began its 15 metre roll," Cummins said.

"No one said a word, we only exchanged brief glances until the bright yellow ball suddenly vanished.

"A four-man raucous erupted - running into each others arms and jumping around in unison - we knew the magnitude of what we'd just witnessed."

After a big group hug and "a bit of a dance of the tee box", Buttenshaw says there was another stroke of luck, with the crew being the first to tee off somewhat of a public service.

"It's actually pretty lucky that we were the first group and there weren't many people on the course yet," he said.

"Otherwise we might've had some noise complaints."

According to the national hole-in-one registry, the chance of an average golfer achieving the ace is pinned at 12,500 to one.

With Duntryleague confirming Buttenshaw's weekend ace, there's been a total of five hole-in-ones this year, despite the clubhouse's board showing 2014 as the last time.

The last ace on its records shows there was an ace on the 16^th hole, hit by Greg Spong on May 28, and the month prior, another was sunk by Colin Logan on April 20.

While two remaining hole-in-ones were recorded for February, according to Duntryleague staff this year's four other instances are all said to have come from long-time golfing members.

Meaning Buttenshaw will be the newest, and most amateur player of late, to join the golden feat ranks.

The rookie player says he's got plans to keep playing the sport socially - even though he's officially checked off the highest item from the golfing bucket list.

"We only started playing golf in September of last year after the footy season ended, because we needed a hobby to get us out of the house," Buttenshaw said.

"A few people have said to me they'd consider finishing on top, but I'll continue to strive to get the handicap down - I started with a handicap of 43 and now I'm down to 19.7, so I'm pretty happy with that."

Duntryleague will prepare a plaque, with a big hole in it, which will be polished with Buttenshaw's name and achievement branded on the front.

In the meantime, he'll continue to reminisce on the fateful day that was - the day where July 16 marked a milestone in life he'll never forget.

"I think it is a fluke - you get plenty of chances and sure, there's a little bit of skill involved - but I think it just comes down to luck," Buttenshaw said.

"I'm still on top of the world though. I'm going to have to put it on the resume."

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