Rangatira's Marg McAlley gets her first hole in one

In the hole is always the last place they look.

Rangatira Golf Club life member Marg McAlley has waited nearly 55 years for her first hole in one, which she collected during an 18-hole ladies day round on Wednesday.

On the 12th hole, a Par 3 of around 129m, McAlley took out a 20-degree rescue club, also known as a hybrid club, to line up the green in pretty much the same fashion as she has every week since the 1960's.

"The green's raised up so it slopes off always, other than that it's pretty straight forward," she said.

"It's not a difficult, difficult hole, [but] any hole is difficult to get a hole in one."

When McAlley and her three playing partners walked up to the pin, their natural reaction was to search down each side of the slope to find where the missing ball had rolled.

Who would have the confidence, or arrogance, to just check the most obvious place first?

"I happened to say, 'don't you think we should look in the hole?'," McAlley said after a futile search.

"Their reaction was one of surprise because we all thought it had gone the back of the green.

"It rolled up to the hole."

To celebrate her first ace, McAlley followed the club tradition and offered a shout back at the clubrooms, while her name will be added to the club honours board in the Hole in One category.

"I've played at Rangatira for 54 years roughly, I started in 1964," she said.

"I've got [my name] up there for a few things.

"We'll go for No 2 now."

It is believed to be the fourth official hole in one for the wider Whanganui area this year, following the extraordinary April 1 round at the Taihape Golf Club when Hayden Brain, Chris George and Hawkestone's Joe Stella all got an ace on the 14th hole.