A veteran golfer hit the shot of his life last week when he carded a remarkable three-under-par Albatross at a Rickmansworth course.

Dr Fred Middleton, 67, achieved the feat on the par 5 seventh hole at Rickmansworth’s Batchworth Park Golf Club on Thursday, where he was playing in a seniors match with friends.

After hitting a perfect drive to the heart of the fairway, the 23 handicapper, of Chester Road, Northwood, holed his second shot from more than 220 yards away.

The million-to-one achievement is far rarer than a simple hole-in-one, with just 56 recorded on the PGA Tour in a 20 year period to 2003 – compared with 631 holes-in-one.

Dr Middleton, a former orthopaedic consultant, explained: “I hit a perfect drive and then decided to hit a 3-wood towards the green. I knew it was a perfect shot as soon as I hit it – it was right out of the middle of the club and right on line with the flag.

“It bounced once, bounced a couple more times and ran straight into the hole. I just couldn’t believe it. I’d played golf since I was teenager and had never seen anything like it. The people on the next tee saw it go in and everyone started cheering.”

In time-honoured tradition, the stunned Dr Middleton finished his round by buying a round of drinks for everyone in the club’s bar – a custom expected of any golfer making a hole-in-one or better.

He added: “It cost me about £80 but I really didn’t mind at all. I knew it was a once in a lifetime occurrence.”