THORNLANDS golfer Len Beck has crowned a stellar career with an achievement so rare he has only seen one other player accomplish it in his lifetime.
The 74-year-old went around the course at Redland Bay Golf Club in 73 strokes during a member's tournament last week to finish with a score less than his age.
Beck said he hoped to achieve the feat again but realised it might have been a once in a lifetime moment.
"I knew I was going alright and when we finished, the boys I was playing with were all over me," he said.
"It was quite exciting. It is like people who strive to hit a hole in one.
"I have hit a hole in one nine times but I might never shoot my age again."
Beck hung up his boots as Redland Bay's resident golf pro in June 2019 after 37 years.
He has a life membership at the club and continues to make a few appearances on the course each week.
His playing days started as a 12-year-old but it was a decision he made at 16 that set him on the path to a long and illustrious career in golf.
"I was offered a job at a ladies' hairdressing salon," Beck said.
"Then I was approached by the local golf course and asked whether I would like to become a trainee golf professional.
"When you are 16, golf sounds a lot better than being a ladies' hairdresser.
"I quite often joke about that when I talk to people that I have known for a long time."
Beck said golf had been good to him and his children, who had also made it big in the sport.
"I was Queensland chairman of the PGA for nine years and then on the board of the Australian PGA for three years," he said.
"They were probably the highlights of my career. I have been totally involved in golf since I was 12."
Beck has lived in the Redlands for about 38 years and is a beloved member of the community.
He said he and his wife could never leave the area because they would lose touch with many good people.
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