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YOU'VE got to hand it to Andy McAlpine, the new captain of Awali Golf Club, he's the ace of clubs when it comes to playing the game.
He is one of the few players in the world who can claim to have notched a coveted 'hole-in-one' with both a left- and a right-handed club.
McAlpine, 60, better known as Ace to his golfing buddies, said: "I've always been a leftie with a two-handed bat - cricket, hockey (I know, used the toe of the stick) and then golf.
"I had to change due to a motorcycle accident which left a bone fragment floating around in my left elbow. I was a golf pro's dream student - extra clubs, extra lessons. But he had me swinging a 7 iron and 3 wood in the first half-an-hour and I never looked back!"
He struck his first hole-in-one during a competition (left handed on the 4th) in 1993 and followed it up (righted handed on the 12th) in 2008. And, the feeling? "An unbelievable adrenalin rush!" he said. "The thing I love about playing the sport is that it's different every time. What was easy last week is impossible this week!"
Ace has been a member of Awali Golf Club for more than 20 years, boasts a handicap of 11 and joined its committee in 1992. "The captain's role is one that I have aspired to for some time and having served two terms as vice-captain, considered the time right to stand for election," he explained. "I will enjoy the aspects of team building, problem solving, encouraging golfers and being an ambassador for the club.
"I'm looking forward to beating both the Bahrain Golf Club and the Royal Golf Club and seeing our access road rebuilt! And, in the future I would like to see us further embracing technology in order to ease the burden on our hard-working committee members and to make the competition process more enjoyable for our club members.
"Also, we as a club, need to pay more attention to our sponsors and support them better, as without them our club would simply not be the be fantastic social club we enjoy today."
Father-of-four, Ace, an IT systems administrator, lives in Awali Village with his wife, Jan. During his term as captain his chosen charities will be Parkinson's disease, a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system, and cancer research.
"It's a personal choice really," he said. "I've seen too many friends and fellow club members suffer as a result of these illnesses and by helping with research into them, perhaps can offer some hope to those currently suffering and to those in the future yet to be diagnosed."
Ace didn't get his nickname for his prowess on the golf course, however, but for his charitable endeavours and the headlines he has created. Some years ago he did a marathon sponsored scuba dive to raise funds for first aid equipment and a local newspaper headline read: "Ace diver surfaces after 24 hours."
