A five-week isolation break away from golf wasn’t long enough to stop an Otago Golf Club member from breaking his age a whopping 146th time.

Corran Munro, 81, accomplished a feat many golfers aspire doing just once in their lifetime, and did it with a sensational round of four-under. It was his first-round back playing after the country moved to Covid-19 Alert Level 3.

Munro, who plays off a 6.4 handicap, was not only amazed he able to break his age again, but that he was able to shoot an under-par round after not touching a club for five weeks as well.

He says it was great to be back out there.

“It was really interesting [standing on the first tee]. It felt great to be back on the course and I was playing with no expectations. Being back was even more special after I got on a dream run with these new Covid-19 rules for golf under Alert Level 3,” he says.

Golf has looked a little different since the country went into isolation. Strict rules and regulations have been put in place to ensure the virus doesn’t spread further.

One of these rules is all flagsticks and pins have been removed from their holes on every green throughout the entire golf course. Something which may have helped Munro’s game.

“There were a fair few blind shots into a lot of the greens as there aren’t any pins in the holes, and luckily for me I managed to hit a few really close. I putted really well and had only 26 putts which is a record for me.

“I birdied the first, missed a short putt on two for birdie, and then went on to birdie the third where my wife thought I hit the upturned cup for my eagle. The ball finished about three inches away and we couldn’t verify whether it had hit the cup or not, so I took the birdie,” he explains.

Munro had a couple of blemishes on the seventh and ninth holes to make the turn at even-par. However, it was the back nine where he caught fire.

“On the 11th I hit a nine iron from the fairway which hit the green and after a couple of bounces, hit the upturned cup for an eagle.

“I made two more birdies and made par on everything else to shoot a round of 67,” says a thrilled Munro.

The 81-year-old has made the most of being back out on the golf course having played six times in the past seven days, which doesn’t include the round he had booked after his interview with New Zealand Golf.

He says it had been a long few weeks.

“Being stuck inside was very frustrating. We are lucky we live right next to the golf club and it was full of people walking on it. So, we walked on and around the course too.”

The return to the links was a welcome privilege under Covid-19 Alert Level 3.

“I love the game. I like getting out in nature and having fun with my mates.

“I’ve always played for fun. There is a group of 18 of us that play every Wednesday afternoon which started back in 1986, and our rules are we are there for the company, the fun, and then the golf.

“I’m looking forward to getting into Level 2 so we can play with our mates again,” Munro says.

For now, he’s just happy he’s able to play the game he love