by Stewart McConnell

WOULD-be young Rory McIlroy's and Indiana Jones' converged on Irvine Beach for a special seasonal challenge.

Organisers of the Secret Santa challenge staged a beach dig and hole in one challenge on Hogmanay.

Prizes in the form of sweets and selection boxes were up for grabs.

There were two dig areas - one for under-fives plus parents and one for over-five plus parents. Organisers hid around 150 little wooden lolly pop sticks in the sand. They are bio-degradable in case the greenkeepers complain.

Some 148 gifts were given and there were some 20 holes in one - well up from the previous record of 16.

Every child received a gift and organisers walked around the roped off areas asking if anyone had not found a lolly pop stick? If they had not found a stick, one was hidden at their feet, much to the delight of their parents and grandparents.

Troon kids scored the most holes in one ever this year with 29 recorded. Each hole in one scored received a sweets prize

Campbell Malone, who helped run the event was delighted with how it went.

He said: "There was a fantastic turn out for the beach dig and hole in one. Well done to everyone who organised it, who took the time to come along and to those who helped tidy up. They had 100 children and 100 parents at the event. Thanks Troon folks for turning up for the Troon Hogmanay Beach Dig and “Hole in One Challenge. Thanks to Stewart and the Royal Troon greenkeepers for setting this up again, The Troon kids dug up 148 treasures on the beach, well done. We hope everyone has a great new year."