Sometime last year I read about a group of keen golfers preparing to test their endurance to the max by playing four rounds of golf in a day. Four rounds? Is that really that impressive? I remember days as a kid when my dad would have to drag me away from the course after playing four rounds. So, I thought I could go further.
I spent sometime thinking about a fundraising challenge that is unique, golf-related and something people would support. Could I double the challenge of those men I read about and play eight rounds in a day? Heck, why not make it a round number and shoot for ten?
So it was set, I would attempt to play ten rounds of golf in one day for charity. After watching a video about a young man battling leukemia who lived his wish to own a set of golf clubs, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, I had no doubt that Make-A-Wish should be the organisation to benefit from my challenge.
I began bragging to people about my ambitions to play ten rounds, and quickly discovered how little non-golfers cared and how skeptical keen golfers were.
For the non-golfers, I did some calculations and was able to explain it to them in a way they might appreciate: 19 hours of continuous walking, covering the distance of back-to-back marathons, climbing the equivalent of the highest peak in the UK, all whilst carrying golf equipment and hitting approximately 800 golf shots. That got their attention and in-turn, their support.
As for the keen-golf skeptics, that was going to be a harder sell. Whilst I have played thousands of rounds in my life, I have never actually played more than four in one day. Jumping to ten rounds is no easy task. I decided to set out for a practice speed round to test myself both physically and to see how my golf game would hold up.
I arrived at Mortonhall Golf Club, my home course, early one Saturday morning to beat the Saturday-morning-old-boys to the first tee, started my stop-watch, and set off.
With 7 clubs, a lightweight pencil bag, a comfortable pair of golf shoes and a point to prove, I took off down the first fairway looking like I was making a late bid to qualify for the 2012 GB Olympic walking squad.
75 minutes and 74 shots later and I was done. Whilst a few winter greens made the course shorter and my task slightly easier, I was surprised both at the time and score.
Walking up to each shot, not questioning what I was doing, picking a target and swinging, proved an effective gameplan for scoring. My swing was smooth and compact, my targets small and risk-free and it worked. I walked off the course in search of those skeptics.
I am under no illusion that playing one quick round is a far cry from attempting ten in one day. Ten weeks today is the challenge day, June 27th. Stay tuned every 2 weeks as I keep you updated on my training and progress.
If you want to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the challenge, visit the challenge's Just Giving page.
Make-A-Wish Foundation
Granting wishes of young people with life-threatening conditions. A great organisation.
Make-A-Wish Foundation
Granting wishes of young people with life-threatening conditions. A great organisation.
Ready To Go
A fantasically cheesy photo of me featured by the Scotsman newspaper
Mortonhall Golf Club - 1st Hole
The uphill opening par-4 at Mortonhall, with the 18th fairway to the right
Mortonhall Golf Club - 2nd Hole
Signature view of the course, looking down the fairway of the 461-yard second hole.
Mortonhall Golf Club - 17th Hole
View of the par-3 17th hole from the new Championship tee
Practice Round Stats
My iPhone RunKeeper app tracks my progress as play my first speed practice round.