72 Holes in 12 Hours – An Incredible Fundraising Challenge

On Saturday 8th August, Hugo took on an extraordinary challenge – playing 72 holes of golf in just 12 hours to raise money for mental health through sport. What followed was a day of determination, teamwork and remarkable golf.

The challenge began at 5am, with a cool morning breeze, the first light of dawn and even an unexpected sprinkler soaking for Paul on the 6th tee! The opening round was completed in just two and a half hours, with Hugo posting an impressive 87.

By 10:30am, the second round was complete, this time with an excellent score of 76. Diane stepped in to relieve Paul, who was understandably feeling the strain, but Paul refused to call it a day and battled on. After a quick change of shirt and socks, Hugo was refreshed and ready to tackle the increasingly warm conditions.

As the temperatures climbed, so did the challenge. Fuelled by plenty of drinks and snacks, Paul completed the third round before finally heading to the buggy after 54 holes. Hugo continued to impress, carding an 88 in the third round before heading into the final 18 alongside Diane.

One of the moments of the day came on the fifth hole when Hugo's second shot struck the flagstick before finishing just a few feet away, narrowly missing an incredible albatross.

By 5pm, the challenge was complete. Hugo had played all 72 holes, finishing with a gross score of 331, including six birdies along the way. An outstanding achievement that showcased both endurance and skill.

The day would not have been possible without an incredible support team. Huge thanks go to Otto and Malcolm for ball spotting and keeping the course clear, Fiona Clark and Jonathan Palmer Garrett for supporting Paul and Hugo throughout the day, Robin for caddying for Paul, and Maeve and Kate Turner for tirelessly collecting donations. Special thanks also to Maeve for providing much-needed bacon butties and homemade cake to keep everyone going.

Thanks to the generosity of our members and supporters, an incredible £3,711 was raised to help transform the nation's mental health through sport.

Congratulations also go to our sweepstake winners. Sue Cooke correctly guessed the closest combined score with 332, while John French won the tie-break after several entrants correctly predicted Paul would complete 54 holes.

Everyone who donated was entered into our prize draw for fourball vouchers, with congratulations going to Evelyn Davies, Angela Spang, Dave Cheng, Kay Wooley and Martin Rutland. Bottle prize winners were Izzy and John Boon. Please collect your prizes from the golf office.

A huge thank you to everyone who donated, volunteered and supported the challenge. It was a fantastic day that demonstrated what our club community can achieve together.