As crazy ideas for charity challenges go this was right up there. Rather than doing a normal 18-hole round, 36 or 54-hole day to raise money, Genelle and I decided to try and do something different and play one hole at 18 different courses. It was golf meets Wacky Races, but for a very worthy cause: SANDS, the stillborn and neonatal death society which is a charity close to our hearts having both experienced baby loss.
Read on and watch the video to see how the day went and if you want to donate and support the work SANDS does then you can make a contribution at our fundraising page.
The plan was to start at 5am at Hampstead Golf Club. The route would then take us around a number of North London courses before heading out to Hertfordshire and looping back to finish at Mill Hill, Genelle’s home club, hopefully before dusk.
We plotted the route meticulously trying to find courses as close to each other as possible and a route that avoided rush hours and school run traffic.
We’d allowed 30 minutes at each club to get out of the car - driven by photographer/videographer/snacks maestro, Tom Miles - and on to the tee, play one hole, walk back to the car and head off to the next course. Driving times were calculated, a bit of contingency built in and fingers were crossed.
Golf For Sands Charity Challenge Schedule - July 13, 2023
05.00 - Hampstead
05:45 - Highgate
06:30 - Muswell Hill
07:30 - North Middlesex
08:40 - Bush Hill Park
09:40 - Enfield
10:30 - Crews Hill
11:30 - Hadley Wood
12:20 - Old Fold Manor
13:15 - The Shire London
14:10 - Dyrham Park
15:15 - Brookmans Park
16:15 - Essendon (New)
16:45 - Essendon (Old)
17.45 - Mill Green
18.45 - Welwyn Garden City
19.40 - Mid Herts
20.45 - Mill Hill
On paper the schedule looked like it would work, but what we couldn’t account for was traffic and we knew any delays would have knock-on effects and risk us turning up late at clubs that had all kindly agreed to keep tees as clear as possible at the estimated arrival times - no easy task, especially for Bush Hill Park, Old Fold Manor and Brookmans Park who were all hosting big golf days.
So, how did we get on? Well, we did it. And with time to spare!
The day started 10 minutes ahead of schedule as good weather meant we could get off early at Hampstead and our good fortune continued throughout the day as traffic was light, we played quickly and many clubs worked miracles getting us off immediately even when we arrived early.
Mike’s reflections on the day…
“In the run-up to July 13 I had a lot of sleepless nights worrying about the logistics. I was convinced we’d need everything to fall into place and a big slice of luck for us to be putting out at Mill Hill in daylight. I had visions of us in the car driving down the A1 to Mill Hill as dusk fell.
In the end my fears didn’t materialise and we quickly got ahead of the schedule. By the time we putted out on our 5th hole - the tight par-3 1st at Bush Hill Park - we were over an hour to the good. That buffer, which grew as the morning progressed, meant we actually had some time to enjoy experiencing the courses rather than everything flying by in a blur.
I’m somewhat of a golf course collector and even though I knew I couldn't count playing only one hole as having ‘played’ the course I knew from my research that I was going to visit some real gems. Prior to the challenge I’d only ever played full rounds at four of the clubs: Highgate, Brookmans Park, Essendon (New) and Mid Herts. Getting to taste one hole at each of the other 14 has made me really want to go back to all of them.
I was especially intrigued by the undulating nine-hole layout at Hampstead which was packed into a small parcel of land in one of the most exclusive parts of North London. Playing that hole at first light with no one around was a magical golfing experience.
The lack of time pressure also meant we were able to meet staff and golfers at each club and talk to them about our challenge.By the time we got to Essendon we even had time for a sit-down lunch and at Welwyn Garden City we had a drink on the terrace with several members, including former Golf Monthly editor, Colin Callander!
The half-hour journey from Mid Herts back into London to play Mill Hill, our final course, gave Genelle and I the chance to reflect on our motivation for taking on the challenge - to raise money and awareness for a brilliant charity that helps fund research into preventing baby loss and supports people like us who have been unfortunate enough to experience the pain of losing a baby.
We are so grateful to everyone who helped us in the run–up and on the day itself with logistical support, words of encouragement and, of course, donations.”
Genelle’s reflections on the challenge…
“Where to begin about the epic charity challenge for SANDS? Words can't do it justice.
As an ambassador for SANDS, I've told my story many times but never fundraised for them. Taking up golf has been such a balm for me, except when I'm playing terribly. I spoke to the charity about doing something golf related and when they said yes, I was ecstatic. But to do the challenge this way was hard!
As a newer golfer, just going out and swinging a club before 5am was challenging, and I never got into a groove.
I played awful golf, but what spurred me on was seeing the fundraising updates throughout the day. It was so encouraging to know that so many people were with us. I am okay with looking like a terrible golfer (all on video for your viewing pleasure) to ensure that many more families are supported.
A highlight of the day for me were the golf boards at Dyrham Park. I couldn't ride that thing, but it broke up the day and added some much-needed laughter.
Losing a baby to stillbirth is an experience I never expected to go through as a 19-year-old; 21 years ago, my life was forever changed when that happened. Since then, I have wanted to raise awareness and ensure that more people understand how baby loss affects your life in many ways. Not to scare parents but to ensure they can advocate for themselves in these moments and have support if the worst happens. SANDS aims to do this, and I'm proud to be part of it.
For the thanks yous! Mike, for the idea and for doing the heavy lifting of contacting all the clubs. David Beale at Mill Hill Golf Club helped us get over the line with a few of them. To Tom Miles, who drove us around and filmed it all. A big thank you to every club that had us come by and play. Essendon CC gave us lunch which was greatly appreciated. To every person that donated, I hope you feel part of supporting a community that needs it.”
If you want to donate and support the work SANDS does then there’s still time to make a contribution at our fundraising page.
