Most amateur golfers are happy if they make it to the golf course to play one round a week, but for Josh Simpson this was never going to cut it.
The 27-year-old from Norfolk has just beaten the world record for completing as many different golf courses in a year: 652.
As a tribute to his mother who died of lung cancer in 2023, Simpson decided to throw in his job as a lawn-care specialist, buy a motorhome and travel around the UK, playing as many courses as he could whilst raising money for charity.
The previous record was 580, set by Patrick Koeing, an American, in 2023.
Simpson, who started his challenge on January 24 last year, reached the 580-mark in mid-December but continued until he had completed a year.
On January 23, the 365th day of the challenge, Simson completed his 652nd course at Princes Golf Club in Kent. This equates to about 1.79 courses each day.
While some critics have described golf as a “good walk spoiled”, Simpson, who began playing at 16, said it was a “privilege” to play the game uninterrupted for a year.
“At first I came up with reasons why not to, but I thought, ‘You’re in your prime of life with no commitments, if you’re going to do it, do it now’,” he said. “I miss all the people I met, but I don’t miss waking up with awful weather and having to play golf. Now it’s done, it’s great to go into the golf history books.”
Through good and bad rounds, Simpson kept his handicap in single-digits, not a mean feat given most golfers’ love/hate relationship with the game. He raised more than £45,000 for the cancer charity Macmillan, and Tapping House, a hospice in his home town of King’s Lynn in Norfolk.
At the start of his challenge, Simpson contacted golf courses to see which ones would allow him to play free but received only a handful of responses. Undeterred, Simpson began his challenge with a 36-hole day at the two courses at Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire.
Logistics were difficult because Simpson had to have another person with him for each course to sign it off for the record attempt. Then there was the poor weather, injuries and expenses such as fuel and food.
“My busiest week was 20 courses: six days of three courses a day, and one day of two,” he said. “[After losing my mum] I realised how much your life can be turned upside down, so it’s a nice feeling to give back.”
Simpson relied on the kindness of strangers and members of golf clubs who had heard about his fundraising golfing challenge and invited him to their club for a round.
His most memorable courses have been celebrated ones such as Queenwood and Wentworth, both in Surrey, and Loch Lomond in Dunbartonshire. But his favourite courses were Royal County Down Golf Club, and Sunningdale Golf Club in Berkshire.
He even played on Christmas Day at a course near his home, at Swaffham Golf Club. “My dad walked around with me to verify it,” he said. “I wanted to play somewhere close to home to be back in decent time.”
After a celebratory drink with family and supporters, Simpson decided to put away his golf clubs — at least for a while — admitting he was “sick of it” for the final month of his challenge. Now he just has to submit the 600-plus score cards to the Guinness World Records to officially secure his record. “The sooner I see the back of them, the better,” he said.