A GOLFER from Didcot is preparing for the mother of all rounds.
On Tuesday, Jason Hadland, of Abbey Brook, will attempt to play 100 holes on the trot to raise £3,000 for Maggie’s Oxford, a cancer support centre planning to build a permanent home in the city.
The 35-year-old, who is head professional at Goring & Streatley Golf Club, just across the River Thames in Berkshire, said he expected it would take at least 15 hours to complete the feat.
He said: “It’s something I have heard a couple of other guys do, but it will be a real challenge and it’s something a bit different.
“I’m going to start at 4.30am and aim to finish by 8pm.
“I’m extremely confident. Even if I have to run it, I will finish.
“I have a timetable set up and I will have a couple of breaks to change and have a shower, but I will have to be quick.
“I don’t want to be looking for golf balls. If I can’t find my ball after 30 seconds, I will use a provisional ball. It’s also a very hilly course, so it will very tiring.
“Most people think I’m mad – they say ‘rather you than me’.”
Mr Hadland, a father-of-one, is a scratch golfer, but he said it was unlikely he would post a great score.
He is running a sweepstake for people to guess how many shots he plays, selling numbers between 300 and 600 for £2 each.
Par for the 100 holes is 394.
He said: “To be honest, the score is going to be secondary.
“I’m not going to be able to take much time on each shot, which will affect my short game. I think 440 is a good target.”
Maggie’s Oxford, which operates from a temporary building at the Churchill Hospital, in Headington, wants to build a permanent home next to the hospital’s new £109m cancer centre.
The centre will offer free benefits advice, counselling, relaxation sessions, one-to-one and group sessions with psychologists, tai chi and yoga classes and a library of information about coping with cancer.
It will be built on stilts, surrounded by trees and take six months to construct.
Maggie’s Oxford fundraiser Sandy Briscoe said: “We would like to say a big thank you to Jason for organising the challenge – it’s really appreciated.
“We have just gained planning consent for a beautiful building, but we need to raise £1.9m. We have raised £700,000 so far.
“The interim service has been fantastic, but we need a permanent home.The sooner we raise the money for our building, the sooner the people of Oxfordshire and surrounding counties will benefit from our service, which is free to everybody.”
For more details or to sponsor Mr Hadland, visit the webpage justgiving.com/challenge100holes
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