We are thrilled to report that Chinnor RFC winger, Josh Hodson, got his hole-in-one at 18.21pm on Saturday (4th July) with ball number 1623!!
Thank you so much to Josh for taking on this epic challenge in aid of Michael Sobell Hospice – our team are currently caring for Josh’s mum, (Sian Hodson), who is terminally ill with cancer.
Please read Sian’s special report from the days’ event below, and if you can donate a few pennies towards this amazing fundraising effort, which has so far raised an incredible £2,564, simply CLICK HERE TO DONATE
Words by Sian Hodson
‘It sounds so easy, doesn’t it? Stand at the golf tee and keep hitting a bucket of 50 balls at a time in a bid to get a hole-in-one, but until you actually set about doing it you don’t realise just how tough it is. There is a very good reason that the average for an amateur golfer to achieve this feat is 12,500 balls and that is because it is incredibly difficult!
Michael Sobell Hospice has been a big part of the family’s life. When Josh discovered that the pandemic had resulted in there being an 80% shortfall in funding he knew something had to be done, and so having played the odd round of golf decided that he would take on a hole-in-one challenge.
He was fortunate that Rickmansworth Golf Course generously prepared a hole especially for the event. Josh started hitting balls at around 7.00am on Saturday and right from the start they were scattered round the pin with some as close as 5cm away from the hole, but none venturing into the Holy Grail itself, which, as every golfer will tell you is all part of the game! He even had one bounce off the flag and adamantly refused to slide into the hole. At times, watching from the tee was amusing as those tasked with collecting balls were often seen jumping in the air only to clasp their heads in despair in the same movement. It really was frustrating, but no more so than for Josh himself.
Many of the local golfers who had ventured out were curious about the balloon festooned gazebo at his designated tee with a few generously popping money into the collecting bucket and all the while Josh was still powering through his buckets of 50 balls with each ball adamantly refusing to pop itself into the hole.
At 18.21 the flag suddenly looked a bit different and not daring to dream his fiancée went to have a closer look and there it was – ball 1623 was safely nestled in the hole! Josh initially couldn’t believe it and then dropped to the floor, completely overtaken with emotion, tiredness and joy. He had actually managed to achieve what he’d set out to do and he could now relax safe in the knowledge that all the funds he’d raised would safely be going to Michael Sobell Hospice.
So if people wanted to make this physical achievement all the more special, Michael Sobell would be over the moon for people to add to the total which currently stands at £2,564 with some cash made on the day to be added, but still short of the target Josh set.’
Please donate if you can via the link here
