Nice drive.. just 1,250 miles to reach the green
Golfer’s marathon hole for charity
NOT every golf hole involves climbing glaciers, crossing deserts and riding a camel up a mountain...
But Adam Rolston wanted to set a world record to raise cash for charity.
So he decided to trek across Mongolia, hitting a golf ball along the way. And after his first drive he still had a fairway to go... 1,250 miles to be exact.
After 82 days and 20,093 shots, he and caddie pal Ron Rutland made it to the 18th green of Mount Bogd Golf Club in capital, Ulaanbaatar.
Adam, 28, from Coleraine in Northern Ireland, said: “Our last day was the magical day we imagined – glorious sunshine.
“I felt as if I was playing the winning shot in the Open. It was a fantastic finish to this crazy ridiculous challenge.”
Former rugby pro Adam and Ron, 43, are waiting to see if Guinness will accept their feat as the longest golf hole in history. It has been recognised as a single hole by golf ’s European Tour.
Adam teed off on June 29 at Khuiten Peak, the highest and most western point in Mongolia. Following golf rules, he and Ron tracked every shot and kept score using an app. He hit an average of 180 shots a day using a seven or eight iron. Along the way, the pair endured blizzards in the mountains and blistering heat in the Gobi desert, while pulling a specially made 120kg cart loaded with hundreds of golf balls.
Adam added: “The first week was the toughest of my life. We had to strap our gear to a camel. We had a five-hour trip to the top of a glacier. Then came the desert.”
Adam and Ron have so far raised £15,000 for their charity, Laureus Sport for Good. For more details, or to donate, see www.thelongesthole.com.