Lynn golfer chases World Record

A golfer from Lynn is teeing off on the challenge of a lifetime – and he’s already well on his way.Josh Simpson, 27, has embarked on a mission to break the Guinness World Record for the most golf courses played in a single year.The current record stands at 581.Since beginning his journey earlier this year, the Middleton Hall Golf Club member has already completed 154 rounds across 154 different courses in just 98 days – putting him a quarter of the way towards his goal.Living out of a campervan for the entire year, Simpson is sacrificing comfort and stability for a dream born of both personal loss and a deep passion for golf.“I lost my mum a couple of years ago, and it completely changed how I see life,” Simpson told England Golf.“I realised that tomorrow isn’t promised, so I decided to do something that really meant something to me.” That “something” turned into a full-blown world record attempt after a golf trip to the Netherlands with a friend. What started as a conversation about future retirement plans quickly became an ambitious idea for the present.Encouraged by friends and with six months of planning, Josh sold his share in the family lawn care business and committed to a year-long golfing odyssey.He’s doing more than just chasing records, too – he’s raising money for MacMillan Cancer Support and Tapping House Hospice in Norfolk, a charity close to his late mother’s heart. With more than 300 golf courses already lined up and hundreds of others reaching out, Simpson’s journey has quickly become a collaborative effort.Golfers across the UK can invite Simpson to play by submitting a request through his website, often covering green fees in exchange for charitable donations. “It’s been incredible,” he said.”The support from clubs and individuals has blown me away.” His travels have been filled with quirky moments and memorable rounds.At Royal Ascot, he played through 19 groups in one round, breaking his own speed-golf record with help from the general manager, who chauffeured him from hole to hole.And at Woking, he accidentally sent his golf trolley—and two cameras—into a pond, a £1,500 mistake he now retells with a laugh.On another occasion, a mix-up at a clubhouse led to a woman calling him “Ginger Pig,” mistaking his Instagram handle “Ginger Golf.” She later invited him to her home to do laundry and gifted him £1,000 worth of Adidas gear from her professional footballer son-in-law.Despite playing nearly every day, Simpson is still hunting his first eagle of the journey.He tracks every shot, fairway, and round online, where followers eagerly watch him come close again and again.“I’ll probably hole one when the cameras aren’t rolling,” he joked. His handicap Index® has risen from 4.7 to about 8 due to the demanding schedule and lack of practice, but that hasn’t dimmed his enthusiasm.Targets for the year include breaking par for the first time, nabbing a legitimate hole-in-one, and – of course – beating the world record.He is also exploring what might come next. A job in golf, perhaps?“I’m open to wherever this takes me,” he said. “This journey is as much about finding purpose as it is about breaking a record.”Despite lockouts from his van, freezing nights without heating, and a rapidly changing wardrobe of golf gear, the Middleton member insists the experience has been life-changing.“The generosity of strangers has been unbelievable. From meals to laundry to places to park, the golf community has truly rallied behind me.”With 427 courses still to play before January 2026, the road ahead is long – but Simpson is driving forward with determination, one fairway at a time.