Golf Business News – Chestfield GC raises over £25,000 for Prostate Cancer UK

Chestfield Golf Club in Kent has answered Prostate Cancer UK's call to take part in golf's biggest fundraising challenge – The Big Golf Race – to help save men's lives and raise over £25,000 by putting on a club-led themed day and other events for Captain's Charity.

Last year, Men's Club Captain David Wells, a veteran of the golf industry, led the charge in raising money for Prostate Cancer UK, but also in encouraging club members to get themselves tested.

“In total, we understand that 40 members tested themselves and of those 40, at least five boys needed cancer treatment,” he said. “One boy who was examined after it underwent radiation treatment last week, while the others are still being examined. So just imagine what could be done if every golf club captain used the same method.”

Since the launch of the Big Golf Race in 2020, more than 10,000 golfers have raised more than £3.4m to help fund life-saving research to significantly improve the way prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated.

“My interest in supporting Prostate Cancer UK started 12 years ago when one of my dearest friends retired. Within a few weeks, he decided to go for a health checkup and unfortunately found out that he had early symptoms of prostate cancer. Recently when I learned of his tragic end, I was in the process of becoming captain of the golf club and as all club members know, captains nominate a charity to raise money for during their year in the role.

“I was so impressed by my friend's attitude when he was living with prostate cancer, that there was no other charity I wanted to be involved with. However, I wanted to look at it a little differently from the usual charity efforts, because I realized how a worthy cause does not relate to every member of the group.

“When I assumed the role of captain, I put together a plan to ensure that my message is fulfilled. When you get to the lodge, you can't miss the UK prostate cancer signs and reminders for men to get screened. In collaboration with Club Professional Warren Bennett, we put a sheet on a large notice board encouraging male members to get tested…and write their names on the board once they have been tested.

“I started by putting my name up, followed by Warren when we both got the results of our tests to see if we had it. Soon after our names were raised, we started seeing many people writing their names on the sheet to give tangible evidence of its impact on the team,” he added.

Apart from alienating the younger members of the club, Wells enlisted the help of the league's team captain, James Dengate, a respected disabled player in his early 30s who represents the club's new generation.

Dengate took it upon himself to seek help from other league players and with the help of the club, he organized a 72-hole Big Golf Race with eight players participating in the medal round.

“My boss at work said he is proud of my efforts to create this challenge that is compatible with the money we raised for a charity. So it turned out that the £3,000 raised in the Big Golf Race by the boys who were happy to do that, went to £6,500,” said Dengate.

This year, leading men's health charities are urging more golfers to take part in The Big Golf Race to help save fathers, grandfathers, brothers, uncles and friends from a disease that affects 1 in 8 men in the UK.

Golf clubs in the UK can raise money to help fund research to find better exercises to save men's lives by taking on the challenge, which includes four rounds and 26 miles of walking in a day/half race, two rounds of golf a day. and 13 miles of travel/maximum distance, which includes 100 laps per day and 35 miles of travel.

Prostate Cancer UK ambassador and former Masters champion Danny Willett is also backing the big challenge and hopes 2024 is another record-breaking year for The Big Golf Race.

He said: “The response from the golfing community to The Big Golf Race has been fantastic, so it's no surprise that it is now the biggest golf fundraising challenge in the UK. This will show how far golfers will go to raise money for a fantastic cause and I will do everything I can to help them this year.”

Seren Evans, Head of Events and Community Fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “We are delighted to see how many golfers, clubs and partners have embraced the Big Golf Race and helped make it such a fun yet challenging way to help. save men's lives. Prostate cancer is a disease that kills one man every 45 minutes – about the time it takes to play three holes of golf – and sadly it's at every golf club.

“But with the support of golf clubs like Chestfield, and the thousands of others like them who have won the Big Golf Race, we are able to continue to fund research into better prostate cancer screening and treatment and keep men in the game. for a long time,” he added.

To join thousands of other golfers in taking part in Prostate Cancer UK's biggest golf race, visit prostatecanceruk.org/TheBigGolfRace.