Nine challenges... 3,228 holes played... Tens of thousands raised...
We salute these marathon golfers who have raised a ton for charity this summer
ISLE OF ARRAN
Six years after playing 90 holes in one day, accountant Sandy Fyfe went three better at seven different courses on Arran. Fyfe, who made up a fourball with Dave Kerr, Bill Kennedy and Graeme Cullen, got a ferry just to attempt the challenge, and even warmed up by playing 12 holes at Shiskine the day before. The quartet were back on the course again 24 hours later, but not before completing 18 holes at Whiting Bay, Lamlash and Brodick, and then nine holes at Corrie, Lochranza and Machrie Bay. They finished their 93rd hole at 10.30pm – 18 hours and 28 minutes after hitting their first shots – and raised around £9,000 for Home Link Family Support and Glasgow Children’s Hospital.
IRELAND
A fourball, made up of former Ulster and Ireland rugby stars Stephen Ferris (pictured) and Andrew Park and businessmen Gary Irwin and Ashley Moore, hired a private helicopter to complete their 72-hole challenge, playing across four Royal courses and flying 225 miles. Starting at 4.30am at Royal Curragh, the group played 18 holes before moving to Royal Dublin and then Royal Belfast. They finished at Royal Portrush just before sunset, raising nearly £5,000 for Air Ambulance Northern Ireland and Children in Crossfire.
ISLE OF WIGHT
Mark Taskas is a club captain’s nightmare. In 2014, he challenged the captain of Sandown & Shanklin to a one-day, charity match played across every hole – 90 of them – on the Isle of Wight. He’s repeated the ritual every year since, including in June when he formed a threeman team (pictured) with Andy Buxton and David Oldham and beat a captain’s team, made up of Andy Warren, Gerard Murray and Brian Price. Lasting16 hours and 20 minutes, the match saw both teams play eight courses, walk over 67,000 steps each and drive 50 miles. They also consumed 76 litres of water. Taskas, who’s helped to raise in excess of £12,000 for various charities, told TG: “I’m running out of people to play! Next year, I’m going to challenge the ladies and hopefully take on eight teams of three in a relay event.”
SURREY
Four teenagers from Cranleigh Golf & Country Club used an inset day at school to play a staggering 326 holes between them and raise more than £2,000 for the Jigsaw Trust charity. Junior captain Leo Wilson and Oliver Lamboll completed six, 18-hole rounds, and then added a bonus hole to take their tally to 109 each. They were joined by James Carlisle, who played 72 holes, and Alex Cheeseman, who defied injury to add 36 holes to the 14-hour marathon effort.