birdiesgaloreincharitymarathon

A team of six West Country golfers shot more than 50 birdies while taking part in a 24-hour golf marathon at Thornbury Golf Centre, Bristol, to raise money for prostate cancer care and research.
 
The team played 126 holes – that’s seven complete rounds – to raise funds for the Bristol Urological Institute’s Prostate Cancer Appeal, which the Golf Centre adopted as its charity for 2009.

The marathon was the idea of former Thornbury captain, Mike Bostic, who persuaded club professional, Mike Smedley, and his two assistants, Dave Bristow and Nat Payne, to join him.  General manager Mark Readman and member Jerry Thomas completed the line up and Mike Bostic’s son, Ian, was spotter.
 
For the record, in addition to 51 birdies, the team also recorded 285 pars between them.
 
Bob Sharples, this year’s Seniors Captain, who’s currently being treated for prostate cancer says the 24-hour marathon was also intended to raise awareness of the disease. 
 
Bob, who’s 61, says: “Women will talk quite openly about breast cancer and their health in general, but men won’t discuss their problems, particularly their prostates. “The more we can get them talking, the greater the chance there is of lives being saved.”
 
The Centre, which is owned and operated by Burhill Golf & Leisure, is also planning a corporate golf day in September and it’s hoped the year’s activities will raise more than £5,000, which will go towards the purchase of a new scanner to aid diagnosis at the BUI at Southmead Hospital. 

*For more information about Thornbury Golf Centre visit www.thornburygc.co.uk