Jun20 Ultimate golf prize winner

A West Sussex golfer will be living up to his name and living the life of Riley after winning the Ultimate Golf Prize – a competition run by Today’s Golfer and the London Golf Show.

When his name was pulled out of the hat, Mike Riley, 48, from East Grinstead, became the lucky winner of a year’s free golf membership, courtesy of The Club Company; a holiday for two to the five-star Aphrodite Hills, in Cyprus, courtesy of Barwell; golf lessons from Cranfield Golf Academy; a full set of clubs, a bag, a cap, gloves and balls, courtesy of Srixon; an electric golf trolley from Motocaddy; a tailored shirt and trousers from Q’aja; a pair of golf shoes from american golf; a waterproof suit, courtesy of Cross Sportswear;  a state-of-the-art 1200 S range finder from Nikon; a BlackBerry 8800 smartphone; golf insurance from Golfcare; and, if that wasn’t enough, a year’s supply of Fullers London Pride beer.

All told, the value of the prize is worth more than £7,000.

A delighted Riley was presented with his prize at Nizels Golf Club, in Kent, by officials from the London Golf Show.

The delighted winner said: “I couldn’t believe it when I was told I’d won all these prizes. I was absolutely gobsmacked. The sales director of the London Golf Show called me and said ‘you remember that competition you entered? Well of the 12,500 people who got the answer right, your name was first out of the hat…’ – at first I thought it was one of my mates winding me up.

“Actually I’m acquiring new best friends on a daily basis since they discovered I’d won a holiday to Aphrodite Hills. To get all this stuff simply for answering one question is just unbelievable.

“The funny thing is I’m already a member at Chartham Park, which is part of The Club Company group – so in reality I simply won’t be paying any subs for a year which is a brilliant result. I’m going to be playing more than ever now, that’s for sure,” he added with a smile.

The London Golf Show will return to ExCeL in April 2008 – and Mike Riley will be among the first to buy a ticket.

“The way my luck’s running at the moment, I could even win the long-drive competition,” he laughed.

■ The London Golf Show will return to ExCeL from April 25-27, 2008. And The Golf Show Co Ltd, owner of the London Golf Show, is launching The Golf Show, NEC Birmingham, 2007 at the National Exhibition Centre from November 16-18, 2007.