news round-up
The Golden Shot
Golfers are accustomed to hearing the cry ‘fore’ at the tee-off point to warn other players of an errant shot. However, those who heard it shouted at Etchinghill Golf Club in Folkestone on the longest day, may have instead been hearing the surprised inflection as the warning turned into a question from fellow golfers learning how many games Gerry Golden was planning to play that day.
The Head of UK Loss Prevention for SSP UK had chosen the 21 June 2015 to embark on a 72-hole charity match. This equates to four full rounds of golf in one day without any mobile assistance and was part of a charity fundraiser for British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK.
“I needed it to be the longest day to fit it all in”, joked Liverpool-born Gerry who is still a relatively new player to the game.
“For those of you who know more about golf, you will understand what a tough day it was as we started at 5am and finished at around 9pm. Having only just taken up golf, you can imagine playing for that length of time would be like. And, with my current ability, I thought it was going to be torture for my playing partners, especially as I have a current handicap of 26.”
“But I managed the day and thanks to my friends, family and fellow industry sponsors managed to raise a respectable amount of money - £500 for both charities – both of which are important to me because I have seen at close quarters the affect these illnesses can have on a family.
“It was also a great way to improve my game. As the old saying goes, ‘practice makes perfect’ and I certainly had more than my fair share of practice on 21 June.”
