Golf captains swing in with charity cash

A Midlands golf club has raised £10,000 for St Giles Hospice, Whittington, near Lichfield, and the West Midlands Stroke Association.

Captains of The Chase Golf Club, Penkridge, raised the money during their year in charge.

Roger Montague, club captain, Carry Montague, ladies captain, and Noel Mack, seniors captain, ran a series of social and sporting events at club over the last 12 months, including a Golden Oldies' Sixties Night, a skittles evening and fundraising captain's days.

The club also hosted the Charles Heeley Challenge Bowls final in September, with lady competitors from all over the West Midlands competing and raising over £2,000 in entry fees for the captains' chosen charities.

To celebrate handing over captaincies for 2009, the club hopes to raise even more money for charity.

Tomorrow the outgoing captains will keep up the tradition of driving out on the 18th hole, followed by the incoming captains, Sam Timmins, Wendy and John Orgill, driving in on the 1st hole.

This is the signal for the start of a Texas Scramble competition, the proceeds of which go to the 2009 captains' chosen charities, Macmillan Nurses, Katherine House Hospice and the County Air Ambulance.

Roger Montague said: "Carry, Noel and myself have had a fantastic year as captains of the club, and we are really proud of the amount of money we have raised.

"We would like to thank the members of The Chase Golf Club who have been tremendously generous in their donations to our chosen charities.

"Our final duty as captains is to hand over the cheques to St Giles' Hospice and the West Midlands Stroke Association, which will be a poignant moment, but one we will always be proud of."

Bryan Davies, general manager of The Chase Golf Club, said: "We are delighted that Roger, Carry and Noel have managed to raise such a huge sum of money.

"They have put a great effort into fundraising this year, and I know it is enormously satisfying for them to be able to hand over so much money to their chosen charities. The funds they have raised will make a big difference to St Giles' Hospice and West Midlands Stroke Association in these difficult times."