The Big Golf Race 2024 Launched to Support Prostate Cancer UK

Golfshake has been a supporter of Prostate Cancer UK as a charity for years since my involvement with them helped to save my life.

My own diagnosis came about as I researched a story trying to raise awareness within the golf community of this disease.

It was the best mulligan I have ever taken as only weeks before I had attended a Seniors Open event and bought the Man of Men badge and donated to the charity, forgetting about the risk checker leaflets, until necessity kicked in.

I was given a second chance as I was researching my article about the issues. I decided to visit my GP as part of my article research and was amazed to find some six weeks later that I had the disease confirmed by a series of biopsies.

I HAD NO SYMPTOMS, no obvious signs of cancer or illness. The risk checker is easy to follow and links have been in place on the Golfshake website since that day. There is no excuse not to know your own risk factors. Take a couple of minutes to check them out. It could save your life.

Since my own diagnosis, I have been an ambassador for the charity undertaking a series of awareness raising talks and events even running golf days to celebrate The Big Golf Race to raise funds.

I know that there are now seven men who presented themselves for checks who needed radical interventions as the disease had progressed without their knowledge and they are all alive today by listening and acting on my blatherings.     

Please don’t become one of the 12,000 men a year who die through this disease. Early detection saves lives as a full range of interventions are then available for treatment.

How Can You Help?

• Register to take on this year's The Big Golf Race challenge using the link. There is a helpful guide and fundraising pack that includes balls, tees and pencils.
• Top fundraisers earn the chance to access some fantastic golf prizes that include a full bag of Titleist golf clubs and fitting and a Motocaddy electric trolley and bag.
• Speak to your club Vice-Captain or Captain and persuade, cajole, negotiate for them to consider PCUK as the charity of choice for their year in the hot seat. The money raised by The Big Race is very important to the charity especially in terms of research and the development of accurate and trustworthy screening for the disease.
• Talk about the disease at your golf club. Raising Awareness Saves lives.
• Ensure PCUK posters are on display in every clubhouse bar and gent’s toilet. A simple but highly effective messaging tool.
• Ensure Man of Men badges are available for purchase at each clubhouse. Buy and wear with pride. 
• Check out the UK Golf Federation as they are supporting sponsored players in booking multiple rounds across the country. Around 1,200 golf courses involved.
• Why not ask your home club to run an event in parallel with an existing competition to raise awareness?
• Talk to your club professional as the PGA are formal partners to PCUK and they can help you in your organising of the day. 
• If your club uses the HowDidiDo scoring facility it should be even easier as they are also supporting The Big Golf Race 2024.

If you are running a golf day consider the services of someone like Jeremy Dale who will add massively to the value of your event. Check out the videos and his guide on maximising the potential of your golf day. I have seen the show and the auction that followed. This is a highly recommended golf show. 

About The Big Golf Race 2024

• Since its inception in 2020, The Big Golf Race has become golf’s biggest fundraising challenge in the UK and Prostate Cancer UK’s most successful fundraiser;
• Thanks to the efforts of golfers, it now ranks in the country’s top-25 of fundraising campaigns; 
• Over the past three years, over 11,500 golfers have raised £3.4m to help fund research to radically improve the way prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated;
• An impressive total of £1.5m was raised in 2023, with this year’s target sitting at £1.6m;
• There are three fundraising challenge options: the Marathon (playing 72-holes and walking an average of 26 miles); the Half Marathon (36-holes over 13.1 miles) or the formidable Ultra Marathon (100-holes over 35 miles);
• Partnering with UK Golf Federation, golfers will be offered access to complete their challenges at more than 1,200 golf courses owned by its members across the country;
• The PGA is backing the campaign at club level, while well-known golf brands will add support through the British Golf Industry Association. HowDidiDo is also backing The Big Golf Race for 2024;
• Golfers can register here: https://prostatecanceruk.org/get-involved/activity/golf/the-big-golf-race

Consider encouraging your players to support the Hole In One Club as they donate a portion of all funds to the charity and having the elusive ace covered by this sort of insurance is a genuine attraction for those taking part.

This is not a gender specific disease as everyone in the world has affection for a man be it their father, grandfather, son or brother.