Everything you need to know about The Big Golf Race

The Big Golf Race gives us a chance to enjoy the sport we all love while helping to save lives.

Organise your own Big Golf Race and take on 36, 72 or 100 holes in one day. By doing so you will be helping to fund vital research, raising awareness, and moving us closer to a future where men can find prostate cancer early enough to be cured.

Prostate cancer exists in every golf club. It is the most common in men, and yet it’s still the only major cancer without a national screening programme. That means too many men are diagnosed too late. It shouldn’t be this way. One in eight men get prostate cancer and those most at risk are aged 50 and over. 

How to Join The Big Golf Race

By joining The Big Golf Race, you’ll be helping to change that. Each pound you raise goes towards the research and evidence needed to make screening a reality for all men. Prostate Cancer UK has plenty of ways to help you organise your event. You will find everything you need at https://biggolfrace.prostatecanceruk.org/.

Clearly, the easiest way to raise money is by asking club members, friends and family to sponsor you, but you need to get the message out there. Shout about why you’re doing it. It might be because you have been affected by prostate cancer personally or somebody you know, or you are just doing it to see if you can!

If you use social media get your challenge on your timeline and add your JustGiving link in your bio ahead of the day. On the day of the challenge, use your social media.

Keep your JustGiving page updated before, during and after the challenge and remember to thank everybody who supported you - whether that be club members, local businesses or your friends and family.

You can request pin badges, collection tins, balloons and more. You can download sponsor forms and sweepstake forms. You will also find a complete fund-raising guide at https://biggolfrace.prostatecanceruk.org/help.

They can also help you with promotional posters, flyers and even a QR code poster.

Ways to Spread The Word And Raise Money

Once you have signed up to The Big Golf Race and have provided an address, you will receive your fund-raising pack within two weeks. It is one pack per team member so make sure to encourage all team members to sign up.

This is a challenge that can be taken on by you as an individual, or in teams. You can sign up as a team or individually and join a team at a later date.

There is even a Facebook page, which is a great place to meet other amazing fundraisers like you, who are taking on The Big Golf Race. Chat about your event, share useful tips and hints about how you are going to get through the day itself, or just use it as a space to encourage everyone and share motivations.

Some of you may decide that it is important to keep your score but remember that this is a fund-raising activity. It doesn’t matter if you score 70 or 100.

Ask the club if they will dedicate the 8th hole to Prostate Cancer to represent the one in eight men who get diagnosed. You can display a fund-raising bucket, banner and poster on the course to inform passers by of what you are up to.

Why not make your day stand out by dressing up for the occasion and getting sponsored for it? You could wear a kilt or vintage golf clothes for example. See if the club will dedicate a charity bunker to you on the day. Any players who land in it pay a donation to your challenge. Among your team, charge £1/£5/£10 for every ball lost during your challenge.

Speak to your workplace to see if they will sponsor your event. Many companies offer matched funding for donations you receive. Set up a sweepstake and get people to guess how many shots/how long it will take to complete your challenge. Offer a prize for the closest guess.

What Incentives Are There to Participate?

All donations have to be handed over by October 31 and there is a proper incentive to do better than anybody else. 

The top fund-raiser will win a golfing package worth £3,000 courtesy of Titleist.

Raise £250 and you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win a golfing holiday at the magnificent Aphrodite Hills Golf Resort in Cyprus. The prize includes a three-night stay and two rounds of golf for four people.

Hit £500 raised and you will receive a Prostate Cancer UK Big Golf Race branded FootJoy polo shirt.

Everybody who raises more than £800 will receive a Prostate Cancer UK branded Driver Head Cover.

If you raise more than £1,000 you will receive a box of 12 Prostate Cancer UK branded Titleist Pro V1s.

Raise £1,200 and you will get a Big Golf Race branded FootJoy mid layer top. 

Do you need any more convincing? Then you should read this!