Why you should take on a charity golf challenge in 2026

Most of us know somebody who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Thankfully, it is a condition that, if caught early, can be treated successfully, with patients going on to live a full and healthy life.

You might be wondering what on earth this has to do with golf. Quite a lot actually. 

Prostate Cancer UK is the organisation behind something called The Big Golf Race. And what is that, I hear you ask? A very good question.

The Big Golf Race is not your typical round on the course - it’s a big day out where every swing saves lives.

Organise your own Big Golf Race and take on 36, 72 or 100 holes in one day. By going the distance on the course, you will be helping 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 remains the only major cancer without a national screening programme. That means too many men are diagnosed too late. It shouldn’t be this way.  

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. 

For more information, please click here.

Why You Should Take on a Charity Golf Challenge in 2026

Regular readers of my missives will know that I am Seniors Captain at Dunston Hall Golf Club on the outskirts of Norwich and for me, my biggest challenge in 2026 is going to be my Charity Day. If that is successful then I believe I will be able to consider my 12 months at the helm a success too.

I thought long and hard about what my chosen charity should be but in the end the choice was an easy one. I opted for the East Anglian Children’s Hopsices (EACH). It is an organisation that helps to care for terminally ill children, also offering respite and support for the families of children who are destined to have their lives cut short. It is a charity that receives next to no funding from either the NHS or the Government.

I have seen close up the incredible work that they do. They have to raise millions of pounds every year and almost all of it comes from fund-raising and from the proceeds of their chain of charity shops in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. Fund-raising is a never-ending exercise but no matter how much they raise, more is needed.

It is a cause that is especially close to my heart because my son, Kevin Clements, is the Chief Executive Officer and I know how hard he and his incredible team work and how deeply moved they are by the plight of the children in their care.

So it was a no-brainer for me.

I have organised a couple of charity quiz nights at the golf club which have been incredibly well-supported but my big event is my Captain’s Charity Day in September.

We have managed to raise an impressive £8,000 in each of the past two years but I am planning to do even better this year.

Obviously, all those who play on the day will have to pay an entry fee, but that is the tip of the iceberg. There will be a charity auction - and we already have some terrific prizes lined up, including the chance to bid for a Porsche 911 for the weekend. I have also managed to get a few proper sponsors on board and by September every one of the 18 holes at Dunston Hall will be sponsored. We will also have a putting competition, and that too will be sponsored.

Other golf clubs will be invited along and they will all provide fourball vouchers for the auction. I have auction prizes from several local pubs and eateries. 

We get the chance to go out and play 18 holes of golf with some decent prizes on offer. And we do all of this in the knowledge that we will be raising thousands of pounds for a truly wonderful cause, and that our efforts will make a difference.

And that is precisely why you should be thinking of doing something similar. Hopefully, some of the above will give you some ideas of what you could do this year.