How this golf club went above and beyond for charity
By: Kieran Clark | Edited: Thu 14 May 2026
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The Big Golf Race will once again become a common sight at clubs around the country as golfers take on marathon challenges to raise vital funds to support the essential work of Prostate Cancer UK.
Since it first launched in 2020, over £6m has been accumulated, with the spread of awareness in that time being arguably even more valuable. It's estimated that one in eight men will be diagnosed with the disease during their lifetime - so it's a reality that exists within every golf club, but what can those venues do to help golfers make a difference?
Carlisle Golf Club in Cumbria is showing just what is possible.
Liam Burns is a local golfer who has come to the game later in a life that was previously dominated by cricket. However, it all took a shocking twist in 2025 when the 58-year-old received a prostate cancer diagnosis, which happened without symptoms and only became a reality after he pushed for a PSA blood test, having known a couple of friends who had previously been through the experience.
Thankfully it was caught early and Liam was placed on active surveillance. But a couple of further options were presented to him. Now having undergone SABR intensive radiotherapy, Liam is in a far more comfortable place, feeling lucky, but determined to ensure that others will be just as fortunate as he has been.
"If I can help people who may be going through what I went through then I’m keen to do that," Liam said. "I do feel genuinely lucky, and it’s scary that something can be going on inside and you can have no symptoms at all. I am so glad I dug my heels in and got that PSA blood test, or I wouldn’t know otherwise."
Having taken up the game recreationally just a few years ago, embarking on The Big Golf Race was a natural step to take.
"I said to my friend Nicky (The Professional at Carlisle Golf Club), that it would be good to do something to raise money and awareness about prostate cancer. Then I became aware of Prostate Cancer UK’s Big Golf Race and it sounded ideal. Nicky took it to the board of the club and without any hesitation they gave us the club for the day for free on 14 June 2026. The president said it was a no brainer to support this. There cannot be a more relevant charity for any golf club to support."
Closing the course on a Sunday during the peak season is a fabulous gesture by the club and it's one that is already paying dividends for the charity.
"We launched our Big Golf Race event in March 2026 and within the first two weeks raised £16,000," Liam explains. "We’re aiming for more. I know a lot of people through my work, so I’ve been lucky enough to raise £6,990 on my personal JustGiving page. I used WhatsApp to set up a broadcast list and sent a message out with a link to 400 people and watched the money ping in. After a few days I sent a message out that said, 'I reached out for your support and you really delivered. You’ve already raised £3.5k'. Then at Easter I said, 'your collective kindness has raised £5k to save men’s lives'. I’ve also posted on LinkedIn with a video, and we’ve done a press release and got really positive coverage in the local media. We have also had video messages of support from England cricketers Joe Root, Jos Buttler and Mark Wood.
"Our target is £20k and I think we may well exceed that, we’re going up by £1k a day so far. The good thing about The Big Golf Race is that it gives you a toolbox to pick up and get on with it and it’s so scalable - you can do it as an individual, with friends or as a whole club. There’s so much potential. Golf clubs are open 365 days a year, imagine if 100 clubs did what we are doing each year - one day for Prostate Cancer UK."
Encouraging more clubs to follow the example of Carlise, Liam adds: "However many male members a golf club has, on average one in eight of them is going to get prostate cancer, or even more of them if they’re Black. It’s so relevant, they couldn’t pick a more relevant charity for their membership to support.
"This is a day for everyone involved to have some fun and give something back for a wonderful cause."
Could your local golf club get behind The Big Golf Race like this? If so, please click here for more information.
About the author
Kieran Clark is the Digital Editor of Golfshake. He oversees editorial content, community engagement, forums, and social media channels. A lifelong golfer from the Isle of Bute in Scotland who has now lived in St Andrews for a decade, he began playing at the age of five and maintains a passion for exploring courses, with a particular affection for historic layouts. Kieran regularly contributes in-depth opinion pieces and features, drawing on his enthusiasm for the game and its culture.
