Monday 10 February 2020

A memorial golf day held in Pembrokeshire recently has raised an impressive £7,500 for the Wales Air Ambulance Charity.

Richard Bellars established a golf event several years ago in memory of his close friend Steve Hodges who, at the age of 56, lost his life to cancer.

The format sees teams of four compete in a Texas Scramble. All four members of the team tee off and the best-placed ball will be where all team members take their next shot from. This continues until the ball is holed.

The event is held at Newport Links Golf Club, where the course is generously provided, free of charge, by Chris Noot and Gloria Jones. In addition, the Club’s Cat Rock Café provides catering at a low cost so further funds can be put towards the fundraising total. Local businesses support the event through sponsorship in return for advertising on the putting green.

Members of the local community are able to purchase raffle tickets and take part in a charity auction. The prizes this year included a signed and framed shirt from footballer Gareth Bale and a signed boxing glove from former champion Joe Calzaghe.

In the last three years, a total of over £19,000 has been raised for the Wales Air Ambulance.

James Cordell, Wales Air Ambulance Community Coordinator, said: “It is absolutely fantastic to see the local community coming together to support Wales Air Ambulance with some friendly competition. 2020 is an important year for us as we would like to achieve our aim of becoming a 24/7 service. On behalf of the Charity, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to all involved in raising this phenomenal amount.”

Due to the ongoing success of the event, another golf day has been organised on Saturday 15 August 2020. Those who are interested in taking part should contact Newport Links Golf Club on 01239 820244.