Golf Monthly Forum Day 2017 Raises £13,000 for Help4Heroes

Nearly 90 players teed it up at Hankley Common Golf Club in the eagerly anticipated Golf Monthly Forum Help for Heroes Day

Golf Monthly Forum Day 2017 Raises £13,000 for Help4Heroes

The annual Golf Monthly Help for Heroes Forum Days have now raised over £96,000 in total thanks to another £13,000 at the gorgeous Hankley Common this year. All proceeds go to Help for Heroes, which supports injured and wounded ex-service personnel.

The eighth staging was well supported, with 89 golfers taking to the Surrey heathland classic, which ranks 34th in our Top 100. After Camberley Heath last year, and West Hill and North Hants previously, Hankley had a lot to live up to, but it was in pristine condition and made for a truly fitting venue.

Congratulations to Radbourne2010 who won 1st prize with 39 points playing off 5 on a day where winds were gusting at around 40mph at times. One point behind in 2nd place was GeneralStore, with Kraxx68 3rd on 34.

Hankley was a fitting venue

Best gross score was won by MendieGK, while Jake Barnes took the best guest score. In the team event GeneralStore, Jens Moeller-Butcher, Greg Nuthall and Steve Walters came out on top to claim the prize.

All in a very good cause

Longest drive was won by MashleyR7, who clearly ‘mashed’ one down the narrow and sloping 18th fairway. PNWokingham was nearest the pin in two on the tricky par-4 4th, while Crow won nearest the pin on the short 2nd, where anyone missing the green was obliged to surrender £1 to charity! There were just six gross twos all day, among them Blue In Munich’s on the tough, uphill, into-the-wind 7th, where he nearly holed a 1-iron before calmly rolling in an eight-footer.

Radbourne2010 on with 39 points

The day’s most prestigious prize – the Rick Garg Memorial Trophy, in honour of one of the original organisers who has sadly passed away – was shared by Kraxx68 and Khamelion, who regularly travel down from the North East. This trophy recognises services to Help for Heroes since 2010’s inaugural event.

Before the day, forumers had the chance to bid to play with GM staffers, including editor, Mike Harris, as well as Top 25 Coach, Ged Walters. There were also three golfers taking to the fairways from Battle Back Golf, a scheme helping injured servicemen return to a more normal active lifestyle via the sport.

Auctioneer Mark Head

After dinner, Scott Blaney from Battle Back spoke movingly about his time in Afghanistan, a real lump-in-the-throat moment highlighting the life of a serviceman. He rightly received a standing ovation. Then it was time for the auction – always a highlight – with the “raise your hand if…” trick working yet again for the fantastic Mark Head.

Mark kicked off with Heads and Tails, a classic, last-man-standing coin game, before going on to raise thousands of pounds from a diverse collection, including the late Rick Garg’s John Letters irons, four-balls at top clubs and handcrafted oak items made in the Wood Shop at Phoenix House in Catterick, a Help for Heroes Recovery Centre, which raised £520 alone.

Kraxx68 and Khamelion with the Rick Garg Memorial Trophy

The Wood Shop had also handcrafted the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes as well as the Rick Garg Memorial Trophy.

Hankley Common’s hospitality was fantastic and huge thanks must go to richart and wife, Vicky, along with Fish and Laura for their organisation, as well as to forumers and their guests for making the day so special.