£30K Raised By Playing Golf, A Reader's Incredible Effort

£30K Raised By Playing Golf, A Reader's Incredible Effort

Following major heart surgery in 2013, Alistair Collin was unfortunate enough to suffer another heart attack the following year. This sparked a desire to do something for the British Heart Foundation, and after working as a volunteer at the 2019 Solheim Cup, he finally hit on the perfect fundraiser - playing the entire Golf Monthly Top 100 Courses of the UK and Ireland. As this is updated every two years, he sensibly decided to work on the list that was active at the start, the 2019/20 Top 100.

This is something to which many keen golfers aspire, but which few are lucky enough to achieve. Even then, it generally takes many years. Alistair’s ambitious plan was to start at his home club in January 2020 - the Colt Course at Close House - and to try and play all 100 before his 60th birthday in November 2021.

And then came Covid! Having played eleven courses before the first lockdown, he was left wondering whether he would ever be able to complete his quest. Happily, especially as a sufferer of chronic fatigue, he found that having the two extended lay-offs actually helped. To enable getting around to the more remote courses, he purchased a motorhome which soon became affectionately known as ‘the command centre’.

Working within travel restrictions and lockdowns, Alistair successfully battled on. Happily, despite the fact that there are so many charitable demands on tee times, most clubs were extremely accommodating, often with courtesy or with members signing Alistair in as their guest. At near-neighbours Swinley Forest and The Berkshire, for example, the secretaries of their Artisan Clubs played with him. One or two clubs were a little trickier due to the incredibly high demand for tee times, but a mixture of resolve and a very worthy cause paid dividends.

With the majority of the odyssey involving journeys with his motorhome, some of the logistics were tricky, and the long but beautiful trip around Ireland was always going to be complicated. Happily, once Alistair had worked out the seven-week itinerary, he found that without fail, everyone was fantastic to deal with and extremely welcoming.

His final round of the challenge was perfectly timed so that he could play the number one course from his list, the brilliant Ailsa Course at Turnberry. This he did with his golfing coach Matthew Naylor, friend James Lusk, and with Ricky Hall, Director of Golf at Turnberry. Various friends and family were waiting for him on the final green which made for an extremely emotional end to the challenge.

Three Highlights

Toughest Course

Carnoustie Golf Links - Championship Course

According to Alistair, “It has to be Carnoustie - it really chewed me up and spat me out!”

Best View

The Old Course - St Andrews

“The seaside views on the links courses are some of the most memorable. Kingsbarns, Castle Stuart and Nairn really stand out, but looking back to the town from the 18th tee of the Old Course at St Andrews is the one for me. That walk is unlike anything else I experienced in the other 99 rounds.”

Favourite Course

Old Head Golf Links

“It’s impossible to pick one as there’s so much variety. The common ground courses like Royal North Devon and Pennard are special, but they can’t be easily compared to venues like Adare Manor or Muirfield. That makes the Top 100 such a special collection. If I had to pick one, it would be Old Head Golf Links as the setting on the peninsula is truly incredible.” 

Alistair feels he has personally learnt a great deal from the exercise and sums up the experience with these telling words. “Don’t underestimate the logistical and physical challenge of playing this much golf in a short space of time. From there, take in the whole experience. I started out thinking that this was about the golf, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. It’s about the people you meet along the way - your playing partners, those who help you arrange games, those who hand you cash having overheard your conversation in the pro shop, those who send you messages of support on social media having never met you in person... that’s what makes this such a special experience. It’s one of the most positive experiences of my life and to enjoy it so much while raising £30,000 has been incredible."

Vital Statistics

• Duration - 955 days
• Distance Travelled - 18,000 miles by car, motorhome and ferry
• Distance Walked - 600-plus miles
• Golf Ball Travelled - playing every course from the white tees, Alistair hit the ball more than 375 miles
• Courses - 50 in England, 24 in Scotland, 22 in Ireland and 4 in Wales

Alistair’s achievement is remarkable, and there can’t be a golf course enthusiast anywhere who isn’t in total admiration, not to say just a little bit jealous! For anyone who would like to add to the total raised, the main fundraising page can be accessed by clicking here.

The 2023/24 Golf Monthly Top 100 is set to be revealed in the Spring, and it will be very interesting to see whether Alistair, and indeed all of us, have some new entries to target.