£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.