Charity Medal. PGA. Sat 11th July.
Golf for a Great Cause
After several weeks of championship golf, knockout drama and the relentless pursuit of silverware, this Saturday offers something a little different. The annual Charity Four Ball Better Ball returns to the PGA Centenary Course, played from the yellow tees, and promises to combine competitive golf with one of the club's most enjoyable traditions.
While everyone will still complete their own Stableford round as normal, the real excitement comes from the unique "blind draw" format. Every player will be randomly paired with another competitor to form a Better Ball team. Whether you've been paired with the club's hottest golfer or someone who believes every bunker deserves a personal visit will remain a mystery until play begins.
As always, the winning team won't simply enjoy the bragging rights. They will also have the honour of deciding which charity—or charities—will benefit from the money raised during the event.
The competition is one of the friendliest days on the Dun Whinny calendar, proving that while we all enjoy a bit of rivalry, golf can also be a tremendous force for good. Every donation made by members will once again be matched by Dun Whinny, up to £20 per person, helping to maximise the amount donated to worthwhile causes.
The suggested minimum donation remains £20 per player, although members are reminded that you don't need to be playing to contribute. Donations can be made by bank transfer to the club account using Charity 4B as a reference, or by simply handing cash to any member of Council.
The beauty of the format is that no one is ever completely out of the competition. A disastrous front nine can suddenly become irrelevant if your mystery partner happens to be quietly amassing Stableford points elsewhere on the course. Equally, those enjoying the round of their lives may spend the afternoon wondering whether their unseen teammate is providing heroic support—or quietly introducing golf balls to every pond on the PGA.
The competition will be played as a non-counting event for handicap purposes, allowing everyone to relax and enjoy the occasion. However, for anyone wishing their score to count, arrangements can be made in advance.
Perhaps more importantly than the golf itself, Saturday is a reminder of what makes Dun Whinny such a special club. Members of all abilities will head out with the same objective: enjoy a good day's golf, raise as much money as possible for charity, and share a few laughs along the way.
There will undoubtedly still be the usual competitive instincts. Someone will hole a 30-foot putt to save the team. Someone else will proudly announce they have "carried the partnership" before discovering their mystery partner scored ten more points than they did. There will be stories, there will be excuses, and there will almost certainly be one golfer insisting they were paired with the only member capable of scoring fewer points than themselves.
And that's exactly how it should be.
Good luck to everyone taking part. Play well, give generously, and remember: if your own card isn't going to plan, there's every chance your anonymous teammate is quietly rescuing your day somewhere else on the PGA.