Dear Golfers,

Here is an update as to the challenge so far: Weeks 1 through 20

Below you will find the demographic regions for clubs participating in the challenge for Weeks 1 - 20.

	North Wales	Mid Wales	South Wales	Total	Average %
Courses	49	25	101	175
Played	23	13	22	61	34.8
Won	39%	54%	9%		34
Lost	61%	46%	91%		66

The Penny Challenge

Clubs	North Wales	Mid Wales	South Wales	Average %
Participating Yes	34.8%	46.2%	63.7%	48.2
Participating No	65.2%	53.8%	36.3%	51.8

Total yards played so far:	334,849 yds.	190.25 miles Weeks 1-20
Total yards still to play:	631,144 yds.	358.61 miles
TOTAL:	965,993 yds.	548.859 miles

Just over a third of the courses played, and just over a third won means there’s still all to play for. As explained in the challenge, this is not about overshadowing the Captain’s charity, but about raising the awareness of these children’s plight.

Here are some facts:

There are only 3 children’s hospices in Wales. 2 in the North and 1 in the South

There are only 25 beds available in those hospices

Last year 43 children passed away in those centres

There are over 750 families in Wales who have children that have terminal illnesses

5% of there income comes from Government sources, which last approximately 30 days per annum?

1% comes from Welsh businesses

The rest is from voluntary donations from the general public.

One of these centres has not got a playground for these children to play in and will cost £120,000 to install. We have our playgrounds out there…..our Golf courses.

So, Ladies and Gentlemen can we rise to the challenge? Next time you play a round of golf, why not donate that penny…..a “Penny for the thought” for those children.

Let’s be proud of being WELSH, as the sayings goes…”We’ll keep a welcome in the hillside, and, Charity begins at home” lets give these children a welcome that they deserve.

If your club does not want to participate, you can, by either logging on to the website direct, via our homepage and making a donation, but specify in the message field “the penny challenge” so that the centres can monitor the penny challenge donations, or, by saving the pennies at home and at the end of March 2009 make that payment into the “Penny challenge” a/c. at any LloydsTSB.

So let’s putt a smile on their faces and all chip in to win………

In Life as in golf…..it’s the follow through that’s important.