Challenge completed

At 23:05hrs on the 28th June, on the 18th green of the New Course, Alastair Love, Scott Finlayson, Gary Davidson and Graeme Dawson completed what many people thought impossible - to complete all 10 St Andrews Courses in one day! Champagne flowed on the 18th Green as the four hobbled off the green to be met by the sizable gallery which had assembled to see history made!

Pictures and further comment will be posted here later.

The prize draw for the 4 night break at Fairmont Banff Springs in Canada will now be made on Monday at midday. As a result, there is still time to make a donation to one of the 4 charities on the right of this page and therefore have your name entered into the draw.

Thank you to everyone who supported us yesterday and especially to the 10 Courses (Balgove, Jubilee, The Old Course, Eden, Strathtyrum, Dukes, Torrance, Devlin, Kingsbarns and the New for making our speed golf possible!

**UPDATE - 05:20AM**

Good morning from the British Golf Museum car park!!! We have successfully completed the Balgove and Jubilee courses in record time. Balgove in 20 minutes and Jubilee in 1hr and 20 mins.

We asked Ally for a quote on how he is feeling and he said... 'I thought it would be harder than this!!!'

We will ask him again in 78 holes time!!

Off to tee off on the Old 1 hour early.

Stay tuned for further updates...

GD, gD, AL & SF

THE DAY ARRIVES!

In less that 6 hours, Graeme, Gary, Scott and Ally will embark on the St Andrews 10 Course Challenge. The Scotland for Golf Luxury coach is now stocked to the brim with pot noodles, pasta dishes, energy bars, Red Bull, Haribo, Chocolate, Highland Spring Water, and many more goodies! We even have a DVD player to sit back, relax and catch the latest movie on the journey between courses! If you are in St Andrews and able to support the 4, the confirmed schedule is as follows...

03:30 - The Balgove

04:25 - The Jubilee

06:30 - The Old Course

08:32 - The Eden

10:40 - The Strathtyrum

12:50 - The Dukes

15:20 - The Torrance

17:25 - The Devlin

19:45 - Kingsbarns Links

22:00 - The New

23:59 - FINISH - last orders in The Pilmour Hotel (TP's)!!!

There is still time to sponsor the 4. Not only is there the star prize of a 4 night stay at Fairmont Banff Springs to be won but now also 4 tickets to the Ladies British Open, a 4 Ball at Turnberry and a playing lesson for two people from Scotland for Golf. To have a chance of winning one of these prizes, simply make a donation (big or small) to one of the charities on the right of this page and your name will be entered into the Friday draw.

Thank you again to everyone who has supported and sponsored us and hopefully we'll be able to update you on our progress throughout the day tomorrow

GD, SF, gD and AL

One day to go!!

With nearly £2000.00 already pledged for charity, Scott, Ally, Graeme and Gary are making their final preparations for the 10 course challenge which tee's off at 3:30am on Thursday morning. Geraldine Chandler from Scotland for Golf is kindly slaving over hot stove to ensure the 4 are supplied with soup throughout the day (not mushroom please!) and Gary's girlfriend Helena has baked a chocolate cake so the 4 certainly aren't going to starve!

There is still time to make a donation to one of the four charities being supported. Simply click on one of the links to the right to make a donation and you will also be automatically included in the prize draw to win a 4 night stay at Fairmont Banff Springs.

Thank you to everyone who has provided their support and we will try and keep you updated on the challenge as it progresses on Thursday.

Fairmont St Andrews donates 25% of greenfees

Fairmont St Andrews continued their fantastic support for the St Andrews 10 Course Challenge by confirming today that anyone that books a 4 ball on the special £160.00 twilight rate between now and the 28th June will have 25% of this donated to their choice of one of the 4 charities. Tee times are available after 2pm only and you must quote '10 Course Challenge Special' on booking. To make a reservation please call 01334 837023. www.fairmont.com/standrews

Fairmont Banff Springs - 4 Night Stay For One Lucky Sponsor!!

Fairmont Hotels and Resorts are delighted to announce that one lucky sponsor will win a complimentary 4 night luxury break for 2 people at Fairmont Banff Springs (pictured left) inclusive of breakfast, valet parking and 18 Holes of Golf. Anyone who has donated already along with all new sponsors will have their names placed in the hat with the lucky person being drawn on Friday 29th June.

To check out all Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, please visit the following link http://www.fairmont.com/ The prize unfortunately, will not include flights! To make a donation, please visit one of the 4 sponsorship sites on the right of this page. GOOD LUCK and thank you to Fairmont for this very generous offer. Graeme, Gary, Scott and Ally

Home Start Charity

On the 28th June, Graeme Dawson will be raising money for Home Start UK during the St Andrews 10 Course Challenge. Home-Start's informal and friendly support for families with young children provides a lifeline to thousands of parents and children in over 337 communities across the UK and with forces families in Germany and Cyprus.

Their support is free, confidential and non-judgemental. In fact, almost 25% of families refer themselves to Home-Start - which speaks for itself. They help to increase the confidence and independence of families by:

Visiting families in their own homes to offer support, friendship and practical assistance, Reassuring parents that their childcare problems are not unusual or unique, Encouraging parents' strengths and emotional well-being for the ultimate benefit of their children trying to get the fun back into family life

To sponsor Graeme and help raise money for Home Start UK please click on the link to the right or visit www.justgiving.com/standrews10coursechallengegd

For more information about the charity, please visit http://www.home-start.org.uk/

Time fast running out...!

With only 12 days to go until the big tee off at 3:30am time is fast running out for Gary, Graeme, Scott and Ally to get into shape. The Fairmont gym is being used, almost on a daily basis, and Mr Davidson has resorted to running an additional 4 miles a day along west sands beach to ensure he is fit enough to make it round the 171 holes! The Scotland for Golf Luxury coach will be stocked with the following from 2am on the 28th to make sure the 4 are prepared for the expected 40,000 calories they will burn over the course of the day...!

Cereal with skimmed or semi-skimmed milk
Toast and jam
Bananas (sorry Gary - you have to eat them!!)
Pancakes
Bagels

Tuna

Chocolate

Subway sandwiches for Scott and Ally!!

Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland

On the 28th June, Ally Love will be raising money for this very worthy cause. Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland aims to improve the quality of life for people in Scotland affected by chest, heart and stroke illness through medical research, advice and information, and support in the community.

CHSS is one of Scotland's leading medical charities. Coronary heart disease is our biggest killer. Stroke is the main cause of disability in the community. Chest illnesses of various kinds are the biggest single reason for using the health service.

They fund research into all aspects of the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and the social impact of chest, heart and stroke illness. Their current programme is worth more than £1 million.

CHSS provides care and support throughout Scotland for people affected by these conditions, including family and other carers. http://www.chss.org.uk/

No sore feet!!

FootJoy have very kindly offered to supply Gary, Graeme, Scott and Alastair with a pair of their new ReelFit Golf Shoes. The FootJoy ReelFit shoe is the latest breakthrough in golf shoe technology. The shoes feature the innovative Boa Lacing System from Boa Technologies Inc. Providing a precise fit and tremendous stability; ReelFit shoes will keep their feet secure throughout the 700+ golf swings, and while walking the 171 holes or 35+ miles! http://www.footjoy.com/reelfit/

Peter Alliss offers his best wishes

Peter Alliss has today offered his support for the St Andrews 10 Course Challenge. Between 1954 and 1969, Peter won 21 professional tournaments - including three British PGA championships - and was twice winner of the Vardon Trophy. In September 1958, he won the national championships of Italy, Spain, and Portugal in three consecutive weeks.

He spent just six weeks on the American tour, in 1954, and therefore is known primarily as a commentator in the USA. His first appearance in the Ryder Cup was in 1953, and with the single exception of 1955, he represented Great Britain and Ireland in the event until 1969 and is one of only two father-and-son duos to have represented their country at this level.

He retired from the professional golf circuit in 1969 and has since been a regular commentator on both BBC and ABC Television in the United States.

When asked to comment on the St Andrews 10 Course Challenge, Mr Alliss said

“Sorry I can’t join you! – wishing you all the best of luck for what appears to be an impossible challenge. Here’s £50 for the kitty. Do I get any change if you don’t finish!!!” - Peter Alliss (13th June 2007)

St Andrews - A Unique Destination

St Andrews is recognised internationally as the ‘home of golf’, the world’s leading golf destination and venue for some of the sport’s major tournaments. The range and quality of courses, not to mention the majestic beauty of the St Andrews coastline, marks the town out as the premier destination for golfers around the globe. Scott, Ally, Graeme and Gary will tackle 10 courses which have designed to suit all ranges of ability and experience. St Andrews is a major attraction for golfers wishing to sample the unique atmosphere of playing golf in a town steeped in six centuries of the sport’s history. The high concentration of courses means that very few other places in the world could play host to such and ambitious challenge! http://www.standrewsgolf.org/

Gym Gym and more Gym! (No TV!)

Fairmont St Andrews have offered use of their gym and spa in the lead up to the 28th June. 35+ miles or more than 61,000 yards is some distance to cover in one day so daily sessions are now the norm for the currently very unfit four!! The beautifully designed health club at Fairmont St Andrews is a state-of-the-art facility. It offers an extensive array of cardiovascular equipment including treadmills, exercise cycles, elliptical trainers and rowing machines. That is complemented by weight training equipment, Smith Machine, free weights, Swissfit balls, exercise mats and ab-cradles. Numerous large screen televisions are located throughout the facility should Graeme, Ally, Scott and Gary decide enough is enough and fancy catching the latest episode of Home and Away!!

Luxury Travel between Courses!!

Scott, Ally, Gary and Graeme might be beginning to feel the pain by the time they walk off the Eden Course at 10:35am on the 28th June, but thanks to Scotland for Golf they will be travelling the short trip to The Dukes and then onto The Torrance, Devlin and Kingsbarns in luxury. The 4 will be driven in a luxury coach fitted with leather seats and DVD players. The bus' fridge (which is usually stocked with Beer, Whisky and other goodies) will be filled to the brim with energy food and drink. Surely there are no excuses for failing now!!

Kingsbarns warm-up

Alastair Love, Scott Finlayson and Graeme Dawson warmed up for the 10 course challenge at the end of the month by taking part in the Kingsbarns Tour Operator day on Tuesday. After a blistering start, Scott and Ally clearly showed they don't have the stamina for 171 holes by giving up a three shot lead going down the last to lose on better inward half. Scott flew the 18th green by a full 40 yards, Ally pulled his second shot way left and that left the door open for Graeme's playing partner Stuart Brown from Fairmont to tap in a 20 foot burdie putt (4 points with a stroke) to steal the match from the Scotland for Golf boys!!!

The game took 4hours and 5 minutes so a little work is required if we're going to make it round in 2hrs 10mins on the 28th June!

TRAINING UPDATE!

Scott proving he still has some way to go before he can even make it round the Balgove never mind the other 9 courses!!