The National Golf Club Challenge Final

I had been looking forward to my once in a lifetime experience of playing at the Belfry and I wasn’t disappointed.

I enjoyed meeting all the other players and Stacey who was very welcoming and ran through the format of the competition. We knew we were in for some interesting rounds when we learned of the highest and average scores for the men the previous day. We were then able to check in and settle ourselves into our rooms and then back to the first tee ready to be photographed and announced by the starter - We all looked very smart and colourful in our Glenbrae jumpers.

I thoroughly enjoyed playing the PGA National course. I coped quite well with the bunkers and the rough but the greens were definitely a challenge, many of my approach shots ended up going through the greens and I would then drop shots chipping and putting back. Hopefully, as I do not live too far away, the opportunity will arise to play the course again to try and better my score.

The gala dinner and comedian were good fun and there was lots of laughter but also there were reminders as to the purpose of the competition and as an ex Wren I shall do all I can in the future to support The Help for Heroes charity whenever I can. I was also very lucky, my golf might have been indifferent but I was fortunate enough to win the star raffle prize 3 nights for 2 people at La Cala Costa Del Sol.

Thank you to all the sponsors and everybody who gave their time and energy to make this a very special occasion for us all. A big thank you to Your Golf Travel and to Stacey whose enthusiasm, energy, good humour and smile never seemed to waver throughout the day.

I have been spreading the news to friends from other clubs letting them know what a great time I had at the Belfry, passing on the link and encouraging them to take part next year. Fingers crossed I will make the final again.

Jill Carpenter, Ladbrook Park Golf Club

When we first discovered that Whiteleaf Ladies had come first in the ladies competition I was astonished and then somewhat apprehensive about the prospect of playing golf at the famous Belfry Golf Course. Our group of 10 ladies together with our Lady Captain, Jill and Past Captain Tom, (who became known as 'The Coach Driver’ for some unknown reason) all were able to take part.

Most of us travelled up the day before and enjoyed a thoroughly good evening in Sam’s Bar & Grill before the great day which seemed to arrive all too quickly.

The golf course was very intimidating but fortunately the weather was good, I visited most of the bunkers on the first nine holes and they were no ordinary bunkers, but luckily fared better on the second nine holes. Some five hours after being announced on the 1st Tee I struggled off the course, handed in my card and collapsed back into Sam’s Bar for a very welcome drink.

The reception followed by the Gala dinner were real highlights. The meal was delicious, the entertainment excellent and finally our team was presented with and proudly received a beautiful Waterford Crystal trophy together with individual Waterford Crystal clocks.

To add to an already perfect day we also received an overnight stay and round of golf at Celtic Manor so plan to repeat the Belfry experience next spring.

My sincere thanks go to the organisers of the National Golf Club Challenge, we look forward to seeing you again next year!

Joan Muras, part of the winning ladies team from Whiteleaf Golf Club

What a superb two days we had at The Belfry last week. My ladies team who had won the National Golf Club Challenge in July felt feted from beginning to end. The fantastic organisation of Mr Stacey Jeffries resulted in a very well run event and a great party atmosphere! Not only that all the sponsors had been extremely generous making the occasion even more special!!

It’s very rare that amateur club golfers receive this sort of treatment, I’d encourage all Captains across the country to enter the Challenge in 2011 and experience this for yourself!!

Jill Dodds, Lady Captain Whiteleaf Golf Club

I was very pleased to have had the opportunity to support The Help for Heroes Charity and of course to be a member of the winning team!! and proud that Whiteleaf were able to make such a contrIbution to this great cause.

It was great to have the opportunity to play the Belfry the organisation was first class and everyone involved Is to be congratulated for making it such a memorable day for us all. I am so impressed with how much money you have raised nationally.

With thanks to you and all your team.

Yvonne Mealing, Whiteleaf Golf Club

You must be very proud of what you have achieved!...great work Stacey!!... and it is a pleasure for me/us to be involved.

Andrew Jones, Glenbrae General Manager

What has been achieved this with NGCC and Battleback golf has made a massive difference to these troops. You should feel very proud. We will make it bigger and better next year.

Ross Marshall, Your Golf Travel

Thanks Stacey. I have to say that I am as impressed as ever with the professional & organised way that you run the events. It is in stark contrast to some of the other sponsorships we have been involved in over recent years.

Oliver Churcher, Marketing Manager, Motocaddy Ltd

We would like to thank all those who participated in the NGCC this year and we are pleased to have been a partner sponsor for such an inspirational event. Club-Clean were present at the launch of the NGCC and we were pleased to be able to provide our service for all those who took part in the final at The Belfry. It was great to meet the golfers who had made it that far and to see the realisation of Stacey's efforts to raise such a huge sum for Help for Heroes.

Simon and Jo Towers, Club-Clean

Thank you for organising such a marvellous event. A challenging, with a capital 'C', course set up focussed the mind on enjoying the event and the company. VPAR an inspirational idea to let us know we were all in the same boat! The sum raised for Help for Heroes is fantastic. I will be speading the word for months to come.

John Lancaster, Weston-super-Mare Golf Club

What a wonderful event for such a worthy cause, and what a wonderful result for us! We are thrilled to have won such a prestigious trophy and thoroughly enjoyed an unrivalled experience playing in the National Golf Club Challenge Final at The Belfry, thank you.

The Help for Heroes charity is close to all our hearts and we will carry on doing what we can to help improve the care and rehabilitation of our injured troops. This is a very worthy charity event that must grow and I am sure will grow with the support from all golf clubs nationwide.

Eddy Edwards (Team Captain), Meon Valley Golf Club

What a fantastic couple of days at a great venue which was in fantastic condition. The event was very well organised from start to finish which was some feat considering the numbers taking part. The Help for Heroes cause was very well supported and deservedly so, as much of a honour as it is to play The Belfry in this event, it was great to know that we were also supporting a thoroughly deserving cause.

I'd love to have the opportunity to take part again and will be doing my best to encourage other clubs to support the event. I hope the event goes from strength to strength and continues to raise thousands for our injured servicemen and women.

Simon Jenkinson, Weston-super-Mare Golf Club

Just a quick note to thank you and all your team for hosting a fantastic final at the Belfry over the last two days, it was an experiance of a life time!

Wish you well with next years competition.

Graham Collett, Club Captain, Cherwell Edge Golf Club

For amateur golfers the experience we had at the Belfry was a dream come true. Just to think of whose footsteps we were following in. All the great golfers of the modern era have tried their hand on this course and now, so have we. The fact that the setup was the same as the Sunday of a Ryder cup, with tough pin positions and the tees at their longest also gave us some idea of the challenge faced by the pros.

It was a fantastic couple of days. We were looked after superbly well, the organisation, accommodation and facilities were first rate. The prizes on both days were well worth winning even though for most of us the prize was just being there. The fact that we were also doing some good for Help for Heroes just made the whole experience all the more rewarding.

I know that I will never forget my experience at the NGCC final, I enjoyed every moment of it, made some new friends within my own club and amongst the other competitors. In some respects I am glad that I was unaware of the size of the prize on offer when I entered the competition that faithful Sat in July, because if I had thought about it I'm sure I would have messed up.

That however is the challenge facing me next year because I will definitely be entering again.

Thank you very much to Stacey and his team for their passion and dedication to the cause. I am proud to have been a part of it and will always be a supporter of Help for Heroes.

Anthony McEvoy, Weston-super-Mare Golf Club

What can I say except for it was an absolute brilliant experience. The whole event was arranged brilliantly by yourself and your team. During the time I was there it amazed me how well all of the golfers who were taking part got on so well together(laughing ,joking & helping each other out).

For myself the 1st tee shot on the Monday was the most nerve wracking I have ever experienced all I did was pray that I got my first tee shot off.

All I can say is that I honestly hope that the NGCC FINAL will continue for a very long time bringing golfers from all over the country together to help support such a great cause in HELP FOR HEROES.

Steven Pyatt, Cherwell Edge Golf Club

It was a great experience in support of a very worthwhile cause. Playing the Belfry as it would be set-up (well almost) for the final day of a Ryder Cup was a chance in a life time event.

Hopefully it will inspire more clubs to enter and support Help for Heroes in years to come. The sponsors have been very generous, but for me the real prize was getting to the Final. I wish you all the best with future events.

Ed Stephens, Weston-super-Mare Golf Club

What can I say other than thanks a million for making that event happen, without a doubt the best golfing event/experience I’ve ever been on. The organization was well thought out and delivered perfectly, I needed nothing, everything was laid on and it made me feel like a pro.

I was very fortunate to play with some top blokes from the other courses and made some good friends and it would be excellent to get together again. The course was very difficult but it was an opportunity that not many golfers will experience in their lives and I can say that I have played under European tour conditions which is one for the CV!

Help for Heroes is a charity that most people are touched by which made the reason behind the event so solid, I would have liked the opportunity to meet some of the heroes but was still out on the course. The only thing that could have made the event better would have been meeting Lee Westwood but I’m fairly confident that once the word gets around about this year’s successful event then there will be a string of top golfers wanting to be there to support.

Dan Molloy, The Players Club

After the initial shock of being told at our club that we had qualified for the final at the Belfry, the reality of what we were doing hit home. This was really serious!!

The prospect of being able to help our heroes in a small way really counted. Our contribution compared to what they have done, and continue to do, made me feel humble.

The Belfry experience itself was immense. The hotel was perfect for what we needed, and the golf made me realise that professional golfers might actually earn their money!

From the starter who announced us on the first tee, who made us feel like real golfers, to the stark reality shortly afterwards that we were not! The golf course was magnificent yet brutal. One of my teammates actually made the point that if you played a hole as well as you could, you walked off with a bogey, and you were very happy with it. The rough was tough, the greens were quick and the fairways were hard to hit. Our club colleagues will never believe us.

The event itself was wonderfully organised and run, and made it easy for us to enjoy the pleasure (?) of the golf. It also enabled us to build closer friendships with some and create new friendships with others.

I sincerely hope that this cause continues and goes from strength to strength in its support of such a worthy cause, and that 2011 is an even bigger year for fund- raising.

Terry Morton, Meon Valley Golf Club

Just to say on behalf of The Players Club a big thank you for running this wonderful event. We hope to battle back next year.

Adrian, Head of Golf, The Players Club

I considered it a tremendous cause to support in the first place but entering the comp, I had no idea there was any onward prize. When I was informed the club had come 2nd overall from more than 400 clubs I was delighted, and then even more delighted when told I was in the top 10 and qualified for the 'Belfry experience'

Having played the Brabazon before I knew it was a tough course but having played it reasonably well before was 'up for the challenge'. However, the way the course was set up made it incredibly difficult for us handicap golfers and having been to the Ryder cup the week before it more than ever emphasizes how good these pro’s are. It was the same for everyone but I struggled along with many others and to get 19 pts on day 1 was disappointing until I saw I was in the top 15 out of 60!! Day 2 was a disaster personally but congrats to Meon Valley who performed admirably.

The whole 2 days we were treated very very well and the organization of the event was first class so congrats to you and your team. The little touches like engraved bag tags were very nice and made me feel part of a very special event.

I can only say further that every event I go to I will bore the pants off my team mates ensuring their clubs know of the this event hoping to make it even bigger in the years to come in support of such a wonderful cause.

Please accept my thanks for giving me and my team such a great time and I hope to qualify again next year although the odds I’m sure will be greater.

Steve Corrick, Weston-super-Mare Golf Club

What An amazing two days where we were so fortunate to have played the Brabazon set up for the Ryder Cup - Sunday pins, extended tees built up with boards, greens 11 on the stimp., European Tour starter borrowed from the Seniors Tour, live leader board information, TV crews - awesome. Apart from the golf I played, I felt like a pro for a couple of days! We even had a practice day - how fantastic!

Can't thank Stacey and his team enough for their passion and commitment in organising and delivering an event on this scale. Fair play to the sponsors' response and for getting behind The National Golf Club Challenge.

You've achieved so much already through NGCC 2010 - around a quarter of a million pounds for Help The Heroes - and I wish you every success for the years to come.

You just can't buy the experience of this National Final but you and your club can enter each year and primarily support Help For Heroes, and possibly qualify for the experience of a lifetime.

To the Armed Forces - we appreciate, admire and are thankful for your bravery and the sacrifices you make for our country and the world. In this event, golfers have been able to honour our troops through the Nations love of the game.

Dominic Jay, Meon Valley Golf Club