2nd March 2010 – for immediate release

HILLSIDE GOLF CLUB IS THE 200TH CLUB TO SIGN UP FOR THE CHALLENGE

The National Golf Club Challenge Reaches 200 Clubs – Hillside Golf Club Southport

Hillside Golf Club on England’s Golf Coast has become the 200th golf club to sign up for the National Golf Club Challenge, which will take place at golf courses throughout the UK on either Saturday 24th or Sunday 25th July 2010, in support of Help for Heroes.

With golf clubs entering on a daily basis, the National Golf Club Challenge is on course to become the largest amateur golf event to take place in the UK.

The Challenge, recently featured on the European Tour website highlighting the fabulous 'Lee Westwood Cup', will bring hundreds of golf clubs, and thousands of golfers together on the same weekend as part of the nationwide charity golf event.

Simon Newland, Hillside Golf Club secretary commented "This is a fabulous event which will benefit a very worthwhile cause and one with which we are proud to be associated. We have worked with Pure Golf Events for the last two years, hosting a charity golf day in aid of Help for Heroes, and it wasn’t a difficult decision to lend our name to The National Golf Club Challenge. We will do everything we can to make the challenge a wonderful success for our members and Help for Heroes".

Hillside Golf Club is highly regarded as one of the finest championship courses in the British Isles not to have staged an Open Championship and a 'must play' course for any golfer. With a spectacular setting in the heart of England’s Golf Coast, Hillside offers stunning golf for all levels of golfers and has in the opinion of many probably one of the best back nines in British Golf, a view shared by some of the greatest including Greg Norman.

Stacey Jeffries, Event Director commented, "The Challenge is growing fast; it wasn’t that long ago we passed 100 clubs. To reach 200 golf clubs in such a short period shows the generosity of the British golfing community as they come together to help raise funds for our wounded armed forces. A generosity typified by clubs like Hillside."

The National Golf Club Challenge, to be held on 24th and 25th July 2010, will give golfers up and down the country the opportunity to compete for some outstanding prizes – including golfing holidays to Egypt - and the right to call themselves "The 2010 National Golf Club Challenge Champions" winning the stunning 'Lee Westwood Cup'.

The format for the National Golf Club Challenge is simple; the Challenge will coincide with each participating golf club's monthly stableford event, with each club turning the day into their own charity golf event, raising much needed funds for Help for Heroes.

The competing clubs will submit their aggregate scores from their 10 best scoring players. This will determine the top 6 golf clubs against standard scratch, who will then be invited to compete in the National Final.

The Grand Final, sponsored by YourGolfTravel.com, will be the conclusion of the 2010 National Golf Club Challenge. The two day event – hosted by The Belfry, one of the world’s leading golf resorts, and four times host to the Ryder Cup – will be a superb grand final, featuring a practice day, golf clinic, overnight accommodation, the final competition and a gala dinner, including guest speakers and the prize presentations.

For more information on The National Golf Club Challenge, including how to enter your golf club, go to www.nationalgolfclubchallenge.org.uk or www.ngcc2010.com.

For more information on the Help for Heroes charity and the work they do please visit their website: www.helpforheroes.org.uk.

ENDS

Challenge Contacts

Stacey Jeffries, Event Director
Tel: +44 (0)1565 818107
Email: stacey@nationalgolfclubchallenge.org.uk

Matt Leighton, Marketing Director
Tel: +44 (0)1565 818106
Email: matthew@nationalgolfclubchallenge.org.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS

ABOUT THE NATIONAL GOLF CLUB CHALLENGE
www.nationalgolfclubchallenge.org.uk
Every golf club in the United Kingdom and Ireland is invited to enter their club in to The National Golf Club Challenge (to be held on the 24th or 25th July 2010). The aim of the challenge is to find The Help for Heroes National Golf Club Champions 2010. At the same time raising much needed funds and awareness for the excellent Help for Heroes charity as the UK golfing community come together for one day in their support for our injured forces.

ABOUT HELP FOR HEROES
www.helpforheroes.org.uk
Help for Heroes was the idea of appeal chairman Bryn Parry and a group of friends and relations. They wanted to help wounded soldiers returning home from combat and came up with several fundraising ideas which led to Help for Heroes being born. The Charity are completely non political and accept wars happen under any government, all they want to do with the help of the British public, is to assist our wounded heroes.

ABOUT HILLSIDE GOLF CLUB
Founded in 1911, Hillside Golf Club forms part of England's finest stretch of championship links courses, a stretch that also includes the likes of Royal Birkdale, Southport & Ainsdale, Formby and Royal Lytham & St. Anne’s.

The homeward stretches of holes date from 1967 and were designed by renowned golf course architect, Fred Hawtree. And there are many, including such luminaries as Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman, who rate it as one of the finest nine-hole stretches in Britain. Since the alterations of the late 1960's, Hillside Golf Club has hosted many major events, including the PGA Championship in 1982, where Tony Jacklin secured his last significant victory as a tour player; the Ladies British Open; the Benson & Hedges Matchplay and the British Amateur Championship. Hillside also regularly stages final qualifying for the British Open Championship, most recently in 2001 when the Open was held at nearby Royal Lytham & St. Anne’s.

Those who doubt the credentials of Hillside as a championship links should put much credence in the words of Australian, Roger Pampling. Playing at Carnoustie in 1999, on what was widely considered to be the toughest ever setup in an Open Championship, first round leader Pampling was asked whether this was the hardest course he had ever played. His response - "No, Hillside at last years Open Qualifying". Measuring over 7,000 yards from the championship tees, Hillside meanders its way through majestic sand hills and pinewoods, thus creating an amphitheatric effect on each hole. Many holes have elevated tees and offer superb views over the Irish Sea.

Rated by all who have a right to comment as one of the finest links tests in the world, the quality of Hillside is not for debate. And while the homeward nine quite possibly overshadows what comes before, scoring is no easier right from the start where you are faced with a difficult drive alongside the railway. The tantalizing journey into the dunes begins at the 10th hole, a well-bunkered par three of 147 yards. The climb to the 11th tee, from where the spectacular coastal views are truly breathtaking, is worth every puff, while the long par five, 17th hole also offers excellent vistas from its elevated tee position, high above Royal Birkdale.