SERIAL charity fund-raiser Paul Atherton was delighted with the support given to his 100-hole golf challenge by Ringway Golf Club.

Paul plays his golf at Walton Hall but both his dad Derek, a former captain, and brother Lee are members of Ringway who kindly offered to host the event.

He said: “Ringway not only hosted the challenge but they donated £200 with other members including the captain and lady captain also donating up to about £1,000.

"It meant that I had raised over £3,200 on the day for my chosen charity ‘When You Wish Upon A Star’ who make dreams come true for children with life-threatening and terminal illnesses.

“My dad, Andrew Young, Ian Berry and Stewart Teague walked round with me for three rounds as I teed off just after 5am and acted as adjudicators and when I finished they all clapped me in.

“I was joined on the last two holes by my mates Roy Hulme and Steve Faulkner, who are both Ringway members and wore Ant and Dec masks.

“I did this because virtually every time I play golf I take a picture of the course and then tweet Ant and Dec as I know that they are patrons for Cash For Kids in the North East.

“If I keep doing it I might appear on Saturday Night Takeaway which would be my dream or even have a game of golf with them.

“I do as much as I can for the my charity Cash for Kids and my charity efforts over the past 10 years have included Manchester Runs, a parachute jump, a Manchester-to-Blackpool bike ride, Rocky 10k in Philadelphia and now my 100-hole challenge. I have now raised over £30k.

“The fancy dress I wore for the Manchester 10k this year was Ant and Dec and it went well with the crowd although it was very warm to wear.”

Meanwhile, the Balfour and Houldsworth Committee have staged the Houldsworth Trophy since 1897 and Bury Golf Club were excellent hosts for this year’s competition that attracted 56 pairs from 20 golf clubs within a 25-mile radius of Manchester Town Hall.

Bramhall duo Ian Denby and Richard Ellis were first on the tee at 8am and posted a superb 11-up score in the par competition and unusually their score held on to win the day.

Next in on +8 were Chorlton father-and-son duo Richard and Robert Mallard who won a card play-off from home pair David McDougal and Colin Stephenson and Chorlton’s Liam Harrison and John Craine.

The quality of the course was reflected in the high scoring and next year the 120th competition will be held at Worsley.