PGA man MacKenzie back on the fund-raising beat

19/12/2022

Not content with playing seven courses in one day as part of an epic charity drive during the summer, the intrepid Peter MacKenzie is getting himself back on the fund-raising beat.

With the kind of indomitable spirit that got Ranulph Fiennes through a variety of arduous expeditions, the hardy Sale PGA Professional is teeing-up another mighty challenge in aid of Breast Cancer UK.

Next August, MacKenzie will head to Nairn Golf Club in the north of Scotland where he will play 24 hours of non-stop golf. This latest venture may be some nine months away, but the hard work has already started.

“I’m already doing my training because you have to dedicate yourself to this,” said the 45-year-old. “The challenge itself will probably cover around 60 miles. It will be a good yomp. The walking shouldn’t be the problem, it’s the non-stop golf for 24 hours that will be tough.

"Nearer the time, I hope to be doing a 50 mile walk as part of my training so I’m prepared. I’ve actually got a route mapped out where I get a train, hop off in the middle of nowhere and walk 50 miles back.”

Given the chaotic state of Britain’s railway system, that shouldn’t be an issue. After his noble endeavours back in the summer, which saw him play seven courses in East Lothian in one day while raising upwards of £8000 for a charity that is very close to his heart, MacKenzie is facing up to the prospect of another physical and psychological challenge with great gusto.

“Fund raising becomes quite addictive,” said MacKenzie, whose own mother had breast cancer surgery last year. “It’s not for your own pleasure, it’s the cause you’re doing it for. Some members at the club have heard about this latest challenge and said, ‘are you mad?’. But your body is amazing, it can be put through a lot and if you do the proper training it should be ok. Yes, there will be some aches and pains after it but if you prepare properly you won’t fail."

MacKenzie will be accompanied on the 24 hour golfing marathon by Nairn PGA pro Michael McAllan. We just hope he knows what he’s letting himself in for.

“Michael will have to keep up because the slowest I want to be going round the course is an hour and a half for each round,” added MacKenzie with a chuckle. “And we have to keep that up for 24 hours. It’s basically 10-plus holes per hour. It’s a pretty robust pace.

“I was going to start the challenge at midnight but I thought that would be daft as it will be dark…and the bar will be shut when I finish! So I’m starting on Monday 21st August at 6pm and I can get a good four or five hours of golf in before it gets dark. The goal is around 250 holes in that 24 hour period. I’ve started doing a bit of practice in the dark. I have an LED head torch and we’ll put some reflective panels behind each green as the torches pick them out them out really well from a distance. We’ll have glow in the dark balls too.”

Hugely appreciative to Nairn Golf Club for allowing him the courtesy of the course during the peak season, MacKenzie’s dedication to a very important cause is unwavering. “I’ll put my body through a bit of strain in the build up to this,” he said. “But my little bit of pain is insignificant to the suffering people go through with breast cancer. All I want to do is help.”