Wine-loving golfers raise another £4,000 for charity

A GROUP of golfers has donated more than £4,000 to Cancer Research UK.

The Red and White Wine Elderly Gentlemen’s Golfing Society, or “Raww Eggs”, who play at Henley Golf Club in Harpsden, raised £2,080 through player “fines” and another £2,170 at their Christmas lunch and auction.

The men are fined £10 if their phone rings, or they watch sport or news on their phones or knock over a glass of wine.

Members can also pay £100 up front to avoid fines.

In December, the golfers held an auction of items donated by members as well as the Unicorn pub in Kingwood Common, Henley builders merchants Gibbs & Dandy, Badgemore Park Golf Club, Henley Rugby Club and golf professional James Prince.

Co-organiser Michael Herriot, of Valley Road, Henley, said: “We donated to Cancer Research specifically because of prostate cancer.

“All of us old blokes are aware of it and it was appropriate because one or two of us are having treatment for it.

“In the past, we’ve given to various charities for something a member has either died from or had help with, such as Sue Ryder.

“I run the finance system for our fundraising and I make them give the fines. It’s always fun for me. Then we usually raise most of the money at the auction.

“It’s always a good thing to support charities that are visible in the town because you never know the moment.”

In previous years the society has collected for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, the British Heart Foundation and Sue Ryder. It has donated about £20,000 in five years.

There are about 30 members of the society, who are all retired men and meet to socialise and play golf every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Mr Herriot said: “Some days only eight turn up but in the summer there’ll be about 20.

“It’s not about the golf — it’s about the comraderie after the golf. That’s why we’re called the Raww Eggs.

“Most of us knew each other anyway but because of work and our lives, we tended to play at different times and on different days.

“It’s a way to get new members of the golf club to meet people. They know they can always have a game of golf.

“If we see anyone of a retired age out there playing by themselves, we tell them about our group.”