Golfer battles the elements and excruciating pain for charity

Jun 29 2011 by Paul Thomson, East Kilbride News

A STRATHAVEN golfer has revealed how he played through agonies that included trench foot – all in the name of charity.

Scott Hamilton and friends Scott Costello and Andrew Buttar embarked on a 10-round marathon of golf to raise over £1500 for Yorkhill Sick Children’s Hospital last week.

But the Strathaven Golf Club members could not have foreseen the excruciating impact their quest would have on their bodies during a 20-hour epic in terrible conditions.

With torrential rain hammering down, the trio teed off at 3.22am.

However, by the end of the saga only two of the guys managed to cross the finish line after a tearful Scott Hamilton retired due to a combination of ligament damage and trench foot.

Walking and playing more than 10 course rounds while carrying his clubs left the 24-year-old in awful pain.

After battling for hours he eventually gave in at the 11th hole on the final round and was carted away to hospital.

The trio’s struggle pales in comparison to the battle faced by those at Yorkhill Children’s Hospital and even after all the pain, Scott vowed he would go through it all again to help the charity.

Scott told the News: “It wasn’t the most enjoyable day of my life – but I would do it all again for the charity.

“We know some of the children at Yorkhill and it’s a great cause we are helping, so we are delighted with the money that has been raised.

“The pain I suffered was excruciating and it’s the worst thing I’ve ever felt in my life.

“I was in tears at the end of it because I’d come so far through the pain but didn’t quite make it to the end.

“Despite all that, I actually enjoyed the day and it was good fun until the last few holes.

“It’s disappointing not getting to the end when it was so close, but I hung about to see the other two finish before going to hospital.

“I had a skiing accident a few years ago and my left leg is quite weak so I think my right leg tried to compensate for that and eventually it just buckled.

“My feet were in a terrible state. They were bleeding and I got trench foot as well because it was so wet.”

But this isn’t the first time Scott has embarked on an epic challenge.

In 2007 he and Andrew played seven rounds and made it through unscathed, but the extra three rounds proved a step to far for Scott.

However, with Scott bowing out at hole 11 this time round, 23-year-old Andrew from Paisley and Scott Costello, 24, from Cambuslang, carried on strong.

They hit their last putts on the 18th green at 11pm in front of the crowd that had gathered at Strathaven Golf Club to watch them complete their energy-sapping journey.

Throughout the course of the challenge, which lasted 19 hours and 38 minutes, each player consumed approximately 13 litres of fluids, hit 2358 golf shots and walked approximately 48 miles.

Money can still be donated and after completing the 10 rounds Scott Costello added: “It was a real struggle but Andrew and I got there in the end.

“We’ve raised £1500 so far, we’ve still got money to collect and our online donations are still going until the end of the week so we hope to raise even more.”

A Just Giving page has been set up and donations can still be made through www.justgiving.com/10round until the end of the week.