One of the very few women’s teams registered in NSW will tee off at Tamworth Golf Club on Monday, 9 November, as Cancer Council’s The Longest Day golf challenge returns to raise money for cancer research and support services.
The team, Tradies Support the Ladies Angels, plays under the banner of Tradies Support the Ladies, a breast cancer awareness initiative started in Tamworth by two men whose wives had been diagnosed with breast cancer, which encourages tradies to wear pink shirts on Fridays as a symbol of support.
Nine golf clubs across New England North West have signed up for this year’s event, most with between two and five teams, and more last-minute entries are expected.
Across NSW, 2153 people have registered so far, about 75 per cent of last year’s numbers. Cancer Council hopes to raise $1.3 million in the state this year.
The Longest Day has run since 2017. Golfers can choose from three challenges:
- The Longest Day: 72 holes
- The Longer Day: 54 holes
- The Long Day: 36 holes
“It’s an opportunity for golfers to get together and play as much golf as possible – or that they can manage – in one day, all to raise funds for Cancer Council NSW,” said Cancer Council Community Fundraising Specialist Sally-Anne Whitten.
Ms Whitten said women were under-represented in the event, and pointed to two main reasons.
“Golf participation in Australia skews male,” she said.
“Across most states, men make up the majority of club-based golfers.”
The second reason is club culture and access to tee times.
“Many women golfers tend to play socially or in shorter formats, and some clubs still have limited mixed-gender tee-time availability,” Ms Whitten said.
“A dawn-to-dusk block of 72 holes can be harder for women to schedule around work, caregiving, or club access norms.”
She hopes the Tamworth team will inspire more women to sign up.
“I would love to encourage our lady golfers to get a team together and get involved,” she said. “This is not just aimed at the fellas!”
“It’s such a fun day and a wonderful excuse to hit the golf course.”
Money raised in the region comes back to help local people. Cancer Council runs Inala House at Tamworth Hospital, which offers free accommodation to regional patients having treatment at the North West Cancer Centre.
It also runs the Transport to Treatment service, and the 13 11 20 Cancer Connect service, which links people in Tamworth and across the region with financial aid, legal help, counselling, and other support.
“For every dollar raised in our region, Cancer Council re-invests around $1.30–$1.40 in our area,” Ms Whitten said.
Last year, more than 6,500 golfers raised over $3.5 million across Australia. This year, Cancer Council hopes to raise $3.6 million nationally.
“With almost 1 in 2 Australians diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85, we all have a role to play in reducing its impact,” Ms Whitten said.
“By taking on The Longest Day, participants are helping fund world-class cancer research that saves lives.”
“Thanks to the support of our community, we’ve seen incredible progress in cancer prevention, screening, and treatment, with survival rates improving from 51% in the late 1980s to around 70% today.”
The event is also a reminder for golfers to protect their skin. Because they spend so long in the sun, golfers are almost 2.5 times more likely than the general population to develop skin cancer in their lifetime.
Ms Whitten said golfers had become much better at sun safety.
“We have certainly seen the golf community take sun safety more seriously over the last 10 years or so,” she said.
“The generation of kids who were ‘no hat no play’ are grown-ups now and tend to be better at remembering to ‘slip, slop, slap, seek and slide’.”
“You will see many more wide-brimmed hats, long sleeves, zinc-coated noses and sunnies on than you did 10 years ago.”
While the official day is Monday, 9 November, golfers can complete their challenge at their local club any time in November and December.
“You can chat to your local golf club about letting you play on another day,” Ms Whitten said. “Most of the clubs in our region have been incredibly supportive and would be more than happy to accommodate you, I’m sure!”
Ms Whitten can help with registrations on 02 6763 0905. People who do not play golf can support the event by finding a local team and making a donation online.
Golf clubs can learn about hosting players at www.longestday.org.au/clubs.
To register or donate, visit www.longestday.org.au.
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