Register your club or team to participate in this year's longest 72-hole golf marathon

Golf Australia is happy to advise all clubs, districts and the Victorian Golf League on the approval of The Longest Day in 2019, which is held every day in December with the official date on Monday, December 16.

The longest day is a challenging golf challenge that tests skills, strength and endurance. The challenge is to successfully complete four rounds of golf between sunrise and sunset on a single day in December and to raise funds for skin cancer research.

Golf Australia and the Cancer Council encourage all Victorian clubs to promote this unique event among club members and support players participating in this challenging 72-hole golf marathon.

All funds raised through the longest day this year will fund skin cancer research. Last year, the money raised by Longest Day players enabled the Cancer Council Victoria to provide training and equipment for Victorian GPs to detect skin cancer earlier, save lives and unnecessary procedures.

This funding provided dermatoscopes to 76 general practitioners – portable skin microscopes – that were used for the early detection of skin cancer, particularly in regional areas where there is a lack of dermatologists. With these dermatoscopes and proper training, these doctors can find melanomas at an earlier stage and with fewer excisions, meaning that more lives can be saved without invasive treatments or hospital visits.

Australia has one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world. Two out of three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70. This is particularly relevant for golfers, as it is naturally an outdoor sport.

The nation has some of the highest levels of UV radiation in the world – strong enough in Victoria to cause sunburn in just 11 minutes on a beautiful January day. The good news is that the use of good sun protection will significantly reduce the risk of skin cancer at any age and certainly that all golfers should consistently wear hats, sunglasses and suitable clothing, seek shade and apply sunscreen during exercise.

To participate in The Longest Day, at least two players need access to four tee times during the day to complete the 72-hole course. Stableford is the competition format to ensure that all four rounds can be completed during the day.

From dawn, players can compete in pairs and try to complete each round in less than three hours to complete the challenge. Every day in December can be nominated for the longest day of this year, this way the challenge can be played on a handy day.

To register your club or team for a visit to The Longest Day:

www.longestday.org.au

Once registered, clubs or individual players can easily set up a fundraising page and email the link to family, friends or colleagues seeking sponsorship for participation in The Longest Day. All sponsor donations are tax deductible. Sponsorship can be for:

played every hole;

any par or birdie made;

score performance;

general gifts.

The longest day was initiated by Andrew Buxton, director of MAB Corporation, who had previously taken on the challenge of playing multiple rounds of golf with members of his club and raising funds for charity. In 2013, the idea was adopted at the Cancer Council Victoria and The Longest Day became a formal fundraising event.

Further golf questions regarding The Longest Day can be directed to David Greenhill DavidGr@golf.org.auor 03 9626 5000.

All questions about registration and fundraising must be answered at www.longestday.org.auor can be directed to the Cancer Council by calling 1300 65 65 85 .