Golfing odyssey tees off from New Zealand
15 Dec 2009
It might sound like a golfer's pipe dream but a plan by two young Kiwi lawyers to travel the world playing a different golf course every day in 2010, has more behind it than pure indulgence.
Jamie Patton and Michael Goldstein came up with the idea of 'puregolf2010' after deciding they needed a personal challenge.
Sharing a lot in common, including paying golf, they have developed a project that will take them to the world’s top courses, hopefully put them in touch with some of the world’s top golfers and provide a lifetime experience - all in a good cause.
Puregolf2010
The puregolf20010 adventure begins and ends in New Zealand, with the first tee off on 1 January at Kauri Cliffs golf resort, in Northland.
After an official launch party on 25 January at Canterbury luxury resort Terrace Downs, the golfers will spend nearly a month playing some of New Zealand’s well known golf courses. They’ll also attend the NZ Golf Open at The Hills in Queenstown during the last week of January.
They’ll then head off to golf courses in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea.
Each day for a year they will play a round at a different course and, from time to time, team up with interesting guest players and take part in sponsors’ events.
The golfing adventure will finish on 31 December 2010 at world renowned Cape Kidnappers golf course in Hawke’s Bay, on New Zealand’s North Island east coast.
First Tee New Zealand
Patton and Goldstein’s chosen charity is The First Tee New Zealand - an organisation that provides learning facilities and educational programmes that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.
Worldwide, more than three million people benefit from The First Tee programmes and the charity was the ideal fit for the puregolf2010 project, according to the young Kiwis.
"For us to spend a year of our lives pursuing a worthy cause, it had to be one with which we had some sort of nexus - one whose values we could identify with. And when we came across The First Tee that nexus revealed itself," said Goldstein and Patton.
Funding the project
The puregolf2010 project is likely to cost around NZ$50,000, largely for transport.
Patton and Goldstein intend to couch surf where possible and will blog and tweet through social networks as they travel the world.
The pair has secured commitment from several organisations to help give voice to their story including golf magazines The Cut (NZ) and Today’s Golfer (UK) as well as Sports Inc TV which produces golf programmes for worldwide distribution.
The puregolf2010 website will feature a daily blog and support varied interactive content including a weekly podcast, course of the week, a media hub, New Zealand golf showcase and link to The First Tee.
Goldstein and Patton also intend to publish a book on their adventures.
Profile: Jamie Patton
Jamie Patton, originally from Scotland, emigrated to Christchurch in 2000. He graduated from Canterbury University with a BA/LLB (Hons), and in 2008 moved to Wellington to practise company and securities law.
Patton is a keen sportsman and has played representative hockey, most recently for the national title-winning Wellington A team.
Golf has featured prominently in his sporting life, and Patton is a member of the Miramar Club in Wellington.
He hopes puregolf2010 will provide him with the chance for a career change that could include advertising or journalism.
Profile: Michael Goldstein
Michael Goldstein is an Australian-born Kiwi who has a passion for sport, commerce and travel. He has played competitive cricket - including for the NZ under 19 team - and hockey for many years.
Golf has been a hobby from an early age, initially as a member of Russley Golf Club in Christchurch then more recently at Clearwater Resort.
Goldstein has an LLB (Hons)/BCom from Canterbury University, where he was also president of the students’ association. He has been an active member of the university council and a director of online recruitment website Student Job Search. In February 2009 he began work as a lawyer in Wellington.
He describes puregolf2010 is "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" and a challenge that he’s determined to conquer.
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