24 Nov 2010
Two young Kiwi lawyers who’ve spent nearly 12 months travelling the world playing a different golf course every day – are on the home straight, and will return to New Zealand next month.

Jamie Patton and Michael Goldstein set off on their ‘puregolf2010’ charity mission in December 2009, and are on target to complete on time – silencing sceptics who claimed the adventure was more about self indulgence.

The two golfers, who are currently back playing in Australia en route to New Zealand, have played more than 320 consecutive games of golf and have travelled through the USA, Iceland, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England, France, Belgium, Dubai and Australia.

They now plan to spend December playing golf courses throughout New Zealand in a final bid to raise money and awareness for their charity – The First Tee of New Zealand.

Wellington lawyers
Patton and Goldstein, both keen sportsmen, practice law in Wellington and came up with the puregolf idea after deciding they needed a personal challenge.

They have regularly blogged and tweeted, updating their puregolf2010 website constantly, and recording every score, course detail and local experience as they’ve travelled around the world.

Since they teed off from Kauri Cliffs in the north of New Zealand on the first of January the golfers have travelled 34,296km and plan to finish on 31 December at Cape Kidnappers on the Hawke’s Bay coast of the North Island – 365 games later.

They say the year has been ”incredible but busy” and they’re looking forward to arriving home on 30 November.

Playing their last 31 days of puregolf2010 in New Zealand will hopefully take Patton and Goldstein nearer their goal of raising NZ$75,000 for The First Tee charity. So far they have collected $20,000.

The First Tee
The First Tee New Zealand is an organisation providing 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.

”puregolf2010 to date has been a story of human kindness, of the generosity of the human spirit. At the start of the year we had an audacious idea but no grasp of where it might take us – through the blog you might have seen just how eye opening the journey has been. Golf does that,” they said.

Patton and Goldstein say they want to build on that generosity and get Kiwis together to support a final push for The First Tee.

”Without The First Tee some young people would be on the streets; the program shows them another way. Having played with a few youngsters this year that have seen the light, we’ve seen first hand the impact The First Tee can and does have. It’s inspiring.”

The golfers have launched two new initiatives to raise money in New Zealand – ‘The Greatest Birdie Challenge’ where people can sponsor Patton and Goldstein for every birdie and eagle they score on home soil, and ‘The Return Tour’ which will feature special social functions and ‘golf days’ at top New Zealand courses.

Dates: The Return Tour – New Zealand

•3.12.2010 – The Grange Golf Club, Auckland
•5.12.2010 – St. Andrews Golf Club, Hamilton
•6.12.2010 – Karori Golf Club, Wellington
•12.12.2010 – Hanmer Springs Golf Club
•15 / 16.12.2010 – Jack’s Point Golf Club, Queenstown
•23.12.2010 – Clearwater Resort, Christchurch
•31.12.2010 – Cape Kidnappers, Havelock North

More information

Golfing odyssey tees off from New Zealand

Kiwi golfers approach final round