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22 Jul 2020
This article is more than 3 years old

Golf pro John is using his passion to honour his Dad and fund research.

"Golf is the perfect fit to honour Dad" says professional and business owner, John.

John Lines, PGA Advanced Professional and Managing Director of golf superstore Golfsupport.com lost his father, Bernard, to prostate cancer in August 2019, just five months after he was diagnosed. Now John is using his passion as a way to honour his dad.

"Golf was the only thing I was ever going to do" said John, who spent a number of years as head professional at Buxton & High Peak Golf Club in Derbyshire, and was one of the first advanced PGA professionals in the country. "I got mixed views from my father, who was a self-employed painter and decorator all his life. I did a bit of work for my dad on the side so I could practice my golf. Then I found a career in the game. My dad said, 'you'll never do anything in golf; get yourself a proper job,' as dads usually do.

It was a chat with fellow charity partners Golfshake a few months after John's Dad died that got his ideas into full swing. "A man called Andrew Picken came to the store with some collection boxes and we sat down and had a lovely long chat about Prostate Cancer UK and fundraising. That's how it started” he said.

Since April, John has raised a massive £4,000 by donating a percentage of every Golfsupport.com sale, as well as rounded-up sales, to Prostate Cancer UK. He's been inserting our flyers about our work in golf in all outgoing orders to encourage more golfers to join the fight against the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK. John also donated a top-of-the-range Odyssey putter as a prize for the #StayPuttChallenge earlier this year, which he took part in with his son during lockdown. 

Then on Father’s Day, John left a special message on our Dedication to Dad wall.

“I’m who I am because of you,
You taught me respect & honour too.
Never forgotten, always in my mind.
One more day, why can’t I rewind?
I’d say I love you; we’ll be OK.
With love on Father’s Day.”

“I wanted to do something in honour of my father after I'd not spent the time I could or should have with him,” says John. "Golf is the perfect fit. The work of Prostate Cancer UK. You couldn't get a more perfect demographic and the work you're doing with golfers like Danny Willett is fantastic, and The Big Golf Race is excellent.”

Want to be part of the team fighting against prostate cancer through golf? Join our Facebook group or head to our golf page to get involved.