Making a Difference: Two Guys to Travel from Pattaya to Phuket on a Golf Cart for Charity

In March 2015, Graham Haslam and Mark Cameron will try and set a Guinness World Record and raise money for the Thai children’s education charity, Phuket Has Been Good To Us, by attempting to drive an electric golf cart from Pattaya, on Thailand's Eastern Seaboard, to Phuket on Thailand's West Coast.

The electric golf cart selected for the record-breaking attempt will have solar panels which will help to increase the power per charge by 20%, giving the cart a range per charge of approximately 85 kilometers.

The 1,200 km route from Pattaya to Phuket is expected to take the two Englishmen 24 days to complete.

The intrepid cart drivers will raise funds by stopping to play some of Thailand’s most famous golf courses including Banyan and Springfield Royal CC, both in Hua Hin, Burapha Golf Course, Laem Chabang Golf Course and Santiburi Samui, considered one of Thailand’s most picturesque courses, with the final round to be played at Laguna Phuket.

“The journey from Pattaya to Phuket will take approximately 24 days, travelling 1,200 kilometers through nine provinces,” said Haslam. “While we expect the journey to be challenging, tiring and fun, the main aim of the world record attempt is to draw attention to the fantastic work of the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation and raise money to support their work further.”

Haslam and Cameron will also be playing the famous St Andrews Old Course during the trip by paying a visit to GolfZone’s golf simulator in Ekkamai, Bangkok.

During the journey, the world record go-getters will be joined on the golf courses by Asian Tour professionals such as Berry Henson, pending their schedules. And should the golf cart start to fall behind schedule, Phuket-based racing driver Dylan Young may be called in to make up lost time.

There will be no problem recognising the pair should they be at a golf course near you as their clothing has been sponsored by GOT shirts and Loud Mouth golf apparel.

Among others, Fox Sports Asia and Golf Channel Thailand will be airing the footage of the trip and highlighting the experiences of the journey.

The world record attempt will conclude with a Gala fundraising event at the Phuket Hard Rock Café where the drive will be recognised by Guinness World Records as a new world record, and the actual golf cart used on the journey will be auctioned off to raise further money for the charity.

All proceeds from the world record golf cart challenge will go to Phuket Has Been Good To Us, a Thai registered charity established in the aftermath of the 2004 Asian tsunami. The money raised will enable Phuket Has Been Good To Us to continue to expand their much needed English education programme that provides free English lessons to more than 1,000 underprivileged Thai children aged 3 to 18 in three government schools on Phuket.

Graham Haslam and Mark Cameron

Graham Haslam, a 50-year old fanatic golfer and qualified diving instructor, was born in London and has lived and worked his way around the world. After spending 20 years in the IT industry he is now semi-retired and lives in Phuket together with his English wife of 15 years. They are both are heavily involved with the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation, of which Graham’s wife is a Director.

Mark Cameron, a 47-year old oil and gas executive, is a Phuket resident and is married to a Thai lady. Over the past six years, he and his wife have helped to raise over 5 million Baht for children's charities through the Charity Golf Oilfield Classics held in Asia and Middle East.

Mark said, "This is a really exciting challenge and now it will be recognized as a world record I can't wait to get started, I have raised money through golf events and other ideas before, but this one is really different."

If you would like to support this worthy initiative, send an email to Graham.

See also: Golf: Hyatt Open 2014 in Hua Hin (Thailand) Raises Over 1.1 Million Baht