I’d love every golf club to have this life-saver

My wife Lesley is driving a campaign to have a defibrillator at every golf club.

Calling all golfers. I’ll be at the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles next September, and I’d love to see you there!

As part of the Defibrillator Campaign which I launched this week, letters are being sent out to 2600 PGA professionals across the UK and Ireland.

The letters talk about the life-saving benefits of having a defibrillator at your local club or driving range.

The pros can follow that up by heading to the PGA website, registering interest in getting a defibrillator and automatically entering their club into a draw to win one of seven pairs of Ryder Cup tickets.

Later next year, there’ll be further prizes on offer such as golfing equipment and weekend breaks.

Sunday Post readers can play their part, too. Encourage your professional to enter the draw and find out if your local club has a defibrillator.

Having one on site saves lives. Luckily for me, there was one at the hotel in Aberdeen where I was taken ill in the summer. Without that, I wouldn’t be here today.

My wife Lesley is the driving force behind the campaign. She and the rest of the family saw the great help I received up in Aberdeen.

Lesley feels it’s almost her duty to ensure others have the same chance as me to recover.

There are 100,000 deaths each year because of sudden cardiac arrests, which is what I had, exactly the same as Bolton footballer Fabrice Muamba.

But with the use of a defibrillator, allied to correct CPR, the chances of survival increase from 5% to more than 50%.

A recent survey showed 65% of golf clubs have had a victim of a sudden cardiac arrest in the last five years. I’m sure many of you can think of examples close to home. But less than a third of golf clubs or driving ranges have defibrillators.

They cost about £1000, but try not to let the price put you off. It doesn’t have to be installed straight away.

Competitions could be held to raise funds, or a club’s Captain or Lady Captain could include it as a project during their year in charge.

Defibrillators save lives. They can only help. People shouldn’t be worried about using them. No more harm can be done to the patient and the machine talks you through the process.

I’m sure that one day this vital piece of equipment will be compulsory at all golf clubs. But for now, I just want to raise awareness.

Golf is a fantastic outdoor pursuit, and a great way to spend time with friends. Having a defibrillator on site means help is close at hand and offers peace of mind.

I know I was lucky and I’d love this campaign to leave a legacy that helps others.

Finally, may I take this chance to wish everyone a happy and, more importantly, healthy Christmas.