Barrie Coleman: South Canterbury man raises funds by ‘Saving butts and sinking putts’

South Canterbury's Barrie Coleman is on a mission to raise funds for mental health efforts.

He began his year-and-a-half-long endeavour of playing at every golf course in New Zealand on Saturday.

Coleman says he's left his job to complete these fundraising efforts. 

He's also sold his house and will be living in a campervan - that's also set to be offered up for auction at the end.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
EDB right now, saving butts by sinking puts, that's what
it's all about for South Canterbury man Barry Coleman. Yesterday
Barry set off on a year and a half journey
to play every golf course in New Zealand, a total
of four hundred and fourteen courses. Barry's quest is in
honor of his wife Meghan, who he lost two years ago,

(00:31):
and to raise money and awareness for mental health. Barry
Coleman joins me, now, good morning, Barry, good morning. How
did this idea come about of playing every golf course
in New Zealand?

Speaker 3 (00:44):
Okay, so after I lost my wife Meghan, I was
playing golf one day with three of my mates and
they came up with an idea to start a charity.
So we called it the Lanx Foundation and it went
from there. So we did two big tournaments on come
Meet Golf for Hope, and then I got the idea

(01:06):
had to do more and do the forwarding four hundred
and fourteen.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
Golf courses because you and your friends you've already raised
seventy five thousand for I Am Hope. This is obviously
a really important cause to you.

Speaker 3 (01:18):
That is yes, I Am Hope, amazing charity and New
Zealand and the youth and for counseling in it. So
we thought it's a good charity to sponsor.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
Am I right that you've sold your house and you're
taking time off work to do this. This is a
big commitment.

Speaker 3 (01:38):
So I'm unemployed home, yes, so I've left my job,
but I can go back to it after I finished
the trip and you've sold up the house. Yeah, and
where I go living in a camp evan for fifteen months.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
It's fantastic. I know you've been supplied the camp a
van for the trip. It's going to be raffled off.
So you are you literally driving from one golf course
to the next and living out of this van for
a year and a half.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
So trail light, I've come aboard and giving me a
cap a van to travel around to every golf course.
I say, I'm going to rain for it off after
my trip, but I don't go with it though.

Speaker 2 (02:24):
What do you think Megan would think of this idea?

Speaker 3 (02:26):
Perry, I could be proud of me and you would
think that was amazing, and yeah, yes, I'm every day,
so yeah, proud of what I'm doing.

Speaker 2 (02:38):
I know that you've got three daughters as well. Are
they going to be able to join you at some point.

Speaker 3 (02:43):
I live all over the country, and when I passed
through it, I'm going to come and join me for
a couple of days or a week. Hopefully.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
I hear that word is spread and you're already being
invited to a few barbecues and head requests for people
to join you. Is that right?

Speaker 3 (03:01):
Yes, I mean I've been trying to lose weight and
get fit for the tour, but yeah, a lot of
barbecues and wake up and there's bacon and eggs ready
for me, and so it's not going too well on
the diet.

Speaker 2 (03:15):
Well, you've got you know, you've got to get keep
your stammin her up. Berry. You sit yourself quite a
target here, four hundred and four gene courses. Are you
good at golf?

Speaker 3 (03:24):
Berry, No, just the average golfer. Yeah, so are some
of these?

Speaker 2 (03:30):
Are some of these courses going to be quite challenging
for you?

Speaker 3 (03:33):
Yeah? Certain, the big resort ones, even the nine of
them holes around the Zealand pretty tough. Yes, some of them.

Speaker 2 (03:42):
Yeah, you started yesterday your home course, Wheden's Country Club.
How did the round go yesterday? Berry?

Speaker 3 (03:49):
Yeah, that was great. Yeah. Well the greenkeeper had a
challenge called green Keeper's Revenge, so there was obstacles on
the greens and stuff like that. It's very interesting. So
it was a great way to start. And Weeden's have
been great support to me.

Speaker 2 (04:06):
So I know that you've got your give a little
page and I'll give that information in a minute. But
are you are you keen for people to come along
and be part of this as well?

Speaker 3 (04:14):
Yes, and I'm too right, But if you go on
the page and message me and I'll be glad to
have some company along the way. Very great.

Speaker 2 (04:23):
What courses are you most looking forward to?

Speaker 3 (04:28):
There's a few up in the North Island and the
resort ones that that comes down south that my friends
want to join with.

Speaker 2 (04:38):
So some of those really kind of flash nice private ones, Barry,
They're they're they're letting you in and everyone's very keen
to support you at those ones, are they.

Speaker 3 (04:46):
Yes, it's like down in Millbrook and in Queen's down
that day. I will join you down there, so yeah,
it's I'll catch up for those ones.

Speaker 2 (04:58):
What do you think your biggest challenge is going to
be over these four hundred and fourteen days or courses?

Speaker 3 (05:03):
I should say, yeah, there's going to be some highs
and loads. It's going to be quite draining every day
traveling and the course, isn't it And hopefully it's the
body or get through it plus the weather. Sometimes it's
not going to be very nice. I suppose the most
challenging things.

Speaker 2 (05:22):
Oh, Barry, really nice to talk to you, and I
wish you are the best, and I think we're going
to be very proud. You can find Barry Coleman's give
a little page by looking up his name and searching
saving butts by sinking puts, and you'll be able to
see when maybe I give you a bit more information
as to how you can follow him and when he's
in your region and you can, I don't know, go
and sink some parts with Barry. It is fourteen to

(05:45):
tenure with News Talks.

Speaker 1 (05:46):
Ab For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin.
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