GOLFER SCOOPS 50,000/1 CAR

A golf fanatic has achieved a lifetime’s ambition and bagged a new car in the process.

Garth Harbison secured his first ever hole-in-one during a charity event at Fulwell Golf Club, Twickenham, after 36 years of trying.

The 45-year-old then picked up his new Volkswagen Polo from Twickenham Volkswagen on another special day – his birthday.

He said: “I’m still trying to understand what I’ve done! Winning the car was brilliant, but securing the hole-in-one is one of the best feelings I’ve ever had.

“I knew I’d hit the ball well, but didn’t see it drop because the hole was obscured due to the pin placement.

“Luckily two people were watching the hole and confirmed what had happened.”

The air traffic controller was playing in a fourball during the Captain’s Charity Day when he secured his ambition at the 158-yard 9th hole.

He was one of 140 golfers who played that hole on the day.

Fulwell Golf Club’s men’s captain, Peter Bowpitt, said: “It was a superb day with £6,197.42 raised for the Shooting Star Children’s Hospice and Kingston Hospital’s Cardiac Unit.

“Garth’s hole-in-one capped the day off brilliantly and made sure everyone will remember it for a long time.”

The women’s captain, Jane O’Neill added: “Thanks to the sponsorship from Twickenham Volkswagen Garth will have two fantastic memories of the day.”

Having played the game for so long Garth calculates that he must have played in the region of 50,000 holes and was coming to the conclusion that a hole in one would elude him.

He added: “Word quickly spread about what I’d done and soon there was lots of people congratulating me and asking me how I’d done it.

“I couldn’t give them a definitive answer but I’m sure everyone enjoyed the drinks I bought in the clubhouse.

Twickenham Volkswagen’s brand manager, Sanjay Pathak, said: “We’re really pleased for Garth, both for the hole-in-one and winning the Polo, and wish him many happy driving miles.

“Shooting Star Children’s Hospice and the Kingston Hospital’s Cardiac Unit provide vital services to the region and it’s important to help raise funds and awareness of them.”

Gold medal winning car for olympic hopeful gymnast

Alan Day Volkswagen is giving practical support to one of Great Britain’s top Olympic hopefuls as he trains for 2012.

Silver medal-winning gymnast, Daniel Keating, has been given a new Volkswagen Polo by the retailer to help him on his journey to success as he travels to training and competition events.

Daniel joins a growing list of Alan Day Ambassadors – high profile sporting personalities and organisations such as Darren Gough, Saracens and Les Ferdinand – who help the Volkswagen dealership in their annual programme of community and fundraising activities, and the Volkswagen retailer is currently considering local events for Daniel to take part in.

Paul Tanner, Managing Director, from Alan Day Volkswagen, said: “Renowned for its dynamic performance, stylish looks and superior fuel efficiency, we believed the new Polo was the ideal vehicle to support Daniel in his preparation for major competitions.

“We have been impressed by Daniel’s undoubted talent and dedication and we are honoured to sponsor him by providing a car with qualities that reflects his skills – flexibility, strength, balance and control.

“What’s more, as the new Polo has just been selected and European Car of the Year 2010, we thought it entirely appropriate that a budding Olympic gold medallist should drive the car currently on the top step of the motoring podium.”

Daniel Keating won the World Championships All Around silver medal at the O2 Arena in October 2009, to add to the silver he took at the Senior European championship in Italy earlier in the year, along with a bronze on the pommel horse. At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Daniel competed in the All Around final and finished ninth on the pommel horse.

Alan Day, which has sites in Southgate, Hampstead, and the City of London, is a family-owned business that has been delivering the highest levels of customer service to its customers since 1972.

New Polo, the fifth generation of the supermini, is the most technically advanced version in its 34 year history, but it remains true to the brand's core values of safety, reliability, quality and value for money.

Despite the increase in size, the Polo is lighter than the model it replaces leading to improved fuel economy and emissions.

The new Polo is available to order from Alan Day now with prices starting at £10,035.

The Car of the Year is an international award, judged by a panel of senior motoring journalists across Europe. The panel aims to give an expert, independent view of the most outstanding new car to go on sale in the past 12 months.

For more information contact Sue Foster on 01902 714957 or email sue@connect-group.com