THE Peter Alliss Masters Powered Wheelchair Crusade was one of the charities benefiting from £33,000 raised by Hindhead Golf Club.

The club’s annual captains’ drive-in saw the official hand over to a new team of captains for 2018. It was also the grand finale for a year of fundraising.

During 2017, events organised by the captains and supported by members, raised £28,602 for the club captain’s charities – the Meath Epilepsy Charity, in Godalming, and The Peter Alliss Masters Powered Wheelchair Crusade.

Fundraisers included raffles, a pro-am day, and the Farnham Lions’ charity golf day, which raised £10,000.

An additional £4,550 was raised for The Simon Trust, the ladies’ captain’s charity for 2017.

The Simon Trust supports severely autistic young adults with complex needs. Guildford Borough Council is building a new home at Linden Farm, Alfold, near Cranleigh, where 10 young adults will live, who currently live far from their families.

It is the first home of its type in Surrey. Construction has started and will be ready for its new residents in spring/summer 2019.

Outgoing ladies’ captain Samantha Dodd presented a cheque to Sally Lawrence, the chairman of the trust, who said: “The Simon Trust is extremely grateful to the ladies of Hindhead Golf Club.

“This is a fantastic achievement. We are hoping to raise £500,000 to put towards facilities at Linden Farm.

“These will include a horticulture area with glass house, where the residents will be able to go with their carers to grow fruit and vegetables all-year round, sports facilities, art and craft facilities and a wonderful indoor sensory room, which will be very therapeutic for disabled young people.”

In a move away from tradition, the incoming captains have decided to support the same charity in 2018. Both the new club captain Lorne Magory and the new ladies’ captain Lesley Sullivan, will support Stepping Stones special needs school, in Hindhead.

The senior school is based at Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s former home Undershaw, which was purchased and restored by the DFN Foundation.

The Sherlock Holmes creator had close links with the club. The Victorian writer was one of the golf club’s founding fathers and its first president.

Heading up the junior section, and also hoping to raise money during the year, is Ross Donaldson, who maintained the tradition of outdriving the club captain.

And there was a busy field of competitors in a shotgun team stableford competition.