Defibrillator for golf clubs campaigns are proving to be a success

Two recent campaigns, one in Scotland and one in Wales, to get defibrillators in golf clubs are proving to be successful.

The importance of defibrillators, or AEDs, was highlighted at the end of last year when a life-saving intervention of a greenkeeper was carried out to a member.

North Berwick member Gordon Moodie suffered a cardiac arrest on the course whilst playing a seniors’ match at Gullane in 2021, but his life was saved thanks to the actions of greenkeeper Liam Nicholson, who used the AED to resuscitate Gordon before other colleagues and ambulance staff arrived to continue treatment.

Not everyone is quite so lucky.

For example, in 2013 a member at Elgin Golf Club, also in Scotland, collapsed on the golf course. Despite the application of CPR, the member’s life could not be saved.

Nine years later, local charity Keiran’s Legacy has made it a goal to equip every golf course in Moray with external defibrillators.

That has seen the charity install defibrillators at golf courses in Forres, Hopeman and now Elgin.

Sandra McKandie, Keiran’s Legacy chair and founder, said: “It all looks very serene and beautiful at Elgin Golf Club but you have to be aware of the potential for things to go wrong.

“When they do, it happens quickly and for every minute that you don’t have a defib on somebody, the chances of survival drops by ten percent.

North Berwick Golf Club has installed a second defibrillator this year

“It’s great that we’ve been able to provide one for Elgin but our goal now is to make sure that all courses in Moray are equipped because we know that a few like Dufftown and Rothes don’t have anything at the moment.

“Once we’ve done that, the goal is to spread out to Aberdeenshire and the wider Grampian area.”

Staff and volunteers at Elgin Golf Club underwent first aid training as part of the defibrillator’s installation a few days ago.

Meanwhile, the MP for Ynys Môn in Wales, Virginia Crosbie, has unveiled a defibrillator at Anglesey Golf Club – as part of her campaign for more life-saving medical kits on the island, along with a map of their locations.

The device is on the wall at the front of the clubhouse ready to help anyone who suffers a heart attack.

The Rhosneigr Sports Club collaborated with Anglesey Golf Club to have it installed and raised the money too.

Virginia said: “It was an honour to unveil this brilliant and vital bit of kit that saves lives.

“I can now mark off the sports club as having one and I continue to seek new locations and speak to communities who want one too.

“This is on top of the free training sessions I have organised so we have people in the community able to use defibrillators although anyone can spring into action and use them in an emergency.

“Many thanks to Rhosneigr Sports Club for raising the money to have it installed and Anglesey Golf Club for hosting it.”

Two recent campaigns, one in Scotland and one in Wales, to get defibrillators in golf clubs are proving to be successful.