Source : Perth Now news
A $500,000 hole-in-one prize is up for grabs at Wembley Golf Course this weekend as golfers swing into action to raise money for youth mental health research.
The major fundraising effort included two Kids Mini Golf events, with Fat Cat and the Little Telethon stars joining young golfers at the October 6 event. The second event will be held on Thursday, October 8.
All proceeds will support Telethon-funded research at the Perron Institute for youth mental health, including efforts to develop more personalised treatment options for adolescents and young adults.
The Perron Institute Hole in One competition will return on Sunday, October 11, with the major prize doubling from last year’s $250,000.
The event, now in its seventh year, is presented by the Perron Institute, Channel 7 Telethon Trust and the Town of Cambridge which owns Wembley Golf Course.
The prize will be shared if more than one entrant sinks a hole-in-one.
To add to the excitement, several WA sporting stars and golf personalities will also take part, including golf personality Ron Chopper, Joel Innes, Perth Wildcats player Dylan Windler and West Coast Eagles AFLW player Georgie Cleaver.
The competition has been building from September with golden golf balls being randomly inserted into the range hopper at Wembley Golf Course’s driving range from September 7 to October 7.
Players who found a golden ball earned a place in the challenge, while a corporate Play with the Pros day in September also gave teams a chance to nominate a player to compete for the major prize.
A $2500 nearest-the-pin prize, sponsored by Shaw and Partners, will also be awarded on the day, while the professional competition carries a separate $2500 nearest-the-pin prize and a $10,000 hole-in-one prize.
Professor Jenny Rodger, head of brain plasticity research and co-leader of youth mental health research at the Perron Institute, said the research focused on finding better treatments for young people experiencing mental illness.
“We know from all of the research that’s gone on that treatments that exist for young people are not particularly good,” she said.
“Their success rate is less than 50 per cent, so we really need better treatments that are tailored to individuals.”
She said the Perron Institute was investigating genetic factors that could help determine which treatments might work better for each individual patient.
“What we’re trying to do is identify factors that can predict which medications might work best for individual people,” she said.
Dr Rodger said a simple pharmacogenetic test could help doctors better understand how a person’s body might process a medication.
“By doing this very simple genetic test, you can get an idea that will help guide a prescription that is more personalised and hopefully more effective,” she said.
She said young people could be particularly vulnerable because their brains were still developing.
“When you’re working with people under the age of 25, even, their brains are still developing,” she said.
“And at the teenage years, sort of 13 to 18, those are really vulnerable years, because the brain is establishing all of its emotional processes, learning how to regulate moods.”
She said exercise and social connection play an important role in supporting mental health wellbeing and the golf event was a fitting way to support the cause.
“It’s about getting out into the fresh air, getting some exercise, going out with friends, with family, and just having a good time,” she said.
The hole-in-one competition will be held on October 11 on hole 18 of the Tuart course.
Due to this event, the spare hole on the Tuart course will be in play all day.
