TWO Herefordshire golfers have tested their limits of endurance while raising more than £1,500 for a good cause.

Dave Masefield and Steve Knight completed the staggering feat of playing 102 holes of golf on six different county courses in a single day to raise money for a charity which benefits Masefield's nephew Tim Farr who broke his back and was left paralysed from the waist down at the age of 19 while skiing.

The pair's epic day, which was played under the strict rules of golf with the pair carrying their own clubs, began at 4.05am at Belmont.

"The first hole took rather a long time as we had a bit of a problem seeing the ball as it was still quite dark," said Masefield.

"Then, as it was misty down by the river at 5am, we lost a couple of balls and, as we were playing under strict rules, we had to go back to tee off again."

Nevertheless, the pair finished their round at 6.17am and journeyed across the city to begin their next round at Burghill Valley at 6.40am.

They again completed their round in just two-and-a-quarter hours and continued to Herefordshire Golf Club at Wormsley, where Masefield is a member.

"The course was beginning to get a bit busier at that time but everyone, as they were throughout the day, was very understanding and let us play through," said Masefield.

"We finished our round there in two-and-a-half hours and then we were able to have a shower and grab a bacon sandwich which we ate en route to Leominster."

The pair were two hours earlier than anticipated in arriving at Leominster and after completing their round there in two-and-a-half hours, they were able to slip in 12 unscheduled holes at The Grove before continuing on to Kington.

Their final round of the day began at 6.15pm and concluded, with the dusk drawing in, at 9.30pm.

In true competitive spirit, the two kept their scores all the way through the day.

"When we got to Kington, Steve was three holes up but I pulled back and, just as we were contemplating a play-off, I won two and one at the 101st hole," said Masefield.

"We would like to thank all the courses we played at and all the golfers for their graciousness."

The money raised will go towards providing a race-chair for Tim Farr who is a serious prospect for selection for the skiing section of the Winter Paralympics in Vancouver in 2010.

Masefield and Knight are also hoping to raise further funds with a golf day for teams of four at Kington on July 27. Anyone interested in taking part should contact Penny Woodbridge on 01531 630068.