[Photo: supplied One Day]
What began as a conversation over drinks between grieving mates has become one of the most powerful grassroots charity events in Australian golf. Now heading into its third year at Castle Hill Country Club, One Day is not your typical charity golf fundraiser. From 6:30am Tuesday to 6:30am Wednesday, golfers take on a relentless 24-hour challenge—some for the full day, others for 12 daylight hours—all with one shared mission: to help fund a better future for people affected by cancer.
“Imagine playing golf for 24 hours straight—under floodlights, with glow-in-the-dark balls, glow sticks marking the fairways, and your mates alongside you. It sounds crazy, but it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done,” says Steve Chapman, one of the driving forces behind One Day, a powerful charity golf event that’s rapidly gaining momentum across Australia.
In its first year, One Day had 22 golfers and raised over $100,000. In 2024, it grew to 52 players and raised over $260,000. “This year, we’re hoping to double that again and raise $500,000. The support has been humbling,” Chapman says.
The 24-hour experience is like no other. During daylight hours, golfers loop Castle Hill’s 18-hole layout. At night, the course transforms into a glowing battlefield.
“We light up the tees and greens with day-makers, line the fairways with glow sticks, and we play with balls that light up when hit. It’s surreal. You’re chasing a glowing ball down a glowing fairway at 3am—it’s like stepping into another world,” says Steve.
Noise restrictions mean only 10 modified holes are used overnight, but players still complete over 100 holes in 24 hours. “There’s barely time to rest. We stop to eat, hydrate, use the toilet—but that’s about it. We just keep playing,” Chapman says.
One Day is growing beyond Castle Hill. Windsor Golf Club hosted its own version in 2024, and interest from other clubs and even driving ranges is growing. A full event guide is available for venues wanting to join the cause.
“We’re now open to all golfers,” says Steve. “You don’t have to be a member of Castle Hill to take part. And if you can’t play, sponsor someone who is. Every bit helps.”
One Day‘s origin story was born from tragedy. In 2023, Steve and his golf mates lost their friend Mark—a fit, healthy 49-year-old who mentioned a sore back one weekend and was gone just four weeks later.
“I told him to suck it up and finish the round,” Chapman recalls. “None of us knew what was really happening. The diagnosis came late, and treatment was never started. We were left wondering: Could things have been different?”
That devastating question became a call to action. Just weeks later, the group decided they had to do more. Rod Frost, the founder of One Day, was deeply motivated—his sister-in-law, Alison Longmire, had just been diagnosed with cancer on Christmas Day 2022, and days earlier, his business partner lost her husband to the same disease.
“We could have spent years debating ideas,” Steve says, “but Rod Frost just picked up the phone and started making things happen. Lights, glow balls, tee times. Suddenly, we had an event.”
The event supports Love Your Sister, the cancer charity founded by Gold Logie winner Samuel Johnson. All funds go directly to OMICO (formerly the Australian Genomic Cancer Medicine Centre) and the Garvan Institute to support precision medicine—an approach that customises cancer treatment based on a patient’s genetic profile.
“As an embryologist, I’ve worked in medical science for 25 years—but what the researchers at Garvan are doing blew me away,” says Chapman. “Every cancer is different, so why give every patient the same treatment? Precision medicine allows them to test a patient’s cancer cells in the lab to find out which treatments will work. It’s about getting it right the first time. But it’s expensive. And that’s where we come in.
“Cancer affects us all,” Chapman says. “This is our way of fighting back—one hole, one swing, One Day at a time.”
To register, donate or get involved, visit www.oneday.net.au.
