CommanderBond.net
  1. 'Goldfinger' Golf Day Marks Ian Fleming Centenary

    By Devin Zydel on 2008-06-25
    Ian Fleming

    Ian Fleming

    Ian Fleming’s family is hosting a charity golf event today as yet another way to mark the James Bond creator’s centenary.

    First announced this past January, the Goldfinger golf tournament takes place at the Royal St George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, Kent, where Fleming was once a member. The BBC News reports that funds from the charity event will go towards the British Heart Foundation.

    The course, under the name Royal St Mark’s, was the site of the first confrontation between Bond and Auric Goldfinger in the author’s seventh 007 adventure in 1959.

    Lucy Fleming said: ‘In the book, Ian devoted at least three chapters to a game of golf which is fascinating even if you are not a golfer because of it’s minute detail. He called it Royal St Mark’s but he sort of described each hole and people are very familiar with it.’

    ‘He had a pro who played with him called Cyril [Fred] Whiting and in the book he is called Cyril [Alfred] Blacking.’

    Sara Jane Woods, of the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘We were approached by the Fleming family and there was such a wonderful synergy because Ian very sadly died of heart disease very early and obviously had he lived he would have been 100 this year. We were very lucky that the Fleming family felt that they would like to do this event in memory of Ian.’

    She added: ‘Heart disease is the biggest killer in the UK and we spend about £70 million on research which has enabled us to produce things like statins [cholesterol-lowing drugs] which today could have possibly helped Ian had they been around at the time he was ill.’

    The golf tournament will host 21 teams named after characters from the books with a charity auction hosted by Fleming’s nephew to follow afterwards. One of the prizes from the event is a private viewing of the 22nd Bond film, Quantum of Solace, a day before its world premiere with the Fleming family.

    Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for continued coverage of all the worldwide events and publications going on to mark the Ian Fleming centenary.

    To keep track of all the upcoming 007 releases, events, television shows, and more–just keep your eyes on the CBn Calendar, located on the right panel of our main page.