GOLFERS of York and North Yorkshire unite.

The Press invites you to attend its inaugural golf day in September and help us raise as much as £10,000 for our Guardian Angels appeal.

We have teamed up with Sandburn Hall Golf Club, at Flaxton, to host a new golf event, which will provide a huge boost to our campaign to help improve life for the region's sickest children.

Battle will commence on the fairways and greens on Monday, September 11, and we're looking for a maximum of 40 teams of four golfers to launch this new annual event in fine style.

Teams of four cost £200 and all proceeds will go to the Guardian Angels appeal, which aims to raise £300,000 to transform high-dependency paediatric care on York Hospital's children's ward.

The cash will fund two life-saving rooms with new specialised equipment and the unit would be the first of its kind in the region that could deal with youngsters arriving as emergencies.

Last month, The Press reported how the appeal had already crashed through the £60,000 barrier in the six months since it was launched.

Businesses and teams who support this new event can expect 18 holes on one of the region's finest new courses, coffee and bacon rolls on arrival and a buffet dinner following the action.

The format will be the best two scores from each team of four recorded in a stableford format.

The maximum handicap is 24, but higher handicaps will be allowed to enter the competition and play off 24.

The venue at Sandburn Hall, which comprises a golf course, restaurant, academy and sports hall, opened in June 2005 to widespread acclaim.

It has since gone from strength to strength, celebrating its first birthday with a turnover of more than £1 million.

Sean Clarke, director of golf at Sandburn Hall, said: "We were first approached a couple of months ago and we are highly delighted to be opening such a prestigious event for the area.

Francine Clee, assistant editor at The Press, said: "We are delighted to join forces with Sandburn Hall to launch this new tournament which we are sure is bound to be popular with golfers all over the county."