Coogee Bay Hotel Tops $400,000 at 29th Charity Golf Day

Coogee Bay Hotel has raised more than $400,000 for Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation (SCHF) through its 29th Annual Charity Golf Day, drawing hospitality partners, sponsors and supporters to an event that has now run for nearly three decades.

The figure lands within a wider financial commitment. This year's proceeds count toward a $1 million pledge the hotel has made over five years to support Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick's Base of Skull Service. That service treats children with complex conditions affecting the skull base and coordinates clinicians across nine specialties to manage their care.

The partnership itself runs deep. Coogee Bay Hotel has backed SCHF since 1994, with money from the annual golf day funding clinical spaces, research and treatments at the Randwick hospital.

What does the event mean for the operator?

For a single pub operation, a $400,000-plus annual cheque to one hospital charity is a serious number — roughly $13,800 per year on average across the event's 29-year run, though totals have grown well beyond that pace in recent editions.

Managing Director Christopher Cheung framed the result as a community effort rather than a hotel achievement alone.

"We're incredibly proud that this year's Charity Golf Day has raised more than $400,000 for Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation," Cheung said.

"Now in its 29th year, the Golf Day remains one of the highlights of our calendar and is only possible because of the incredible generosity of our partners, sponsors and supporters who continue to get behind it year after year."

He added that the hotel is "proud to continue our longstanding partnership" with SCHF and to support Randwick in helping children and families access specialist care.

SCHF Director of Partnerships Rhiahne Ralph credited the venue for consistently mobilising its community.

"Coogee Bay Hotel has been a long-standing partner of SCHF, bringing its community together year after year to make an incredible difference for sick kids and their families," Ralph said.

"Raising more than $400,000 is an extraordinary achievement and reflects the generosity of the Hotel, its partners, sponsors and everyone who continues to get behind the Golf Day."

A second pub fundraiser made headlines the same week

The golf day wasn't the only pub industry effort backing children's health. Kaine Bayfield raised just under $44,000 through the CEO Dare to Cure challenge, having his head shaved live on national breakfast television on Sunrise.

His nephew Harper handled the shave on air. Bayfield said the support made this year's challenge especially memorable.

"It always means so much to me each year that I take on a challenge, but this year was extra special," Bayfield said.

"For those of you who didn't tune in to Sunrise and watch live, Harper shaved my head for me. It was a great morning and Harper even got to have a snake bath."

The total placed Bayfield third on the challenge's fundraising leaderboard.

"This year was huge for the support I received. I ended up coming 3rd on the leader board for funds raised and I have you to thank," he said, crediting donors.

The two results together push past $444,000 in fresh funding for children's health from the pub sector in a single round of events. With Coogee Bay Hotel's five-year, $1 million commitment to the Base of Skull Service now underway, next year's 30th golf day will mark both a milestone edition and the next instalment of that funding promise.