Three keen golfers will attempt to play as many courses as they can in 48 hours next April, to raise money for charity.

Michael Wood, of Lifton, his brother-in-law John Rance, and their friend, David McHenry, both from Cornwall, have dreamt up the idea as a novel way of participating in the charity Dartmoor Jailbreak.

The three have written to around 80 golf courses in Devon and Cornwall asking for permission to play a hole there for free. So far eight have said yes.

The two Cornishmen will play, while Mr Wood will act as driver, caddy and tin-rattler. He is seeking to get an oil company to sponsor him for petrol so that he does not break the rule on not paying for transport.

'We knew we could not beat the records set by other people, so we decided to look for something different,' said Mr Wood. 'We shan't be breaking any record, but we shall be the first to do this for the Jailbreak project and we shall raise quite a bit of money, I hope.'

Half of their money will go to Vranch House, a quarter to Penhaligon's Friends fund for bereaved children and a quarter to the Children's Hospice South West. Mr Wood previously raised money for the children's hospice as a musician.

The Dartmoor Jailbreak has been running annually since 1984 and has raised £384,000 to support the Vranch House centre for children with cerebral palsy at Exeter, as well as many other charities chosen by the participants.

All kinds of extraordinary feats have been performed within the 48-hour limit, including travelling as far as New Zealand. The only restrictions are that the law must be obeyed and transport cannot be paid for.