Sir Steve: "It's a fantastic turnout"

A total of 491 players were confirmed by the Guiness World Records as taking part in the most rounds of players participating in a single round of golf in a 24-hour period.

The bid was led by the UK's most famous Olympian, Sir Steve Redgrave, and raised more than �30,000, for Children's Hospice Association of Scotland (Chas), which is building a �10m hospice in Balloch, West Dunbartonshire.

The effort teed off at 0330 BST on Sunday on the Torrance course at the St Andrews Bay Golf Resort, in Fife.

"We could be coming back again and breaking this record," he told the delighted assemble of golfers after a presentation by Guinness World Records.

The first foursome to complete a round, at 0537

The final, and record-setting group, teed off at 1836 BST and included Sir Steve and Irish rugby captain Brian O'Driscoll.

The record for the most rounds completed in a single day currently stands at 605 and was set at the Rhodes Ranch Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada on 21 June, 1998. That record was set by golfers using buggies.

This time the golfers set a record on foot but they were intent on beating the record set in Las Vegas.

Every participant paid �50 a head to enter the challenge.

Last month Star Wars actor Ewan McGregor and Texas singer Sharleen Spiteri cut the first turf on the site of the new hospice, Robin House.

Full planning permission was granted by the Scottish Parliament in February and the hospice is scheduled to open in the summer of 2004.