Thanks to Jim Colton, you could play one of the world's greatest golf courses.
When Colton, a member at Holyoke's Ballyneal Golf and Hunt Club, heard that Ben Cox, one of the club's caddies, had been paralyzed from the chest down in a skiing accident, he decided to turn his passion for golf into a way to raise funds.
Colton decided to do a marathon of 108 holes in one day--no cart, no gimmes--and take per-hole pledges from donors. For every hole above 108, donors would pay significantly more. In addition, he got more than 50 of the world's foremost courses—including Merion, Pebble Beach, Olympia Fields and dozens more—to donate rounds to be raffled off to those donating the suggested amount of $50 or $100.
So, on Wednesday, June 22, Colton teed off and played his 108 holes—and 47 more for good measure. The only thing that stopped the 42-year-old Chicagoan was darkness. His left-handed swing seemed as grooved at the beginning of his ninth round as his first.
His marathon raised more than $70,000—thus far. That number could jump significantly between now and July 8, when entries for the raffle end. To get in on the action (and possibly get on at, say, Olympic Club or Riviera), click here.