Rare Golfer News: 361 Hole Marathon, and Two Aces in one Round

   Bradley Lardie, a First Tee – West Michigan alumnus and current intern at First Tee in Grand Rapids, made history by playing 361 holes of golf in a single day at Eastern Hills Golf Course, setting a new record for the most holes ever played in a First Tee Golf Marathon. The previous record stood at 360 holes.

   Lardie teed off at 6:00 a.m. and played continuously until 10:00 p.m., completing the equivalent of more than 20 full rounds of golf in just 16 hours. His extraordinary effort helped raise funds to support First Tee – West Michigan’s character-building programs for youth in the community.

   “First Tee has given me so much: my first job, a hobby I can play forever, and the perseverance to do things like this,” said Lardie. “I want to be able to give someone else the same opportunity that I had.” 

   Bradley joined First Tee as a participant in his youth and now, as a college student and intern with the organization, continues to live out the values he first learned on the course. 

   “Bradley’s accomplishment is First Tee personified,” said Tyler Smies, CEO of First Tee – West Michigan. “He started with First Tee at age 7, grew and learned through our curriculum and his relationships with mentors and peers, and was the first ever to complete the program’s Ace level.”

   Two Holes in One at Treetops in the Same Round

   Mike Robertson, a Grand Rapids native, made two hole-in-ones within the same 18-hole round of golf at Treetops’ Signature Course in late June, a first-ever at the northern Michigan resort in Gaylord. Robertson, an eight-handicap player, had never had a hole-in-one until the two back-to-back aces. Research showed that the odds of this happening are 67 million to one.  

   Mike made his hole-in-ones at holes 2 and 8 – meaning the achievement came on the front nine that day.  Mike followed the hole-in-one tradition of buying drinks for his friends, a group of 16 golfers.  Mike calls himself an average golfer and never imagined he would make one hole-in-one, let alone two within the same round.