RICHLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. — If there were box scores for golf marathons, Bradley Lardie's recent performance would have stuffed the stat sheet.
On June 21, the Grand Rapids-based golfer played 361 holes in a single day, setting a new record for the most holes played in a First Tee — West Michigan Golf Marathon.
The previous record stood at 360.
Lardie teed off at 6:00 a.m. and did not stop until 10:00 p.m., leaving Eastern Hills Golf Course in Kalamazoo County with the sun below the horizon and more than 20 complete rounds of golf under his belt.
"I love it, and I want to keep being able to support it, because it supported me," Lardie said about First Tee — West Michigan.
The local branch of the national nonprofit hosts around two dozen golf marathons at West Michigan courses each summer, raising money so children and teens can learn the game of golf, regardless of their family's financial means.
"When you're keeping track of your own behavior, your own score, the way you function in life, I've seen kids flourish in that area," said First Tee — West Michigan Program Coordinator Brandon Jean. "We're building youth to thrive."
Lardie himself participated in First Tee's programming as a child and he currently interns at the nonprofit. Without its tutelage and support, he says he likely never would have stepped foot on a golf course.
"I don't even know what golf was when I first started," he said.
During his record-setting day, Lardie said he entered a "flow state," swinging his clubs and snacking on hot dogs as he ran and rode through Eastern Hills over and over and over again.
"Honestly, I don't remember a lot of it," he said. "I remember it was a good time. I don't remember every single hole. I loved it, though. I'm a hundred percent going to do it again."
As long as the nonprofit is raising money to lower the barrier of entry to the game, Lardie says he'll be driving from tee boxes and putting on greens, playing golf until the sun sets or his body tires.
"There will be a day where I can't play 360 holes, and I'll play 54 holes," he said. "I look forward to that day. It's going to happen eventually, and I will still play.
"I have a passion for First Tee. I'll do it as long as I'm able to do it."
