Donald P. Bourg hits a drive at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni’s Torii Pines Golf Course at Tuesday’s charity marathon. (Lendus B. Casey / U.S. Marine Corps)
When the American Red Cross asked Gary Groff, golf course manager at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, to raise funds for Hurricane Katrina victims, he saw them nine and raised them 101.
Instead of the nine-hole tournament the American Red Cross suggested, Groff and three other golfers staged a 110-hole marathon.
The Torii Pines Golf Course manager said Friday he knew a golf marathon, in which community members could pledge donations per hole, would raise a lot more money than a tournament.
The pledges totaled $12,518 — to sponsor just four players.
Billy E. Allbright, James M. Clark, Donald P. Bourg and Groff took part in the all-day fundraiser on Sept. 27 and as of Friday afternoon, have collected more than $5,000 for the cause, Groff said.
“I hate to date myself but I played in one of these back in the ’80s and we played 108 holes,” Groff said. “The other guys had never done it and wanted to play 110 just to beat my record."
The four golfers, who all completed the 11-hour marathon, worked to secure pledges ranging from “a few cents to a couple dollars per hole” before the event, he said.
“It’s something that’ll make you really sore and tired,” Groff added, “but I figure there are worse things than playing golf all day long.”
