Making the rounds for charity

Brian Laurent nearly recorded a hole-in-one Monday. Not too bad, considering it was the ... get this ... 105th hole he had played that day.

Laurent, son of a certified golf course superintendent (Terry Laurent, CGCS, pictured here hugging Brian when the day was done) played the equivalent of six rounds of golf and raised more than $7,200 for charity in an event called the Hundred Hole Hike at Double Eagles Club in Galena, Ohio. Laurent, associate director of the Ohio Turf & Golf Trust, was playing for the Wee One Foundation. It was started as a tribute to Wayne Otto, CGCS, who died of cancer in 2004. The foundation assists golf course management professionals or their dependents who incur overwhelming expenses due to medical hardship without comprehensive insurance or adequate financial resources.

The goal for Laurent was to play 108 holes, which he accomplished in a variety of weather. He tells GCM there was early cloud cover followed by a steady rain, and later it simply was hot and humid. By that time, Laurent was nearing the completion of a day that began at 5 a.m and didn't end until 6:30 p.m.That is what makes the near ace quite a feat (he used a gap wedge from 120 yards, and the ball mark was 3 inches from the cup).

"I was in so much pain after about 90 holes," Laurent says.

He received plenty of support. Terry Laurent forecaddied for him the whole way. Brian's wife, Kristi, brought their two sons, Camden and Ethan, to see him and offer encouragement.

Laurent raised money by receiving pledges from 10 GCSA chapters nationwide plus others affiliated with the industry. He wishes he could have done more.

"The biggest disappointment for me is the lack of birdies," Laurent says. "I had pledges in the amount of $7 per birdie, and I only made three of them. The putts just didn't want to fall."

 

Comments

[Jenny Mandarin]

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