The Golfer Who Played 580 Rounds In A Year

Patrick Koenig did something throughout 2023 that some of us could only dream of while, for others, it would fill them with dread. The golf photographer and blogger from Seattle broke the world record for playing the most amount of 18-hole courses when he completed an incredible 580 courses over the 365 days.

The simple maths of that is that he played an average of 1.6 rounds a day and 11 rounds a week.

The previous record stood at 449 courses which was set in 2009 and Koenig left that in his rear-view mirror as he completed his journey at none other than Chambers Bay in Washington.

“The final putt of the RGV Tour has dropped and a new world record has been established. 580 courses in 365 days,” he said on Instagram. “This has been one of the most rewarding and challenging years of my life. A big and heartfelt thank you to every single one of you who were a part of this ridiculous ride. Your support has meant the world to me…you literally carried me off the 18th green.”

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The RGV Tour stands for Recreational Golf Vehicle and he did his first one in 2018 after quitting his job to play golf in every US state in 2018. Then he took things to a new level in 2023 to raise money for nonprofit First Tee, an organisation that aims to 'make golf affordable and accessible to all kids'.

Almost as impressive was that he averaged 77.3 for each round with a best effort of a 67.