A golf enthusiast from North Dakota is embarking on a unique adventure to explore and conquer the diverse landscapes and challenges presented by the golf courses in his home state.
In 2019, Randy DeBolt, a retired military veteran, began a remarkable golfing journey. Having played golf in 49 states, with only Alaska left, Randy has played an impressive 622 courses around the world. However, after retiring from the Navy after 26 years he decided to move back to his home state where his passion for the sport has led him to set a unique goal – to play all 111 golf courses in North Dakota. As one of the best places to live for Veterans, as well as having the most courses per capita than anywhere in the U.S., Randy has found the good life.
Currently, Randy has conquered 93 of these courses, and he is determined to complete his mission in the next two years. Just like the legendary experiences of Lewis and Clark, DeBolt set a course to tackle links across the state by using a map.
“I carefully marked every town with a golf course on a state highway map of North Dakota. Each town with one course was highlighted in yellow, while those with two or more were highlighted in pink. I then created a typed document listing all the towns with more than one course,” DeBolt explains.
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A pop-up camper has aided Randy in his journey, sometimes playing multiple courses in one day, but so has the relative ease of getting a tee time at most North Dakota courses.
Professional Golfer and North Dakota native Tom Hoge has said, “You never would think of Fargo, North Dakota, as a big golf town. I’ve seen a lot of golf courses around the world now and I recognize how good I had it.”
Randy echoes that statement, “My favorite course is the Minot Country Club but what I’ve found in playing all these courses is it’s just interesting playing holes that nobody famous designed, just the local people in the community chipped in time and effort to build something for the community to enjoy. I enjoy the anticipation of driving into the parking lot and finding out what new adventure is about to happen.”
As proud sponsors of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, North Dakota Tourism and Find the Good Life in North Dakota through the North Dakota Department of Commerce are pleased to share Randy’s inspiring story and his love for golf in North Dakota. This prestigious event provides an excellent platform to showcase Randy’s dedication as well as the beauty of North Dakota’s golf courses.
