Amateur breaks world record for most golf courses played in a year 

An intrepid amateur golfer has smashed the world record for playing the most 18-hole golf courses in a single year.

American Patrick Koenig has lived out every golfer’s dream since 2018 after quitting his job to play golf every single day.

The 43-year-old has now completed an extraordinary feat having played 450 18-hole golf courses in just 287 days, breaking the Guinness World Record of 449 previously set in a 365-day period by Jonathan and Caroline Weaver back in 2009.

Koenig, a golf photographer and blogger, has had over 100,000 followers on Instagram keeping up with his “RGV Tour 2.0” journey.

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He first embarked on a similar endeavour five years ago, giving up his Seattle apartment and driving over 35,000 miles in a motorhome over a 12-month period to play 405 golf courses, raising $20,000 for charity.

And Koenig is now well on course to complete his ambitious goal of playing 500 courses in 365 days, ending at Chambers Bay in Washington on January 2 next year.

He celebrated his record-breaking round alongside friends and family at Omni Interlocken golf course in Denver on October 17, having struck his first tee shot at Monarch Beach Golf Links back in Southern California on January 3.

A world record day. The world record setting putt on #18 and selfie. My sister joined via FaceTime. pic.twitter.com/ydL9UnNayJ

— Patrick Koenig (@patrickjkoenig) October 18, 2023

“Today The RGV Tour set a new world record and a water balloon fight broke out on the 18th green,” his Instagram caption read. “This scene will be one of the defining moments of my life in golf.

“Thank you to everyone who supported my dream and was part of this world record. We have accomplished what no other golfer has done before. 450 courses in 287 days. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Tomorrow… more golf.”

Koenig is now well on course to make it 500 before the year is out, with plans in place to visit more venues in Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California and Washington.

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His journey started when he first bought his RV for $160,000 and turning it into what he calls an RGV (recreational golf vehicle).

And he would not have been able to fulfil his dream without the backing of sponsors – with deals secured with ECCO, Stewart Golf and Golf Gamebrook helping to foot the bill for the adventure of a lifetime.

Koenig has been joined by hundreds of golfers along the way on both municipal courses and private country clubs, and is now ready to set a surely insurmountable target with six weeks remaining on his journey.