At midnight, under the glow of the full moon, Jess Roper teed off on the No. 1 hole at Village Greens Golf Course in Kalispell.
Twenty-four hours later, at 11:59 p.m., Roper sank a putt that concluded a golf marathon of epic proportions.
The Kalispell native and Village Greens club manager completed 308 holes of golf on June 21. Roper tallied 1,256 shots over more than 101,000 yards, playing from the white tees at Village Greens. Through nearly 18 rounds, which were delayed for 45 minutes amid pouring rain, he finished 57 over par, which equates to an average score of 73.35 per round, or roughly 3-over par. He hit two eagles and 42 birdies and had four rounds under 70. His best 18-hole score was 67, which he shot twice.
Roper’s herculean task shattered what is believed to be the valley’s unofficial record for the number of holes played in 24 hours at 200.
By gathering pledges for a variety of achievements, including per-hole donations, Roper raised over $4,500 during his 24-hour effort to support the Village Greens Junior Golf Program and the Folds of Honor Foundation, a nationwide nonprofit that provides scholarships and assistance to families of those killed or disabled in military service.
Roper, a PGA club professional, said he attended an event that featured speakers from Folds of Honor and he was inspired to help support the foundation by playing as much golf as he could in 24 hours. Last year he played 184 holes in 24 hours, but this year he wanted the unofficial valley record.
When it was dark, a golf cart rigged with lights followed Roper as he played non-stop. He moved from hole to hole with proficient play while also respecting the course, fixing divot marks on the greens. At different points in the day, family, friends and onlookers came out to support him as he pushed through rain and shine, which is what helped him achieve over 300 holes of tireless play.