World’s Most Avid Golfer to play 600th round for charity

December 22 -- When Texas golfer Richard Lewis smashed the world’s record for most rounds played in a year, he did so with a group of his regular buddies. When the 64-year-old retiree plays his 600th round of 2010 at the TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas course in Irving on December 26, he’ll have a few more playing partners and spectators along for what has turned into a charity walk for the First Tee of Dallas

“A local TV station  is working on the story and [Richard] has given them the local exclusive,” Paul Earnest, Four Seasons’ golf director told Waggle Room Wednesday about the media attention Lewis has received. “It could become a bigger story and might be national news by then.”

Lewis, the “World’s Most Avid Golfer,” according to the Guinness Book of World Records, did not set out to play and walk the most rounds of golf in a calendar year. Since he teed it up for his record-breaking 587th round on December 19, however, a fellow member came up with the idea of marking the occasion of Lewis’ 600th round with a charity walk.

Some six other members will chip in $1,000 each to participate in Lewis’ historic feat. With another colleague set to match each grand with another $1,000, Lewis’ 18 holes will raise a good chunk of change for the First Tee.

Lewis, an unassuming guy who carries a 3-handicap, never sought the spotlight but has embraced the idea of a philanthropic round. “He’s excited that members backed him and put some charity components in place,” Earnest said.

Lewis, who walks each round, figured he had lost some 40 pounds while ambling about 3,900 miles on each six-mile track in 2010. “We’ve actually had him wear a GPS tracking device to be accurate on the mileage count,” said Earnest.

The avid golfer played each of his 2010 rounds on Las Colinas or the Four Season’s private Cottonwood Valley course. The TPC track hosts the PGA Tour’s annual HP Byron Nelson Championship event.

Courtesy of PGATour.com, here are a few nuggets about Lewis, who:

• Has played as many as 54 holes in a day
• Starts his daily round at 7:30 a.m. and his second round three hours later
• Missed playing on 19 days because of sleet or below-freezing temperatures
• Has to eat at least one pizza a day and drinks lots of protein drinks each week to keep weight on
• Has used the same bag for more than 1,000 rounds

Lewis planned to continue playing after his 600th round and expected his last 18 of the year to be on December 31, according to PGATour.com. Members and guests may join Lewis for his season-ending round for donations of $75 (member) or $125 (guest). Proceeds will benefit the Junior Golf Foundation of the Northern Texas PGA, said PGATour.com. Lewis will sign a commemorative scorecard for each player.

The golfer was making his way through his afternoon 18 and was unavailable for comment. Waggle Room hoped to catch up with him after he holed the last putt on his 36th hole.