‘It Irritates Me’: After Walking 8,424 Miles and Burning Nearly 2 Million Calories, Austin Golfer Was Once Told His Guinness World Record Doesn’t Count

Golf today is short on records yet to be broken. The age-old game has seen many greats come and go, and so have the history books that have kept re-writing themselves.

But in today’s section on the freakiest records in golf, let’s take a moment to appreciate the man who holds the record for the most rounds of golf played in a year. Though the achievement isn’t listed on the Guinness World Records, the matter deserves a closer look.

Who holds the record for the most golf played in a year?

The question is puzzling and indeed indecisive to judge. How would you ascertain the person’s progress over the course of 365 days? Do par-2 and par-5 courses differ from each other? And how about a caddie and a golf cart to move quicker? Unfortunately, there are no written rules, which makes the case murkier than expected.

Read more: Meet the Man With the Mind-Boggling Guinness World Record for the Longest Club Throw in Golf

However, one thing is clear. It’s a record set aside for the common folklore to explore. We live in an era where well-paid PGA Tour golfers are worried about playing 20 events across a year. Who has the whole year for making putts and drives in their living subconscious for 365 days straight? Meet Barry Gibbons, a resident of Austin and the only person to record more than 1,000 rounds of golf in a year (that we know of!).

Stats from Gibbons’ record-breaking achievement

In a story by Alex Myers of GolfDigest, Gibbons managed the feat while playing at the Ridgefield (Conn.) Golf Course. He set himself up to hit a neat 1,234 round last year, but his love for golf meant he added one extra round for his liking.

In his story, Myers revealed that in a phone call with Gibbons, the latter was “irritated” with calls of other golfers breaking his record. Little did he know of Gibbon’s errands, though. “It irritates me that I have all these friends blowing up my phone telling me this guy beat my record!” Gibbons said.

In a commendable act, Gibbons wore a Fitbit during his year-long errand. For anyone who calls golf an unhealthy game, here’s a sneak peek into his stats.

Gibbons walked a total of 8,424 miles on the golf course, which in slightly expansive terms meant 16,824,607 steps. He burnt more than a million calories (1,749,289, to be precise). The achievement did take time, as he clocked nearly 10 hours every day on the course.

However, despite submitting the required paperwork and documenting day-to-day statistics, Gibbons’ effort wasn’t deemed enough to be recognized by the Guinness World Records. The only missing factor was an official judge on a daily basis, which seems a little unfair to the pacesetter.

However, all things considered, mine and your brains will only have one name in mind for the record for most golf rounds played in a year. Up till it’s official, though.

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