A Golfer With a Cause

Any golf enthusiast will tell you their dream is to play golf for a living. Patrick Koenig is living that dream, and raising money for a great cause in the process.

Last year, Koenig bought a recreational vehicle and transformed his RV into an “RGV”: in this case, a recreational golf vehicle whose roof serves as a tee-off area for playing any golf course green it can access within reach of a tee shot. A year later, he’s now taking his RGV around the country on the brand-new RGV Tour, an endeavor that’s open to anyone who wants to play with Koenig, and be part of history in the process.

So far, the RGV Tour has visited 134 courses through 17 states. He is playing golf holes at everything from local gems to top 100 courses, par 3 designs to even some putt-putt courses. The best part about the RGV Tour? It helps benefit The First Tee of Seattle. Patrick raises money for The First Tee from donations either through his website, or made in-person after visiting him at one of his RGV Tour stops and purchasing some RGV Tour gear.

Koenig was making his way east recently, and we reached out to him to see if he wanted to make an RGV Tour stop in Myrtle Beach. Lucky for us, he happily obliged!

Patrick brought his RGV Tour vehicle to Caledonia Golf and Fish Club, where after successfully navigating Caledonia’s narrow entrance shrouded by moss-draped oaks we were ready to tee it up. Part of what makes the RGV Tour unique is that Patrick wants to play with anyone and everyone, and get to know them and their story. Our group was paired up with a Vietnam veteran, Steve, whose Parkinson’s disease was no deterrent to him being the life of the party. From yelling at his ball to “run like it stole something” to helping our group read putts and serving up celebratory fist bumps after they went in, Steve regaled us with one fascinating story after the next. Patrick and our group thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

As for the golf, Caledonia Golf & Fish Club offered a stellar experience for Koenig and his group’s other first-time visitors. Patrick was amazed by some of Caledonia’s short holes like No. 1, and the undulations in some of the greens as he discovered on No. 3. From the overhanging moss to the dramatic bunkering and striking natural vistas throughout, it all made for a great time for Koenig and his group.

As Koenig devotes this year to driving across the United States to promote the game and his cause on behalf of The First Tee, you can follow him on Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest on the RGV Tour. For more information on Koenig’s RGV Tour, click here. To learn more about supporting other local First Tee programs including The First Tee Coastal Carolinas, click here!