Recently, as I was walking through a bookstore, I noticed a book that had bright red letters and looked almost like a postcard. I Golfed Across Mongolia is the title. I was intrigued by it. The book, which is written by Andre Tolme and measures 262 pages in length, can be read easily. The book is broken into 18 chapters, with large words and lines that are well spaced on each page.
Andre Tolme, a New Hampshire Civil Engineer, was typical and well-paid. He had a keen interest in golf which he attempted to play every weekend. His passion for travel was also strong. He had visited more than fifty countries during his life. He decided that he wanted to try golfing across Mongolia after he had seen the beauty of Mongolian golf courses.
Many golf enthusiasts wish that they could go out every day to practice their game, but work and our families often prevent us from doing so. Tolme was the same, so Tolme asked his boss for permission to take a break from work and return to work when he returned home. The boss was kind enough to allow him to leave work for the trip and then let him return when it was finished. Tolme took a trip to the mall and bought hiking shoes, 500 golf balls and a tent. He then set off on his journey for Mongolia.
Tolme estimates that the trip would last three months and cover over 1,200 miles. Tolme estimated that he could walk 20 km and take 120-140 shots per day using a 3-iron. He was slow to get going, but he soon began to reach his daily goals, often surpassing the number of shots or kilometers he had hoped for.
He began to have serious issues after a couple of days. His main problem was his blisters. You can see how walking 1200 miles is hard on the feet. Tolme had blisters so severe that he was forced by a friend to open them and apply salt. Although his aching feet were a problem throughout the trip, he persevered and dealt with it. It was also extremely exhausting lifting the 40–60 pound bag 140 times per day. He began to feel pain in his back and started looking for other methods to get the pack to him without having to lift it.
Tolme found a solution in the shape of a cart. While he considered other options, such as horses and camels or vehicles, Tolme’s best option was the small cart. In between shots, he’d simply put his club onto the cart and drive it about 200 miles to get his ball rolling. He found pushing his cart to be more painful than constantly lifting his bag. It would become stuck in grass clumps, and the cart was placed at an awkward angle that made pushing it up hills and down difficult. The cart was given to him by a stranger from another city, who began to rely on his human companions.
In his trip across Mongolia, Andre Tolme employed two drivers. Through friends, he found local men who would gladly lend their jeeps for him to travel several hundred miles. Khatanbaatar, an elderly man from Mongolia was very helpful. Andre received guidance from a Mongolian local man about where to hit his golf balls. The local Mongolian also served as a translator for other Mongolians. Tolme’s trip across Mongolia without Khatanbaatar’s help would have been almost impossible.
After 12,170 shots, Tolme finally meets his goal in Khovd. Tolme answers a question about how he feels by the man whom he met while on his travels and found in Khovd. He says that he simply is. “Tired.”Tolme is very happy that he has completed his journey. He answered when asked why he started the trip. “To raise awareness.”It is not a precise answer but it was how Tolme wanted. When he was done with his Mongolian trek, he realized that it didn’t take a strong reason to go on this journey. Because of his publicity, Mongolian people know the location. He also knows that it is a good place to live.
This is a simple, silly book that is still entertaining. It is about a country and its people. Mongolia has simple people that will provide food and water, even though they don’t have enough. This land is barren, with intermittent rivers and deserts. It’s also largely uninhabited. Tolme often tells his readers about how random Mongolians would approach him and invite him to their home to share their best meat and water. I Golfed Across Mongolia is a refreshing read. The insight he got on human nature and how we can take pause from our lives every now and again is something I’ll always remember. The book is rated a 3.5 out 5