Mount Greylock Grad Nearing End of Golf Journey
 Photos via Dethier's blog
Dylan Dethier of Williamstown has been golfing his way across the country. |
It's not to compare the legendary Beatnik writer to an unassuming 18-year-old Williamstown resident, but the two do share one thing in common. They have both made names for themselves by patrolling the open roads of America.
Kerouac caught the nation's attention in the 1950s with the release of his novel "On the Road," a largely autobiographical tale of his hitchhiking adventures across America that many now consider the defining work of the Beat Generation.
Over 50 years later, Dethier went out on a much simpler expedition. Not looking to find himself or the voice of a generation, the Mount Greylock Regional High School graduate simply wanted to play a lot of golf while also exploring America at the same time.
He was set to attend Williams College in the fall, where Dethier is becoming a common name. His father, David, is a professor of geology and mineralogy at the college. His older brother Evan is in his third year and a member of the Nordic ski team.
But instead of joining them, Dethier deferred enrollment for a year to go on the golf outing of a lifetime. His goal: Play a round of golf in each of the 48 contiguous U.S. states and improve his game so he can earn a spot on the Ephs' golf team next season.
"I never really felt the need to get out," Dethier said in an article in USA Today, one of several media outlets across the country that has publicized his journey since it began on Sept. 1 last year. "A lot of people have said that I'm trying to find myself. All I see this is as an opportunity to explore the country."
And explore he has. As of last week, Dethier had finished golfing in Nebraska and had just crossed into Iowa when he called from his cell phone to tell me of his travels. By the time the weekend rolls around, Dethier planned on being in Kansas, the 30th state to be crossed off his list so far. That leaves him with seven weeks and 18 states left to go before he's expected back in Williamstown on May 31. His last course will be a familiar one, the Taconic Golf Club, where, if everything goes as planned, he'll be able to golf for Williams the four years.
Whereas Kerouac took his experiences on the road and turned it into a novel, Dethier is also recording his journey via his own blog. It is here where family, friends and fans of golf in general can follow his travels through blog postings and photographs. Don't expect to find just golf commentary on there, however, as Dethier discusses the different landscapes, cultures and people he’s encountered along the way.
"I've really enjoyed getting to see the full range of the country from the biggest cities to the smallest towns, from the richest people to the poorest people," Dethier said. "I've really gotten to experience the full diversity of the country."
.jpg) Dethier, left, hasn't lacked for golf partners along the way. |
"I'm not really good at self-promotion really," Dethier said. "It really never comes from me. I haven't written from any news outlets or anything. People hear about me from the people I'm either golfing with or staying with. I guess it just kind of builds on itself. Dick Quinn, the Williams sports information director, has written a few things about me and put a few feelers out about me, and that led to USA Today, which is the biggest thing I've been in so far.
"I've got my e-mail on my blog, so a few times people have offered to play golf with me or stay with them. It doesn't always work out, but a few times it has."
Dethier's blog helps give him a certain level of legitimacy that allows media outlets the opportunity to find out about him and also helps him find places to golf and stay for free. Finances are a big issue for Dethier, who is surviving off savings he made from a few part-time jobs he held in high school. So far he's spent more than $4,000 and he figures it will cost him another $2,000 to get home.
There have been many nights when Dethier has slept in the backseat of his 2002 Subaru Outback, with an occasional cheap hotel room mixed in between. Dethier hasn't had to borrow any money yet, though, and he's become very accustomed to finding a bargain. The most he's paid for a greens fee is $55 and somehow he was able to find a hotel room in downtown Las Vegas for just $40. He stayed at the Luxor, the hotel shaped like a pyramid.
"I guess money would be the greatest limiting factor [of the trip so far]," Dethier said. "I don't have a lot of it, so I'm not really living the life of luxury. I sleep a lot in my car, and if I want to play the premium courses, they either have to give me a discount or let me play for free. I can't really afford hotels, but every now and then I find a cheap one to stay in."
Another struggle Dethier ran into early on in his trip was the weather. With a very small window available to maneuver through the northern states, Dethier had to tackle some wintry weather if he wanted to get 18 holes of golf in.
"This fall, I spent golfing in the northern states, trying to chase winter down. I played in 37 degrees in Minnesota with a half of inch a snow, so I really ran into some cold conditions," he said. "A lot of where I can play has been determined by the weather and what courses are open and what time of the year it is."
As much fun as he's having, Dethier is also discovering how lonely life can be on the road sometimes. He flew home to spend a month with his family over Christmas, but said spending other holidays alone on the road felt weird to him. I talked to him a day after Easter, a day spent somewhere between Nebraska and Iowa.
"I just kind of ignored [Easter]," Dethier said. "I hung out. Played a little golf, not a full round and then I shot some hoops. I didn't really do anything to mark the occasion. Thanksgiving was a little strange. I bought myself a turkey sandwich. I just try to ignore it. It's only a big deal if you make it one. I just kind of let it pass by."
You won't find many regrets coming out of Dethier's mouth. As he moves back across the country and his story spreads more and more, Dethier is finding more people willing to help out and lend a hand in providing places to stay and free courses to play. He seems excited about coming down the homestretch of his trip, where he'll know even more people along the East Coast who will help make his journey more enjoyable.
"There's nothing major," Dethier said when asked if he had any regrets about the trip. "I can look back at a few places that I wish I could have played or seen more of, but I think I'd keep it the same way I've done it pretty much."
"There have been a lot of highlights. In terms of golf, playing Pebble Beach was a highlight. I wrote to the VP of golf at the course and somehow the CEO got a hold of my e-mail, and said I like what this kid was doing. I played with three assistant pros there and it was really just an incredible experience. Other highlights include finding really nice golf courses in places you wouldn't think would have them. Places like Idaho, New Mexico, North Dakota and Nebraska had some really small towns with some really nice courses."
So after playing 30 rounds in 30 different states, has Dethier's golf game improved?
"It's a weird thing about golf," he said. "You can play everyday, but there is no guarantee that you're going to get better. I feel like I'm getting a little better, but I haven't played the same golf course twice at all in the last seven months, so it's hard to gauge where I am at."
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"My postings can get intermittent," Dethier said. "It just depends on where I am or what I'm doing. I try to get on the Internet as much as I can, pick up wireless at either a library or a hotel. I hope to post a little more regular as I get closer to home. It's weird to have people following what I'm writing, but I think it adds some legitimacy to my trip if I'm writing ahead to a golf course and they can see my blog and see the things I've done so far."
So after nearly 25,000 miles put on his reliable Subaru Outback, Dethier thinks he has about 10,000 left before he rolls back into Williamstown. After seeing all of what America has to offer, what's the one thing he misses about home the most?
"I miss the seasons. I thought when I was growing up that every place had a great fall, a great winter and all of that. I miss that first spring day when it's like 50 out and the sun is shining. I miss the fall, too, with the foliage and the leaves changing. To see the seasons actually change, I miss that feeling."
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