Charity endeavor: Four golfers will play four courses in four states in one day

In an effort to raise money for the American Cancer Society in a partnership with Coaches vs. Cancer, a foresome of golfers – including two from Spokane Valley – will attempt to play nine holes at four different golf courses in four different states on the same day.

The ambitious venture is the brainchild of Bruce Robinson, who read several years ago about a similar endeavor by four golfers back in the Midwest.

“They were going to play three courses in a day,” said Robinson, “and they were in a much more compact area. I was thinking, ‘We can top that,’ so it became kind of a bucket-list thing with me.”

Then, about a year ago, Robinson approached his son Shea, who lives in Seattle, his son-in-law and fellow Spokane Valley resident Lamar Lewis, and one of his closest friends, Danny Sollom, who resides in Wenatchee, with his idea.

All three jumped at the opportunity, and on Thursday the four will start their trek with a sunrise tee time at Big River Golf Club in Umatilla, Ore., and make stops at Liberty Lake Golf Club and The Highlands in Post Falls before closing their long day with nine holes at Trestle Creek Golf Club in St. Regis, Mont., where they will be honored in a postround banquet the Trestle Creek men’s club that has league play that afternoon.

Robinson anticipates that each nine-hole round will take about two hours, with the 300-mile drive from Umatilla and back taking just a little over five hours.

The idea of turning the trip into a charitable event only surfaced a couple of days ago, but according to Robinson, about $2,500 in donations have already been pledged.

“It seemed natural to get involved with Coaches vs. Cancer,” Robinson said, “because all four of us have had friends of family members who been impacted by the disease. And once we did, this thing kind of took on a character of its own.”

Robinson will play in memory – and with the clubs – of a late close friend who lost his battle with esophageal cancer. His son will play in honor of an uncle currently battling cancer. Lewis will play in memory of a grandmother and aunt who both died of cancer. And Sollom is, himself, a throat cancer survivor.

Anyone wishing to donate to the American Cancer Society through Robinson and his friends can make either a per-hole or lump sum pledge by calling Robinson at 879-7899 or emailing him at rbrucerobinson@gmail.com.