50 MILES EAST OF HOUSTON, TX -- Dylan Dethier ‘14 is a Williamstown, Massachusetts resident who has been admitted to Williams College, but has deferred for a year so he can travel the 48 contiguous states and play a round of golf in each in the hopes of making the Williams team next fall.
Along the way Dylan has been compiling a blog, Eighteen in America, [http://eighteeninamerica.blogspot.com/] which he may turn into a book at the end of his trek.
Dylan Dethier appears on Page 3.0 on Page 3C in the February 24th edition of USA Today under Blogging “Golfer hopes saga lands him on right course.”
David Dethier, Dylan’s father, is a professor of geology and mineralogy at Williams and his older brother Evan is a member of the Eph Nordic ski team. Dylan’s blog is a way of keeping his mom (Nancy), dad and brother, friends and others interested informed, as well as a way to make contacts.
Dylan attended Mt. Greylock HS (Williamstown, MA) and played golf, baseball and competed in Nordic skiing for the Mounties.
Dethier began his trek last September 1st driving west out of Williamstown through New York State and as of February 23rd he had progressed to 50 miles east of Houston on his way to New Orleans.
“I think my game is starting to improve, Dethier said yesterday. “At least I’m not spraying the ball around as much.” Dethier plays to a 3 handicap out of the Ephs’ home course Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown.
Dylan’s favorite course to date has been the famed layout at Pebble Beach and not just because he was able to finagle a complimentary round. As you will see from reading his blog, Dylan had emailed the Vice President of Golf at Pebble Beach about his journey and RJ Harper set him up for a free round there with three of the young assistant pros. Though Dylan’s play at Pebble Beach did not match the superior quality of the course his 82 did enable him to walk off the course a winner.
Pebble Beach was a totally different experience than the course he played the day before he checked in from just east of Houston. “It was the backyard of some huge ranch and it was, well… interesting,” noted Dethier.
Dethier marveled at some of the courses he saw in North Dakota in the Badlands that featured stunning scenery and some unusual features. “It was strange to be teeing off 100 feet or more above the green or fairway you were hitting to, but it was fun too.”
Though roughing it by staying in his car most night, some 40 to date, Dethier has come across some Eph alums who have offered to let him bunk in with them and their families. He had just spent four days at the residence of Darryl Shaper ’86 in Braunfels, TX, which is halfway between Austin and San Antonio.
Dethier said he is looking forward to getting further east where he will have even more opportunities to crash with Williams folks and friends. He has stayed with some of his high school friends on various campuses he has passed on his journey and those opportunities have provided a chance to catch up, get a hot shower and access to the Internet.
“Yeah, I probably don’t update the blog as often as I should, but it is tough when you are traveling all the time,” he stated. “Finding a place to connect has been a little more difficult than I expected. I usually end up at a public library someplace, check my email and if I have the time update the blog.”
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| At the famed Pebble Beach Course |
Through his blog Dethier has heard from a couple of guys in New Zealand who are committed to playing a round of golf every day for a year. That group is even planning to come to America and hopes to play with Dethier. “They might be surprised to find out that the U.S. is a lot bigger than New Zealand, but it would be fun to meet up and play. We’ll see if it happens.”
Someone from Golf Digest who is golfing his way around the country as well has also made contact and there may be an opportunity for that guy and Dylan to meet up and play a round.
If you go back further on the blog to when Dylan was in Beaverton, OR you can read about his meeting Bill Simmons the famed blogger known as “The Sports Guy,” at a book signing and see what Dylan asked Bill to inscribed in his copy of Simmons’ The Basketball Book.
“It’s been fantastic,” Dethier proclaimed when asked to sum up the trip so far. “I’ve met some interesting people and have seen a lot of interesting places and courses. I’m really glad I decided to do this.”
The Williams golf team that Dethier is trying to make does not have a senior on the roster this year and it features a very talented junior quartet in the dozen players listed.
Williams head men’s golf coach Rick Pohle is in his 27th year at Williams and he has guided the Ephs to six of the last nine NESA titles and his Ephs have earned the right to host the NESCAC automatic qualifier for the NCAA bid this spring.
Pohle is familiar with Dethier as he is the pro at Taconic Golf Club, but that doesn’t necessarily give Dethier a leg up. “We have a lot of talented players on hand and a good class coming in, but Dylan will get every chance to show he deserves to be on the team as will all of the other candidates,” Pohle said recently.
Though he is a bit behind schedule now Dylan hopes to get back on the schedule listed below soon.
Mississippi -- Through Feb 23
Alabama -- Through Feb 26
Florida -- Through March 8
Georgia -- Through March 11
Alabama (again) -- Through March 13
Mississippi (again) -- Through March 15
Arkansas -- Through March 18
Oklahoma -- Through March 22
Colorado -- Through March 27
Nebraska -- Through March 30
Kansas -- Through April 2
Missouri -- Through April 4
Kentucky -- Through April 6
Tennessee -- Through April 10
South Carolina -- Through April 13
North Carolina -- Through April 18
Virginia -- Through April 22
W. Virginia -- Through April 24
DC -- Through April 26
Maryland -- Through April 29
Pennsylvania -- Through May 3
Delaware -- Through May 5
New Jersey -- Through May 7
New York -- Through May 10
Connecticut -- Through May 13
Rhode Island -- Through May 15
Massachusetts -- Through May 17
Maine -- Through May 20
New Hampshire -- Through May 22
Vermont -- Through May 23rd
May 24 -- Return to Williamstown
