“I’m hoping to play 125 holes, but a lot of that will depend on the weather. I have a couple of glow in the dark golf balls. If there is enough moonlight, I might try to play a few holes in the dark if I have to.”

Ekstrom will take to the tee box on Sunday, September 10, starting at about 6:30 a.m. Last year he finished at 8:30 p.m. when there wasn’t enough light to play in. 

“It’s a lot of golf, but it’s for a good purpose,” he said.

Ekstrom is taking part in Patriot Golf Day, a nationwide fundraiser for the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides scholarships for spouses and children of military members who have been disabled or killed while serving the country.

Once again he will play to honor George Nelson Jr., who gave the land Superior National was built on to the county.

“George was a World War II veteran and a 10th Mountain Division specialist. This seems like the perfect event to honor him for what he has done for this golf course and our community,” Ekstrom said. 

As the biggest fundraiser for the Folds of Honor Foundation, Patriot Golf Day has raised more than $40 million since 2010 and given more than 10,000 scholarships since 2007.

So far $400 has been pledged to Ekstrom’s upcoming effort. His goal is to raise $3,500.

“Last year my goal was to raise $2,000, and people donated a little more than $4,000. It would be great to do that again this year,” he said.

Heath and Superior National are taking pledges and donations right up to the day of the marathon challenge. If you would like to contribute, call (218) 663-7195 or e-mail [email protected].