André Tolmé, a 37-year-old civil engineer from New Hampshire in the United States, is currently golfing his way across Mongolia.
Armed only with a 3-iron and a jeep-full of golf balls, he reckons to complete his 2.3million-yard marathon by the end of July.
In June last year, Mr. Tolmé began his marathon. He teed off at Choybalsan, a former Soviet Army town on Mongolia's eastern border with China and after 50 days, surrendered to nettles and weeds, having lost 352 balls.
He began his 'back nine' on May 28 this year and has so far reached Arvayheer, an isolated town in the Central interior, described in guide books as 'of little interest, with dreary hotels.'
Supported by his faithful 'caddie' Khatanbaatar, who drives the jeep on the cross country journey over the Mongolian Steppes, Mr. Tolmé is confident that after a further 5,000 strokes, he will putt his last ball into Dund-Us (also known as Khovd) on the western side of the country.
Mr Tolme told the New York Times: "You could just hit the ball forever here. There are no fences or out of bounds. You go and find it. Then you hit it again. And again. And again."
This golfing Genghis Khan admits that at night when he takes a break in his mobile 19th hole, that it gets a little scary when the wolves howl around him.
But he has been appreciative of the friendliness of the Buddhist Mongolians, the sight of children racing horses across the plains and the hospitality of the native nomads.
As for Mr. Khatanbaatar, he's no Fluff Cowan nor Fanny Sunnesson. To him it's all a bit of a mystery.
"I don't know anything about golf, but what I saw on TV, they put the little ball in a little hole," says the former soldier who wears army camouflage.
Mr. Tolmé, learned elementary Mongolian while golfing across the eastern half of the country last year and considers each major town to be one of 18 golf holes on his journey. Each time he arrives at the outer limits, he puts the ball in his pocket, walks through town and tees up on the other side.
He also plays to winter rules (preferred lies) because Mongolia can often be frosty.
Guided by a Global Positioning System (GPS), a satellite compass similar to those which golfers find on golf buggies at posh country clubs, he claims to hit balls around 10 miles a day.
As they say - a scorecard doesn't paint pictures - but sometimes you wish it did!
