MyTurn by JIM DUCIBELLA
Golf Around the Globe
Guys on golf junkets generally fall into three categories . The newbie , sporting clothes in a tote bag , gets away from his home course — but not so far away he can ’ t scamper back to the house if he gets cold feet .
The young vet and his buds pick a destination — The Homestead , say — grab a blazer , and save room in their duffel for a memento or two .
And there ’ s the old gang . They head to their annual hideout , play 36 holes a day , and down liberal portions of beef and lager followed by all-night card games with Jack Daniels dealing before hitting the first tee again , coffee and fried egg sandwiches in hand .
Then there ’ s the Thapa plan : 50 U . S . capitals , including Washington D . C ., seven continents , and hundreds of joyous adventures and memories .
That ’ s the recipe Ben Thapa , a 59-yearold systems engineer and member of South Riding Golf Club , followed from 2011-2019 . It ’ s chronicled in his book , “ My Golf Journey .”
It started innocently . Thapa , who came to the U . S . from Nepal in 1989 , attended a family reunion in Florida when his fatherin-law invited him to golf . Thapa had never hoisted a club , but he loved the experience . When he and his family moved to Loudoun County and South Riding , he took lessons . From there , he hatched his elaborate plan to leave divots around the globe .
“ I had two criteria ,” he said . “ I had to play in the capital city of every state , and it had to be an 18-hole course . It didn ’ t have to be the best course .”
A meticulous planner who has binder upon binder of scorecards , contact info of his playing companions , photos , and even green fee receipts , Thapa made tee times at two courses in each city . If one was unavailable for any reason , the other was there .
In Richmond , Thapa visited Glenwood Golf Club , the city ’ s oldest public course , now closed for real-estate development .
He didn ' t ask for scores , highs , lows , highlights — that would ’ ve missed the point .
Thapa ' s international golf travels are chronicled in his book " My Golf Journey ."
“ I did it to meet people ,” he said . “ Meeting people from different parts of the country and the world , exploring beautiful and historic sites and locales , and combining my love of golf , travel , and learning has been the most gratifying experience .
“ It ’ s been more than just a series of golf trips .”
Thapa ’ s interaction with other golfers helped him better understand America and the vast cultural richness of its many regions .
“ Every player in the U . S . and the world I ’ ve played with was interesting ,” he said . “ Interesting and welcoming . I met so many wonderful and unforgettable individuals , many of whom I am keeping in touch with .”
Thapa ’ s wanderlust could rival that of Pausanias , the ancient Greek known as the world ’ s first travel writer . He cherishes his views of Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska ; the green mountains and crystal-clear lakes in New England ; miles of beautiful farms in Idaho ; and the majestic mountains of Montana . There ’ s also the Standing Rock Indian Reservation bordering North and South Dakota , and of course , Hawaii .
“ My wife ( Nora ) is not interested in golf , so she didn ’ t come on any of my trips ,” he said . “ Hawaii was my last capital to play golf , so her coming to Hawaii was special .”
Once he turned his one-man golf outreach global , he visited 45 countries and played in 31 . Thapa recalled rounds by the Mediterranean Sea in Spain , walking around the Giza Pyramid in Egypt , seeing kangaroos and koala bears in Sydney , and crossing the Antarctic Circle .
Golfing in the Himalayas of his native Nepal , at Gokama GC , reminded him of playing in Vermont with its rolling hills . What Vermont didn ’ t boast were wild monkeys strolling the fairways .
That this was a meaningful experience for Thapa is obvious . From the start , he intended to write his book .
“ I wanted to share this because if we work hard and dedicate ourselves to accomplishing our goals , I believe we all can become and achieve anything ,” he said . “ If anyone has a similar passion for golf and travel like me , know that if I can do it , you can do it , too .”
Who knows what ’ s next for Ben ? But it wouldn ’ t be a shock to hear that by the time man opens the first 18 holes on the moon , Thapa has already booked passage on the space shuttle .
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40 V IRGINIA G OLFER | S EPTEMBER / O CTOBER 2024 vsga . org