Subscribe to Outside Magazine
advertisement
Survival Guru

Today's Question
How do you make primitive snowshoes? answer

What should you do if you get lost driving in a snow storm? answer

Eco Adventurer

Today's Question
What is the greenest ski and snowboard on the market? answer

Can I really damage a coral reef with sunscreen while snorkeling? answer

Videos Ask Dave
  • What kind of dog will make me look manlier? answer
  • Is there a sport that safely combines my twin passions for guns and kayaks? answer
  • How come most of the world's cultures enjoy eating goat, but Americans don't? answer

Online Favorites

Special Issues

Photo Galleries

save this page print this page email this page
  • share this page

Outside Magazine December 2004

Outside's 25 Coolest People
André Tolmé
Golfer in the Rough

By Daniel Glick


Intro | Misty May & Kerri Walsh | Rush Sturges, Marlow Long & Brooks Baldwin | Keir Dillon | Lauren Lee | Stewart+Brown | Alexander Fyfe | Joe Don Morton | Lance Armstrong | Bethany Hamilton | Justin Carven | Danny Way | Becky Bristow | Kit DesLauriers | Jimmy Chin | Michael Phelps | Rush Randle | André Tolmé | Tim Bluhm | Dwight Aspinwall & Perry Dowst | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Chris Anderson | Jim Prosser | Jim Fraps & Jeff & Paula Pensiero | Darren Berrecloth

For most duffers, losing 509 balls and shooting 290 over par in one round would be a sign to quit the sport. Not for André Tolmé. His epic traverse of the world's longest, most unconventional links—the 2.3-million-yard, par-11,880 country of Mongolia—made him the global spokesman for a nascent sport: extreme golf. In July, the 35-year-old civil engineer from Northfield, New Hampshire, completed his epic 90-day, 1,300-mile golfing expedition across the Mongolian steppes, where he spent most days fighting off fierce Siberian winds as he whacked balls with a 3-iron. What kept Tolmé going were the nomadic Mongolians who welcomed him into their yurts at night and fed him high-calorie (if not haute-cuisine) slabs of mutton fat, fermented mare's milk, and sheep-brain pâté smeared on sliced sheep's liver. Tolmé's efforts landed him a spot on Jay Leno's guest list in August and the coveted title of Golfer of the Year (as proclaimed by venerable New York Times sports columnist Dave Anderson)—beating out country-club champs Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. When asked what could possibly top teeing off across Mongolia, he would only say, enigmatically, "I've got a few ideas."


Next Page: Vagabond Rocker

Intro | Misty May & Kerri Walsh | Rush Sturges, Marlow Long & Brooks Baldwin | Keir Dillon | Lauren Lee | Stewart+Brown | Alexander Fyfe | Joe Don Morton | Lance Armstrong | Bethany Hamilton | Justin Carven | Danny Way | Becky Bristow | Kit DesLauriers | Jimmy Chin | Michael Phelps | Rush Randle | André Tolmé | Tim Bluhm | Dwight Aspinwall & Perry Dowst | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Chris Anderson | Jim Prosser | Jim Fraps & Jeff & Paula Pensiero | Darren Berrecloth

 Subscribe to Outside and get a FREE Gift!
 Give the gift of Outside Magazine!
 Subscribe to Outside Online's free weekly e-mail newsletter featuring gear reviews, fitness advice, galleries, podcasts, and more.