Kyle Cokinos is dedicating his longest day of golf to Camp Aranzazu, a Rockport-based nonprofit.
HOUSTON — A Houston endurance athlete is combining his love for golf and long-distance running to attempt a 24-hour golf challenge — all for a good cause.
Kyle Cokinos has competed in ultramarathons, Ironman races, and even HYROX competitions. But now, he’s found a way to blend his passions into something extreme and meaningful through a sport he calls “endurance golf.”
“What’s the most epic thing we can do in the city of Houston? It’s got to be in 24 hours,” Cokinos said.
The idea is exactly what it sounds like — play as many holes of golf as possible within a set time limit.
“Golf’s always a mental game. Like I’ve, I’ve always mentally been very good, kind of in between the years I’m able to refocus off of bad shots and it’s kind of translates the same way to, you know, running 100 miles or 100 or more miles. When you’re in the middle of a race, you’re constantly problem-solving,” he said.
Last year, he played from sunup to sundown. But this year, he’s going even bigger — aiming to golf for a full 24 hours at East River 9, a 1-mile, 9-hole loop course, all while attempting to break a Guinness World Record.
“So I think, you know, all things considered, whether I should cross 100 miles on foot. So that would be 900 holes of golf. Anything past that, I’d feel really, really accomplished,” he said.
But his goal isn’t just about setting records. It’s about giving back.
Cokinos is dedicating his longest day of golf to Camp Aranzazu, a Rockport-based nonprofit that offers outdoor experiences for children with disabilities and chronic illnesses.
“It brings them down to Rockport, Texas. It’s 100+ acres of protected coastline, and they give them the outdoor experience they’ve been robbed of. So thanks. Sailing, fishing, birding, zip lining, they do a lot of fun stuff that these kids don’t get to do when they’re in the hospital or dealing with a disability,” Cokinos said.
Cokinos, a husband and father of two, has managed to find the time to train.
“My family thinks I’m a nut,” he joked. “Especially because we’re waiting on our third kid, due in November.”
But for Cokinos, every mile and every shot is more than just a physical challenge. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the hardest things we do can also be the most rewarding.
“Giving them the opportunity. That’s what I’ll be thinking of in those terrible hours. I’m really pushing myself just thinking of some of those great stories of kids that go to Camp Aranzazu,” he said.
To donate to the cause, click here.