Story highlights
A golf course in Casey, Illinois hopes to soon boast the world's largest golf tee
The measurements of the 30ft pine structure have been sent to Guinness World Records
Bolin Enterprises has already built the world largest wind chime
The course hopes to add a giant ball to top the tee if the record is confirmed
Inspired by Psalm 103 verse 11 – “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward those that fear him” – two men with lofty ambitions in a midwestern town of the United States have finally realized them after months of endeavor – and then some.
In July 2012, in a bid to attract golfers and tourists to the Casey Country Club in Illinois –a town with a population of just under 3,000 – Bolin Enterprises operations manager Michael “Bo” Bohannon and the company’s vice president Jim Bolin concocted the idea of building a golf tee of biblical proportions.
The two men hope the 30 ft ? structure, which has those words from Psalm 103 carved into its wooden edifice, will be officially crowned the world’s largest golf tee.
It is not the first over-sized Bolin Enterprises construction – last year the company produced the world’s largest wind chime, a 55-foot long structure now proudly hanging in Casey.
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Hours of chainsaw carving, 60 gallons of glue and 120 pounds of screws were involved in the making of the colossal tee, which weighs 6,659 pounds and consists of yellow pine boards.
Measurements were taken and sent to the Guinness World Records, with the club hoping it will be officially verified as the world’s biggest tee, possibly as early as next week.
It will be sited on the 10th hole on the Casey course, although that is just the start for Bohannon and Bohin to put Casey on the tourist map.
If the record is confirmed, an 18 ft diameter hollowed out golf ball will be constructed to sit atop the tee, from where golfers will be able to tee off.
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“Hopefully our world’s largest tee construction receives the Guinness recognition next week,” Bohannon told CNN.
“We have plans to erect the tee this spring at the Casey Country Club. Prior to the installation, there is a lot of prep work to do – earthwork and landscaping – that will accompany the world’s largest golf tee.
“We truly hope this will be a draw to golfers and visitors worldwide,” added Bohannon.
“Once the tee is erected, we plan to build the ball for the top. This ball will be constructed so golfers will be able to tee out of it. This portion of the project will be completed later this year.
To maximize the potential pulling power of having the world’s biggest tee in Casey, Bohannon is also thinking on a grand scale to market the town’s gargantuan landmark.
“We have contacted a world famous golfer and invited him to be the first to tee off of it when it is ready for the grand opening,” said Bolin’s operations manager.
“If you know of any other famous golfers that would like to be a part of this, by all means please pass along my contact information to them as we would love to have them.
“We would also plan to offer the opportunity to ‘Sponsor the Golf Ball’ to the major golf companies.”
The current record is 26 ft 8in and belongs to the students of Jerry Havills Team Problem Solving Course at Bay de Noc Community College (all USA) in Escanaba, USA, on 23 July 2009.
The students’ effort had a head diameter of 88.9 cm (35 in) and a shaft width of 35.24 cm (13.87 in).