Marquette resident Jeff Burtch plays golf at a course in Hawaii during his quest to play in all 50 states. (Photo courtesy Mary Burtch)

MARQUETTE — Marquette resident Jeff Burtch completed his retirement quest to play golf in all 50 states of these great United States on the first day this summer.

It was fitting way to wrap up his “tour,” considering that his outing on that late June day was in Alaska, specifically at the Anchorage Golf Course.

He didn’t tee off until 8:05 p.m. local time, but considering it was the summer solstice and this was so far north, he was easily able to still see when he finished up at about 12:20 a.m., according to his wife, Mary Burtch.

She said that her husband had all kinds of extra time when he retired about a dozen years ago, and he figured he’d take on the task considering he had already played golf in 24 states.

So he got out his road atlas — that old-fashioned kind printed on paper and made into a book — and plotted out multiple trips.

During one trip, she said, he played in every New England and the other Northeast states in 30 days.

Some of his favorite courses were Samoset in Maine, Jackson Hole in Wyoming, Bully Pulpit in North Dakota, and maybe or maybe not surprisingly, Greywalls right at the Marquette Golf Club.

He’s a member at MGC along with the Northern Michigan University Golf Course in Chocolay Township.

Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.