It has reached the point in the summer where they are not “days,” at least not in the conventional sense where you have plans for Friday and Sunday, where Thursday follows Wednesday and where you might have on your calendar a Monday doctor’s appointment.
No, sir. Not for Lloyd Falshaw.
In this whirlwind Summer of ’26, this humble and caring man merely refers to them as “Day and Number,” which is quickly followed by “Round and Number.” The mission he dreamed up is to play one round of golf in each of the 48 states in the continental U.S. and should you be thinking, “Why?” the answer has profoundly philanthropic roots.
But more on that after we answer the other question you are likely wondering. “Where is he?”
Well, on Monday he was playing Arbor Links, in Nebraska City, Neb., and even though it was Day 33 and Round 36, the solid golf was continuing. Lloyd recorded two birdies in his round of 80.
No rest for ye of great character, however, because yesterday Lloyd Falshaw had a 36-hole day planned – Rounds 37 and 38 in Iowa (Glen Oaks GC in Des Moines) and Excelsior Springs, Mo. (Excelsior Springs GC), respectively.
And should you think today is Wednesday, think again. For the purposes of this story it’s actually Day 35 and Round 39, at Highlands GC in Bella Vista, Ark.
You’re tired just pondering such an endeavor, so many rounds of golf in a tight window with a steady stream of travel via long car rides or air flights? Well, guess what? Lloyd Falshaw has a different perspective.
“It’s been absolutely indescribable, so much fun,” said the native of Westchester Country, N.Y., and longtime California resident. “The generosity of people has been amazing, so many strangers who are now friends, so many people who have helped me.”
When Day 48 and Round 48 coincide July 7, Lloyd Falshaw will be at Riverside CC in Bozeman, Mont., playing with a longtime friend. That the sojourn began May 21 with Round 1 at The Club at Savannah and was followed by golf in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, then down to Florida might seem like a long time ago, but Falshaw needn’t worry; it’s all been chronicled beautifully on a website (https://48-states-48-days-for-cure-alzheimers.netlify.app) that details his route, including courses, scores, birdies, and then has the key button that can be clicked and which brings great clarity all of this.
“Alzheimer’s,” said Falshaw. “My father died of it on May 29 eight years ago and I’ve thought for years that I wanted to do something to help raise funds to fight it.”
He was stunned to discover that Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and on this golf journey Lloyd has “touched literally hundreds of people and I’ve not met one person who either doesn’t know someone with Alzheimer’s or someone close to them who is fighting the disease.”
The goal is to raise at least $50,000 and all funds will be donated to curealz.org.
So much of Falshaw’s philanthropic mission is a series of events falling into place. Since his father’s death, “I’ve sort of thought about doing something like this,” he said and if you’re thinking he must be a passionate golfer, you’re right. He surely is. But reading books by Tom Coyne (“A Course Called Ireland” and “A Course Called America”) inspired Falshaw to travel as Coyne did, playing golf and meeting people. Only whereas Coyne was going to write books, Falshaw had a charitable, soul-cleansing motive.
“Then it all came about at a perfect time,” he said.
That’s because Falshaw works as a business developer for Hilti, a premier global manufacturer of heavy-duty power tools and construction equipment. The company was offering to employees in good standing and with 20 years of service the opportunity for an eight-week sabbatical. To Falshaw it was a no-brainer.
“It was a way for me to offer a tribute to my father, a great mentor, a great man.”
In a beautiful poster that was made by one of his son's friends, Lloyd Falshaw's spirited mission is graphically presented . . . complete with a bar code (below) that you can use to donate to a most wonderful cause.
Deeply touched by how his mother, Amy, insisted on caring for her husband, George, and wouldn’t put him in a memory-care facility, Lloyd Falshaw watched Alzheimer’s work in its insidious way and he studied about the disease.
“In a lot of cases, it can change a person’s personality. My dad never got that way so my mom could care for him and she got help from support groups.”
At 86, however, Amy Falshaw had a heart attack. Spending time in Tennessee, where his parents had retired to, “I got a good look at the care my mother gave to my father and I couldn’t believe how she did it. But she did.”
Now 93, Amy Falshaw recovered nicely from her heart attack. But for Lloyd, ever since his father's father's death, “I’ve kicked around in my head something I could do to help curealz.org. When I got approved for the sabbatical it all came together.”
The idea, that is. For the planning and the logistics, Lloyd Falshaw needed hours and hours and hours. Sometimes the trip became disjointed for reasons out of their control. Like going from Virginia to West Virginia, then back to Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., for the chance to play the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on May 27. (Lloyd and his wife, Tamari, volunteer at The Players Championship and on that day they could play the course.)
Then there were the almost magical connections of pure happenstance that fell into place. “Like when I mentioned needing a course in Idaho, my pal Jim (in Montana) said his friend Bob stayed in touch with a guy named Dan who had a brother who lived in Hayden Lakes, Idaho.”
So on June 16, the mission stopped at Hayden Lake CC and Dan, his newest friend, talked compassionately about Alzheimer’s now it impacted his life.
“A long list of friends like that,” said Lloyd.
That friend from Westchester County who played with Lloyd at Brooklawn CC in Connecticut and pointed him toward a friend who took Falshaw to Charles River CC in Newton, Mass. Which led another Charles River connection to connect Lloyd to Wannamoisett CC in Rhode Island, after which he traveled to play in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont.
All of it speaks to the incredible community of good will that is golf, a world where Lloyd Falshaw’s mission might have raised eyebrows at first, but it always led to hands extended, assistance offered, good cheer provided, and encouragement extended.
It is winding down, this fund-raising excursion across 48 states and 48 golf courses, the joy of so many faces and the rush of enthusiasm at so many good swings and joyous conversations.
Just don’t think that on Tuesday, July 7 in Bozeman, Mont. – his 48th round in his 48th state – Lloyd Falshaw will toss the feet up and put the clubs away. No way, no how.
Instead, Falshaw will take two days off, then on July 10 he’ll begin a two-day member-guest with his friend Jim. The game just keeps on providing joy.
