COEUR d’ALENE — Three courses, 16 golfers, 54 holes.

That adds up to a whole lot of fun, a whole lot of money — and a whole lot of sore backs.

“It does a lot of good for a lot of people,” said Dustin Ainsworth, Coeur54 spokesman.

For the fourth year, Coeur54 will be raising funds for nonprofits with three rounds of golf on Tuesday.

Four foursomes will tee off at 6 a.m. at the Coeur d'Alene Golf Club. Next, they’ll head to Avondale Golf Club in Hayden Lake for a 10:30 tee time, then hit the links at nearby Hayden Lake Country Club by 3:30 p.m.

Each golfer carries a single-digit handicap, so they’re able to play quickly.

The forecast for Tuesday is for sunshine with highs in the 80s.

It’s tougher than it sounds, Ainsworth said, and comes out to about a 14-hour day.

“A round of golf can be exhausting,” he said. “Imagine doing that three times in one day. Mentally, physically, it is draining.”

But the reason they’re out there keeps everyone driving, chipping and putting until the last hole.

The first year in 2020 had eight golfers and raised $15,000 for CdAIDE. In 2021 they added players, created Coeur54 and raised more than $30,000 for Village of Hope and First Tee of North Idaho.

Last year, 16 players generated $13,000 for Newby-ginnings, which was founded in 2009 and supports veterans, active military and their families.

Along the way, Ainsworth said they formed the 54Foundation so they can support many organizations on a smaller scale.

"And disperse all the funds we raise each year into our community we all call home," he said.

This year’s beneficiary is Specialized Needs Recreation, a nonprofit that provides recreational opportunities for youth and adults with developmental and physical disabilities.

“Funds from Coeur54 will directly impact our scholarship program, specifically Summer Camp All-Stars, Summer Session 2023,” according to a statement from Specialized Needs Recreation.

Ainsworth said the event was born in the first year of COVID-19, which shut down many activities.

“Golf was one of the things you could still do,” he said.

He reached out to friends and invited them to join him to golf and raise money for the service industry, which was especially hard hit by COVID.

It was more successful than he expected.

Everyone was on board and golf courses offered their support.

“The timing was perfect,” Ainsworth said.

Over the years, golfers have scored their share of pars, bogeys and birdies. Ainsworth, an avid golfer, eagled the 17th hole at the Coeur d’Alene Golf Club the first year.

“To hole out was pretty amazing," he said.

Most of the 16 golfers are connected through the real estate industry, grew up golfing and are invested in their community, said Ainsworth, who works with Kootenai Title.

Still, they are competitive, with awards for low net and low gross scores. A few side bets keep things light.

Ainsworth believes this year’s fundraising efforts could bring their four-year total to more than $100,000.

“It’s a small group of guys coming together and making an impact,” Ainsworth said.

When they're done, they enjoy dinner and drinks, share some laughs and aching backs.

They save the best for last.

“Then we get the fun part of writing some checks,” Ainsworth said.

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