Two men played 100 holes of golf Friday in memory of Mark Cunningham.

“Growing up, dad and I played golf almost every single day,” Mark Cunningham II said of his father, who died Sept. 23, 2004, from stomach cancer. “He always made time to golf every day. It was always something he made fun for me.”

Cunningham and Ryan Peschka collaborated to honor the elder Cunningham with a fundraiser to benefit the Ellsworth County Cancer Fund.

“I think the Ellsworth Golf Course was his favorite spot on earth,” Peschka said. “During summer, we would play nine holes after work. We would always squeeze nine holes in, no matter how dark it got.”

The senior Cunningham would have turned 70 this year, and Peschka said he wanted to honor the friendship and memories of golfing with the father-son duo.

“With 100 years of the golf course, I thought 100 holes fit the theme,” he said. “With Mark’s dad passing from cancer, I thought the cancer fund would make the most sense to benefit.”

The two friends teed off at 5:30 a.m. Friday, with the goal to play 100 holes of golf in a single day. To further challenge them, they opted to walk, rather than ride in golf carts.

“If you were going to pick a golf course to walk 100 holes, you would not pick ours,” said Colby Richard, clubhouse and hospitality manager for the Ellsworth Golf Course. “It’s not really flat. It’s another one of the reasons it’s so astonishing. The amount of hills is really something. That adds a layer of difficulty.”

Richard said nobody has completed 100 holes of golf in one day at the course before.

The hills were one obstacle, and the temperature hovered around 100 degrees for the entire day.

“We knew we both wanted to finish,” Cunningham said. “We were either going to (finish) or die trying.”

While physical conditions were difficult, remaining strong mentally was equally important.

“Sometime around hole 55 or 60, I could feel fatigue setting in, and I knew we had a long way to go,” Peschka said. “That stretch was definitely difficult. Luckily, we were able to power through. As we got closer and closer, I felt we were going to be OK.”

The pair stopped at the shelterhouse near hole No. 5 to visit a plaque dedicated to the senior Cunningham.

“Before hole 50, I was thinking, ‘If I feel twice this bad in another 50 holes, I don’t know if we’re going to make it,’ Cunningham said. “Then you get to a point where you think, ‘I can do this.’ You know you’re going to finish.”

With a nine-hole golf course, the pair played the course 11 times, then played the first hole to complete 100 holes.

Richard updated the golf course’s social media, and said supporters stopped in throughout the day to donate money toward the Ellsworth County Cancer Fund, or simply to offer support.

“We knew it would be a grueling day. We knew it would be hot,” Richard said. “We knew the guys would do everything in their power to complete it. People were getting the feeling of, ‘This is going to happen’ around hole 60.

“People were surprised it happened because it was such an undertaking. Once we realized they could get it, people got energized. As people got energized, we had a collection box and more and more people were stopping by with money and checks.”

As of Monday, the 100 hole marathon raised $10,820.50 in pledges and donations for the Ellsworth County Cancer Fund.

It also increased awareness of the cancer fund, said Deb Mog, who helps operate the non-profit organization.

“There are people who donated who have never donated before,” she added.

During the organization’s fiscal year, which ends June 30, it provided more than $34,000 to assist 14 cancer patients who live in Ellsworth County.

Peschka said supporters chose to donate in a variety of ways.

“We had a lot of people who did a dollar a hole. We had some do $5 a hole,” he said. “We had one very generous donor who did a dollar-for-dollar match for a couple thousand dollars. We even had somebody who did $20 for each birdie.”

Peschka said he thinks the final birdie count was 18.

“Both of our putters were misbehaving,” he said.

“I struggled with chipping and putting on this marathon,” Cunningham added.

A slew of volunteer caddies assisted the players.

“If we had to carry our bag, it would have been impossible,” Cunningham said.

While Cunningham, Peschka and the caddies walked, course superintendent Patrick Hammel served as the marshal.

“He made sure (the course) was clear in front of them. The balls that went to the side were found very quickly,” Richard said. “That helped the pace of place.”

Family members, led by Nikki Cunningham and Amber Peschka, provided water, sports drinks and snacks on the course throughout the day.

“It was a team effort of people helping us get through the day,” Peschka said.

When the idea began, Peschka said he thought they could raise $5,000 for the cancer fund.

“It was really awesome we were able to exceed my expectations,” he said of surpassing the $10,000 mark. “I’m honored the community was able to come together like this and make a big impact.

“Seeing the impact we were able to make was worth the time and effort behind it.”

The day drew to a close, and the pair finished about 8:45 p.m.

As they approached the 100th hole, Cunningham said the magnitude of the event hit him.

“A lot of people can use the money we raised. It makes a deeper connection for me because I’ve been through it and know what it’s like,” he said. “I think those watching felt more of a connection because of the history I have with cancer. It was definitely on my mind, and I think it was on everybody else’s mind as well.

“I want to say thank you to everyone who came out and supported and who donated. The dollars will be put to good use. I’m glad we did it. It feels like an accomplishment, a success.”