....never have figured out what would drive such a feat.
I agree and empathize. I've been playing PokemonGo for 18 months, trying to get to the top level (40.) I'm 800K points away (you need 20 million overall to get there) and I'd say I'm a B- on the F-A scale (A being the most passionate.) I've gotten to see lots of western New York (and Rome and Madrid and Gijon) that I wouldn't have normally seen, w/o the game. I expect to summit sometime in the new year, at which point I hope to play less. This thing semi-consumed me from the beginning, and I cannot explain why. I grew up in the Space Invaders arcade era, and don't play interactive, online games.
This chap had the drive and the funding to access the courses. Similar to JonCav and his golf course photography (of which I'm jealous on a daily basis.) As I put my jealousy aside, I appreciate the feat and learn from their successes.
--My Xmas Confessional