A Barnstable man whacked a golf ball into Yellowstone. Now he could be going to jail.

It was all part of what some may consider a silly, yet entertaining, challenge to hit a golf ball in all 50 states within 30 days, and post videos of it to social media.

Little did Jake Adams, 29, of Barnstable, know that something that may seem as inconsequential as launching one of those golf balls into Yellowstone National Park could have potential criminal consequences.

“It was not my intent to litter at all,” Adams told WBZ, noting the balls he used were nature-friendly. “These balls biodegrade in a matter of days. So I thought I was taking all the right precautions. But I didn’t research the magnitude of any foreign substance in our national parks. The fact that it biodegrades doesn’t matter because it’s different from their natural ecosystem.”

A federal investigation is now underway, and if Adams is convicted, he could spend up to six months behind bars, and have to pay a $5,000 fine.

It all began in 2020, a year that left so many of us lonely, bored, and with what seemed like endless time on our hands. For Adams, last spring he decided to hit a golf ball into Wequaquet Lake in Barnstable every day for a month, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Then, after hitting a golf ball into the plains just outside Holly, Colorado during a road trip this February, and being mesmerized by the arc of its journey, the idea came to him. Adams decided he would do this in every state over a 30-day span, and post videos of it on social media, the Journal said.

A professional comedian, Adams thought he could grab some attention for his material, the Journal reported.

“I’ve always been really entertained by something that’s just dumb enough to be watchable,” he told the publication.

Other than the Yellowstone venture, Adams’s swings took place in various random places throughout the states, some of which aren’t made for golf. These include hitting a golf ball off a dock in Florida, using a lobster roll as a tee when launching a ball in Portland, Maine, and using a beer bottle as a tee while standing on a large rock in Birmingham, Alabama.

It was in April that Adams struck the fateful ball that would land in Yellowstone. Wanting to not leave a mark in the park, Adams hit the ball off a golf mat, the Journal reported. He struck two golf balls before changing golf clubs and hitting a third.

“I thought I was taking all the precautions, using biodegradable golf balls,” he told the newspaper. “I didn’t really think twice about it.”

But Instagram did, one commenter saying, “I hope you rot in jail,” according to the Journal.

“The individual who recently was captured on video hitting golf balls in Yellowstone National Park showed a lack of judgment and common sense,” read a statement released by Yellowstone the same day Adams finished his challenge, as obtained by the Journal. “He violated regulations designed to preserve Yellowstone and protect the experience of other visitors. The National Park Service is investigating this illegal act.”

Adams soon heard from an investigator, who let him know the potential penalties. He’s hired an attorney, he told the Journal, noting that he didn’t mean any harm to the park.

“Regardless of what happens with my Yellowstone case, I am very proud and feel really grateful to have been able to accomplish hitting a golf ball in every state in America in 30 days,” he said in a post to his Instagram story. “Again, it was never my intent to disrupt any part of this beautiful country.”

Adams also said in the post that he plans to be more careful when he takes his act abroad to Europe.

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