Comedian faces jail time for playing golf in protected National Parks

A comedian attempting to gain viral fame for playing golf in all 50 states could find himself in jail instead - for playing golf in National Parks.

Massachusetts comedian Jake Adams set out to swing a golf club in all 50 states in 30 days. The stunt hit a snag, however, when footage of him hitting a golf ball into Yellowstone National Park landed him under federal investigation.

Park rules do not allow littering, and teeing off in the park is just that, since Adams allegedly just hit the ball out and left it.

If convicted, he faces up to $5,000 in fines - and six months in jail.

The comedian told a Boston CBS station that the balls were biodegradable, which he thought would get around the fact that he was distributing trash.

“These balls biodegrade in a matter of days,” he said. “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.”

Now he hopes to use his platform to educate other people about how not to litter during big stunts that you’re doing across the country.

“I want to do everything I can to use my platform to enforce the message to do things the right way in our national parks and really respect that land, and don’t ever hit a golf ball there,” he said.

Now, he’s planning a trip to do the exact same thing across Europe. He says this time he’ll pick up the balls.