In Homage to Really Old Guys Who Can Still Really Play

[rkim291968]

Recently played with an 86 year old man who hit straight (not long), and had a decent short game.   If he was counting score, I think he played bogey golf.  I enjoyed watching him play.

[bkuehn1952]

I guess one's definition of "old guy" varies by the age of the poster.  Being 61, my vision of an old guy is 80+.  I have had the honor of getting beat several times by an 87 year old gentleman who is a member of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame.  He betters his age virtually every time he tees it up.  In 2011 he carded "78" and "74" during a 2 day tournament (71.8/131 rated course).

[Teamanglerx]

My buddies father-in-law is in his late 70's and he plays in our Sunday foursome all the time.  He walks 18, hits a 3 wood like a pro on the senior tour, and can chip within 4 feet 90% of the time.  He plays at least twice a week (once with us and also in the company league where he retired from) and still is going strong.

[RickK]

I can only hope to be there at one point, in my late 80's and still able to get out and enjoy playing.

Well, to begin with, I hope that I live long enough to make into my late 80s.  If I do live that long, I certainly want to still be able to play.

[Aaronw]

My grandad is now 76, he has played since he was 10 best he every got was handicap of 4 now he plays off 9. Goes 2 times every week with his friends hes been with all his life. :-)

[rgeorge17]

I live in a 55+ community with its own 27 holes of golf. I was playing a round with a firend from work and a couple that live in the community.  After a few holes my friend comes up to me to complain that he's having trouble playing with the other gentleman becasue he's rushing him. I looked at my friend incredulously and said "you know he's 97 don't you?". He's played this course so many times he deosn't need to do much aiming and just gets on the green and putts. I've played with him a couple times since then, and he is amazing. He doesn't hit it long, but its straight. He's sharp with a good sense of humor. He picks up all the broken tees on the box and deposits them in the container. Did I mention , he's 97!!!

[arturo28mx]

Played the other day with an 85 year old gentleman. He couldn't hit far off the tee but hit it straight. However, under 100 yards he was lethal! His approach shots always landed maximum 10 feet from the hole. His putting was excellent too. He made several pars and even a birdie! His score was low 90's.

I always had the idea I would be able to play good golf until maybe 70 or 75 years old. But this gentleman proved me wrong. I'm gad I had the privilege to watch him play.

[teed off]

Beware the "experienced" golfer who has the beat up bag with the dirty, crusty towel attached, the old set of woods and irons that you do not recognize, BUT, has a fresh new set of grips on them!

He or she will kick your a** every time.

[MS256]

Beware the "experienced" golfer who has the beat up bag with the dirty, crusty towel attached, the old set of woods and irons that you do not recognize, BUT, has a fresh new set of grips on them!

He or she will kick your a** every time.

Every time I see that quote it reminds me of an older guy that was my next door neighbor before he died. He played at the cheapest course around here and didn't have any clubs that any of us would want in our bag but he loved to play for money and could flat out play.

Fairly often one of the better players from the country club would get a little too full of themselves and challenge him to a match, and went home with their tail between their legs.

P.S. When he died his family told me I could look through his clubs and see if there was anything I wanted. He had a room full of them but not a one that I would play with.

[flopster]

I guess one's definition of "old guy" varies by the age of the poster.  Being 61, my vision of an old guy is 80+.  I have had the honor of getting beat several times by an 87 year old gentleman who is a member of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame.  He betters his age virtually every time he tees it up.  In 2011 he carded "78" and "74" during a 2 day tournament (71.8/131 rated course).

That is very impressive, so at 85 he's breaking 80 on a legit track, I can only hope and pray I'm that lucky to be able to play that well at that age let alone still be alive, he must be and has been in excellent health all his life I'll assume.

[bkuehn1952]

That is very impressive, so at 85 he's breaking 80 on a legit track, I can only hope and pray I'm that lucky to be able to play that well at that age let alone still be alive, he must be and has been in excellent health all his life I'll assume.

Exactly.  He is still a very solid guy, especially his legs.  We have a club without real estate that has about 200 members.  After he plays with you once he has your name memorized forever.  I played with him for the first time five years ago.  Did not really run into him the rest of that season but at the following year's SE Michigan Golf Show I felt a hand on my shoulder and hear, "Brian, I hope we will see you out on the course again this season."  How he remembered me 6 months later AND picked me out of several thousand guys at the golf show was pretty amazing.  I am not the guy who stands out in a crowd.

[Parker0065]

I have to give a shout out for an older gentleman at my home course who at 75 is a physical specimen! He was a pilot in Vietnam and ran full marathons up into his late 60's. Our home course is extremely hilly and only about 10 out of the 100 or so of us members walk and carry our bags and he's one of them. I'm 48 and in half ass decent shape running 3 days a week but I don't think I could do what he does. He plays 3-4 times a week and walks/carries 36 holes every day he plays on this crazy hilly terrain you could train Army Rangers on.

The first time I met him my son and I were making the turn on the 10th tee and he was coming off the 18th green and asked if he could join us for another nine. He had just finished his normal 36 holes and felt like he could go another nine, I nearly fell over when he told me that! He's not a great golfer but his golf game is solid. He still plays the regular mens tees and shoots 80-85 but can come close to shooting his age from the senior tees.

I've never met anyone at his age in that kind of physical condition and he is a inspiration to what you can due at an advanced age if you take care of your body.

[Chanceman]

I am 64 and have a handicap of 18 plus or minus.

People say I hit a long ball (for my age I guess) and my short game is pretty good.

Trouble is I didn't take up the game until I was 58 so I continually wonder what my potential was as a young  guy.

Maybe 9?

[Entropy]

Me (28) and my dad (56) played a round with two guys in their mid 70s at our lucal muni.  My dad was still in the process of getting back into the game and was all over the course so we had gotten a golf cart while the two older guys we played with both got push carts and had no problem walking the course.  The older of the two had an immaculate set of ping Eye 2 irons, 1-SW and a newer Callaway driver.  No fairway woods, no hybrids.  On a longish par 3 about 195 yards slightly uphill he was able to chase a 2 iron up to the green, about 35 feet from the pin.  He had a chip in for birdie and probably shot something in the low 80s.  It was the first time I had ever been truly impressed at the local muni golf course here.

[phan52]

We just lost a 92 year old member. He had taken a leave in 2013 due to health problems, but through 2012 he was playing at least 4-5 holes late in the day 5 days a week, still carrying his bag. On weekends he would play 9 holes with a few of the older guys in a cart, but he hated being in a cart. He was a strong man to the end and you would never have known that he was over 90 years old. Sharp mind and strong, fit body.

He was not a great golfer but, if you joined him in his late round, he had no problem keeping pace with anybody. He usually played by himself and he would always stop at a couple places along the creek and fish for balls, giving the balls to the golf staff to use for the Junior program. I kidded him one day a few years back that I played Bridgestone balls and Bridgestones started showing up almost daily in my locker (I always turned them over to the Junior program as well, with the exception of the random B330-RX ) . He was a great guy and he will be missed.

RIP, Joe.

[Ringworld]

Three things I have learned about playing golf all these years.

Never trust old guys, junior golfers, or other golfers that say they are only a 10 Handicap.

They do know how to score every single one of them blessed.

[MacDutch]

A couple of years ago I visited Florida for a golf-vacation. Early that morning I stumbled into three old guy’s (somewhere around 85) who just teed of from hole1. I was invited to play along and learned they were two brothers and a brother in law who had played together for ages. They also made jokes about not shooting their age (that would be a bad round to play) and about beeing on the backnine of life. I really had a pleasant 18 holes and they enjoyed the company of a not-so-old guy who was picking up the game. After we parted, I went for the clubhouse to get something to eat and afterwards decided to go for an other round of 18 holes. Much to my surprise and pleasure the same 3 oldies stood there on the tee for their second round of 18 holes that day. Wow I want to be like them when I’m their age.

[oiler69]

my course has a Monday 2 man scramble event. my partner and I were sent out with a team of a 75 yr old and a 73 yr old. We combined for 8 or 9 under...they shot -15 ( front tees, no mulligans, no gimmees). they say your putting gets weaker as you grow older, well I don't think either one of those guys missed one inside ten ft.