Oldest 'really good' golfer you've ever golfed with.

[bassman1308]

Our group has a nice match of young and older golfers.  There is one man in particular who deserves the accolades as one of the best 90 yr old golfers in the world. I'm partial as he birthed both my kids. He turned 90 on 11/7/2020.  He's an ex Doctor names DOC.  Doc does not hear nor see very well and is about 150 lbs.  But as sharp as a tack. When  he speaks, he's interesting enough that ALL the younger guys listen with much respect.   He also is a very good golfer.  He recently was on my team and had 4 birdies on a 5700 yd course, shooting par. (71) A few years ago Someone asked him how many times he'd shot his age and he answered: about 265 times,, in a row.  and he was being modest.  I've been competing with Doc over 10 years and doubt he's ever shot over 80.  He plays every shot like it's the most important thing in his life, at that moment.  Doc has also competed in the 'US Senior Olympics'  twice, placing 2nd and 3 rd .     Here's a photo of Doc after his last hole in one last year. 

[MikeW2]

I once got paired up with an older gentleman named Bob and two of his friends.  He had a weathered leather Macgregor staff bag, had to be like 40 year old blades and persimmon woods. Hit his first drive about 290 and proceeded to methodically tear apart the course. Shot an easy 68 to better his age by 5 at the time. Completely relaxed the entire round and if you weren’t paying attention to the score you would never know what he was shooting. Just a fantastic effortless swing. Got to play with him a few more times over the years, always around par.  He never said anything, not his style, but one of his friends told me that he Monday qualified for about 20 PGA events back in the 60’s and was once paired with Arnold Palmer and beat him by a stroke that day. 
 

As a side note, Doc looks great for 90!

[bassman1308]

Mike,   Actually, he was just 89 in this photo.   He'd let you know that also.  lol

 

Edited November 9, 2020 by bassman1308

[Fairway14]

I play a few times per year with an 80 year old who has a scoring average of about 73 for courses in the 6,200 to 6,600 yard range. It is not unusual for him to shoot a score of 67 to 69, for the past few years he shoots that low five or six times per year.

His game is approximately 225 yard driver tee shots, 3 and 5 woods from 210 to about 180, hybrids from about 155 to 175 yards etc... His swing has a very smooth, easy tempo, like syrup falling out of jar to a stack of pancakes. He has a sensational short game and putting game. He is about 5'7" tall and I guess he weighs 140 pounds.

[milesgiles]

Play a lot with an ex tour pro who beat his age last year with a 65(he’s 67 now). Duffs me up 9 times out of 10. (Course is 6500, 130).

 

He never really made it big as a pro, always make you think how good even the ‘journeymen’ must be, not to mention multiple tournament winners/major champions

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

5 hours ago, Fairway14 said:

I play a few times per year with an 80 year old who has a scoring average of about 73 for courses in the 6,200 to 6,600 yard range. It is not unusual for him to shoot a score of 67 to 69, for the past few years he shoots that low five or six times per year.

His game is approximately 225 yard driver tee shots, 3 and 5 woods from 210 to about 180, hybrids from about 155 to 175 yards etc... His swing has a very smooth, easy tempo, like syrup falling out of jar to a stack of pancakes. He has a sensational short game and putting game. He is about 5'7" tall and I guess he weighs 140 pounds.

 

I hope at 80 I'm able to put my driver 225 yards out there. Heck, I hope I'm still around at 80!

[SurfDuffer]

I played with a friend's father on his 80th birthday and I can only hope to play that well and walk the course as he did at that age.

[Dr. Block]

I like where this thread is going. Lots of mysterious foundation men still lurking out there in the morning dew. 

 

 

Edited November 9, 2020 by Dr. Block

[Hogan9]

I have a good friend that is 80. He plays three or four times a week and still scores in the 70s most of the time from 6250 yards. He's not very long, but he's always in the fairway. He has been shooting his age or better for at least five years. Putting is his Achilles heel. If he has less than 30 putts, he can break our par of 71. 

[mocokid]

My dads never been really good, but at 93 can shoot his age.  Took a while but he did it, around 90 or so. 

[Ferguson]

Once played on vacation with a guy 85 years old.   He shot an 82 - deadly with his 56 and putter around the greens.

He was a very interesting person.  

 

[GHIN n Juice]

I know a guy who used to play in one of my leagues who’s in his early 70s, with Parkinson’s, who can shoot under par regularly.  It is absolutely awesome to watch.

[Springsteennut]

I played a few times with a guy in his mid 80s a few times and he shot his age or below each time. The first 5/6 holes he’d struggle and then he’d play great. Wasn’t long but once he got going really solid.

[USCdrifter]

On 11/9/2020 at 11:56 AM, GHIN n Juice said:

I know a guy who used to play in one of my leagues who’s in his early 70s, with Parkinson’s, who can shoot under par regularly.  It is absolutely awesome to watch.

I got paired with a retiree with parkinsons once.  It was clear to me that he was a tremendous golfer at one time.  I watched him set up to the ball, its hands would shake for 30+ seconds at setup, then he would somehow still strike the ball with a good result.  He kept apologizing for his faults but I really enjoyed observing how he was still able to play even with all the shaking.  He was only able to last 9 holes with me but the round really stuck in my memory.  He told me the hardest part was knowing you're good after dedicating your life to the game but everyday gets harder and your game slowly degrades day by day.  😭

[MtlJeff]

There's a guy at our club who would routinely play on our interclub team and usually make the Monday of our CC well into his 70's. We were at the time one of the top 7-8 clubs in Quebec so that's no small feat to be one of the 10 best players there. He was a competitive scratch or so probably until about 73-74. 

 

Another incredible fact about this guy is he had the terrible luck of shooting the 2nd best aggregate score in the history of our club championship , and didn't win the event. The year he shot the second best score ever , another guy (who would go on to be a pro) shot the best ever score. Our 2 lowest scores ever recorded happened in the same year

[bassman1308]

Lots of interesting 'old guy ' stories. Another interesting note about Doc is he's about 5'6'' and used a 48 "" driver with ball addressed off the toe of the driver..  Last year he hit a drive OB and no one could remember him ever doing that.  Specially the last couple years ,  He's has difficulty getting an iron in the air so hits 5,7, or 9 woods from 100/120 yds or so.  Generally they're low bouncers that roll onto the green. I've never seen anyone that accurate with the low runner shot that he plays/.   The Senior Olympics he didn't win had several forced carry holes which he felt cost him the win.   

[RainShadow]

On 11/8/2020 at 8:42 PM, Fairway14 said:

I play a few times per year with an 80 year old who has a scoring average of about 73 for courses in the 6,200 to 6,600 yard range. It is not unusual for him to shoot a score of 67 to 69, for the past few years he shoots that low five or six times per year.

His game is approximately 225 yard driver tee shots, 3 and 5 woods from 210 to about 180, hybrids from about 155 to 175 yards etc... His swing has a very smooth, easy tempo, like syrup falling out of jar to a stack of pancakes. He has a sensational short game and putting game. He is about 5'7" tall and I guess he weighs 140 pounds.

Had a guy like that at my club in Washington. He was 83yo when i was a member there about 10 years ago. 

He'd been the club champ at a few privates on the east coast and one in Chicago back in his prime.

Deadly with the hybrids and putter.

[Celebros]

I played with Skip Snow during both of my rounds at the Ohio Mid-Am this year (held at Springfield (OH) Country Club, a regular site for US Open qualifying). 

 

At 76 years old and from the tips, he shot 79-74, often hitting hybrids or fairways into greens.  Absolute machine - I think he only truly mishit 1-2 shots across both rounds.

 

He is a 21-time club champion at Dayton Country Club, most recently winning at age 72 (Men's mind you, not Senior division), and won the Ohio Senior Amateur in 1998, 2001, and 2009.

Edited November 11, 2020 by Celebros

[nikeblades00]

I know a guy mid 70s, he's a former multi time club champion. He can still bang it. Plays X shaft in 1 of his many drivers (true club hoe!). Hits a repeatable tight draw at the perfect trajectory that just runs for days. He shoots mid 70s from middle set of tees.

[jordan2240]

To hell with Doc's golf.  I find the fact that he can birth children way more interesting. 😉

 

Anyway, I don't play with any really good golfers, but one guy I play with regularly is 89, and he can walk 9 on a relatively flat course with no problem.  Has full rotation in his swing, and tends to drive well (as in keeping the ball straight), and chips and putts well.  Hits a lot of duffs, but no more than the other guys I usually play with.  If I make it to 89 and can move half as well as he does, I'll be quite pleased.

[deadon500]

I play with a 91 yr. old in our assoc. ya he hits from the front tees but has a 12 handicap  and this summer went down to a 10 for a while...............

[phizzy30]

My father.  He's 73 now and has always been a single digit handicap.  He still sports a 6.  His best round came earlier this year when he shot a 74.  He also taught me the game at a very early age. 

[Justsomeguy]

Played a few holes w a father and son pair the other day. Getting dark and paired up to try to squeeze a couple more in. Very congenial.

From conversation, it was apparent the dad was bt 60-65. I drive the ball 220ish if all is right, and play from tees that fit me. He and his son (30s) played a set further back from me.

Both holes we played, the dad was the longest by far, and it wasn't close. He outdrove his son by about 20-30, and despite being a tee box ahead, I was easily 50-60 behind him if not more. Both drives I hit were probably more like 200, but he was pumping them out there closer to 300 than 250.

First hole was a medium length par 4, big drive then gir, 2 putt par. Second hole was a long par 5, big drive long iron and he came up a bit short, got on in 3 for a gir and 2 putt par.

He was definitely good, but the length for the age surprised me. Not a big guy either. Very wide swing that really used every possible inch of leverage. And great divots with his approaches.

[Sean2]

Two people come to mind: I regularly play with a fellow who is 81. The other day he shot a 79 from the middle tees. I also once played with a guy who was 95 years old and walked 9 holes every day, weather permitting. I was 63 at the time, and he called me a youngster a few times, lol. 

[Moonlightgrm]

I’ve played golf with John Shea. John was a young caddie at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts some 75-years ago. John is still scoring near par well into his eighties. I don’t know how many times he’s shot his age, but he plays our course from the white tees at 6,350 yards (sea level). Amazing!

[williefo]

Me. I only play alone!

[Soloman1]

My old but true anecdote. I'm getting close to 70 and not a terrible golfer, but one day I was paired with a guy who had a little puff of white hair on the top of his head. He had a bag full of woods and a putter. He was hunched over, but hit it about 120 yards, but straight. He just kept working his way to every green.

After a few holes, I told him that I hope to be able to play as well as him when I was his age.

Turned out that he was two years younger than me.