The Last Frontier for Senior Golfers

On By Menno ZachariasIn Playing the Game

In order for goals to be meaningful they must offer a challenge and  at the same time be realistic and attainable.

As golfers we all have different goals depending on our skills and our personal makeup and our age

There are some goals (in the case of some of us wishes or hope) that we all have in common. When we first took up the game our goals were things like breaking a hundred then 90, 80 and in the case of the daring 70. Almost everyone has thought about and aspired to shoot even par on a regulation 18 hole course. Everyone wants to score a hole in one.

There is however one goal that many of us have that cannot be attained until later in life, shooting your age.

Only a small percentage of golfers ever shoot their age.

I took up golf in 1975 at the age of 24 and since that time have played an estimated 5000 rounds of golf. Since the sparking 156 I shot on my first round I’ve managed to achieve many of my goals. I’ve broken 100, 90, 80 and 70. I’ve had 3 hole in ones, the last one being on September 20th 2020. What I have yet to do is shoot my age.

I first flirted with shooting my age on June 28th 2014. It was a Saturday morning, my 64th birthday. I was playing at Wildewood a 9 hole, par 72, 6048 yard track with a slope rating of 123. Wildewood is not a long course but a tricky course mainly due to the narrow fairways, an abundance of trees and small poa annua greens.

I missed it by one shot that day and in the following years I did not come within one stroke of my age again until June 29th 2020 the day after my 69th birthday.  

On that day I was playing off the white tees at Bridges Golf Curse a 6425 yard par 72 course with a slope rating of 123.  I had an eagle putt on 18 to shoot 69.  As I was getting ready to hit the putt my playing partners reminded me of its significance and urged me not to leave it short.  I was an uphill 2o footer with perhaps 18 inches of break.  I gave it a good run and finished about 2 feet past the hole having missed it on the high side.  I tapped in for a birdie and a 70, again 1 stroke short of the goal.  

That brings us to 2021, one year older, a few more aches and pains but with the same goal as last year to shoot my age.  

If you have a good “shooting my age story” I’d like to hear it.  

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10 thoughts on “The Last Frontier for Senior Golfers”

  1. Dick Scott

    Enjoy your site Menno. Been a long time but I too have fallen in love with the game. Only golf summers but still have fun. Keep posting. Hope to run into you one of these days.
    P.S. the guy I play with has had 9 holes in one and I’ve witnessed most. Only had two myself but it not for the lack of trying.

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    1. Menno Zacharias

      Hey Dick: Colleen occasionally makes a trip out to Brandon to interview people for her column. If she does that again this summer I’ll call you up and perhaps we can arrange a game.

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  2. Mike Lagace

    Hi Menno, the only ones I ever knew to shoot their age on a qualifying course were always in the premier level of play and continue to have good health. You would be one and anyone that has a decent game in their 70’s has a chance. I would say someone like you, Dwayne Heinrichs and even my brother, Larry, have a chance… all play well over 150-200 rounds in a year and are very capable competitive players. However playing that much also takes a toll on the body, including back, elbows and knees. Health is also key. Best wishes and see you out there! PS- I do have four holes-in-one… one more than my brother and two more than Dwayne…. everything else I have to have an outstanding day to compete against them. I did shoot 72 at Elmhurst last year… my lowest there so far. Lowest round was quite a few years ago with a 67. Never was a competitive player.

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    1. John Sired

      Always hopeful, played with Dean Stowel twice at Wildewood two years ago, had a 74 and 75, last year struggled to break 80, new year, new hopes, Wildewood , guessing is my best chance, short, i can still move the ball both ways, thinking my head issues are behind me, fingers crossed, all the best luck to my fellow golfing friends!!

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