Dear Bonnie,

I have been playing recreational golf most of my adult life.  Over the past year, however, I am beginning to think I may be getting too old for the game.  My drives are getting shorter and my handicap is steadily rising.  I am in my late sixties.  How will I know when I am too old to play golf? 

You will know when you are too old to play golf when you stop enjoying it.

People play golf for many reasons beyond the numbers on their scorecards.  Golfers play for exercise, social engagement, being in the outdoors and the challenging mental aspect offered by the game.  You may have other reasons for playing, too.

I took a photo of my grandfather playing golf on his home course at age 99.  His golf games with my uncle were a normal part of his weekly routine.  When asked about his game he did not always respond with his score, but would smile and say something like, “I had a good round!  I found seven lost balls and none of them were mine!”  He never stopped enjoying his days on the course.

Even if scoring is important to you, there’s an abundance of evidence that highlights why you are “never too old” to post a special score.  For example, in 1972, according to the Guinness World Records, Arthur Thompson of Victoria, British Columbia, shot his age of 103 while playing at the Uplands Golf Club. In 2007, 70-year-old Kayoko Fukui of Karuizawa, Japan, shot her age at the Taiheiyo Golf Club. Also in 2007 on the opposite side of the world in Chico, California, Elsie McLean, at 107 years of age, made a hole-in-one on the 100-yard fourth hole at Bidwell Park.  At the 2022 U.S. Senior Women’s Open, LPGA Tour legend JoAnne Carner shot her age (83) in both the first and second rounds. As each of these feats convey, if you continue to play while enjoying the game, who knows what the future may hold for you on the course. It might even be a hole-in-one.

You mentioned your handicap.  The point of a handicap is to allow golfers of all skill levels to purposely and enjoyably compete against each other.  Handicaps are meant to enhance the enjoyment of golf at all levels of play and can keep you in the game no matter your age.

Many courses are adding a new set of forward tees to the traditional set of tee boxes, which serve to shorten the course for more playability.  The new forward tee boxes are not just a benefit for seniors. They are being used by all ages of women, men, kids and families to make the game more enjoyable for everyone.  If you are fortunate enough to be near one of these courses, you may want to take advantage of their shorter distances to the green, and potentially shorter games overall.

A useful skill in continuing to enjoy golf is learning to manage your expectations for the game.  For example, the loss of distance in golf shots starts to occur around the age of 50.  Since you  normally cannot expect to drive the same distance as you did when you were younger, you may want to change your strategies for reaching the greens.  This may include relying more on your short irons and putter to help your score.  Think creatively for strategic solutions for your aging skill level.

There is no limit to the number of years you can choose to enjoy golf when you learn to manage your mind around age.  Managing expectations as we age is a mental skill of great significance and will be of benefit to you both on and off the course.

In the words of Arnold Palmer, “Success in golf depends less on strength of body, more on strength of mind….”