Golf After 75

DonM

I golf with lots of guys in their 70s, and more than a few in their 80s. I recently turned 65. Upon hearing that, one of them told me, "You have 10 good years of golf left." That hit home. But based on what I've seen for the last several years of golfing with older guys in Arizona and now here, I think it is a good generalization. Makes me want to play more, now!

The guys with very sound swings can still get around the course nicely after 75. The guys with poorer swings really have a tough time after 75. Mostly swaying and slashing, usually off plane. Everything I do with my swing now is with an eye toward the future. I've never been athletic but I am trying to have a sound swing that will continue to work as it gets scaled back with age. The guys who've had good swings all their lives definitely have an advantage. I guess that is to be expected. And that's not me.

I always figured that there ought to be a way to play good golf with easy rhythmic swings, but you don't see much of that on the super senior circuit. Maybe the tee ball is the biggest issue with that kind of swing. Basically everyone is still trying to swing 100+ percent no matter what. That never changes. 🙂

I just wanted to throw it out there to see what you guys have seen or experienced personally.

pellmell

DonM The guys who've had good swings all their lives definitely have an advantage

Over the years, I've only directly observed good swings, aside from the PGA tour, perhaps a dozen times, usually when I get paired with mini-tour or college players. Even single digit handicap golfers have awful swings.

sdandrea1

I turned 71 TODAY (😉), so I can't really comment on the OP topic, but I'll share anyway. My 69th year was my biggest noticeable physical degredation, so I'm in my 2nd year of adaptation to my new normal. I don't do much stretching and I should because the biggest diff has been the limited shoulder rotation. Ball striking has become better with hybrid/flat-bottomed irons, and I remain fairly proficient with wedges, bump and runs and putting. My driver swing is limited but accurate, yeilding me about 180y on average.

Once you accept the limitations that occur, play the appropriate set of tees, find a fun group of buddies, golf is a blast. I've still got 4 years to 75, and am hopeful I can continue to adapt to what happens as I age.

Many of the guys I play with are in their 80s, and it's obvious that they once had beautiful form. Their swing is very good but just shorter and they find a way to score well/enjoy. They play the most forward tees.

My observations: check the ego, play it forward, keep it in play, ride the short game, tinker with equipment, enjoy the camaraderie. 😊

Note: I've had a total shoulder replacement, both knees replaced, lumbar disc repair, and a nerve ablation in my neck. On any given day, it's an effort to begin movement.

brownmoose13

Could not agree more...the older you check you need to check your ego if you want to enjoy golf. After 70 they say that the distance you hit the ball this year is the furthest you are going to hit it. Last year I had a friend who wanted a new driver so it would go 10-15 yards further. I told him O could do that with his current driver...move up a set of tees. I am 74 and struggle to hit the driver 175 but with adjustments I can still shoot 85. Its all about the ego

Rickochet

I am 73. I put my clubs away for the season in Oct. 2019 like normal. Over the winter I picked up a nice set of Ping irons. When I started to play in the spring '20 I was about 20 yards shorter with my irons so I sent the Pings back. I started playing with my other 4 or 5 sets and found that I was also short with them. I tinkered with them all summer and finally realized that father time had caught up with me. I accepted that and adjusted my distances. I think this happens to all of us at different times. One of my buds is 86 and hits everything like he did 30 years ago. His 90 year old brother was strong also until his last year or two. Everyone is different so enjoy the game as long as it is enjoyable for you. I don't think golf is a game for all ages but it is one you can play for many years. My FIL gave the game up at age 75 and I could never figure out why until recently. You just get to point when it is no longer fun. You will know when that is when it hits you.

fatshot

In my opinion it helps if you can WALK when you play.....even if you walk every other hole. It keeps your legs in
shape and your weight down.

I also think it helps to practice your short game.....everything from 50 yards in. I
begin each practice session at 50 yards, then 40, then 30, then some chips from around the green (it helps that
at the course where I practice, you can walk up to the green, pick up your golf balls and chip them again!).

When I practice full swings, I seldom hit more than a 6 or 7 iron, or maybe a hybrid. That way, I'm working on
solid contact and a rhythmic swing.....not trying to KILL it with a driver.

Finally, stretching is important. I wish I could say that I stretch every day, but I don't..... I do stretch for 15-20 minutes before I leave for the golf course though.....

johnnydoom

I'm only 60 so I don't have first hand experience. I did once play with an 81 year old stranger that walked up to me in the parking lot while I was lacing up my shoes and asked me if I'd play 9 with him. I was by myself and we were both walking with a pull cart, so I said sure. It turns out that he needed someone to be his ball spotter as he couldn't see well enough to see shots past 100 yards.

I don't know what he shot, but it was only a few over par. He reached almost every green in one over regulation and either one or two putted all of them. But the best part was that he hit the only hole-in-one I've ever witnessed in person. Rolled a 3 wood in from about 135 yards and didn't even see it go it, but sure was excited and happy once I told him it was in the hole. After the round I signed as a witness to his HIO and the course superintendent called it in to be reported in the Memphis newspaper. That was at least 25 years ago and the course no longer exists. It was swallowed up by the airport to create a security buffer after 9/11.

azgreg

I'm just hoping for vertical after 75.

Weirfan

azgreg I'm just hoping for vertical after 75.

Definitely !

Working at a golf course and working "Seniors" day, I see a lot of old foggies out there with their medical support devices, blue flags to drive the cart everywhere and hit the ball 120 yards.
I'm not sure that is what I want to do but we'll see when I get to that age. I'm only a shade under 62 now and playing some of the best golf of my life. I golf a couple times a week with other coworkers in their 70's and they are still enjoying and some play well ( high 70's to high 80's)

A Canadian female golf legend, Marlene Streit, regularly practices and plays at my course, she's a young 89 years old and pipes the ball down the middle ( although can no longer see where it goes) and putts the lights out with the same putter she has used for 62 years ! She will be my inspiration to keep at it

mulegolf

azgreg I'm just hoping for vertical after 75.

Hell, I'm creeping up on it. In late August I'll be only one year away. As far a being vertical, some days I'm listing
a bit one way or the other.

garyt1957

My Dad played till he was 93. Shot a 43 for his last 9 ever. I was still working and it just never worked out for him to go again. When I could go he'd be tired or something. He could have played till 95 I think. 93 was when he quit driving too.
Now at 99 he still says he's going to get his clubs out and kick our asses.

Walterjn

garyt1957 well shit, go get your ass kicked by him!! Take a day off if need be.

Sarnella

At 75 years old, I am the youngest in our group of 12 golfers.

wishbone

My dad had a group of 16 and one of the guys was in his early 80's. I subbed occassionally when they needed someone and played with him a few times. This was th persimmon and blades days.

He couldn't see very far, always asked if we saw it. Didn't even have to look, ball was always straight down the middle about 150 yards. Once he was inside 100, though, it was up and down pretty regularly.

His handicap was a legit 11 (not a vanity cap)

Smooth tempo, solid contact, accuracy, and a great short game.

Sneakylong

Generally speaking. There comes a point where skills will decline with age. I just turned 68 and haven’t hit that just yet luckily. Lol

But for 10 years I played in a senior mens quota game and saw some really good golfers decline with age. One guy said he saw his game go down at 70. Everyone is different though.

I now play golf with two guys who are 83 and 75 who played in the senior group as well. The 83 year old was at one time a 7 handicap and ran the tournaments for Nabisco (company he worked for). Played a lot of golf with the PGA Tours guys in Pro / Ams.

His game has declined quite a bit. But there are flashes where you can tell he once could play.
The 74 year old played golf his whole life and once shot 68 at Fox Hollow.

Same thing with him. His skills have declined, but you can tell that at one time he could play. Both guys are very accurate off the tee. The rest of their game isn’t there anymore consistently anyway.

They do play the appropriate tee though. Sometimes they’ll have a round that shows what they once had. But they are extremely inconsistent except for off the tee. Distance is gone obviously.

I have no problem checking my ego at the door and have zero problem playing a shorter tee. So when that time comes for me. I’ll join them on the Reds. Lol

scotts33

With age, rotation and club head speed will drop that can be stymied a bit by length of course played and older experienced players start to play control and accuracy without diluting their skills by chasing elusive distance. One might hit one great distance shot per nine but chasing that is a delusion of money and time wasted. Live within your skill set and averages. This is why most golfers under club and are generally always short of their true needed distance. As. is always said 100 yards and in are where you score. Live for today!

Par4QC

scotts33 This is why most golfers under club and are generally always short of their true needed distance

A few years ago I was put with another golfer, an older fella. His bag was old, clubs were BeCu Pings, so I figured he may have some 'game'.
As we played along, I was having a tough time keeping ahead of his scores. He was splitting fws, but every damn approach shot was short. I kept waiting for him to club up, but he just kept at it. And I only just got him by 1 stroke!

On the back 9, we got to talking as he asked me how old I was. Then he asked me how old I thought he was. Not wanting to be an ass, I just said about 75, as that was what he looked.
He was 86.

He had been club champion a few years running, back in the day at a CC near me. I could tell he'd been, with the way he played. Not sure if he was under clubbing or not though.

johnnydoom

scotts33 One might hit one great distance shot per nine but chasing that is a delusion of money and time wasted.

It's all time and money wasted and, at least for some, chasing distance might be the challenge that makes it fun.

scotts33

johnnydoom It's all time and money wasted and, at least for some, chasing distance might be the challenge that makes it fun.

That is a truism until when chasing distance you spray a driver all over the course until you hit that one great drive. Meantime you add a multitude of recovery shots to your scorecard. ☺

DonM

scotts33 I’m a conservative player. But it’s really fun to pull off a risky shot. I don’t try them in tournaments though.