I have just taken part in my golf club’s senior championship. And it was brutal. Absolutely brutal!
We had to play from the white tees, and that presents its own challenges for golfers of all standards, but all the more so for those of a “certain age”.
Golf as a senior is a different game – and as you get older, the challenges change.
When Does Someone Become a Senior Golfer?
I first joined the senior ranks at a golf club in Suffolk when I was 55 years old. At the time, I was one of the longest hitters in the section and I enjoyed a huge amount of success, winning lots of competitions. And whenever there were any pairs competitions announced I found myself in demand as a playing partner.
For the best part of 10 years I had an absolute ball. It helped that I played a lot of good golf and was able to keep my handicap at around six/seven.
Physical Challenges of Being a Senior Golfer
But then I had to take an extended break from the game because of severe shoulder pain. I was initially told that I would need surgery on both shoulders. But in January 2024 I finally retired from full-time work and, lo and behold, within a month, the pain had all but disappeared. So I picked up my golf clubs again, joined a club and sought out the seniors section.
My initial progress was miserable. I was astonished at how much distance I had lost and how difficult I found a sport that was once second nature to me. But I worked hard at the game, had a couple of lessons and have managed to get my handicap down to 11.
Many seniors also clearly face mobility issues. I can count on one hand the number of players who ever carry their clubs, and a significant number can only complete 18 holes if they do so in a buggy.
What Tees Should Senior Golfers Play From?
(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)
I play almost all of my golf from the yellow tees. And like so many other golfers of my age (and older), I find the back tees to be a challenge too far.
I now look at the fellow seniors in their fifties and marvel at the distance they hit the ball.
So you have to find another way. Dunston Hall Golf Club, where I play, is tree-lined and if you don’t hit fairways you have no chance of scoring well. And from the competition tees, the fairways are narrower, the targets are smaller.
My club championship experience was a dreadful one because I had a bad day at the office with the driver. A really bad day. I often preach the need to stop and think before reaching for your driver but sometimes there is no choice – especially when you no longer hit the ball as far as you once did.
It has always been a tradition that our senior club championship is played from those back tees but I do question how fair that is for those golfers aged 70 and over. We actually have a couple of “super senior” events for players aged over 70.
When Do Tour Players Become Seniors?
In the professional game, the cut-off point is 50 although many top players now remain competitive at that age as a result of much-improved fitness levels – Phil Mickelson won the US PGA when he was a few days shy of his 51st birthday.
It is interesting to look at the age profile of the regular winners on the Champions Tour. Largely speaking, when players make the move from the PGA Tour they have a period of about five years when they can take advantage of their “youth”.
Who is The Best Senior Golfer?
Gil Morgan was a decent golfer who won seven times on the PGA Tour but when he joined the Champions Tour he enjoyed a new lease of life, winning 25 times. The last of those came when he was 60.
Hale Irwin was a prolific winner on the PGA Tour, claiming 20 titles, including three US Opens, but when he turned 50 he was almost unstoppable, winning 45 times. His first came when he was 50, his last when he was 61.
Colin Montgomerie was unable to win on the PGA Tour but in his first full season on the Champions Tour he landed two senior majors – the Senior PGA and the US Senior Open.
Which Senior Golfer Has Won The Most Titles?
And then there is the incredible Bernhard Langer, a man who has continued to defy the years. He won three times on the PGA Tour and 42 times on the European Tour. But he has rewritten the record books on the Champions Tour with 47 victories, along with eight wins on the European Senior Tour.
His first success came when he was 50 and his most recent when he was 67, making him the oldest winner. He has won at least once every year on the Champions Tour since 2007. He has won a record 12 senior majors, been the money leader in a record 11 seasons and a record seven times in a row. He is also the only player to have achieved the career Senior Grand Slam.
Padraig Harrington and Angel Cabrera are currently making hay on the Champions Tour. Both are in their early 50s and both are players who still hit the ball in excess of 300 yards, giving them a huge advantage on the shorter courses. You can be sure that they will continue to make hay for as long as they are able. But I can tell them that there will come a day when they realise they are being outgunned by almost everybody they play with.
It is no coincidence that so many sports now feature legends events – football, tennis, snooker and darts all bring together the superstars of yesteryear. They may not be quite the players they were but the public cannot get enough of them. Nostalgia is a big thing. Even in athletics there are age-related events that allow people past their physical prime to continue competing. And the last thing that sportsmen and women lose is their competitive instinct.
But no matter what age you are, the only thing that matters is that you enjoy your golf (or any other sport) – and for me, that means steering clear of the championship tees!
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