Well it’s now officially winter here in the northeast. I really won’t peg it up once it only heats up to 45. So I’ll be 63 the next time I get on the course. Anyone thinking about another year in the books? I kinda can’t wait to see if I can build on and keep up the distance gains I made season. I’m going to commit to dropping 20lbs and work on some flexibility. I’m still going to use the net and hit at least 100 balls a week, I think fitness and some minor diet adjustments over 55 is really becoming clearer to me how important it is if you want to first live and second play this game at a pre 50 year old level. I’d like to hear how some of us older folks now either want to improve, maintain or even just don’t give a hoot for the double deuce season. Could be a fun topic
I’m 65 and lucky enough to live in Florida, so we play and practice year round. In between I ride my bicycle a lot which helps build/maintain the core muscles. I try to keep my core strong because of long term lower back problems that messes with my golf game from time to time. I also go on hikes through the coastal woods here. I guess the main thing is to stay active! And I do try to get to the range and practice areas a couple times per week. I notice that any layoff tends to be bad for my game.
Some members at my club are in their 80’s and 90’s. They do have much different swings than they did in their youth with less flexibility. I played in a Veterans Day tournament here and there was a feisty 101 year old vet named Romeo that played all 18 holes! He also won a wine basket in a raffle and announced that he was in the hunt for his 4th marriage (I guess he outlived the first 3) and if any ladies were interested - he just happened to have a huge basket of wine to share!
I guess, accepting the fact that no one could reverse the time, but we could delay the process somewhat.
I was encouraged long ago when I had a chance to golf with an 82 year old golfer, he walked the golf course with a pull cart, at a hilly local muni course.
He showed me there is light at the end of the tunnel. I was not thinking of passing the dreaded number 50 back then ( it seemed so long ago ).
Maintaining health, by following a good diet plan, take my medication as directed and get my annual physical the same month each year, walking whenever I could including using the stair instead of elevator to office on the 3rd floor. Some of the guys in our group had quit golf, I’m okay with accepting not able to hit golf shots like I used to.
Not able to hit a couple thousands of range balls each week , cut it way back to about a hundred each time I’m on the driving range and use massage and heat pads afterward.
Stretching is so important. I had the 50’s shoulders when I passed 53, discovered it by losing my golf swing and distance for no reason. Tough to get the range of motion back but I did it in 4 months. Knees were giving out when I passed 60, just sore and ache and having difficulty getting down the stairs in the morning. Stretching and high grade “fish oil” brought them back to almost normal. It’s funny, that all those supplement for joints did not work well prior to the fish oil. I chanced into the discovery when I had to take high dosage of fish oil before cataract surgery, and Hey… it worked to ease the pain in the knees. So I kept the fish oil in my supplement; taking 2000 unit every other day now.
My wife said I’m “high maintenance” , I guess even we have to take it easy even with a piece of machinery when it aged.
Thank you for the post. I am very fortunate that at age 63 no medications. But 2 questions, Do you really think the fish oil works on the joints and what do you consider high grade fish oil? I walk the course every chance I get. Usually 27 holes, if the weather heat wise is uncooperative I will ride I usually down a gallon of water over the 27 and bring a couple bananas for the potassium. I’m working on weight loss, higher fiber diet, and flexibility. I think I can squeeze 10 more yards with better back, hip, hammy and shoulder flexibility. I want to protect the joints. Thanks much!
When I had the cataract surgery, the surgeon gave me a list of things to do before and after the surgery. Besides a selection of different eye drops there was a list of 4-5 fish oil to chose from. Most of them are very expensive and my wife who works in the healthcare field found one which is way less than those on the recommended list. I believe the trick is the large units it was prescribed. You can do a search for pre-surgery recommendation for cataract patients . I used the Nature’s Bounty, odorless, Fish Oil, 1400 mg. took two - three each day for a week before the surgery and one per day after the surgery for two weeks. The soreness of the knees was gone after the month long use. So I kept taking it but cut down to once every other day. Wife bought a couple of bottles from Costco with coupon.
I don’t mind it because it does not have the usual fishy taste like the other selections. Not pleasant if you burp after taking the usual fish oil.
I also take other medications , the usual to control high blood pressure and cholesterol. My physical checkup was not that bad but borderline the acceptable range, so my M.D. recommended to put it under control before I get to the alert level. Never had any issue when I was below the age of 53.
The abuse of my body from sports and Martial Arts practice ( Bruce Lee era ) caused premature arthritis. The vibration from the driving range mat ( 30+ years of Winter months ) damaged my nerve and muscle in the hands, shoulders and the neck. M.D. prescribed Allopurinol for that and the eventual gout in the feet.
Plus, the low dose Aspirin was also prescribed to my daily intake.
Not fun getting old. I would never imagined I would be taking 5-6 pills each day when I get over 65. But, wife insisted that I follow the suggestion from our family M.D. whom we know for 30 years.
Anyway, like machinery, keep it maintained and keep it lubricated and moving.
Also from accepting the fact that I can’t motor the 70 gm. X flex any longer, driver have dropped to 50 gm. S flex and considering going to a light weight shaft in the irons next season.
I just turned 56 and I’m currently a better golfer than I have ever been at any point in my life. Yes, I used to hit my driver a little further, but not much. Balanced against the downsides of getting older, one of the upsides for me is more free time to play. Between working at home full-time due to COVID, and my kids getting older, I have played way more golf the past two years than I ever did before.
I’m in the northeast and our season is pretty much over now. In the off-season, I plan on regular workouts for strength, mobility, and cardio (just general, not golf-specific), hopefully losing a few pounds (but if I can get through the holidays just breaking even I’d call that a win), get back to Superspeed training, and 3-4 times a week hitting into a net in the garage.
Sometimes I’m jealous of people who live in the south and can play year-round, but in a strange way it’s kind of nice to have a break and have more time to devote to practice, exercise, and even non-golf related things (!!!).
Rather than supplements, start with your diet. Clearly you aren’t vegan (and I doubt you want to be) but low fat plant based diets have been shown to have significant benefits to joints an reduced RA inflammation. So, look at your diet overall and see what you can realistically stick to that will help your general well being and your golf. If you need supplements make sure you are targeting the right thing, i.e. Omega 3 rather than just ‘fish oils’.
Moderate resistance training can be a really good addition to your routine, helping maintain bone density, connective tissue and slowing/preventing muscle atrophy as well.
I’ll be 56 next year and I was able to gain back some distance this year with some swing speed training last winter and maybe the new driver helped a bit as well. I hope to be a bit more diligent in my training this winter.
I’ll continue to try to eat better and exercise more as I have been since hitting 40. I definitely enjoyed beer far too much this summer, but I tend to drink hardly anything but water and coffee in the winter so I’ll usually start dropping some lbs after the holidays. I do less cardio and more weights these days. I miss jogging, but my ankles can’t take much; just happy I can still walk 18 without issue.
I do use supplements although not as many as I used to. I’ve tried a lot and ruled out a lot. I do like magnesium, zinc, Vitamin D, Turmeric and I take a Prebiotic/Probiotic. I think everyone is different in this respect, but for me magnesium eliminates leg cramps, Vit D eliminates exzema, Turmeric helps my aches and pains and the probiotic helps my stomach.
I had to change my diet a bit adding alot more fiber into it. I had a clot removed 3 weeks ago from the derrière pipe opening, it was painful and the doc said do that or I’m recommending surgery (no way…I took that threat seriously)…I’m more of a PASTATARIAN…I can cut out the carbs, I reduced my Steak consumption from once a week to once every 2 weeks a while ago. I eat alot of Chicken, Haddock, Cod, Salmon, Ground Turkey, 1 serving of bacon once a month. I don’t drink beer that much anymore, NO SODA, But I’m a carb fiend…I changed over to Healthier Carbs. When I played Football in college I was 6ft 220lb 12% Body Fat…Strong Safety with speed. Now I’m 6ft 268lb Sunday Couch Potato with no speed!..so the BMI is like 35%…lotta room to reduce. I’m on zero meds, Chol: 165, Gluc: 101, BP: 130/78, Resting HR of 47…that has never changed I am gonna probably play with 10# weights…I have a recumbent bike I’m gonna dust off and hit that for a couple miles a day to start, and I’m gonna try some YOUTUBE Yoga! I really want to see if better swing mechanics, accompanied with better rhythm and a bit more flexibility will push me a little further…I’m hoping!
I highly recommend giving at least basic Yoga stretches/poses a try. I have a desk job and I do some basic stuff pretty much daily now. I started about 10 years ago and even just a few minutes a day made a huge difference for me…not in my golf game, but just being able to move and feel better.
I’ll be 71 this Spring and fortunately have only annoying health issues that affect golf. My diet is good (wife sees to that) and I’m still at my high school “playing weight”. My offseason fitness goal going into 2022 will be improving core strength and flexibility.
Although I’ve been as low as an 8, my “natural” handicap drifts between 10-12, where I’m at now (12). At this point, I’m not necessarily looking to lower handicap, although it would be nice, but to prevent age & infirmities from moving it much higher.
TBH, at this point, I’m dealing with the inevitable by accepting it, hopefully gracefully. About mid-season our play group of septuagenarians moved from 6,400 yd tees to 5,800 yd tees. The course management company plans to install a 4th set of tees at 6,100, so maybe we’ll give them a go. At this point in my life, golf is now a social activity. I have my group of true friends that gets together a couple times per week. Golf has long past been competitive, in the formal sense, for me. I can’t tell you the last time I’ve played in a club tournament nor actually posted a score for a handicap. It just doesn’t matter at this point. Any “competitiveness” is with myself. We all want to hit good shots and to score as well as we can, but our group has played together often enough to realize that we are who we are, on and off the course.
How to deal with the inevitable? Keep playing.
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Continuing the discussion from 55 and older…How are you dealing with the inevitable?:
No major sin in pasta consumption as well as steamed rice.
It’s the “sauce” in the pasta which is the cause of many issue.
Problem with the converting into more plant based diet is at the beginning one will fell hungry faster and often. Once you get over the trial period ( 3-5 months ), you’ll be fine.
Do anything in moderation will be okay, including the diet. Absolutely nothing wrong with beef in the diet once a week ( or twice), lean meat is the key. I know, I know, the fat is what gives the flavor and keeps the meat moist. no sin cook with the fat on but don’t consume it. Change from prime rib to flank steak is another way. I remember long ago the flank were so much lower in price because not everyone knew how to cook the meat. New the flank is at the same price as other cut besides the prime cut. It’s yummy if we know how to cook it, no less than N.Y. or Sirloin or even the trip tips.
I appreciate all of the discussion here. I won’t be 55 until March of 2022, but listening to you guys I feel I’m on the right track. I regularly exercise, eat well and work on stretching. I am in the middle of trying to unlearn a swing that worked really well for me in my 20s. In my 50s the hand/eye coordination just isn’t the same. Changing this has lowered my handicap this year got me back down to a 7. For me a 6400 yard course is about right.
I hope to start walking a lot more since I asked for a pull cart for Christmas. Don’t know whether I will get it though.
Merry Xmas. How is the indoor training station working, all the kinks worked out?
I go over to my health club and hit in a racketball court. It has worked well. I only get to do it about once a week, but it’s nice to keep me swinging.
Walking the golf course will give you the benefit of maintaining health beside just swinging the golf club, build up the strength in your legs and almost all the muscles while walking. A push cart will definitely work wonders for your back and shoulders, release the weight of the golf bag from carrying it ( of course, assuming you ride cart often so that would not matter ). Stick with walking for one season and you will like it much better than riding. Unless, the golf course is not built for walking as so many do these days. I refused to golf at those golf courses which were built with developing housing in mind over the walking golfers.
Be careful of the wrist movement from racquetball to golf , may or may not transfer well between the two sports. However, the benefit of moving around on the court will benefit your strength and stamina .
Yes, totally agree. Not talked about enough … imho golf is meant to be played walking.
Riding in a cart should be available to those who are physically incapable of walking the course on their own but can still get outdoors and swing a golf club and enjoy the game.
You want to keep playing the game as you age? Activate your whole body and walk 
I walk our course 94% of the time. Some of the places we visit are cart only for “obvious” profit reasons. So no walking on those! But our home course allows walking on weekends and I’m usually good for 27-36 depending on the weather. Reasons I won’t walk temp over 90 and humidity high. For old folks high heat and high humidity = high stupidity and hospitalization! Don’t be stupid! Or Notice of impending storms. I wanna be able to get off fast. That’s about it. I actually love to walk. I usually pack 2 shirt changes and 5 towels in the summer!
I’m on the same bus as far as for walking the golf course.
However, sometimes the golf course will have to make a decision between bottom line or the tradition.
A local golf course " Chambers Bay " is a tough walk even for younger golfers if they’re not physically fit. It will be a really tough test of determination for most of the people over the age of 45. I walked that course , twice in one day and I was totally bushed afterward.
That was some time ago.
I keep my pennies for those walking friendly golf courses and not those mandatory cart only golf courses. There is a golf group which owns 8 golf courses within 50 miles of my house, two being just 7 miles away, but I had only played some of their golf courses a few times in tournaments and with friends.
It is “fun” for me to walk the golf course, just like being honored to fix the ball marks I made on the greens maybe a couple of more while I was at it ).
I mainly walked this year, but not as much as previously. Most everyone in my group has started riding more and I admit to being peer pressured into it at times. At 55 I’m the 2nd oldest in our group, but the one that walks the most by far.
I don’t completely blame them as someone always has a bad back, bum knee or something. Our course is about as hilly as it gets, not ideally set up for walking and on many holes you are forced to walk extra around water or forced carries especially on the back.
I want to keep playing with the same guys, but I’m sort of tempted to find some walkers to play with this coming season. Oddly enough I think that would be with guys in their 40’s or 60’s. The 40 somethings are trying to get back in shape and the 60 somethings have dealt with whatever held them back in their 50’s. The only young people walking our course are the high school teams that play lol.