[비즈한국] Thinking about it, we didn't use the term "senior" as often as we do now. I suspect it’s a euphemism for "old" or "elderly." So, what age qualifies as a senior? Is it from your 50s? Your 60s? Or do we just put off this question with the cliché, "age is just a number"? What is certain is that the 50-year-olds of 20 years ago are physically and psychologically different from the 50-year-olds of today.
The 50-year-olds of today are clearly "Young Fifty" compared to back then. In the U.S. PGA, players are considered "senior golfers" from age 50. While it now goes by the sophisticated name "Tour Champions," competitions for players over 50 used to be called the "Senior Tour." Similarly, the KPGA refers to tournaments for those 50 and older as the "Champions Tour," and those 60 and older as the "Grand Senior" tour, held separately. For the LPGA, those 45 and older qualify for the senior tour, and the KLPGA designates those 40 and older for the "Champions Tour." Watching the KLPGA Champions Tour, one can't help but think, "They’re still so young..." However, since female golfers tend to retire earlier than men, lowering the age for the Champions Tour seems like a good way to ensure the continuity of their professional careers.
Putting professional players aside, what about weekend golfers? Some in their 50s consider themselves seniors, while others in their 60s reject the label entirely. The clear distinction often lies in which tee box a person uses. Among the various tee boxes, there is a "senior tee." In the past, these were often gold-colored "gold tees." While this was intended as an honor for seniors, at some point, seniors began to decline this "golden gesture." So, golf courses these days often provide two white tees instead. They are senior golfers who want comfort, at least through the color of the tee.
Like all golfers, senior golfers are particularly sensitive about driving distance. To hear them talk, almost every senior golfer was a "long hitter" in their youth. They warn you not to judge their current distance by their prime. Even if a long-time partner and friend throws cold water on them by saying, "Really? You were never a long hitter," they strongly protest that they used to hit it far, but it has just decreased now.
At an uphill hole on a golf course in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, there are several mounds in the middle of the fairway where tee shots usually land. Golfers call these the "Brother Hill" and "Father Hill." If your ball goes over that point, you're a "brother"; if you don't make it, you're a "father"; if you can't even get over the hill before that, you're a "grandfather."
One thing is clear: with very rare exceptions, a senior golfer's distance gradually decreases. Even so, experienced senior golfers may give up distance, but they do not give up their scores. Their driving distance may have dropped, but they land their tee shots exactly where they need to be, and only as far as they need to go. They may have taken long irons out of their bags long ago, but they have fairway woods and utility clubs. Even in my circle, there are senior golfers whose 5-wood shots are more accurate than a short iron.
What about approach shots? Aren't approach shots the hallmark of playing experience? The uncanny ability to bump-and-run the ball right to the pin from a spot where you’d normally expect them to fly it, or pulling off an easy bunker escape—even if it doesn't look like "textbook" golf—is a specialty of senior golfers. Not to mention putting, which they have practiced tens of thousands of times over the decades. Protecting one's score by any means necessary is what defines a senior golfer, and that is senior golf.
Fred Couples, one of the most beloved golfers in America, shot a 60 at the age of 63. While it is nearly impossible to shoot your "age" in your early 60s, Fred Couples recorded a score that was three strokes lower than his age.
Bernhard Langer, the "master" of the Tour Champions, passed the Masters Tournament qualifying stage at age 63 and finished 29th. He performed better than Bryson DeChambeau, who is 25 years his junior. Golf is the only sport where someone in their 60s can beat someone in their 20s. Perhaps in the hearts of all senior golfers in the world, this sentiment resides: "My golf does not get old. It only becomes more mature."
Who is the author, Kang Chan-wook? An advertiser and writer. He began his career as a copywriter at Cheil Worldwide030000 and is currently the CEO of the video production company "Era's Perspective" (Sidae-ui Siseon). A golf enthusiast, he obtained a USGTF teaching pro certification and, out of his love for writing, has published books on golf such as "The Joy of Golf," "Bad Golf," "Sincere Golf," and "Golf Thoughts, Thinking Golf." He runs the YouTube channel "Bad Golf," where he shares various stories and thoughts about golf with his readers and viewers.