Liam Durkin
TRARALGON golfers Dugald Campbell and David Wight are proving age is no barrier.
Wight, 75, shot his age recently (73 to be precise), joining Campbell, who achieved the feat at the grand old age of 86 some years ago.
Now 94, Campbell still enjoys a round and is showing no signs of slowing down.
“I absolutely love it. Half the enjoyment is the golf and the other is the people you play with,” he said.
The competitive edge has not waned for Campbell despite being only half-a-dozen years shy of receiving a letter from the Queen, with golf providing him with an outlet to keep his body active and mind alert – as well as a sense of humour.
“I hate being beaten, especially by David who is only 20 years younger,” he said cheekily.
Although age has limited some parts of his game, Campbell is able to play nine holes thanks to a handicap, and get around the course via cart.
The stalwart said the experience garnered from decades of playing also allowed him to get the edge in other departments, such as reading greens, as well as an adaptive approach to the game brought on by various limitations.
“I don’t have the strength to be able to accelerate the club like I use to, so I try to keep it on the fairway all the time,” he said.
“Therefore you can almost tough three shots down the fairway and be on the green and knock the putt in so you’ve pared the hole.”
For Wight, who plays twice-a-week, he said it was great to be able to have the chance to continue to be active in sport.
“Age is no barrier to golf, everyone has got a handicap and as long as you can get around and use your cart as you get older you can have a nice social day,” he said.
“We’re not going to be Greg Norman’s (at our age), we just go out there and enjoy what we have got.”
Few sports link the generations as much as golf, and Wight pointed to people being able to play alongside their children or even grandchildren as one of the greatest attractions to the game.
The way in which golfers in their 60’s and 70’s often outdo or even embarrass their younger counterparts adds to the notion that ‘you are never too old’.
Wight began playing at Traralgon Golf Club in 1973, while Campbell, astonishingly, started all the way back in 1947.
Anyone who has played as long as Campbell wouldn’t do it unless they enjoyed it, and ultimately, his longevity could come down to the fact he is still the same golfer that found a passion for the sport in the 1940’s – he’s just a few years older now.
“It is still a most enjoyable game,” he said
“You just have to keep going and accept the fact you can’t play as well as you use to.
“We can’t play football anymore so with this (golf) you can, if you can get around the golf course you can play indefinitely.”
