Senior (age)

[balaclava]

I am member of a members club, I am the Secretary of the Seniors' Section of that club. Every member of my club who is 55 years or older is automatically classified as ‘Senior’ and as such is automatically included in all communications on matters 'Senior.' Some members (for unknown reasons) resent being included. All that said, it is clear that a 55 year old man today is not as 'Senior' as a 55 year man was 100 years ago.

My questions are this:
Has there ever been any discussion on raising the age?
Have any golf Clubs unilaterally raised the age?
What would be the ramifications to any golf club raising the age?

 

[chrisd]

We are "veterans" at 60 and an occasional Seniors comp which can be 55 + . I even play with 70 + year olds who won't join the Vets because it "will make them feel old" - all I say is play whatever you want but you're the age you are!

 

[need_my_wedge]

I am member of a members club, I am the Secretary of the Seniors' Section of that club. Every member of my club who is 55 years or older is automatically classified as ‘Senior’ and as such is automatically included in all communications on matters 'Senior.' Some members (for unknown reasons) resent being included. All that said, it is clear that a 55 year old man today is not as 'Senior' as a 55 year man was 100 years ago.

My questions are this:
Has there ever been any discussion on raising the age?
Have any golf Clubs unilaterally raised the age?
What would be the ramifications to any golf club raising the age?

Yep, I was 55 last year and started getting copied in on all the emails from the senior section without requesting it or any notice. Not in the slightest bit interested at the moment, they just go straight in the bin. Not because I'm worried about feeling old (which I'm not ), just not interested in playing senior comps or matches, or what the seniors are doing.

 

[Deleted member 3432]

Look at it another way, from the scratch point of view.

At age 35, Mid-Am kicks in.

Then at age 55, Senior County scratch teams and championship tournaments exist, whereas for pros it's at age 50.

55 for low amateurs gives them a whole new lease of life in tournaments, the opportunity to represent the county etc. I don't see any positives in changing that to 60 which would be a huge 25 year gap from the Mid Am threshold.

55 is the right age in my view, I can understand that probably most guys don't want to be associated with the old duffers spilling soup down their jacket and tie at 2.30 in the afternoon ?, but there is much more to senior golf than just the friendly fourballs, which are of course optional ?

I have 3 years to wait, and being in Cat 1 now it gives me a big motivation to try and keep my game as good as I can. I won't be wearing jacket and tie to eat soup and sandwiches in the middle of the summer though that's the only certainty ?.

I'm there next season and may start playing a few opens which I don't bother with these days....

 

[davidy233]

I can see why some people wouldn't want to automatically start getting emails about being a senior - but when I hit 55 (six years ago) I spent that summer playing a few Seniors Opens, largely because they were incredibly cheap compared to normal tee times - I paid £15 to play Cruden Bay. They were in the main excellent fun.

 

[Beedee]

At a society day a couple of years ago a group of us were chatting about when we join our respective clubs' senior sections.

"This year" said one.
"A couple of years" said another.
I said "Five years for me".
"<expletive deleted> me" they said "You've had a hard life!".

So by that score I should be able to join the seniors section early

 

[Orikoru]

I've always been surprised that seniors starts at 55, it seems a bit early. With no information I'd have guessed 60. I reckon the 55 figure was set in many years ago when people on average probably didn't live as long as they do now. Given that most people don't tend to take up golf regularly until they're 30, and then play on well into theirs 80s, effectively over 50% of a club's members could be classed as seniors.

 

[Bigfoot]

I played my first Seniors comp at Reay GC at 52 as the Scottish senior begins at 50.

 

[Bigfoot]

It doesn't matter what age you become a senior to a club unless there is a drop in fees when you become a senior.

 

[Old Skier]

Our seniors start at 55 although some of the more prestigious county comps are for 60+, if you have the time and get more opportunities to play some great golf courses at a reasonable price they can send me as many emails as they like.

 

[Bigfoot]

Enville only dropped the age for seniors, from 60 to 55, 18 months ago to match other local clubs. It still is not keen to have seniors only comps as all the other clubs do. There are only a per year, whereas WP has approx 20 plus seniors comps per year.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Being a senior is great at 55 if you don't work. If like most you do then it is fairly pointless as all comps are daytime midweek, they are at my place anyway. When the lottery win comes in though and I can pack up work, bingo

 

[patricks148]

i was due to play my first senior comp today, but an offer of a freebie at Castle Stuart looked more fun, but will have my first on Saturday. i think there are a couple of opens, Tain and another that do 50, but pretty much all the others are 55. Nairn you have to join the seniors as its a sep section, all the guys i play with all Qual, but none have, they don't send stuff out, its all in a board, i don't think many of the active seniors have an email

they do have some good match fixtures though...

 

[Mandofred]

At 55+.....even if you don't feel old....you are. You don't hit the ball as far as you used to. Not as flexible as you were. Hair falling out. Lucky if you can even get down to cut your toenails without falling asleep. Might as well go to the care home now . Now if you want to get whacky, we could have a division for people who have had 4+ operations for various things that have broken/stopped working right because of age (I picked 4 because that would be ME).

 

[backwoodsman]

At our there's sort of two ages for qualification?
At county level its 55 - at which age you qualify for the county-wide competions, and inter-club seniors matches etc. So at 55 you can pay your £5 pa subs to join our seniors section and you can participate in the fun. But within the club, all the senior-specific comps have a qualifying age of 60. Go figure?

 

[jim8flog]

I am member of a members club, I am the Secretary of the Seniors' Section of that club. Every member of my club who is 55 years or older is automatically classified as ‘Senior’ and as such is automatically included in all communications on matters 'Senior.' Some members (for unknown reasons) resent being included. All that said, it is clear that a 55 year old man today is not as 'Senior' as a 55 year man was 100 years ago.

My questions are this:
Has there ever been any discussion on raising the age?
Have any golf Clubs unilaterally raised the age?
What would be the ramifications to any golf club raising the age?

We are like you every male member is classed as senior at the age of 55 which simply means that they are eligible to play in comps listed as a senior's comp. It does not mean they have to stop playing in club comps.

In our friendly fixtures we play against a couple of clubs who have 60 as the the age but we make no effort to adjust our team to suit them.

 

[patricks148]

At our there's sort of two ages for qualification?
At county level its 55 - at which age you qualify for the county-wide competions, and inter-club seniors matches etc. So at 55 you can pay your £5 pa subs to join our seniors section and you can participate in the fun. But within the club, all the senior-specific comps have a qualifying age of 60. Go figure?

Our North District scratch comp is 55 too, was asked to play it this year for the first time as i was 55 in March

 

[Foxholer]

I played my first Seniors comp at Reay GC at 52 as the Scottish senior begins at 50.

Golfers wear out much faster up there! Probably due to playing in all sorts of weather and 'hunching as protection from the wind and rain' becomes the natural stance!

 

[FuzzyDuck]

My regular PP turned 55 this week, blimey the look I got when I suggested we go out with the seniors on our regular Friday morning round.

 

[CliveW]

60 years old at our club, but the average age of our members is 64. (Down from 74 when I joined ten years ago!).