Longevity par for the course

Doug Johns has seen a few things in his time and if he reckons playing regular golf will add a few years on to your life expectancy, then you have to give the theory some credit.

The 87-year-old was one of the long-standing members of Kaitaia Golf Club's Veterans division which got together to celebrate their 25th anniversary on Monday.

"It's a fellowship, it gets people out of the house. If it wasn't for golf, who knows what some of these people would do?

"Most members play not only on the Monday but also two other days in the week. It's been said, if you start playing golf in your 50s you'll live five years longer," he said.

It's an old adage - but let's face it these guys are old. But they aren't past it yet and many of the members had been out on the course before they got together to enjoy afternoon tea together before cutting the cake.

The first day of play for the Vets was on September 12, 1988 and of the original 15 people who began the group only three are alive today: Johns, Jean Jones and the irrepressible Bob Morrison.

Morrison was the instigator of the special 25th anniversary lunch and Johns was keen to point out just how important he has been to the "whole shebang".

The whole crew was disappointed that Morrison was too unwell to attend the day's celebrations.

"Without Bob's record keeping over the years we wouldn't have these facts to give you, he has done an excellent job," Johns said.

There are about 40 members in the club, which women over the age of 50 and men over 55 can join.

Apart from long weekends, they play a 14-hole competition every Monday with prizes handed out afterwards.

Johns - ever the wag - said for a while last season he had a hot run of form that manifested itself into a freezer of frozen chickens.

"Last year they called me the 'chicken man' because I won so many chickens," he laughed.

The club has an annual end of year dinner where trophies are handed out. This year's dinner will be held at the club rooms on November 28.

The eldest playing member in the club is 90-year-old Tom Watts, who first began playing golf at the ripe old age of 72.

Thirty-four played in the tournament on Monday.

Previous member Mike Longdin was awarded a bar of silver for a hole in one and at the time he was the oldest golf player in the country to do so.

Results from the day: Men: Don McCulloch 31, Doug Johns 30, Tom Watts 30, Terry Shaw, Percy Erceg, Rob McCarthny and Bill Steed, all on 29.

Ladies: Elaine Hammond 30, Elaine Knightsbridge 30, Marg Duncan 27, Raewyn Shaw 26, Val Simpson 26. Twos: Terry Shaw. Nearest pin No 9: Men: Terry Shaw Ladies: Nancy Gregory. Lucky draw: Rosaleen Steed.