It is not unusual nor erroneous for us to associate sports with youth. Sports, or really any physical activity for that matter, typically require the type of corporeal exertion of which only young bodies are capable. But there are some sports (and individuals) that oppose (or disprove) this point of view. Among the most prominent exceptions to this rule, particularly in terms of sport, is the game of golf. And as for those who are fortunate enough to still enjoy the game – to disregard the inexorable persistence of father time – there’s Norma Detmer.
Detmer, a local of Jacksonville, turned 90 years old on Friday, August 21, and when it came time to decide how she would celebrate the occasion, there was only one place she wanted to be: the golf course. Having taken up the sport approximately three decades ago, Detmer continues to enjoy the game of golf with some of her closest friends, playing several times a week at Jacksonville’s Northridge Hills and The Links golf courses.
“I started about 32 years ago when my friend Betsy Kesterson and I took lessons at the YMCA,” said Detmer of her introduction to the game. “We have a group of women that I play with two or three times a week, and we all enjoy each other’s company out there. It gives me a good way to get out and exercise. I plan to play for as long as I can.”
Gerontology tells us that aging is an inevitable process; witnessing your 90th birthday is an accomplishment on its own. But being fortunate enough to spend that special day on the course, playing the game you love with a group of your closest friends … it’s hard to think of a better way to celebrate.
