'It keeps us going' - four golfers with combined age of 357 on the benefits of sport

The four love to enjoy a cup of coffee or a bite of lunch after their round. Credit: Andrew Thomas

Four golfers with a combined age of 357 who meet up twice a week to play a round of golf say "it keeps us going."

Phil Castle, 92, Bob MacKeith, 90, Pat Hanson, 89, and Geoff Hall, 86, say it is a great way to keep fit and socialise with each other.

The group play at Kirkby Lonsdale Golf Club and after completing either the first nine holes or the last nine they love to visit the clubhouse for a cup of coffee or a spot of lunch.

The four love a coffee or lunch after their round. Credit: Andrew Thomas

92-year-old Phil Castle explains how the group do not use buggies to navigate the course.

He said: "We walk around the course rather than use buggies. You are exercising every part of your body in a gentle sort of way. It is what keeps us going!”

The four friends, who all live in Kirkby Lonsdale, are keen to stress that their twice-weekly sessions are not competitive. “We play for personal pride,” said Bob, with Phil adding: “It is all about encouragement – we applaud each other’s good shots and commiserate if a shot does not go well. You could call it therapy!”

The four play a round twice a week. Credit: Andrew Thomas

Phil and Pat are next door neighbours and started playing golf as a foursome in 1991. The current group have been playing together for the last five years.

Despite their collective ages adding up to more than three and a half centuries, Pat said age was not a subject they discussed very much. “We don’t think of ourselves as unusual,” said Phil.

“How much longer we shall continue playing like this is something we don’t consider.” Geoff, the youngest of the foursome, said he loved ‘everything’ about golf. “It is just brilliant - you are out in the open and there is good companionship,” he said.

The four golfers ages range from 92 to 86-years-old. Credit: Andrew Thomas

Great-grandfather Bob has been playing golf for 72 years and has been a member of KirkbyLonsdale for 21 years. Geoff, who was secretary at the club for 12 years, has been a member for 40 years.

Phil, a former headteacher at Queen Elizabeth School in the town, has been a member of the golf club since 1966, while Pat has been a member for more than 50 years.

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