My Favorite Golfer Is Ageless

My favorite golfer is not a professional. He doesn't come close to par these days. His drives and irons don't have the distance they once did. But he still chips and putts like a demon.

And trash talks.

Don Klink is a young 88, a number he put up earlier this summer. While I'm in my 14th season playing in  The Gisholt Golf League, Don's been a member for over 40 years. ("It's either 41 or 42," he admits during a recent round. "I either started in the league in 1978 or '79. I got recruited by Dick Saunders."

The Gisholt League is the oldest continuous golf league in Madison, calling Odana Hills Golf Course home. It's technically the Gisholt Retirement League, named for Gisholt Machine Company.

I looked into a bit of the history on this. Founded in 1889 by John A. Johnson, it was named after a childhood vacation home in Norway. The company won a prestigious gold medal for turrent lathes at the 1900 Paris World's Fair. Gisholt was acquired by Giddings & Lewis in 1966, but the Gisholt name reportedly lasted until 1970.

 "I was the first non-Gisholt employee or family member in the league, " Don explained. "They were running out of former Gisholt employees by then."

Here's a tip of the cap to Don. While he hinted at stepping away several years ago, here's a hope he keeps coming back for several years. As Don says, "I have 24 friends in this (league) and I really enjoy them. That keeps me coming back."

We all want to be like Don -- playing well and enjoying life, not letting a number (age) define us!