New Zealand鈥檚 greatest ever golfer on why he thinks it鈥檚 the greatest game ever invented, shooting under par well into his 80s, and giving something back. Kurt Bayer speaks with Sir Bob Charles.
More than 60 years after taming the great 鈥淕olden Bear鈥 Jack Nicklaus and hoisting the Claret Jug, Sir Bob Charles no longer plays in the cold or rain.
The 88-year-old Major winner is a self-confessed fairweather golfer these days.
And after a glittering professional career with 80 wins, not including the 1963 Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes in England, and being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, it鈥檚 fair enough too.
Bob Charles in 1963. Photo / NZH
He refuses to play in the South Island winter and only starts thinking about it when the mercury nudges above 15C and the forecast is looking promising and dry.
Charles hasn鈥檛 played a round of golf since March 12 and probably won鈥檛 until spring.
But when conditions are right, and on courses and tees that suit his twilight game, the smooth lefthander can still hang with the best of them.
On a recent trip to London, he played a lot of golf with his daughter and even shot a 69 at the storied Royal Wimbledon Golf Club, the third oldest club in England.
鈥淚 was quite proud of that,鈥 says Charles, who plays off a handicap of 鈥3-something鈥.
鈥淎s long as I鈥檝e got a golf course that complements my game I can still shoot around par.鈥
With the British Open golf trophy in 1963.
Carterton-born Charles has lived at Clearwater Resort near Christchurch Airport for the past 18 years, bordering the championship 18-hole course where a new golf centre bearing his name opens this weekend.
The high-tech, purpose-built Sir Bob Charles Golf Centre is a collaboration between Charles and founder and director of Heller Meats, Todd Heller, aimed 鈥渟pecifically to develop and nurture the next generation of golf鈥.
The new Sir Bob Charles Golf Centre at Clearwater in Christchurch opens this weekend. Photo / Supplied
The driving range and performance facility will be one of the best of its kind in Australasia, say those behind it, and will feature top coaches overseen by former world No. 1 ranked amateur and tour player Marcus Wheelhouse.
Charles says he is honoured to have his name associated with the centre and to play a part in giving back to the game that has given him so much.
鈥淎fter 80-plus years of hitting golf balls, I鈥檝e seen a few changes and I鈥檝e pretty much played every ball game there is and golf is the greatest game of all,鈥 he says.
And although he believes the sport is booming, he thinks even more could be done to attract youngsters.
He cites the example of cricket, which has moved with the times in recent decades, especially through the advent of shorter formats such as T20, where games take less than three hours. He thinks golf should be looking at similar moves.
鈥淕olf can be more enjoyable and fun if played in three hours instead of four-and-a-half hours,鈥 says Charles.
He cites three barriers to getting people into golf: expense; time; and the fact the 鈥済ame is too difficult鈥.
鈥淏ut it doesn鈥檛 have to be that way. I started playing with six hickory clubs and that was more than enjoyable,鈥 Charles says.
鈥淪tarting early is an advantage. It鈥檚 good, healthy exercise, in the open fresh air. You can play it alone or in a team. That鈥檚 why I consider it to be the greatest game of all.鈥
And when the weather warms up again, Charles hopes to hit the fairways himself once again.
His father played until he was 96, and his mother until she was 91.
Charles hopes to still shoot scores under his age for a while to come.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a game of a lifetime,鈥 he says.
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