AT AN age where many have long stepped away from the sporting spotlight, Hervey Bay’s own John Faram and Gordon Kerman, both now into their 90s, are still walking the fairways, clubs in hand, chasing birdies and swapping laughs.
These two golfing stalwarts are living proof that staying active, social, and passionate can be a lifelong pursuit. And for John and Gordon, it’s golf that keeps their spirits high and their bodies moving.
John Faram took up the game relatively late, at 64 years old, but it didn’t take long for him to fall in love with it.
‘I played cricket, hockey, and a little rugby in my younger years’ John recalls.
‘But golf took a while to win me over. My late father tried to get me into it on a hot day in Zambia by making me caddy for him. In that African heat, I swore I’d never touch a club again’.
But fate had other plans. Since picking up the game in his sixties, John has made golf a regular part of his life. These days, he plays with a handicap of 21 and enjoys every minute of it.
‘I’m out there for the sunshine, the company, and the cold beer afterward. The scores matter less than the experience. That’s what I love’.
John, who moved to Australia from South Africa in 1979, also keeps his mind sharp through light financial work and still follows the cricket religiously, especially the red-ball format.
‘Golf keeps the body ticking. The rest keeps the brain going’ he says with a smile.
For Gordon Kerman, golf wasn’t a later-in-life discovery, it was love at first sight. He picked up a club as a 13-year-old, joining his father for a casual round during a family holiday.
‘I just walked the course with him and thought, ‘This is brilliant.’ I was hooked from that moment’ Gordon says.
Now in his early 90s, Gordon still plays three times a week, and only in competitions’.
‘I don’t bother with social rounds’ he laughs. ‘I like to keep it serious’.
Over the years, Gordon’s game reached impressive heights, peaking with a handicap of 10. His record even includes a remarkable three holes-in-one, one in 1979, another in 1991, and the most recent in 2010.
‘Am I due for another? Maybe no. I can’t quite reach the green anymore’ he jokes.
Even so, Gordon continues to turn up, swing away, and enjoy the camaraderie that comes with the game. ‘The social side is a bonus’ he admits.
‘The real reason I play is because I love golf. But I have made great friends, been on golfing trips around Australia and even overseas. It’s been a huge part of my life’.
His best-ever score ? A one-over-par 71 on a par-70 course.
‘I remember it clearly’ Gordon says. “’t’s a feeling you don’t forget’.
Both men say the same thing when asked how long they will keep playing. As long as they can swing a club.
‘It’s not just about the physical side’ John says. ‘it’s the fresh air, the mateship, and that little thrill when you hit a good shot’
Whether they are breaking 100 or chasing that elusive hole-in-one, John and Gordon prove that age is no match for passion. and that there is always another great round waiting just around the next tee.