By Martin Blake.
Jess Harris celebrated her 99th birthday recently, and fittingly, it happened on the green surrounds of her beloved Launceston Golf Club in Tasmania.
Jess plays up to twice a week at the club, and has done for 50 years, driving her Toyota to the course.
“Clean living, good eating and a red wine with dinner,” is how she describes the secret of her longevity in the sport.
Jess skipped her regular game on Tuesday morning because of a heavy frost, but that is rare. She takes a cart – generously provided free by the club until the end of her playing days – rather than walking, and she is a regular at Launceston where she is a former women’s captain, committee member and pennant player.
Jess who is a grandmother of four, great grandmother of five and great-great-grandmother of one, said playing golf had preserved her youth.
She has no plans of stopping.
“I’ve always liked it,” she said. “I usually played a good game, I’ve hung in there, I was always very determined. They used to say to me ‘you’ve got to get her out on the course because once she gets on the green … because I used to be a good chipper and putter.
“I’ll play while I can enjoy it. Some days I have a better score. To me, it’s a bonus to be out there. Every day’s a bonus. Put it that way. And if you have a good score.
“I enjoy the people, I enjoy the course, I know every lump and bump there is out there.”
STORY: MARTIN BLAKE | GOLF AUSTRALIA