IN recent times Jack Meaden, Theo Fatouros and Bob Riley have become a playing group in Portsea Golf Club’s Saturday competition, defying their ages with their energy and enthusiasm.
Meaden is 95 and lives in Melbourne but has a house in Sorrento and has been a PGC member for 42 years.
He was previously a keen sailor and played social golf with his wife Lois but, due to her recent poor health, has joined his mates.
A few weeks ago the nonagenarian shot 89 off the stick, breaking his age by six shots. He plays off 26, meaning that he only has to play to his handicap to play to his age.
Meaden’s friends, however, say he has weakened in that he uses a cart, while they admit they’ll most likely be in wheelchairs at his age, or before.
Always self-effacing, Meaden said that “instead of the putts hanging on the edge and looking back and laughing at me, this time it was one of those lucky rounds when all the putts went in”.
His playing buddy Theo Fatouros, 90, has been a member for 32 years. While it is safe to say that he will never break his age, he has an encyclopaedic knowledge of his favourite subject. His mates say that if you don’t know that the subject is Richmond Football Club, you have never spoken to him.
The “baby” of the group, at 85, is Bob Riley, who has been a member for 36 years. His mother and father were also members as was his brother Ken. The Rileys are one of Sorrento oldest families and brother John is also a member.
Riley still walks the course and plays off 15, so when he plays to his handicap he plays to his age. He has broken his age at least six times in the past year and keeps fit by playing croquet and riding his bike at least 100 kilometres a week.
The oldest playing member at Portsea is Bill Horn, 96. Horn now plays twice a week with the “nine holers“ and until recently ran the group.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 28 March 2023
