Player Profile

Art Koff with his dog Duncan.

Age: 78

Occupation: Owner of RetiredBrains.com

Hometown: Sturgeon Bay (summer/fall) and Chicago (winter)

Home Course: Cherry Hills

Handicap: Currently 17, been as low as a 9.

How long have you been playing golf: 68 years

Best 18-hole score: 74 at Nipperskink Golf Course in Genoa City, WI in 1953.

Hole-in-one(s)?: Four. One just recently at Cherry Hils (see “Short Shots”) and three others during the past 60 years of playing golf.

Favorite course ever played?: Baltusrol in Springfield, NJ

A favorite golf memory: Sitting on a plane next to Julius Boros and getting first-hand information from a touring pro on how they mentally approach three and four-foot putts; how making or missing them could result in winning or coming in second in a tournament. He told me that he and most professionals “spot putt” these shots by picking out a small spot to putt over between the ball and the hole. Then he would say to himself before putting ‘just hit the ball over a spot on the green a few inches from his ball.’ He would ignore the hole and just hit the spot. If he properly judged the break, the ball would always go in.

Golf accomplishment most proud of: Still being able to occasionally hit the ball over 250 yards at my age.

Favorite pro player (and why)?: Tom Watson as he continues to play well at his age and has a pleasant demeanor and gives of himself to many charitable causes.

Who’s your caddy (if you could choose one): My father who has been dead 66 years and started me playing as a youngster. If he could come back and caddy for me it would be the best round ever.

Game strengths: Long, straight drives.

What needs work: My putting has slipped big time.

Golf tip to share: Have fun and don’t take yourself too seriously. If the ball goes out of bounds in the middle of a great round don’t let it get to you.

What’s in the bag?: My favorite ball marker which is over an inch across. So big that most say if you mark the ball a couple of times from a few feet out it can become a gimme.

Interests outside of golf: Adding content to my website RetiredBrains.com that assists retirees and people planning their retirement with the many challenges they face as they age.