BRAINTREE, Mass. − Laid low this summer by a nasty bout of Lyme disease, Barbara Serena is embracing the things she likes to do the most to spur her recovery.
That’s her nature: positivity.
Barbara, who will turn 89 on Jan. 2, 2024, is golfing again and looks ahead to reaching a new decade at 90: “I think it’s going to be great.”
Recently, the petite Norwell resident arrived at the Braintree Municipal Golf Course with her grandson Patrick Collins, 31, to play nine holes of golf.
With short curly white hair, she was wearing a snazzy black-and-white outfit and first went into the pro shop to greet staffer Ed Corcoran. He was happy to see her again and checked her in.
Then she headed to the first tee to find the starter. Ahmed Raiss, a retired European history teacher at Braintree High School, assigned her one of the electric golf carts lined up nearby. Carrying her clubs, she hopped in, put it in reverse, turned it around and was off to pick up her grandson, who had parked the car.
A few minutes later, the pair were starting their round. Barbara played from the red tee, used by golfers who prefer a shorter distance to the hole. After she took her first shot, she relaxed.
“It felt good. … I’ll get there,” she said.
Barbara is the oldest member of the Braintree Women’s Golf Association. Denise Wessman, the assistant tournament director, who is 72, calls her “an inspiration.”
“She plays wonderfully and she hits the ball well,” Wessman said. “I hope I’m doing the same when I get to her age.”
Barbara Serena, 88, of Norwell, and her grandson Patrick Collins, 31, played golf together recently at the Braintree Municipal Golf Course. Barbara is the oldest member of the Braintree Women’s Golf Association. (Photo by E. Gene Chambers)
Although she has won tournaments in her flight, or handicap group, Barbara has another valued quality.
“She doesn’t get discouraged,” Wessman said. “She doesn’t let golf get her down.
“And as more and more people are living to a ripe old age, to stay active the way Barbara does is an accomplishment.”
Older golfers are a growing swing group
Senior golfers (age 50 and over) are the only age group that has been showing significant growth, according to the National Golf Foundation. Some 6.4 million senior golfers represent 26% of all golfers.
“I’m a late bloomer,” Barbara said about her zest for sports in her ninth decade. “I didn’t start golfing until I was 60, when some friends…
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