Dwight Henry Shoots Age of 71 at Conestoga

As golfers get older, a common goal is to shoot a score that matches or is under the age of the person. Recently, Dwight Henry, an SNGA member at Conestoga Golf Club in Mesquite, fired a round of 71 to match his age. It was the first time Henry had shot at or under his age and he did it with a sense of humor. — By Brian Hurlburt.

“It would have been easier if I was older,” Henry said a few days after the historic round.

Henry is a seven handicap from the silver tees. Conestoga is his home course

“I took the game up once I go out into the working world at age 25,” Henry said. “During my working life, I would golf occasionally on weekends. After I retired I became interested in the Single Plain swing. Two brothers out of Oklahoma travel around the country doing three and five-day training sessions. I’ve been working on my single plain swing habits for the last six years, and now that I’m retired I play five days a week. The single plain swing has made golf much easier on my back and made me a much more consistent golfer.”

Even professionals take shooting one’s age seriously, especially for those players whose age hovers around the par barrier.

A 2006 Orange County Register article detailed Player’s question: “For example, Player, who has won 163 international events during his distinguished career, is 70 now, and he shot his age for only the fourth time in his career on tour earlier this month when he posted a first-round 69 at the First Tee Open at Pebble Beach.”

ESPN.com also once ran a column titled, “Shooting your age is a major accomplishment.”

We agree.