Senior preps for state golf circuit
Staff writer
Don Noller is in his 12th year competing in the Kansas Golf Association Senior Series, but the circuit still sparks his competitive drive.
“What I like is that there’s a points system,” he said. “Within the year the top 15 get to play in the championship and that’s what I work for.”
His other goal is making the cut for the Ozark Cup in the fall, which he has achieved four times.
“I like to be competitive,” he said. “When I go to those senior events I want to play well.”
The match pits a team of Kansas golfers against a team from Missouri, who face off in individual pairings.
Noller competes under the net classification, which means he gets to use his eight-stroke handicap. The Ozark Cup takes the four golfers with the lowest net scores to join those with the lowest gross scores.
“You make a lot of friends from different parts of the state and all walks of life,” he said. “It’s amazing how many of these guys are retired already.”
“There are too many good golfers to compete with them straight-up,” he said.
Despite Noller’s experience, Marion Country Club’s annual golf tournament June 22 presents its own challenges.
“This is a short course and it has its own difficulty,” he said.
Noller prefers 18-hole courses because they offer more variety, but the home course allows him to meet with friends.
“Around the weekend I’ll play with the guys,” he said. “During the week, a lot of the time I’ll hit multiple balls. If there’s something I need to work on I’ll hit that club a bit more often.”