Joe McAvoy recently achieved something in golf no one else may have ever done. The 89-year-old Estero (Fla.) Country Club member shot or broke his age for the 2,000th time and shows no signs of slowing down.
A retired auto industry executive from Birmingham, Michigan, McAvoy took up full-time residence in Florida in 2008 and has been playing more than 200 rounds a year ever since.
As first reported by NewEngland.Golf, on Oct. 17, Estero CC head pro Andrew Plesz and a group of McAvoy’s regular playing partners – Mark Miller, Chase Lyons, David Reese and John Side – hosted a surprise party to honor McAvoy’s special achievement. Earlier in the day, McAvoy, a 10 handicap, posted 88, for what he counts as his 2,019th score of shooting his age or lower.
“This record is only possible because I have a great golf course to play every day and wonderful group of golf friends to play with,” said McAvoy. “Yes, I love the game and enjoy playing a lot of golf which is sometimes six days a week. I can’t tell you how many times I have been on the 17th tee box and say to myself, ‘OK, I need two pars to shoot my age.’ I enjoy the challenge.”
According to records from the Guinness Book of World Records, the feat of shooting one’s age or lower has been achieved by Mike Barber, with 1,266 rounds as of March 2024. Golfweek previously chronicled the remarkable story of Sidney Beckwith, who was playing golf at age 100 and broke his age about 1,500 times.
McAvoy first shot lower than his age in 2005 when at age 69 he shot 68 on a par 72 course in Michigan. In 2008, he broke his age 100 times. He was just getting started, In 2016, he bettered his age 251 times. And, at age 85, McAvoy shot 68, which is 17 strokes under his age.
“Joe brings three qualities to the course: passion for golf; good health and good golf game,” said Plesz, the Estero CC pro.
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