30 Jul 2024 | Women and girls |

'Clean living and red wine' keeps Jess playing

by Martin Blake

Jess Harris image
Jess Harris celebrates her 99th birthday at Launceston Golf Club

Jess Harris celebrated her 99th birthday recently, and fittingly, it happened on the green surrounds of her beloved Launceston Golf Club in Tasmania.

She Harris plays up to twice a week at the club, and has done for 50 years, driving her Toyota to the course.

“Clean living, good eating and a red wine with dinner,” is how she describes the secret of her longevity in the sport.

Mrs Harris skipped her regular game on Tuesday morning because of a heavy frost, but that is rare. She takes a cart – generously provided free by the club until the end of her playing days – rather than walking, and she is a regular at Launceston where she is a former women’s captain, committee member and pennant player.

Mrs Harris, who is a grandmother of four, great grandmother of five and great-great-grandmother of one, said playing golf had preserved her youth.

She has no plans of stopping.

“I’ve always liked it,” she said. “I usually played a good game, I’ve hung in there, I was always very determined. They used to say to me ‘you’ve got to get her out on the course because once she gets on the green … because I used to be a good chipper and putter.

“I’ll play while I can enjoy it. Some days I have a better score. To me, it’s a bonus to be out there. Every day’s a bonus. Put it that way. And if you have a good score.

“I enjoy the people, I enjoy the course, I know every lump and bump there is out there.”

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