Marlin Metcalf: One of a Kind

April 18, 2017

By Ray Eason

I play golf four days a week with a legendary man, Marlin J. Metcalf, who I, and everyone that knows Marlin, believes is one of a kind.

On June 6th, 1944, Marlin was with the 82nd Airborne and parachuted into Normandy, France. That in its self is extraordinary. But like TV hucksters say, " But wait there is more!"

Marlin spends his winters in Thousand Palms, California and golfs at Tri Palms Golf Club and that is where I met him about 7 years ago. When I learned that he was 87 years old, I was skeptical that he was consistently posting scores under his age and I managed to join his golfing group where I witnessed his incredible golfing ability. Now Marlin is 94 years old and his handicap has risen to a 21 from a 17 this year, but he still plays golf six days a week, and conservatively he will have a score less than his age three or four of those days.

Typically after a game, we head directly to the bar to pay our bets, have a couple of drinks, smoke a cigar and tell stories. Recently, someone on the patio asked, “Marlin how many times have you shot under your age?”

Marlin prefaced his answer by first telling us that he plays more than 280 games per year both in California and Montana, and has done so for a very long time. And in that very long time he has posted "thousands" of games that were equal or less than his age.

When I first started playing golf with Marlin, I witnessed some great shots. For example, there was a low flying shot that he rebounded off a three-foot brick wall because he was stymied by trees blocking his path to our 16th green. After that game and while at the bar, I told him that I recognized above average talent and I had Marlin tell me about his golfing history which began at age nine in 1931. His best handicap was zero. His best and first game at Tri Palms GC was about 10 years ago when he scored six under for a 64.

My golf group job is to book two tee times on Saturdays. Often my golfing friends will ask, “Is room for my visiting son or grandchild? And if so, please put him in Marlin's group so he could watch Marlin kick his butt.”

Two (or three) years ago, Marlin garnered the ire of a foursome on our 3rd hole who complained that he hit into them from the tee. That group was 245 yards out from the tee box!

Those days are pretty much over now, but it is not uncommon for Marlin to hit a 200-yard tee shot and be beyond some of his "junior" fellow players. And Marlin will say, "Sonny, you are away."

So, I am a 71-year-old guy playing golf someone that is 23 years my senior and often takes my money!

Every year when I leave Canada to come down here for winter, my first thought is, I hope Marlin is well.