family + friends More than a bunch of Twelve men with twelve years together Articleand photos by nIcoLE mARIno What does it take to makeeach person realize his or her true life purpose, and how does one live his or her life to the fullest? Is it the people they’ve shared life with, or is it the legacy and traditions they pass on? Well, I went out to meet just the group that would give me that answer: a group of men in their seventies and eighties who formed what they now call the Monday Golf Club. They have met weekly to play golf for the past twelve years. If these guys didn’t know the answer, I’m not sure who would. Bthat filled the room was like none “Live your life and of their bond.It all began in October 1997 when Dr. Dae-finally made them realize the longevity and strengthforget your age”eing an old soul I enjoy the companyof the older generation, but the energyother I had felt before. In the course of seventy- hyun “Danny” Chung, a retired earth physicist plus years of life so much can be accomplished who lives in Napa, and nuclear scientist Rolf Moea Monday Golf Club motto and so many stories told. For many of us the age of Santa Rosa, a retired chemical engineer from the of eighty can seem, well. . . old. I embrace what They reminisce about the support they’ve provided Silicon Valley IT industries, met for the first time could be the youngest, most vibrant seventy- to one another over the years. “We’ve seen it all in and played a challenging game of golf at what is plus-year-olds I’d ever met. These men are clearly twelve years—death, births, mishaps, golf errors. now a part of Eagle Vines Golf Club. What started young in spirit, mind and health. Through it we’ve all shared many laughs.” Many said, out as two players became four, and soon the four I feel like I am on a movie set amongst witty and “The group keeps us young.” Several shared stories became twenty-two players by 1999. These players deeply sentimental characters from an old classic about how they had depended on each other at one got organized under the name of Tres Montes Golf movie from the 1920s. There is an obvious bond time or another. One of them said, “I know if I call Club, which recognizes the three mountains Mt. among these men as they chatter and give each up any one of these guys they’ll be there for me.” St. Helena of Napa, Mt. Tamalpais of Marin, and other playful jabs in a fun, loving way, each with They had been through so much after twelve years Mt. Diablo of Contra Costa Counties. As the years his own vivacious personality and happy banter. they each knew so much about one another’s life. and some members had passed on or moved on, the One of the members says, “A good drive on the One of them piped up, “ Any one of us would be Tres Montes G.C. closed. Many of the remaining eighteenth hole has stopped many a golfer from there if one of us needed anything at all.” Tres Montes formed the San Francisco Bay Area giving up the game.” Another remarks, “The Law When I tell them I find it amazing they hung Monday Golf Club (Monday G.C.). of Golf Physics states that it is easier to get up at on to the group as long as they had, they begin Dr. Chung retired in 1996 from Lawrence 6:00 a.m. to play golf than at 10:00 a.m. to mow thanking each other by shaking hands and handing Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and the lawn.” out hugs, in the mock realization that my visit University of California after twenty-five years 58 w w w. n A PA V A L L E Y L I F E m A g A z I n E . c o m
NVLife_SeptOct_2012
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