Want this 98-year-old golfer’s secret to a long, active life?
BARTLESVILLE — Joe Hardin has been retired from dentistry for 30 years.
The 98-year-old did not retire quietly to a retreat.
He continued to play golf, setting a couple of significant age-related accomplishments, and didn’t slow down.
“If anything, I got more active,” said Hardin. “As a result, people were always asking me how I stay so active at my age.”
Hardin has written a small booklet that he now distributes to folks who ask him about his routine.
“I got asked so much I just wrote it all down and put it in a booklet,” said Hardin. “Now, when someone asks, I hand them this booklet.”
He’s been handing out booklets all over the Bartlesville area.
Although he is slowing up a little bit, it is not unusual to see this 98-year-old golfer out on the range at Hillcrest Country Club.
“I still like to hit balls, but I really can’t play 18 holes anymore,” said Hardin. “The only thing I’ve noticed that has changed in the last few years is my endurance.
“I still like to stay very active. I just can’t stay active as long as I used to.”
Still, he follows his routine and hands out booklets every chance he gets.
“Sure I do,” said Hardin. “I wouldn’t hand out the booklets if I didn’t believe in my stay-fit routine.
“So every morning, I get up and turn on the coffee machine. Then, I go back to a room and do my stretches; that takes about four minutes. Then, I’m off to do whatever it is I’m doing that day.”
It is true that people are living longer and staying active much longer these days.
Some credit is due to modern medicine, which is certainly the case for many people.
Then, there’s Hardin, who is a combination of everything. Yes, he believes in improved medical care.
But he believes a daily routine that involves stretching followed by an active lifestyle not only lengthens but improves the quality of life.
That’s the word he spreads with his small booklet titled “A Guide to Good Health After Fifty.”
Hardin believes his ideas would work for young adults in their 20s and 30s, too.
“But kids at that age just don’t think about longevity,” said Hardin. “I know I didn’t. When I was young, I partied and smoked. But as you get older, you start thinking about longevity. You learn the way to be more healthy.
“I avoid all types of pills. I’ve worked through some knee and back problems with stretches and exercises. You just keep moving.”
Hardin is a well-known figure in Washington County.
He grew up in McAlester and served in World War II, including a stint in France along the front lines after D-Day.
“It was terrible,” he said. “The front lines were just so hard.”
He used the GI Bill to pay for dental school in Kansas City after the war.
In 1949, he moved to Bartlesville and opened his dental practice. He practiced for over 40 years.
During that time, he also took up the game of golf, joining Hillcrest in 1953.
It turned out to be his lifelong sports love, and he was an active supporter of Oklahoma State University golf. His office walls are lined with photos and tributes from decades of OSU golf stars and coaches.
When he retired, he started playing even more.
He was in Craig, Colorado, playing at a municipal course when he recorded a double eagle at age 77. At the time, he was recognized by a national magazine as the oldest player ever to record a double-eagle.
At age 81, he shot 73, one of the lowest rounds ever by an 81-year-old.
“I still love to play, but I don’t really have the endurance,” he said. “So part of my staying active is to go hit balls on the driving range almost every day.
“I don’t do it this time of year because it is too hot.”
But it isn’t too hot to start off every day with his routine of three sets of three different stretches.
After that he’s out the door to start the day.
“Got to keep moving,” he said.