Two longtime Iowa friends show why golf is good for the soul

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KTIV) - Two long-time friends from Sioux City hit the golf course multiple times a week, proving that age is just a number, and showing the community that golf is truly for everyone.

Out on the fairway at Sun Valley Golf Course, you’ll most likely find Glenn Ashcraft and Larry Steinbrecher laughing together enjoying a round of golf.

“It’s just something different every day, it seems like when you’re out here,” said 84-year-old golfer Glenn Ashcraft.

At 80 and 84 years old, the two were recently crowned the club’s Monday Night Men’s league champions, their second championship in the last three years.

“We’re out there on number seven, and here comes Jeff Donaldson, the owner, and he says, ‘you guys are the winners of this,’” said 80-year-old Larry Steinbrecher.

They’ve both faced life’s challenges, like an open-heart surgery for Glenn, and a cancer operation for Larry, but they were determined to recover and get back on the course.

“I had a really bad cancer operation that about took me out. And you know, my family pulled me through,” said Steinbrecher.

“The people I golf with, I think it just keeps you competitive, keeps you active,” said Ashcraft.

Larry and Glenn come out to Sun Valley Golf Course about four times a week to get their exercise, and to have fun together. They each have their traditions, like Larry grabbing a Coke and a Snickers bar to enjoy while out on the course.

“I think it keeps them young coming out here, and they enjoy each other’s company. And one of the first times I saw them out here, they broke a tape measure out, and they were measuring who was the closest off the tee to two pins. So they have a lot of fun,” said Jeff Donaldson, Sun Valley Golf Course Owner.

The duo proves every day that golf is truly for everyone at any age.

“The thing about golf is that anybody can play golf, all the way from these little kids that you see in the background, to old people like me,” Steinbrecher said. “And you can play it right up to the last minute of your life, you know, and enjoy it all the way through.”

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