Bill retired at 65 with a simple plan: play golf every day. Seven years later, he's still at it — but his hands have needed some help along the way.
"Your skin changes as you age," he says simply. "What used to be a callus now tears. What used to heal in two days takes a week. If I want to keep playing daily, I have to adapt."
The Senior Golfer's Challenge
Aging skin is thinner, less elastic, and slower to heal. The calluses that protected Bill's hands in his 50s became problematic in his 70s — prone to cracking, tearing, and taking forever to recover.
He tried playing through it. He tried taking days off. He tried every glove on the market. Nothing quite solved the problem of fragile skin meeting daily friction.
Prevention Over Treatment
Now Bill tapes before every round. Thin wraps on the spots that used to tear — his pinky pad, the base of his index finger, the heel of his hand. The tape provides a friction barrier that his aging calluses can no longer provide naturally.
"It's not complicated. Five minutes before I tee off, I tape the usual spots. No blisters. No tears. No forced days off."
Still Going Strong
At 72, Bill's handicap is actually lower than it was at 65. He credits consistent play — which is only possible because he's found a way to protect his hands.
"Golf keeps me young," he says. "But I have to be smart about it. My body doesn't recover like it used to. Using tape isn't admitting defeat. It's being smart enough to keep playing."