Centenarian Golfer Swings Again

Anita Weiner took her first golf swing in eight years on Wednesday morning at TPC Houston in Sugar Land. The 100-year-old used a specialized electric stand-up device to return to the fairway, marking a personal milestone five days after her birthday.

Weiner began playing golf at age 52 after knee injuries ended her tennis career. She developed a 7 handicap and won the 1995 Texas Senior Women’s Golf Association Championship at the same course where she played Wednesday. She retired from the sport at age 92. Her family says she requested one swing for her centennial birthday.

K.C. Wiener, Weiner’s son, described the moment as emotional. "I was worried that she would embarrass herself, embarrass the people that were providing the equipment, and that she'd have a lot of pain," he said. "To see the joy in her face and the improvement on every swing that she took to adjust to get there and then hit the ball is pretty joyful."

The swing was enabled by the VertaCat, an electric stand-up device created for players with limited mobility. Anthony Netto, a South African military veteran and co-developer of the unit, traveled from San Diego to fit Weiner into the machine. Netto is also the founder of the Stand Up and Play Foundation, which has distributed 300 to 400 mobility units to injured veterans and first responders across the United States.

"We're golfers, we like standing up," Netto said. "We don't like the seated version because I want to have the same fair swing. It's called the ability, not the disability."

Weiner’s return to the course coincided with a new development in local collegiate athletics. Rice University launched its first women's varsity golf program this fall. Weiner helped establish the team’s funding and advocacy efforts in the early 2000s. Head coach Joanne Berglund attended the Wednesday session to watch Weiner play. "Anita had this dream of women's golf at Rice back in the early 2000s," Berglund said. "To see it come full circle with her, and here we are 20-plus years later able to celebrate her 100th birthday, but also the inaugural season of Rice all kind of happening in the same year, is really exciting."

Weiner stepped into the VertaCat with caution but expressed confidence in the support team. She advised other potential players not to let age deter them. "It’s never too late, always just start, just go out," she said. "Don’t worry about being good, just worry about having a good time. It’s so beautiful to walk the land and walk the ground and walk outdoors. Just the walking is worth it."