Marvelli finds challenge of golf a way to stay active

Golf is a challenging lifetime sport. That’s one thing Ron Marvelli enjoys it.

“Every time you play golf it seems it’s a new experience because your ball is in a different position and you’re hitting a different shot. So, it’s always different. It’s never the same,” Marvelli said. “It is a challenge. You never reach the point that you win all the time. Golf wins most of the time.”

The 82-year-old Newton golfer won on Oct. 22 at Westwood Golf Course. Marvelli took advantage of a great autumn day that Wednesday to shoot a 78 on the par-71, 18-hole course. That is four strokes under his age.

“It was easy,” Marvelli said of the round of 78. “When you’re playing well, the scores come easy. When you’re not playing well, it is almost impossible.”

Marvelli said he wasn’t really aware of how well he was playing that afternoon. Marvelli, who doesn’t have a regular golf group or play in a league at the course, was playing with Scott Creech. He said he plays a lot of golf with Creech.

“Scott kept reminding me how well I was playing. I birdied 18 for example and Scott said, ‘say, you birdied 18’ and I said ‘yeah, yeah,’” Marvelli said.

Marvelli started on the back nine and shot a 38, which put him three over par at the time. He finished with a front-nine score of 40 for the 78. Marvelli was playing off the men’s regulation tees.

“Those are not outstanding scores, but for someone my age I guess they are outstanding,” he said with a little laugh. “As long as I am physically prepared to play from those tees, I will play those tees. And, I am.”

Marvelli said he goes to the Newton YMCA three or four times a week to keep active. He said he tries to stay in shape.

“It’s important you stay active in an area that you enjoy because it’s good physical health and good mental health. For me, it’s golf and for someone else it might be vegetable gardening, bowling — just anything that gets you up and going,” Marvelli said.

Marvelli came to golf a little later in his life. He said he began playing the sport when he was 38. Marvelli is from Pershing in Marion County. He played baseball in high school and at William Penn.

“When I couldn’t play baseball anymore, it was a natural transition from a baseball swing to a golf swing. There’s differences, but very similar. It’s kind of an easy transfer,” Marvelli said. “I had a first cousin who was a scratch golfer and he kept asking me to play golf with him.

“He’d say ‘come on and play golf. You’ll enjoy it.’ So, I did and I did.”

Marvelli has been playing golf at Westwood for 40 years. He said he has been a member at the course for 25 or 30 years. He tries to play golf three to four times a week.

“I just come out and play. I’ll play golf with anybody,” Marvelli said.

Marvelli said his wife, Diane, is from Newton and they moved from Indianola to Newton in 1978. Marvelli worked for Iowa State Department of Health for 37 years and in the Department of Human Services for 10 years. He retired in 2000.

Marvelli’s sons — Shane, Shad, Jason and Ryan — graduated from Newton High School. Shane, Jason and Ryan played golf for NHS and all three had college scholarships to play golf. Jason and Ryan were members of the Newton Class 4A championship golf teams and Shane qualified for the 4A state meet as an individual.

Marvelli said his 14-year-old grandson Jake Marvelli, a freshman from Indianola, finished fifth in this fall’s 4A state meet.

He said his wife Diane does not play golf, “but enjoys us all playing it.”

Golf is something Marvelli enjoys.

“If it’s 40 degrees or above outside, I play golf. If it’s pouring rain or snowing, I don’t play golf,” he said. “I’m not a fair weather golfer. I play golf when I want to play golf.