Who golfs? Mickey Barber - 'all year round'

photo Mickey Barber.

Mickey Barber loves playing golf.

Wet weather doesn't keep him inside. Cold temperatures don't keep him away from Brown Acres. And long par 4s don't make him sweat standing on the tee box.

"The three greatest inventions in golf are waterproof shoes, cart covers and hybrid clubs for us old guys," Barber said while hitting a basket of balls with Adams hybrids at Wilcox Driving Range on Tuesday afternoon.

"I play all year round, all winter," said Barber, who plays at Brown Acres, Brainerd and other public courses in the greater Chattanooga area. "In the low-ball, there are a lot of really great people."

Barber's equipment is essential during cold and wet winter months. New technology applied to shoes keep his feet dry no matter the amount of standing water in the fairway he crosses to hit an approach.

The cart cover, with a heater, prevents frostbite and keeps feeling in his hands for the delicate chips and putts.

"We're able to stay warm and dry in the cart," Barber said. "Only if there's a threat of lightning do we not play. But we try to play as much as we can."

And that's a lot.

"Brown Acres has a good low-ball on Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays, and Brainerd has a good one Tuesday through Friday. So you always have a tee time and somebody to play with."

Adams V3s irons are the 73-year-old's weapon of choice on the course.

"Hybrids make it easier for old guys like me to hit clubs," Barber said. "They make it easier to hit the ball solid."

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