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Land of 10,000 Stories: A day with 'The Duffers'

Little boys toddle into the world pre-programmed for play. A senior men's golf league in Madison, Minnesota may offer the best evidence yet, that desire never goes away.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This Land of 10,000 Stories originally aired on August 14, 2011.

MADISON, Minn. - KARE 11's Boyd Huppert first told us about "The Duffers" in 2011 but this unique golf league in Madison, Minnesota is now in its 28th season.

This group of senior men doesn't let their lack of skills get in the way of a great game of golf. There's a waiting list to get into The Duffers and as one of the members said, "You really can't get in until somebody dies."

The group was founded by Carlyle Larson back in 1990. The league is capped at 16 and they meet on Wednesday mornings each week.

In 2011 Victor Tennessen died at the age of 93 and The Duffers were there for his funeral. He was laid to rest with a rosary in one hand and a golf ball in the other.

The next week Graylan Carlson became their youngest member after five years on the waiting list.

The Duffers laugh at their mistakes and have fun on the green "until the day comes when we must give up our place."

Since the story originally aired in 2011 five more Duffers have passed away and keeping with tradition all five were replaced by men on the waiting list. Carlyle Larson is now the oldest Duffer at 91.

<madison, minn.="" --="" little="" boys="" toddle="" into="" the="" world="" pre-programmed="" for="" play.="" a="" senior="" men's="" golf="" league="" in="" madison,="" minnesota="" may="" offer="" best="" evidence="" yet,="" that="" desire="" never="" goes="" away.="" ole="" and="" lena="" jokes="" fly="" before="" balls="" as="" 16="" members="" of="" duffer's="" meet="" each="" wednesday="" morning="" at="" madison="" country="" club.="" parlance="" "duffer"="" describes="" someone="" questionable="" ability.="" it="" is="" first="" indication="" skills="" -="" average="" age="" 81="" no="" longer="" match="" their="" competitive="" spirit.="" "regardless="" what="" i="" make="" or="" do="" not="" there="" are="" comments="" about="" how="" bad="" am,"="" says="" cliff="" linde,="" 88,="" when="" asked="" he="" loves="" most="" league.="" filling="" roster="" an="" issue.="" challenge="" outsiders="" living="" long="" enough="" to="" get="" in.="" "there's="" always="" been="" waiting="" list="" in,"="" myron="" haverson,="" 73.="" "you="" really="" can't="" until="" somebody="" dies."="" carlyle="" larsen,="" 85,is="" league's="" founder="" only="" surviving="" original="" member.="" "it="" was="" my="" idea,="" guess,="" back="" 1990,"="" explains.="" larsen="" decided="" aging="" men="" needed="" own="" then="" capped="" membership="" 16.="" don="" ess="" among="" those="" who="" waited="" on="" spot="" open.="" september="" he'll="" turn="" 91.="" started="" golfing="" left="" military="" service="" 1942.="" "i="" haven't="" run="" out="" yet,"="" laughs,="" "probably="" because="" hit="" 'em="" far="" anymore.="" last="" month="" became="" oldest="" member="" league,="" same="" day="" graylan="" carlson,="" former="" lac="" qui="" parle="" county="" sheriff,became="" youngest.="" sadly,="" new-comer="" generally="" means="" old="" friend="" has="" passed="" "they="" were="" supposed="" day,="" but="" they="" cancelled="" went="" funeral="" instead,"="" say="" angie="" tennessen,="" whose="" husband="" victor="" golfed="" died="" while="" inhis="" chair,watching="" twins="" game.="" his="" death="" opened="" put="" name="" five="" years="" ago.="" "wednesday="" favorite="" week,"="" said="" kristi="" kuechenmeister,="" tennessen's="" daughter.="" "he="" couldn't="" up="" early="" enough"="" with="" duffers.="" wasn't="" case.="" 45="" tennessen="" toiled="" farm,="" time="" golfers="" played="" course="" two="" miles="" down="" road.="" "remember="" used="" drive="" by="" here="" golfing?,"="" kuechenmeister="" she="" turned="" her="" mother.="" responded="" words="" heard="" often="" from="" husband,="" "'those="" stupid="" idiots,="" they're="" chasing="" ball="" around="" stick.'"="" if="" anyone="" wondered="" duffers="" made="" difference="" life,="" question="" answered="" visitation,="" where="" shared="" space="" rosary="" hiscrossed="" hands="" casket.="" widow="" requested="" friends="" serve="" honorary="" pallbearers.="" "we="" all="" carried="" club,"="" john="" strand,="" 84,="" "and="" we="" church="" stood="" lined="" side="" coffin="" our="" clubs="" --present="" arms."="" she's="" several="" people="" beautiful="" they'd="" ever="" seen."="" victor's="" crossed="" off="" clubhouse="" wall,="" carlson's="" hand-written="" next="" it.="" "victor="" 6th="" week="" 7th="" carlson.="" natural="" cycle="" continued,="" just="" like="" summer="" turns="" fall.="" realize="" we're="" getting="" gonna="" have="" lot="" fun="" remaining="" have,"="" strand.="" will="" think="" cross="" 3rd="" hole="" 4th.="" there,="" pond,="" fountain="" be="" erected="" memorial="" money="" planted="" eventually="" thefarmer's="" place.="" "that="" way="" legacy="" lives="" here,"="" daughter,="" look="" pretty.="" "="" looking="" life="" lessons,="" many.="" try="" best.laugh="" mistakes.until="" arrives="" give="">

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