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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Crater Lake vandalism causes furor Bengal tiger cubs romp at cat park Since You Asked: La Tapatia is inspected, not graded App Finder: Best basketball apps Phoenix council races draw a crowd — and debate Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Medford police arrest 7 in domestic violence sweep Community blog: Domestic Violence- "No More Silence" Emergency services Winters worn down by criticism Home invasion robbery suspect who skipped town two years ago arrested in L.A. Politics and Elections Phoenix council races draw a crowd — and debate Winters worn down by criticism Eagle Point might get on the bus Richardson accuses Kitzhaber of 'corruption' in final debate Green Party won't back its own candidate Education SOU student says free speech issue overblown SOU interim president leads in a different direction Medford school officials consider costs of full-day kindergarten Foundation kicks off ambitious 'Count Me In' fundraising campaign 100 hours and counting Environment Rite Aid cub well, could come back to southern Oregon Neighbors smell trouble in proposal to spread waste on Sams Valley farmland Bear cub captured in Ashland pharmacy Work begins on Southern Oregon's first dedicated mountain bike trail Applegate Dam hydroelectric project dead in water State news Nation - World Obituaries Anne Johnson Gayle Myrna Glover Ronald J. Hupp Death Notices Gary Wayne Campbell Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories Crater nails down outright MWL crown Dobry leads Crusaders to district crown North Valley forfeits all seven games App Finder: Best basketball apps Manning, Sanders lead Broncos past Chargers Varsity 541 College Sports No. 7 Raiders try to bounce back at College of Idaho No. 6 Oregon looks to extend streak against Cal Arizona clear-cut favorite in the Pac-12 Slumping Bears hope to slow No. 6 Oregon, Mariota Shaw shoulders blame for Stanford's slide Pro Sports Manning, Sanders lead Broncos past Chargers Serena rebounds from WTA shellacking Compton among early leaders at Sea Island Guthrie gets the call for Royals in Game 3 Rookie Randle leads Lakers past Blazers 94-86 Community Sports LOCAL EVENTS LOCAL RESULTS Business Latest Stories Old-fashioned hat maker Sportsman's Warehouse to add Klamath Falls store County OKs partnership to lead business recruitment People's Bank sees 64% net earnings gain New I-5 interchange puts south Medford on fast lane to fast food Real Estate News New I-5 interchange puts south Medford on fast lane to fast food Lithia buys Clovis dealership Rental vacancies increase Jackson County real estate sales, prices continue rebound Pallet Wine Co. expands in downtown Medford People In Business People in Business Transportation Frontier Airlines to end Eugene-Denver service Business Resource Fair has answers Erickson's Navy contract extended Lithia buys Clovis dealership Agriculture Hundreds look for work at Harry & David hiring fair Umpqua Holdings more than doubles net earnings Harry & David will hold hiring fair Thursday Ranchers offer livestock exchange 1-800-Flowers CEO: Labor shortage an issue for Harry & David Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, Oct. 24 Amy Gehrt: Your vote counts this Election Day Our View: SOU's 'free speech zone' constitutionally questionable Michael Gerson: For GOP, no victory lap Suzette Martinez Standring: Dogs help us break the ice Editorials Our View: SOU's 'free speech zone' constitutionally questionable Our View: Kitzhaber is still the best choice Our view: Merkley-Wehby race leaves us unconvinced; Walden seems destined for permanent position Our View: Falls for sheriff, our picks for state House Our view: Endorsements include Bates, Talbert, Hoppe Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Oct. 24 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 23 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 22 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 21 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 20 Guest Opinions Don't overlook importance of Jackson County commissioners race Measure 92 misleads rather than enlightens Oregonians have a right to know what's in their food Infill is the answer to growth issues Guest Opinion: Who’s really to blame for 2014 wildfires? Lifestyle Latest stories Dr. Jeff Hersh: Controversy over breast cancer screening Dr. Murray Feingold: Choose a diet best for you Community blog: Quick breads take well to gluten-free ingredients Religion Briefs Looking Up: The North Star — for now Food Community blog: Quick breads take well to gluten-free ingredients Community blog: Barrel Aged and Sour Beers Community blog: There's a method to mix, match alternative grains Ashland resident's cookbook showcases gluten-free creativity Legder David Cellars has a new winemaker and big plans Home and Garden How to live and work in a tiny home Dear Monty: Rent-back clause prevents financial disaster​ Recycle plastic at The Expo Friday and Saturday How to know when trees and shrubs need to go Dear Monty: Is your real estate agent a secret agent? Health Dr. Jeff Hersh: Controversy over breast cancer screening Dr. Murray Feingold: Choose a diet best for you Community blog: The Crowd And The Win - Better Health Joan Endyke: The importance of a healthy diet when pregnant Community blog: Listening Skills for the Brave and Passionate: Taking it to the Next Level Hiking Biking Faith Religion Briefs Religion Briefs Religion Briefs Religion Briefs Religion briefs Milestones and Achievements New arrivals Southern Oregon Pride parade celebrates gay marriage ruling New Arrivals Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Back Porch Bar & Grill Southern Oregon Repertory Singers present harmonious voices, dissonant notes Scottish music duo plays highland magic Beekeepers Ball is one sweet soiree Dean Angermeier rediscovers his 'roots' Theater Camelot presents 'The Lion in Winter' 'Carnage' is short, smart, darkly funny Music Southern Oregon Repertory Singers present harmonious voices, dissonant notes Scottish music duo plays highland magic Beekeepers Ball is one sweet soiree Dean Angermeier rediscovers his 'roots' Moonalice plays Applegate Lodge Community Events Review: Funny 'Lion in Winter' roars to life at Camelot Theatre Theater's haunted house not for faint of heart Third Fridays in downtown Medford Works in progress Southern Oregon Pride Festival celebrates diversity Dining Back Porch Bar & Grill Yu's Yummy Yan's offers great take-out Agave offers tasty tacos Asian cuisine for all seasons at Misoya Bistro Spoons Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW 10 things to know for Friday ... Our View: SOU's 'free speech zone' constitutionally questionable ... Wednesday night windstorm fells large tree at Darkwing Manor ... 10 things to know for Friday ... Our View: SOU's 'free speech zone' constitutionally questionable ... Wednesday night windstorm fells large tree at Darkwing Manor ... Air supply keeps golfer Bailey in the swing Some might think Ken Bailey has commitment issues — that he's way too committed to golf. By Tim Trower MailTribune.com By Tim Trower Posted Jun. 15, 2013 @ 12:01 am Updated Jun 15, 2013 at 2:40 AM By Tim Trower Posted Jun. 15, 2013 @ 12:01 am Updated Jun 15, 2013 at 2:40 AM » Social News Some might think Ken Bailey has commitment issues — that he's way too committed to golf. He'd probably agree. Bailey plays five times a week. He plays well enough that he recently shot one stroke better than his age. He used to play often enough and so well that he carried a 2 handicap. Oh, and he had a heart attack during a match in the Southern Oregon Golf Championships "¦ then finished playing. "We thought it was indigestion," says the 75-year-old Medford resident. Not much will keep him off the golf course even as he continues to deal with ramifications from 48 years of smoking cigarettes. Bailey has the standard golf equipment: clubs, balls, bag, shoes. But he also packs with him a large oxygen tank. It's the only way he can play the game he took up some 35 years ago, the only way he can enjoy this camaraderie with longtime friends. The tank is a bit conspicuous and a lot necessary. It combats chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that constricts airflow and makes it difficult to breathe. "It's kind of embarrassing," says Bailey, a Rogue Valley Country Club member. "But if I don't have it, I don't play at all. All my buddies put up with it. It's more about being with friends than the game, I think. "They come around and want a sniff of it, too, that kind of thing. They accuse me of having steroids in it." After nearly five decades of smoking, Bailey got a wake-up call during the SOGC eight years ago. He and Dick Brekke were on the 15th hole of their match on the inside course when Bailey experienced severe pain and had to lean against a greenside oak tree. They thought it was indigestion and got a chuckle out of it. Brekke took a picture of his opponent. The match lasted one more hole, with Brekke winning. A couple weeks later, Bailey had a second heart attack. "There was no doubt what it was," he says. Not long after he was back on his feet, he was outfitted with the oxygen. He breathes through his nostrils from a tube attached to the tank. "I just carry the big tank in the cart," says Bailey, who also has a smaller one he carries when away from the cart. "I'm able to take it (the tube) off and go out and hit the ball. I can be off it a short period of time as long as I'm not really exerting myself too much." He isn't likely to spend the allotted five minutes looking for a lost ball, and it behooves him to stay away from bunkers. "The thing that bothers me the most is raking the damn sand traps," says Bailey. Some of his playing partners are quick to handle that chore for him. When it gets dicey, Bailey says, he gets "really uncomfortable. It gets hard to breathe. I've never passed out or anything like that. I get a little light-headed because I lose the oxygen in my blood, but I've never had any serious problems." In winter, when carts aren't allowed off paths because of soggy terrain, the situation is compounded. He tries to hit near the paths but isn't always successful. "A couple of times I couldn't finish a round," he says. "If I'm playing bad and I'm a long way from the cart path, I'm in trouble." Yet, he plugs along. "My doctor said the best thing I can do for what I've got is keep exercising," says Bailey. "If I just go and sit on the couch, I wouldn't last very long." There are days when his opponents might wish he was relaxing at home rather than taking their lunch money. Such as 11/2 weeks ago, when he made a couple birdies, a few bogeys and shot a consistent, 2-over-par 74. He figures it's the third time he shot his age but the first under it. It was nothing spectacular, he reports. No aces — of which he's had six — or eagles, some greens in regulation and his trademark ability to get up and down. Asked when he knew it would be a good day, he said, "When I parred the first hole." Back in the day, Bailey could hit 250-plus-yard drives. Now, he has to bust one to squeeze 230 out of it. He packs an 8 handicap even if he can't play exactly as he once did. "It's tough," says Bailey. "You still think you ought to be able to do it, but you just can't." But he's always out there. It's that commitment thing, something he comes by honestly. His parents resided in the same house in Gold Hill for 73 years — the length of their marriage — and lived well into their 90s. His father, Wilmer, had a sharp mind and quick wit until the day he died at age 94, says Bailey, and served as the unofficial town historian. His mother lived to 97. Like his parents, Bailey and his wife, Sue, have long been married. They'll celebrate their 50th anniversary in August. Also like his father, Bailey bowls. He totes his tank with him and competes in a senior league once a week. He's been hitting the lanes since he was 21. Bailey graduated from Crater High in 1955, lettering in baseball and also playing football and basketball. "I played mostly the bench in those," he chuckles. He served three years in the Army, and upon returning, briefly tried carpentry and worked at a fire department before settling into a plumbing career. His primary hobby for years was trap shooting. But when he tired of that, he traded in his guns and other equipment for golf clubs, having played a round at the behest of a friend at Cedar Links. "It just stuck," says Bailey. "With golf, you either love it or hate it. I just enjoyed being outside, and I liked the guys that I made friends with. I've got the same friends now, the ones that are still alive, that I started out with. And they treat me pretty good." Playing at Cedar Links, it took only two years to get to a single digit handicap, another 10 or so to get to a 2. He once shot a 64 and held the course record, but only for about a month, he says. In the SOGC, his highlight was earning medalist honors in the senior division. He and two others shot 75s in qualifying, then he won a playoff. Bailey typically shoots in the low 80s, but he's had enough rounds in the 70s that his age seems a reasonable target for future rounds. "The good part of getting old," he says, "is it's easier to do." Have a local golf story idea? Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 541-776-4479, or email [email protected] By Tim Trower MailTribune.com By Tim Trower Posted Jun. 15, 2013 @ 12:01 am Updated Jun 15, 2013 at 2:40 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. fantasy football Fantasy Football Week 8 Matchups: Must-Start Players of the Week Oct. 24, 2014 at 9:00 am Fantasy Football Week 8: Updated Rankings for Sunday's Action Oct. 24, 2014 at 9:00 am Choosing Top Week 8 Fantasy Locks, Flops Oct. 24, 2014 at 8:45 am Toughest Week 8 Decisions to Make Oct. 24, 2014 at 1:47 am Tate an Ideal Sell-High Candidate Oct. 23, 2014 at 11:53 pm Rivers, Gates' Instant Fantasy Reaction Oct. 23, 2014 at 11:41 pm calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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