Palm Aire holds 100th birthday celebration for Betty Andreone

Sitting among friends and family at her beloved Palm Aire Country Club on Feb. 22, Betty Andreone was asked what it meant to turn 100 years old.

"It's my golf score," she said, flashing a wry smile.

And, Betty, what's your advice for having a bountiful, long life?

"Exercise, and get yourself a good husband."

Next to her, 105-year-old Gus Andreone laughed, and noted, "She's always been that way."

Well, at least for the 32 years they have been married.

If it, indeed, took a while for their stars to line up — Gus was 73 when they were married, Betty 67 — it can just be credited to a lifetime of perseverance. After all, they lived through the depression and two World Wars.

Betty was honored at Palm Aire in anticipation of her 100th birthday on Feb. 24. The festivities were part of the regular Wacky Wednesday dinner at the club.

"They are a key part of what makes up the social fabric of our club," said Palm Aire Country Club member Ed Kornberger. "They have been the barometer of when our events would end. It is never over until Gus and Betty decide to go."

Bonding them for their golden years has been golf, a game both used to make a living. For the scorecard, Gus has had eight holes-in-one, the last occurring when he was 103. Betty has had three, the last at the age of 82.

While Betty was a 10-handicap golfer most of her life, Gus gained notoriety as the oldest living PGA golf professional. He was featured last year in the opening segment of CBS' coverage of the event. Betty, has managed golf clubs and pro shops, including 21 years as the pro shop manager at the Plantation Preserve Golf & Country Club near Fort Lauderdale.

While Gus has had more than his share of spotlight moments, Betty had one as well. When Plantation was used in the movie "Caddyshack" to film the famous pool scene, Betty Andreone was used as an extra in the scene where actress Lois Kibbee (who died in 1993) had a meltdown after mistaking a Baby Ruth in the pool for something else.

That scene became part of the Feb. 22 special event at Palm Aire, as a photo of it adorned Betty's 100th birthday cake.

Much of the time these days, Betty is content to watch as her husband garners attention. "I really do think she enjoys all the publicity he gets," said Palm Aire Country Club member John Grey. "What he has done for golf and Palm Aire, you just can't buy that kind of publicity."

Gus Andreone might have done a lot for Palm Aire, but on Feb. 22, it was obvious Betty is just as big of a celebrity at the club.

"They are both phenomenal," said George Lumsden, Betty's nephew. "They keep moving and they love each other. They swim and dance together. Inspiring? Oh yeah!"

At a combined 205 years old, the couple lives at home together and is self-sufficient. They lean on each other.

"Life is about taking care of each other," Gus said. "Then you pace yourself, live within what your body allows you to do. Just don't sit still or get stagnant."

So how does Betty Andreone describe their love affair these days?

"He rubs my feet with Vaseline all the time," she said.

The couple met in the 1970s in Pennsylvania when they worked at different golf courses. Gus, a teaching pro at Edgewood Country Club in Churchill, Pa., for 30 years, would play pro-am events at the Country Club of Meadville, which Betty managed. Eventually, when they were both living in Florida in 1985, they got married.

"I wanted free golf lessons," Betty said.

Before getting married, they would play golf together and Betty would see his character.

"Golf is all about how you handle a bad game," Gus said. "You want to honor the game when you are on the course."

Gus, who served under Gen. George S. Patton during World War II as part of the 10th Armored Division, always had been impressed with Betty. He said she had that great sense of humor and she was neat in everything she did. He liked that "she never sits still."

Now they stay active together. Gus plays nine holes of golf twice of week and exercises daily. Betty isn't quite as active these days because she had an aortic valve replaced in January of 2011. 

"Gus was by her side the whole time," Grey said. "He willed her to keep going. They are committed to each other."