Besting Big Canyon’s balboa

Club affiliation: Big Canyon Country Club

Residence: Laguna Beach

Birthplace: Salt Lake City

Age: 89

Favorite golf moment: Winning the low net division with

daughter-in-law Joan Smith in Big Canyon Country Club’s ladies

balboa, or member/guest, two-day championship in June. Koster and

Smith finished 18-under-par -- they were 9-under each day -- in a

best-ball format. It was the first time Koster won the event in 31

years as a Big Canyon member.

Favorite club to use: Pitching wedge

Favorite course to play: Mauna Kea Golf Course in Kohala, Hawaii

Favorite hobby outside of golf: Bridge

Family: Sons, Wesley, Larry and Bruce Smith; eight grandchildren

and 15 great-grandchildren

Noteworthy: Koster, who took up golf in her mid 40s, practiced six

days a week leading up to the ladies balboa. She started dedicating

more time to golf 1 1/2 years ago, when she began taking lessons

with Sandy Huber. With Huber’s help and some new clubs, Koster

straightened and lengthened her drives. Koster won her flight in the

three-day Big Canyon Presidents Cup match play tournament that

concluded Tuesday. Before taking up golf, Koster and her husband Ron

Smith, reached the quarterfinals of the Pacific Southwest tennis

tournament.