Chester Warczyglowa used to spend time on the golf course, but with his 90th birthday coming up, he's traded heavy golf clubs for a lightweight white controller.

He and other residents of Cumberland Village retirement community in Aiken now gather around the plasma-screen TV and watch gray-haired Miis (pronouced "Mes") drive down a virtual green course.

"Hole in one?" he joked to his neighbors during a recent trial run of the game.

Cumberland Village is part of a trend of retirement communities investing in Nintendo Wii gaming consoles for residents. The Entertainment Software Association reports that 24.2 percent of all gamers are 50 or older.

Though Nintendo didn't have specific numbers on how many of the 6.3 million Wii consoles sold last year in the U.S. had been bought for use in retirement communities, it did say it had worked with Leisure Care retirement communities, which purchased 65 Wii consoles for more than 40 locations; Erickson Retirement Communities, which has at least one console in each of its 18 locations; and Sunrise Senior Living.

Marie Carpenter, 89, a retired dental assistant, was part of the Cumberland Wii golfing group.

"It's so easy for people to sit in a chair and wait for the next meal," she said. "I think it's wonderful to have something going like this. It gives them an interest and an enthusiasm to move."

The Wii also comes with tennis, boxing, baseball and bowling games.

Washington Commons, a retirement community in Evans, also got a game console, and its residents started Wii bowling about four weeks ago, said Holley Howard, the enrichment coordinator.

Going to the bowling alley and chucking a heavy ball down the lane is no longer feasible for many members, she said, but with the Wii, they can still bowl.

"They're accomplishing it well and using some of the same skills they used to use," she said.

The kingpins of bowling were found to be talented at the virtual version, she said.

Tom Parkinson, 83, a retired professor of nuclear engineering, attended Cumberland Village's golfing lesson in his lucky University of Virginia golf hat. He said he thought it was a good simulation, but he ran into one problem with the Wii version.

"It's really hard to let up that A button," Mr. Parkinson said.

Brandon Wilde retirement community, in Evans, is also going to be giving the Wii a trial run in the next month, said Avery Villines, the director of wellness services.

"The best thing about it is that anyone can do it, even if you're sitting in a wheelchair," she said.

Some seniors can be quick to dismiss the game as something for the younger generation after seeing their grandchildren play it, Ms. Hamilton said. But once they play it, they realize it's simple.

"And it is so contagious," she said.

Ms. Howard said two Washington Commons residents have started playing with their grandchildren.

"I have three grandchildren that love video games," Mr. Parkinson said.

He's betting they can still beat him on the Wii.

For now, the younger generation's high scores might be safe, but with the trend catching on, grandparents might have a new activity to share with their grandkids.

"It brings the generations together," Ms. Howard said.

Reach Sarah Day Owen at (706) 823-3223 or sarah.owen@augustachronicle.com.