Wiltshire professional Barry Sandry makes his debut in the PGA Super 60's Tournament next week and he is determined to make the most of it.
Having turned 60 on July 31, he only just qualified for this year's event but it is something he has been looking forward to for a while.
"Since I finished on the Seniors Tour five years ago I only play two events a year - a foursomes pro-am with my son and the Wiltshire Pros - so this will be something new," said Sandry, who coached Ryder Cup star David Howell in his youth.
"It is a great opportunity to get back and meet some of the guys I played with on the Seniors Tour. I've been looking down the list and about two-thirds of the field I know but haven't seen for five or six years.
"As soon as I saw this was on I was dead keen to play it."
The Swindon-based Broome Manor professional will play with long-time friend Peter Hancock in the 36-hole better ball pro-am contested by teams of a professional and an amateur both over 60 years of age.
They have embraced the social aspect of the tournament by deciding to take their wives with them to Forest Pines near Scunthorpe for the £10,000 tournament, which starts on Wednesday August 22.
"We've got the wives caddying for us," said the six-time Wiltshire Professional champion.
"My wife Carol used to caddy for me when I was on the Seniors Tour and she thoroughly enjoyed it. I reckon she misses me playing on the tour almost as much as I do."
Sandry, who has been the professional at Broome Manor since it opened in 1976, is not setting himself any targets for his first appearance in the event.
"But we're not going up there with any expectations. We are going to enjoy ourselves and if we in with a chance at the end I'm sure we'll enjoy it even more."
After 40 years as a professional Jim Howard is just pleased to be able to pick and choose when he plays - with the Super 60's high on his agenda.
The former Pontypool professional, who has played in the tournament for the last three years, believes the event is a superb way for the elder statesmen to enjoy some light-hearted and friendly competition.
"I think it is great that we have this event," said Howard, who made headlines when he qualified as the PGA's first black professional and then received a letter of congratulations from world number one Tiger Woods when he retired in December 2005.
"It is a pity we haven't got more because even when pros get to a certain age they still want to compete.
"But it's still a nice fixture and there is no too much pressure as you have got a partner and if you do occasionally get into trouble you have hopefully got some back-up."
Howard, who is 64 next month and is playing with amateur Carl Barry, added: "I only play social golf now but people say I still strike it reasonably well and I'm chipping as well as I used to chip.
"But after 40 years as a professional one of the reasons to take retirement is that it is nice to play golf just when you want to play golf."
The inaugural PGA Super 60's Tournament was staged in 1994 in response to the increasing popularity of seniors golf at professional and amateur level.
PGA chief executive Sandy Jones said: "The Super 60's is always popular and gives many of our members the opportunity to renew old friendships but once they get on the course the competitive instincts are still fierce and it's always keenly-contested right down to the wire."