Paul Dalgliesh has a 10-year golfing plan: to enjoy life to the fullest.
And he is not going to jeopardise that ambition by burdening himself with the expectation of winning golf tournaments.
Yesterday, he teed off in just his fifth event since becoming a touring professional less than three months ago, shot a 6-over par 77 on the challenging Balmacewen layout and said he still had a great time.
"The way I see it, if I can hold my own on this tour and not damage the bank balance too much, then I could be in a very enjoyable next decade," he said.
Dalgliesh, from Brisbane, turned 50 in December.
Soon after, he said goodbye to his job as a teaching professional and lessee owner of a golf driving range, his wife Helen and three children, and set out to achieve a dream of playing golf alongside some of the great names from yesteryear.
He admits the decision was selfish in many ways but the chance to see the world, to mix with and learn from the likes of Sir Bob Charles, Wayne Grady, Mike Harwood and the many other top golfers now plying their trade on the over-50 circuit, was just too good to pass up.
The softly spoken Dalgliesh was a latecomer to becoming a professional, starting his three-year apprenticeship aged 35, but says he has been working and saving hard for the last 10 years in preparation for joining the Legends Tour.
"And I'm not going to squander it," he said.
Now he has a big enough bankroll to stake him for the financial challenges that lie ahead, the costs of travel, accommodation and tournament-related expenses, but, like any businessman, he hopes not to operate at a loss.
"In my opinion, if you play well enough, you can afford this lifestyle."
But his motivation is not about winning or shedding his unknown tag even though, in a modest career to date, he has managed a couple of wins in pro-ams on the Sunshine Tour.
"No, it's about the process, not the outcome," he explains, between puffs on a cigarette.
"Work hard on the process and the outcome takes care of itself.
"The secret is not to try to do too much."
Having said that, Dalgliesh makes it clear he wants to succeed at this level and lists three "green lights" that he needs to achieve to fulfil that goal:"You've got to enjoy the travelling; have the family support and have what I call a portable golf game - to be able to play well in all conditions.
"And that's the hard part for me."
Dalgliesh says he would much prefer to make new friends and to be remembered as someone who was fun to play golf with rather than just someone who enjoyed winning.
"It's a hoot meeting new people.
"I've learned so much about New Zealand already (he only arrived last week in time for the Handa NZ Senior Masters at Millbrook), more than I could have learned from watching 10 TV documentaries.
"Mind you, I do ask a lot of questions.
"I reckon if you've walked away from a round of golf and not learned anything new, you've been wasting your time," he said.
His constant companion on this trip has been a video camera - "it's full already" - capturing the "magnificent countryside and golf courses", which he can't wait to show his 18-year-old son Trent, a 5-handicapper, when he gets back to Brisbane.
