Nick Morris hasn’t changed in nearly 45 years.

The long-time golfer was playing off three at the age of 17 and he’s still playing off three at the age of close on 62.

That’s something of which he is understandably proud and what makes it even more impressive is that he stopped playing the game he loves for 12 years for family and work reasons back in the day.

These days Morris, a member at Lilley Brook, is captain of Gloucestershire Seniors, a role that he says is “an honour”.

It’s a position he has held for the past couple of years and it’s one that he is keen to maintain for a while yet.

Players become eligible for seniors’ golf at the age of 55 and Morris said: “The standard is phenomenal. You’ve got scratch players who play in the league, players who play off one, ex-Walker Cup players, I really, really enjoy it.

“It’s tough. It’s a bit like vets’ rugby when people think you’re turning up just for a bit of a runaround and it’s anything but, seniors’ golf is very competitive.”

Gloucestershire play in the Channel League, which includes the likes of Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Wiltshire, and Morris, who lives in Churchdown, knows he has to be at his best to compete.

“I don’t want anyone saying I’m only in the side because I’m captain,” he said.

“I want to keep my handicap at three for as long as I can and I want to justify my place in the Gloucestershire team for another year or two at least.”

The competition gets tougher each year as new players become eligible to play – Lilley Brook chairman Tim Clink will be in the mix next season – and Morris said: “I need to make a good start with my medal competitions, I don’t want to be a non-playing captain.”

That’s unlikely, of course, even though there are some very serious golfers in the Gloucestershire team.

“You’ve got Carl Gyde from Painswick, Rob Stephens and Bob Broad from Minchinhampton, Dave Williams and Steve Prosser from Cotswold Hills,” said Morris, “they are all golfers who have been around since junior days.”

And there’s more to come.

“Guy Whittern of Lilley Brook will be able to play the year after next,” said Morris. “He’s a plus 2 handicap, he’ll be a massive addition. Then there’s Brian Mitten, he’s a five-time Lilley Brook club champion.”

Whittern and Mitten are well-known to Morris, of course, through their club connections. Morris joined Lilley Brook at the age of 10 and went on to play for the county juniors and the county colts in those relatively early years, and when he was at his very best he played off two.

But while he was always very good at golf, the one-time Cheltenham Grammar School pupil was able to turn his hand to other sports as well, including rugby and football.

His younger brother Paul is well-known in rugby circles, having played scrum-half for Old Patesians for many years and is now director of rugby at Cinderford.

Nick Morris was a 10 or 15 and played for the Pats, Kings Norton and Chester.

So did he ever play in the same team as his brother?

“We’ve played a few vets’ games together, we used to spend the whole 80 minutes insulting each other,” he laughed.

“We also played one game together in senior rugby and he always says that in rugby terms I missed an open goal.”

So did he?

“Well, yes,” he said laughing. “But he could have scored the try himself. We were winning the game quite easily and he was close to the line but he wanted me to score. I wasn’t expecting him to pass!”

Nick Morris, who also played one game alongside his dad Derek for Old Pats Vipers, is very easy to interview. He can tell a good story and was certainly warming to his task.

“Paul caddied for me when I played in the club championship at Lilley Brook once,” he said. “I remember missing a putt on the 15^th and in frustration I threw my putter into the rough.

“When we got onto the 16^th green I said to Paul, ‘Where’s my putter?’

“’In the long grass where you threw it’, he said. I had to run back to the 15^th and retrieve it!”

These days, dad-of-two Morris, who played football for Cheltenham Civil Service and Smiths as a youngster, is a part-time greenkeeper at Lilley Brook and the one-time business development manager, who retired at the age of 58, says it’s the best job he’s ever had.

“When I was working I didn’t have the time to play golf like I do now,” he said. “I play two or three times a week during the season and once a week in the off-season.”

Morris freely admits, with a laugh, of course, that his wife Penny “hates golf”, adding, “you can print that!” but he clearly plans to keep on swinging from the hip for a good few years yet.

“Lilley Brook’s A team have just won the North Gloucestershire Foursomes league and cup double under Kelly Brookes’ captaincy,” he said. “I’m still good enough to play, I still hit a decent ball off the tee for my age. I’m not lacking in the distance department.”