Suffolk golfer Gordon Gibbs will celebrate his 90th birthday today with a remarkable claim to fame – he’s thought to be the oldest single figure handicap golfer in the country.

East Anglian Daily Times: Gibbs is though to be the oldest player in the country to still play off a single-figure handicap.Gibbs is though to be the oldest player in the country to still play off a single-figure handicap.

The retired Army captain, a member at Aldeburgh Golf Club, plays off a handicap of nine despite never having had a single golf lesson in his life.

At his peak he was a scratch golfer, serving as Suffolk county captain in the 1970s, winning numerous prestigious titles and sinking eight holes-in-one over his career.

But the modest Gibbs, who lives in Aldeburgh with wife Betty, says there’s no secret to his golfing success.

“I just put it down and hit it,” he explained. “I’ve never had lessons.

“I’ve always had a fairly tidy short game, but I can’t hit it far enough these days.”

While he always shoots under his age, one of Gibbs’ best recent rounds saw him card a 73 at the age of 87 back in 2012.

That was just a year after he suffered a heart attack on the course at Aldeburgh – but he was back in action just six weeks later.

Of the key to his longevity, Gibbs said simply: “Don’t drink and don’t smoke – I’ve never done either.

“I try to play three or four times a week in what I call the geriatric foursomes.

“Golf is a good bit of exercise, it keeps you going.

“I’ve had all the injury problems going – I don’t worry about that.

“I’ll just try to play for as long as I can.”