For a guy that has spent most of the past five years playing at Ahwatukee Country Club, Dan Pohl is not sure what to expect when he joins the Champions Tour next week.

“It’s kind of like starting over again,’’ said Pohl, who recently celebrated his 50th birthday with 150 of his closest friends at Majerle’s Bar and Grill in Phoenix.

“When you’ve been away from the game as long as I have, you just never know. I expect good things in terms of ball-striking. The hard part is relearning course strategy, and getting back into the routine of playing five times a week.’’

Granted, most 50-and-over events are only three rounds, but the Champions often plays two pro-ams each week. Pohl has got the pro-am thing down pat, as that’s mostly what he has done since the mid-1990s, when he gave up playing full-time on the PGA Tour.

“I guess you can hit all the balls you want, try to play as many skins games around here as possible,’’ he explained. “But nothing simulates competitive golf at this level.’’

Ask Ben Crenshaw, Jerry Pate or Curtis Strange. All were major championship winners in another life before failing to win on the Champions.

“It’s a hard thing to get back into,’’ said Pohl, a former University of Arizona All-American who grew up in Michigan. “But, hopefully, I’ve still got a little game left.’’

What some might not remember, chiefly because it happened 25 years ago, is that “the Pohlcat’’ used to pounce on his driver like few others. In fact, he led the PGA Tour in driving distance in 1980 (274.3 yards) and ’81 (280.1) on his way to two victories (1986 Colonial Invitational, ’86 World Series of Golf).

“That was back in the days of wood,’’ he said of his driver. “The good news is, I hit the ball a lot farther today; probably somewhere in the 320-yard range.’’

Now if Pohl’s body can just hold up -- he has had major surgeries on his back, neck, elbow and feet -- who knows how far he can go when he makes his debut at the FedEx Kinko’s Classic in Austin, Texas.

“I’m in pretty good shape right now,’’ Pohl reported. “And I’m hoping that the laidback nature of the Champions Tour will help me in that regard.’’

For the most part, Pohl always has been easygoing. That dates back to the early days on the PGA Tour, when he and sidekick Mark Lye used to travel via van from one tournament to another.

“Dan had the large van and I had a smaller one, and we had these CB radios where we could always keep each other out of trouble,’’ Lye recalled. “We roomed together on the road, and those were some great times with a great guy.’’

Lye said he hasn’t seen Pohl play in five years, “But he always had a very solid, simple swing. I think Dan will do OK, although it’s a lot harder than most people think because those guys are better than ever.’’

Pohl once was, too, as evidenced by his two wins and runner-up finish in the 1982 Masters, where he lost a playoff to Craig Stadler. Pohl also piled up an amazing 70 top-10 finishes while winning over $3.2 million.

“(The top-10s) only mean I probably should have won a few more,’’ he said with a laugh. “And moneywise, it was so, so different than today.

“A big purse back then was $300,000. I remember I made a cut one time early in my career and got a check for $40.’’

Pohl will be playing for a whole lot more when he kick-starts his career on the Champions. Because he is a past multiple winner on the PGA Tour he’ll be exempt for the next two years before he has to finish in the top 30 money-wise to keep his card.

“For the past 10 years, I’ve done so many things -- TV work for NBC and Fox Sports, exhibitions for Cleveland Golf, lots of charity work,’’ he said of the interlude. “But the big thing has been spending a lot of time with my wife (Mitzi) and three kids (Michelle, 25; Josh, 20; Taylor, 18).

“Being a touring pro is the good life, I guess. But what I’ve learned over the years is, being a good father and a husband is even better.’’

It’s why Dan Pohl can’t lose on the Champions Tour no matter what happens.