re: What's your longest hiatus from the game, and how did you fare when you returned?

Played junior golf from about 5 until 14 and then didn't play in High School or when I was in the Army so i missed about 8 years without picking up a club.

When I came back home and started college I played about 1-2 times a week. Handicap got down to around 3.

Didn't play very much for several years after I started a career and family.

In the last 6-7 years I play about 6-8 scrambles a year for work and I play my own ball 5-6 times a year during the summer. I rarely play during hunting season and usually pick it back up in the spring.

I keep a Handicap online and only count rounds in the last 12 months. It says I'm a 7.9 but I don't know how accurate that is because I really don't have enough qualifying rounds.

ETA: I do have a hitting mat and a flag at about 90 yards in my back yard. I try to keep my wedge game sharp so when I do play, I'm not a total hack. If I have a good day with the driver, I'll usually shoot in the 70's.
Bad day with the driver = Mid 80's