Golf . . . from PEMBROKESHIRE SPORT

Alun’s delighted to be back where he belongs

How did you start out in golf?

Like a lot of other young players I started out by thrashing my way around the course after walking there from our farm at Berry Hill. I had seen an advert in the County Echo offering three months free golf and so I cut out three and took them to Ron Dietrich, who owned Newport Links then, and asked if I could have nine months golf – and he must have been impressed by my cheek because he agreed!
There was a group of us who used to push each other and, amazingly, there were five professional players to emerge from that group. Richard Harries is now a sports consultant in Indonesia, Zac Thompson runs several golf clubs in Bedfordshire, where Kevin Nicholas is also involved, Julian Noott now part-owns Newport Links – and then there is me!

Did you take to golf straight away?

I was OK but we played against each other so much that we were bound to get better – and when I was 17 I dropped my handicap from nine to scratch in only fifteen months, with Richard Harries also on scratch alongside me. We began to win competitions and a key moment was receiving our first coaching, from Richard Playle, of Ashburnham, who helped us along technically. I must have done quite well because I carded 63, the old course record, a couple of times.

Where did you go from there?

I had my first job as assistant pro at Radyr, in Cardiff, after attending interviews and passing my PGA examinations first time, which included not only how to coach but to know the rules, etiquette of the game and agronomy (care of the course). I stayed there for four years and enjoyed it – but then moved to join my old pals in Bedfordshire and tried my hand on the professional circuit, with sponsorship from Chris Noott and Billy Ledward. I was also well supported by parents, Brian and Linda Evans – and I am lucky now that my wife Lowri, who was a good footballer for Fishguard and Haverfordwest Ladies, is extremely supportive. We have two children in Ffion (3) and Griff (seven months) and I am sure that Lowri will return to football when they are a little older.

How did that go?

I represented Wales in the European Club Pro’s Championships in Hungary (twice) and Italy – and when I won the Bedfordshire Assistant Professionals Championships I beat Ian Poulter, who had exactly the same attitude to golf as he has now at the very top of the game, although he has changed his fashion style completely! But it was hard going to sustain being a professional without even more sponsorship and eventually I came back to Wales to work at Garnant Park before returning to Newport Links.

Was it nice to be home?

Yes it was because Julian Noott, who had been the club pro, took over the managerial side of what is now a fine complex owned by the Noott family, plus Ted and Gloria Jones, with the recent development taking it to a challenging 18 holes and with such excellent facilities. I now am the sole trader in the golf shop and my remit is to run the golf side of the business, which includes the inter-club matches, tournaments, juniors, seniors and the many visitors who flock to such a magnificent links course, which in now a challenging par 71 and is over 6,000 yards. We hosted the South Wales Boys’ Tournament last year and this year we play host to the Dyfed Boys Championships and the Pembrokeshire versus Wexford annual competition.

Do you enjoy other sports?

I certainly do, and played a range of sports before golf took over much of my time. I played as a prop for Ysgol y Preseli, able to play both tight and loose-head, and when I represented the county schools one of the opposition for Ceredigion was Wayne Proctor, who went on to play for the Scarlets and Wales. I also played cricket for school where I liked bowling but my batting was like my golf – hit straight and often – so I was good for quick runs when it worked!
I have also played pool for the Golden Lion in the North Pembs Pool League, which takes in teams from Fishguard, Goodwick, Dinas and Newport. I have won the singles in the past, and the doubles with Dai Webb, one of the local characters.

Are you still playing plenty of golf?

Not as much as I should because my work in coaching tends to keep me busy – but I still enter tournaments and I would like to win the National Championships and make it into the top three so that I can be selected for the Welsh team. I have played once, in Spain, and we came a creditable third, so it would be great to play there again.
I really enjoy my coaching role as well, though, and we have some very talented young players forcing their way through. Finn Pierrepoint, who is still only ten but is already catching the eye. I certainly wish that I had been able to play, and the talent he has at that age, when I was a nipper and if he maintains his progress then look out. Haydon Mathias and Jonathan Evans, who now lives at Berry Hill Farm, are both 16 year olds who are others with great potential – and it is great to be involved with them.

Is there a good ‘hwyl’ at the club?

Yes there is. As well as some good young players there are some useful senior players and some real characters. I was brought up knowing them and it is nice to see some who excelled in other sports now playing with us at Newport Links. It is great to see the course as it is now. We try to keep the balance between visitors and those who support throughout the year and I can honestly say that I enjoy my work with the Noott and Jones families – and I am proud of my involvement at Newport Links Golf Club.