Today's Golfer Issue 334 Preview

MY LIFE IN GOLF
Peter
Jones
The ‘Dragon’ on hitting it
miles, getting down to scratch
and missing a two-inch putt
WORDS KEVIN BROWN PICTURES JAMES CHEADLE, BBC
eter Jones is a giant of a man
P in every sense. Standing over
6ft 7ins, the star of popular
BBC TV show Dragon’s Den has
emerged from humble beginnings to
become a self-made multi-millionaire
with an estimated worth of £475m.
Nowadays the 49-year-old has a lot
of fingers in a lot of pies with interests
in a wide range of companies and a
variety of markets that collectively
generate sales of more than £250m
and employ more than 1,000 people.
Awarded a CBE in 2009, Jones always
knew he had what it takes, saying:
“I wanted to do the best I could,
knowing that one day I was going to
be a multi-millionaire.”
He’s invested over £3m during his
time in the den and told us: “It’s been
a very important part of my life.”
Since 2005, he’s been involved in nine
series and is currently working on two
new shows (one in the UK and the
other in America), both in the early
production stages.
Besides his busy commercial and
television life, Jones has managed to
maintain a seven handicap. He hits
it a mile and, as you’d expect, is
extremely competitive on the course...
I’ve been playing golf on and off for
30 years. I first started playing with
some friends when I was in my teens.
I’m not quite sure how I ended up
with my current 7.5 handicap
considering the fact that work,
A few of the
the Dragon’s
favourite
things...
● Golfer: A tough
call but I would have
to pick Jack for his
record-breaking 18
majors and his great
golfing mindset.
● Fourball: Barack
Obama, Tiger Woods
and my father,
David, would be a
great day out.
● Possession: My
stripy socks!
● Inspiration:
Albert Einstein.
● Way to relax:
Watching golf on TV.
● Peter is at the
helm of The Peter
Jones Foundation,
which raises funds
through various
events to help
secure a brighter
future for young
people across the
UK. Last year he
hosted his annual
Enterprise Golf
Challenge at
Bearwood Lakes GC,
Berkshire, raising
approximately
£45,000 for the
Foundation.
He says: “This
year is our 10th
anniversary and
we are focused
on making it the
biggest one yet.”
business commitments and home life
combine to ensure that I don’t get
onto the course as often as I’d like.
I don’t get the time and chance to
practice much. I suppose you could
say I’m a bit of a fair weather golfer in
that I tend to mainly play during my
holidays in August in Portugal – I
particularly enjoy Quinta do Lago –
and in December in Barbados.
The only other times I get out are
when I take part in charity or
celebrity events. 2014 was a golden
year for me in that I managed to help
England win the Celebrity Cup
against Scotland, Wales and Ireland
at Celtic Manor and appeared in the
Dunhill Links at St Andrews. Playing
in events like those is much more
nerve wracking than performing in
front of the television cameras.
Dragon’s Den is nothing compared to
standing on the 1st tee at St Andrews!
One day I’d love to become a
scratch golfer. That’s my ambition,
but you’ve got to be realistic and
owing to my current work/life balance
it’s a distinct possibility this is one
goal I might not achieve. But who
knows? I’ve got this far without
regular lessons, so maybe the odd
lesson here and there might put me
on the right track.
I’m fiercely competitive when
I’m out on the course. Make no
mistake, I play to win as well as
to enjoy myself. Golf, for a few
hours anyway, gets me away
from all the pressures in life and
business. It’s something of a
great escape and it might
be a bit hard to believe
but I prefer to keep
business and pleasure
separate when I’m out
on the course.
I’m extremely competitive
but in a gentlemanly way.
I usually play for pride and
enjoyment though every so
often we’ll stick a tenner or
£20 into the pot and that
helps to keep your mind and
game fully focused. But I’m
nowhere near as competitive as
my good friend Ian Poulter.
For me, there’s no other sport
like golf. Every round is a
challenge. No day is the same
in terms of the weather, playing
conditions and your own game – you
could be driving brilliantly one day,
but hitting it all over the place off the
tee the next, or putting superbly one
day but three-putting on every green
the next time you play. And that’s
what makes it so frustrating.
My worst moment in golf was
missing a two-inch putt on the 18th
to draw a match against Alan Shearer
at Quinta do Lago. I really do need
to practise my putting! He was all
smiles when he took my £20.
I’ve had some wonderful times on
the course but probably my best
single moment was chipping in at last
summer’s Celebrity Cup. There were
thousands of people there and it was
a great feeling to see the ball drop.
I’ve had a hole-in-one and I know
that is considered every golfer’s holy
grail, but for me it was a complete
and utter fluke. So much so that in
my book it doesn’t count so I have
erased it from my memory bank. It
happened many years ago on the
nine-hole course at Leeds Castle in
Kent and somehow, after several
bounces, the ball dropped in.
My best round was a level par 72 on
the South course at Quinta do Lago.
It was one of those rare days when
everything went right and everything
went in. It was even more pleasing to
play so well on such a top course
which has staged the Portuguese
Open eight times, including in
1989 when Monty finished
-24, won by 11 shots and
smashed the course
record of 63. That put
my effort in the shade
somewhat!
The best course I’ve
played is the exclusive
Green Monkey course at
Sandy Lane in Barbados.
The conditioning is out
of this world.
My favourite club is my
driver, because when it goes
straight it goes a long way.
Unfortunately every now
and then I have a tendency
to slice the ball, which can
put me in big trouble.
You’ll often see me playing
on the wrong fairway!
TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK ISSUE 334 109