120 ISSUE XXX TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK ’I can’t understand those who take their phone on to the course with them. They’re mad. You’ve got to be able to switch off ’
MY LIFE IN GOLF Bradley Walsh The 15-handicapper loves the game – but never wants it to become his obsession WORDS KEVIN BROWN PICTURES JAMES CHEADLE e’s one of the most famous H faces on TV, a comedianturned-actor who’s done everything from Corrie to serious drama like Law & Order. But when he’s not in front of the camera, Bradley Walsh loves nothing more than a round of golf with his mates. He’s also a regular on the celebrity golf circuit, teeing it up with the likes of Mrs Brown’s Boys star Brendan O’Carroll and comedian Rob Brydon – against whom he played in last year’s Celebrity Cup at Celtic Manor on the victorious England team. He’s been described as Britain’s greatest ever gameshow host, with hits like The Chase and Keep it in the Family to his credit. Right now he’s team captain opposite Manchester City star Frank Lampard in the new Saturday night sports quiz, Play to the Whistle. Someone once told me that the original game of golf only covered 14 holes. Sometimes I wish that was the case today. I tend to get tired over 18 holes, mentally as much as physically, and as a result tend to lose the plot over the closing stages of the round. It’s frustrating! At the end of the day I’m a pretty contented 15 handicapper who plays out of Woolston Manor in Essex, which conveniently happens to be at the bottom of my road. I know my limitations and I’m under no pretensions: I deal in reality and deep down I’m not a great player. I’m just not consistent enough. One day I’ll play two shots adrift of my handicap From The Street to The Chase... via Brentford FC ● His first big TV breakthrough came in 1994 when he became a presenter on the National Lottery show. ● The previous year, he got a big break when he performed on the Royal Variety Show as a result of being spotted supporting Shirley Bassey in concert. ● He is a former star of long-running TV soap Coronation Street – he played the role of Mike Baldwin’s son Danny between 2004-06. ● He’s rarely off the TV, being presenter of popular ITV game shows The Chase and Keep it in the Family plus playing lead character DS Ronnie Brooks in drama series Law & Order: UK. ● He left school at 16 and started working in a factory, but was spotted by Brentford FC and started a pro career at the age of 18. Injury forced him stop. only to blow it big time next time out. It can do your head in, but I try not to let it get to me. Of course I’d like to play below my handicap all the time, but realistically at my age (54) I think I’ve gone as far as I can. I play off 15.2, and I’ve never been any better than that. The people I regularly play with will tell you I’m nowhere near that good, even though I’ve been playing since I was 19! I belonged to the Rolls Royce Sports & Social Club Golf Society a few years back. We used to meet on Monday nights and I managed to win the Rabbits Cup playing off 24. That remains my one and only win. But I love the game: it’s so relaxing – as long as you don’t take the phone on course with you, and I just can’t understand those who do. They’re mad. You’ve got to be able to switch off. I’m impressed when I hear people say they play three times a week – you’ve got to do that if you’re going to get better. But that’s not for me because golf then doesn’t become an event to me, more of an obsession. I like to prepare the night before, get my shoes cleaned and my clothes packed and I’ll make sure my clubs are cleaned as well. I’ll get up at the crack of dawn, arrive early at the course and get a bit of practice in before going onto the course for four or five hours and having a bit of dinner afterwards before going home. The funny thing is, I’m probably only playing with my mates in Chigwell – I’m not trying to qualify for The Open or anything like that. I just want to go out there and enjoy it. One of my highlights of 2014 was representing England in the Celebrity Cup at Celtic Manor. I love having fun playing with the crowds. That’s the way golf should be; lots of banter. Strengths and weaknesses? My driving is not too bad – I’m pretty straight. I’ll often be the shortest length-wise by a country mile. But I’m pretty straight and that’s the bonus. You’ve got to use your shots. I get 15 so I try and take them all. Funniest moment on the course? I was playing in a pro-celebrity event and this well-known singer – who shall remain nameless – was in a bunker. He played a shot and it went straight in the air and as it came down he just launched himself at it and headbutted it back into play! He was rolling around in the bunker, claiming he didn’t know where his ball was. But we saw everything, including the flying header. The lump on his head was the size of a fridge! I wasn’t the best stand-up comic. I got by and was lucky enough to earn a living from it, but I’ve always enjoyed drama. I first started as an actor but there was no money in it, which is why I drifted into comedy. Stand-up was kind to me but you can’t compete with these guys today, who are much more socially aware and adept at tailoring their comedy towards that. I was never political, I was more of a family entertainer – a bit old-school. I couldn’t hold my own against the guys today. If the timing was right, I would do another soap – I learned a lot on Coronation Street. Bill Tarmey [who played Jack Duckworth] told me: ‘Make sure they don’t kill you off because one day it might be your pension.’ I left in 2006. I love family TV shows. I loved The Generation Game and Noel’s House Party. Now, we all sit down and watch Saturday Night Take Away. If it’s fun and you can watch it as a five-year-old with your 95-year-old nan and everyone in between, then you’ve got a hit. I’m still working on The Chase, while I’ve also been involved in a new BBC sitcom called Woody. Law & Order has been good, but I think it’s time to have a rest from that. Hopefully I’ll be able to get in a few more games and more practice!
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