Peter Allis passes
The sad departure is that of Professional golfer and legendary BBC commentator, Peter Allis who passed away this week. My Dad got me into golf at the same time he got infatuated with the game and we pretty much learnt with the video ‘Play Golf with Peter Allis’. There was also a BBC series called ‘Around with Allis’ and the ‘Pro-Celebrity Golf’ series which he hosted that were all fantastic for picking up tips and I watched and re-watched the Betamax videos time and again.
I didn’t realise that he had played at Brocton Hall but fortunately for all of us, we have a member who was there to witness it. Sincere thanks to Chris Phillips who was 25yrs old at the time and has very kindly written the following fantastic piece for us...
The Day Peter Allis Came to Brocton Hall Golf Club - Chris Phillips
I am the last member of this Club still playing, who witnessed the late and much lamented Peter Allis playing at our course.
It was May 1960 and he played a charity exhibition match on a Sunday afternoon with Bernard Hunt as his partner for England; the opposition being Dai Rees and Dave Thomas for Wales. The par of the course back in 1960 was 72 and Peter played to 68. Dai Rees gave a golfing clinic before the match itself playing from the 9th tee to the 9th green.
At the time all Professional golf, including the Open Championship, finished on Saturday, so all the Professionals were able to offer their services on a Sunday for Charity. I’m sure this had changed by 1970 to what is now the normal Sunday finish for major competitions.
The hole I particularly remember is the 4th, Dave Thomas drove wildly out of bounds over the lane. The other three drives reached the beginning of the slope up to the green - I remember them driving on most holes around 250 to 260 yards. There was a very good crowd and they came from all over the area to watch. I remember being pleased to meet someone from Birmingham who was a keen golfer and had been a work colleague in the mid 50s .Peter Allis never forgot our club, as about 3 years ago our then senior member Rev Graham Edwards, took a funeral service at the Stafford crematorium for a relation of Peter’s Wife. Graham went and talked to Peter at the reception and when asked where he played, informed him “Brocton”. “You mean Brocton Hall!” replied Peter Allis! Chris has another story of an earlier charity match played in the 50's, I'll leave that gem for a future edition. |