Peter Alliss - Your memories

[MarkT]

I know there is another thread but would like to collate your favourite memories of the great man here for an online piece here. As part of the generations who grew up with Pro Celebrity and Around With Alliss he played a huge part in me and my mates getting into golf and incredible to think how long he was relevant in the game, from playing to commentating. Met him a couple of times, listened to him speak a few more and loved it all. Great man.

 

[NearHull]

Peter Allis helped in the design of our course in 1972. The brief was for a golf course with a popular appeal and of some 6,550 yards tailored to the skills of a nine-handicap player.

 

[IanM]

First golf I ever watched as a kid was "pro-celebrity" golf on the BBC, and also "a round with Alliss" in the far off days, when being a celebrity meant you were famous for a decent career in something difficult to achieve! (how times change)

In the 90s, I was a member of a course he designed with CC and he performed the opening ceremony. (I'll go and dig out the photos later) He stayed around after chatting to people and was really good.

Nefore that, met him a few times around Hindhead, Haslemere when I lived and worked around there. Always talked golf, and was always good value!

Of course the "Jean VdV" commentary lives long in the memory..and of course when Sandy Lyle won the Masters.

A product of a different age of course....

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Zach Johnson winning the Open; his comments about Mrs Johnson planning which new kitchen to buy, were brilliant.
Especially funny was the feminists getting their bloomers in a twist about it ??

 

[MarkT]

Pro Celebrity a brilliant insight into so many players, that week must have been the best laugh ever

 

[Deleted member 18645]

Surrey Golf Union event a few years ago at Hindhead where I was talking to him and some wise-ass decided to tell him I worked for Sky Sports. The fact that it was the NFL was irrelevant. He was about as impressed as I was with him as a commentator in recent years.

 

[Duckster]

Met him on a practise day at the 2008 open he was going to inspect the 17th green as some players had complained about it. Spoke to him for about 15 minutes. He gave me his full attention and acted like we’d known each other for years.
Lovely bloke, will be missed

 

[MarkT]

Met him on a practise day at the 2008 open he was going to inspect the 17th green as some players had complained about it. Spoke to him for about 15 minutes. He gave me his full attention and acted like we’d known each other for years.
Lovely bloke, will be missed

Nice. What did he make of the 17th green?

 

[Duckster]

Nice. What did he make of the 17th green?

He thought the same as me, it might have been a bit harsh, but it was a true test of putting

 

[Golfnut1957]

All my best memories of him come from Alex Hay's autobiography "Ripening Hay". Some ripping stories from someone who was extremely close to him. By co-incidence it is also my favourite golfing biography.

 

[Ethan]

He was a great commentator in his day, although he probably stayed a bit too long. My favourite line was at, I think the 1995 (John Daly) Open, where a streaker ran across the 18th at St Andrews and Alliss quipped 'what a lot of fuss about such a little thing'.

 

[williamalex1]

His stories about Nancy Lopez and Carol Vorderman were quite funny.

 

[Tongo]

Final round of the 2000 Masters, Ernie Els is chasing Vijay Singh and has a tricky putt on the 18th green for a birdie. Was a very tense moment and a critical moment in the tournament. Alliss sets it up with chat about the line and pace etc. Then there's a pause for a couple of seconds before Alliss just says in a slightly high pitched voice: "Come on Ernie! (pause) Fastest milkman in the west."

Priceless!

 

[Tongo]

There was also a putt from Padraig Harrington at the 02 Ryder Cup that horseshoed out and Alliss declared: "Robbery with a bit of violence."

He just had a turn of phrase at the right moment.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

BBC 2 showed him on stage, doing one of his shows, a few years ago. A wonderful story teller. Clearly hurt by a Ryder Cup defeat, you could hear it in his voice even though it was story I'm sure he has told before. I didn't really know much about his pre commentary days so I found it very interesting. Hopefully they will repeat it.

What a wonderful life he had.

 

[slowhand]

Was the pro at my old club (Moor Allerton) but before my time, so all my stories are second hand. I did start out with a set of Slazenger Peter Allie bladed irons though!

 

[IanMcC]

He came over as a really nice guy, but he overstayed his commentating duties by about 15 years. Ewan Murray is streets ahead of him, I'm afraid.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Never met the man but for so many years he simply was the voice of golf. My first recollection will be being allowed to stay up late on a Sunday to watch pro-celebrity golf, and from there the Open and Masters coverage. I remember the delight in his voice when Lyle hit that shot into 18. I still think the BBC kept him on about a decade too long but that shouldn't diminish what a brilliant commentator, raconteur and supporter of golf he was

 

[Shooter McPowick]

Thought this was just class!

 

[BubbaP]

Peter Allis helped in the design of our course in 1972. The brief was for a golf course with a popular appeal and of some 6,550 yards tailored to the skills of a nine-handicap player.

The course I learnt on was also co-designed by Allis. His commentary back then often suggested that 99% of pros drew the ball and most amateur golfers were fighting the slice. This course (Thorpe Wood, P'boro') had OOB or penalty areas on the right on each of the first six holes. I always liked to imagine he'd had a hand in those.