Peter Alliss - Your memories

[ExRabbit]

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I’ll miss him.

I was fortunate to have met him and his wife Jackie some years ago when they hosted a golf day at my club for their charity supporting children with disabilities. I was fortunate to be able to have had a good chat with him - and also his wife. It was nice that in the midst of their celeb friends and running things they were happy to spend a little time with a member just chewing the cud.

And of course as others have mentioned - though I hit a golf ball about a playing field from quite young my interest in these early days in trying to play properly was really cemented by Pro Celebrity golf and later on by A Round with Alliss on BBC. My dad, brother and myself were keen viewers - and in recent years with dad gone, hearing the voice of Alliss transported me back to these simpler times.

RIP Peter.

 

[jim8flog]

He had a great way of summing up shots


I remember him commenting on a putt at Augusta

" Imagine standing on the roof of a VW beetle and trying to stop the ball on the bonnet"

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Think I'm going to have to get my The Essential Henry Longhurst off the bookshelf and read some of his Golf Illustrated writings on Alliss (any excuse to read some Longhurst and hear in my head his mellifluous tones)

 

[need_my_wedge]

Perfect

 

[MarkT]

Thanks everyone - some amazing memories and he'll be hugely missed particularly at next year's Open. Hope they do him proud and remember him in some way

 

[Norrin Radd]

Watching a round with alliss and it was with Sir Harry Seacombe, many a guffaw was had when Sir Harry split his trousers and had to don waterproofs to cover his rather large prosterior that had decided to take a look at the outside instead of the inside of said trousers.

 

[Blue in Munich]

A memorial podcast here;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p090nmpf

 

[Blue in Munich]

Alliss on Gary Player; "Here he comes, the Queen Mother of golf." Simply brilliant.

 

[Grant85]

I have to say I wasn't a great Peter Alliss fan on commentary. Can't deny he was iconic and those who knew him or worked with him spoke very highly of him, despite me thinking of him an as eccentric old chap. He certainly had an incredible wit and sense of humour, that we are seeing now in some of the clips.

But for me, watching golf from about 99 onwards, well after the BBC's glory years when they would only have the Open and a handful of other days here and there, I just feel things rather passed him by.

He would have been great doing a radio show or a podcast about golf, but probably kept doing commentary and live sport for too long.

It was clear to me when the BBC stepped in to show the US PGA about 4 years ago that he (and other commentators) weren't watching much world golf any more and the likes of Peter Aliss, Mark James, Maureen Madill had rather lost touch with the current generation of player and certainly a younger generation of fan (lets say Millennials onwards). Competent as they were at their jobs, there was just something missing that became amplified when we watched so many other broadcasts on Sky.

You think of watching the Masters with Butch Harman who had coached a fair chunk of the field or even Ewen Murray, also very much an elder statesmen, but seemed to keep in touch with the current game much better.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I have to say I wasn't a great Peter Alliss fan on commentary. Can't deny he was iconic and those who knew him or worked with him spoke very highly of him, despite me thinking of him an as eccentric old chap. He certainly had an incredible wit and sense of humour, that we are seeing now in some of the clips.

But for me, watching golf from about 99 onwards, well after the BBC's glory years when they would only have the Open and a handful of other days here and there, I just feel things rather passed him by.

He would have been great doing a radio show or a podcast about golf, but probably kept doing commentary and live sport for too long.

It was clear to me when the BBC stepped in to show the US PGA about 4 years ago that he (and other commentators) weren't watching much world golf any more and the likes of Peter Aliss, Mark James, Maureen Madill had rather lost touch with the current generation of player and certainly a younger generation of fan (lets say Millennials onwards). Competent as they were at their jobs, there was just something missing that became amplified when we watched so many other broadcasts on Sky.

You think of watching the Masters with Butch Harman who had coached a fair chunk of the field or even Ewen Murray, also very much an elder statesmen, but seemed to keep in touch with the current game much better.

I think you are correct about Alliss and the other BBC commentators and they were left behind and their delivery showed that. While it was nice to hear the tones of Alliss (aside from the Masters this year which was hard to listen to) they were a world away from what Sky deliver. That said Sky aren't without their faults (Roe and for me Coltart are poor and need to be dumped) but by and large their commentators are on the button with what is going on in the modern game

 

[Leftie]

For me, televised golf is, with a few exceptions, rather boring to watch and made worse by the commentators. At least with Peter Alliss and the like, it was like having an old uncle sitting with you talking about old times and pointing out things you might have missed on screen with a witty comment or two.

I remember he and Alex Hay (I believe) were chatting about putting and the remark made was something like "it is a proven fact the 83% of putts not hit hard enough, never go in the hole".

Silly perhaps but it did fill in the gaps between the occasional televised shot.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

The one thing that could be said for Alliss and his commentary compared with those at Sky was he never displayed any favouritism towards any one player.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the likes of Murray, McGinley and Lee.

The viewer could be forgiven for thinking that there are only two players in the field. Woods and McIlroy.

I am sure Alliss probably had his favourites but he managed to keep such thoughts to himself.

 

[Grant85]

I think you are correct about Alliss and the other BBC commentators and they were left behind and their delivery showed that. While it was nice to hear the tones of Alliss (aside from the Masters this year which was hard to listen to) they were a world away from what Sky deliver. That said Sky aren't without their faults (Roe and for me Coltart are poor and need to be dumped) but by and large their commentators are on the button with what is going on in the modern game

You could obviously ask 10 people about best commentary and get 10 different opinions.

Roe has been defiantly moved onto the B team for Sky in the last couple of years, but I think you will have to get used to Coltart. He is doing the big events and taking his fair share of shifts with Murray, McGinley, Riley etc.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

You could obviously ask 10 people about best commentary and get 10 different opinions.

Roe has been defiantly moved onto the B team for Sky in the last couple of years, but I think you will have to get used to Coltart. He is doing the big events and taking his fair share of shifts with Murray, McGinley, Riley etc.

I take your point. For me Coltart is still trying to hard to be funny and "one of the boys" which is what I think grates. Glad Roe is down the pecking order at last.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

I take your point. For me Coltart is still trying to hard to be funny and "one of the boys" which is what I think grates. Glad Roe is down the pecking order at last.

Whereas the endlessly annoying Radar spends all his time trying to be a "character".

On top of which he consistently calls the shot incorrectly in advance based, apparently, on how he would play it.

It's known as the Boycott style of commentary!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Whereas the endlessly annoying Radar spends all his time trying to be a "character".

On top of which he consistently calls the shot incorrectly in advance based, apparently, on how he would play it.

It's known as the Boycott style of commentary!

See I disagree with that. I think he's developed a unique style in what is a unique role he has. I don't think he calls it incorrectly although at times he is 300 yards away from the tee and so may say lose it in flight and say it's going x or y and be wrong. I've always liked the on course commentator as far back as Ken Brown and again had his own style

 

[MarkT]

Any thoughts on Barter? Think he's great on course as players obviously like and respect him and he mixes it up nicely.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

See I disagree with that. I think he's developed a unique style in what is a unique role he has. I don't think he calls it incorrectly although at times he is 300 yards away from the tee and so may say lose it in flight and say it's going x or y and be wrong. I've always liked the on course commentator as far back as Ken Brown and again had his own style

You misunderstood me.

I was referring to his unerring ability to be wrong when predicting the shot that the player is about to play.

And the unique style he has developed is nauseatingly annoying.

 

[Slime]

I think he was simply the best there was, the David Attenborough of golf commentary.
He once presented me with a prize at a Milford Golf Club charity day.

RIP.