Hole in One Golf Podcast - Alastair Jones, Golf Professional - The One That Didn’t Get Away! #GolfingTales Episode #8 Part #1 - a podcast by Jack Bull

Many times in Golf (love & life!) we hear people talk about “The One that got away”, like in episode #3 of this podcast with Mike Hearne and his infamous “Tiger King” podcast. In this episode though, I share with you a podcast with Welsh Golf Professional Alastair Jones that should have got away but didn’t! For a long time, many fellow golfers told me that Alastair couldn’t be reached and wasn’t available for any podcast interviews and this caused quite a bit of intrigue given his fame. After calling in a lead from an old contact (thanks Dad!) I was able to get in touch with Alastair and he shared his story with me and also told me about one colossal match that also "didn’t get away" from him!

I finally reached Alastair, in Dallas, Texas (USA), where he is currently attached to one of the most exclusive Golf Clubs in the World - the Preston Trail Golf Club. The Club is famous for being Byron Nelson’ s home club, as well as hosting the Byron Nelson Classic PGA tournament from 1968- 1982, this was a true golden era of golf, seeing the likes of Niklaus, Palmer, Player & Watson.

Former president George Bush is also one of the most distinguished members along with many other famous Americans including many famous golfers, hockey players and other sports stars and celebrities.

Alastair’s father, Ron Jones, was a well known sports journalist in Wales and he introduced Alastair to the game at Radyr Golf Club in Cardiff (UK) and they started playing together. Later on, Alastair also joined my home course Royal Porthcawl (South Wales, UK), which gave him the experience of playing a top links course and this would really prepare him later on for a career run in the British Amateur, as well as claiming the Welsh crown at Tenby. With Royal Porthcawl being a Senior Open Championship venue, Alastair tells me he has had some great conversations with many pros in America, regarding how great a course Royal Porthcawl is! Royal Porthcawl is regarded as the best Golf Course in Wales and is a top 50 course in the UK. Alastair won the Club Championship there, which is no mean feat, following in the footsteps of great players such as John Jermine and Rhys Davies.

In 2010, Alastair would go on to achieve a feat that no other Welsh player ever had, in winning the Welsh Youth’s and Welsh Amateur Championships in the same year. Alastair shares with me how he achieved a remarkable second place finish in the 2011 British Amateur Qualifying around Hillside and Hesketh and the story of his titanic matchplay battle with Findland’s Toni Hakula in 2011, Hakula was also a British Amateur finalist in 2013.

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https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/other-sport/golf/golf-alastair-jones-makes-history-1900836

https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-ceo/2014/november/the-most-exclusive-private-dallas-clubs/

https://golfhistorytoday.com/1975-tom-watson-byron-nelson-classic/

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/other-sport/golf/golf-alastair-jones-enjoys-success-1929048.amp

https://txstatebobcats.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/alastair-jones/2433

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