Danny Heard

Golfing Herald met up with Danny Heard, PGA Professional and Golf Academy Director at Aphrodite Hills, Cyprus for our series ‘Meet the Professional’.

Danny Heard’s golfing adventure has come a long way since his first round of golf when he shot 117…a nett 81 off a handicap of 36, given to him by his dad at The Cambridgeshire Golf Club.

Whilst at school, Danny played most sports and excelled at cricket where he represented Essex County U16, a team that produced several players who went on to have first-class and international cricket careers, but Danny knew his calling lay elsewhere. After deciding not to take up a place at University, Danny dedicated the next few years playing full-time amateur golf, competing in many prestigious events including the British, Spanish and English Amateur Championships. He also represented and captained the Essex County Team.

In early 2003 Danny dislocated his shoulder whilst playing in a semi-final (he still won the match!!), and consequently, his amateur season was effectively over. Thus, Danny turned professional sooner than he expected, initially attached to Chigwell Golf Club and from 2005 attached to Nazeing Golf Club…but then in 2009, on a very snowy winters day Danny posted on social media the rhetorical question ‘What am I doing here?’ This question was thankfully answered by Andrew Darker (now the Director of Golf at the Aphrodite Hills Resort, Cyprus) and the rest, as they say, is history…

Thus in 2009, Danny moved to live in Cyprus, initially employed as a Teaching PGA Professional at Aphrodite Hills. About a year later, in partnership with fellow PGA Professional Giles Johnson, GD Golf in the Sunshine Ltd was established to run the Aphrodite Hills Golf Academy and Driving Range…the academy and resort continue to flourish and Danny is enjoying every day of his Cypriot golfing adventure.

Aphrodite Hills

In ancient Greek mythology Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was believed to have been born near Paphos, Cyprus. Several etymologists believe her name is derived from aphrós, meaning ‘sea-foam’ and interpret her name as ‘risen from the sea-foam’…the stunning Aphrodite Hills golf course overlooks the sea from where she rose.

Established in 2002, this Par 71 championship course measures 6289 metres from the Black Tees. Designed by renowned golf architect Cabell Robinson, the course is a mixture of large tiered greens, Bermuda grass fairways and pot bunkers, set against a panoramic backdrop of stunning scenery.

Aphrodite Hills golf course recently attained the highest standard recognition in golf, namely the PGA National Cyprus, the only course in Cyprus to attain this prestigious PGA title. This will enable the resort to further raise its brand and profile on the international golfing stage.

The Golf Academy includes a 350-metre double-ended driving range and a variety of short game practise areas, with lessons available on an individual and group basis.

(Click Aphrodite Hills Resort to view all of the facilities at this award-winning leisure and golf resort)

The First Tee

Golfing Herald (Paul): Miraculously I somehow managed to enable the Skype Video Call between Danny (in Cyprus) and myself (in the UK)…buoyed by this unexpected success I ‘teed off’ by asking Danny how his golfing journey began.

(Danny): My family is from Bethnal Green in the East End of London but we moved to Chingford on the Essex/London border when I was quite young. We were at a ‘Pitch and Putt’ at Lea Bridge Road which was not very far from where we lived and someone said to my dad one day that there was a public golf course out in Essex called Hainault.

(Paul): I know of Hainault, not the golf course but as a station in one of the outer travel zones on the London Underground Central Line!!

(Danny): That’s right…so my dad went up to Hainault one day with a guy from work and they arrived very early one morning, about 05:30 or 06:00 and there was like hundreds of people there!! They looked at each other thinking what time do we need to get here to play!! So my dad started playing there and then he played at a place called Risebridge and then he was a member at Wanstead Golf Club which is the club I represented throughout my entire amateur career. It’s a good course, Par 69, very tight and it has produced some very good golfers.

(Paul): We will cover your distinguished amateur career later, but for now, how old were you when you first picked up a golf club?

(Danny): I was probably 6 or 7. I have actually still got the scorecard from a game of pitch and putt when I was about 7 or 8. I have also still got my first 18 hole scorecard from 1987!!

(Paul): It would be brilliant if you could send me a copy of one or both of those scorecards to include in this article.

(Danny): No problem.

Cricket

(Paul): What other sports did you play when you were growing up?

(Danny): Everything!!

(Paul): Did you excel at any sport in particular?

(Danny): Cricket…I played for Essex Under 16s and it got to the stage where it was time to be thinking about a (cricket) contract. I also played football as well. I had a few training sessions with Watford Football Club but I knew I was never going to be a footballer. There was a guy in the year above me, Gifton Noel-Williams, he played for Watford, Stoke and Burnley amongst others…he was head and shoulders above me so I just knew my football career was finished there and then.

(Paul): Picking up on cricket and talk of a contract, were you a batsman, bowler, all-rounder?

(Danny): I used to open the bowling or be first change bowler…for the county I used to bat 6 or 7…so I was an all-rounder. I got to the stage when I guess I was 16 where you start thinking about who is going to get a contract. There were three guys in my year who stood out…there was the England captain (for my age) who went on to play for Durham…Graham Napier who is a good friend of mine who played for Essex all his career…and James Foster, who was the England Wicketkeeper. We were all in the same county side as kids. Six of our county side played first-class cricket. We had a really strong county side. But I knew then it wasn’t going to be my calling in life. I speak to Graham (Napier) about it sometimes and he believes I would have got a contract somewhere and got some (first-class) games under my belt at a smaller county but that wasn’t for me…and golf took over then!!

Turning Point

(Paul): Where was your ‘game at’ when golf took over from cricket?

(Danny): I never played for Essex Boys once in a competitive match, only in a couple of friendlies. By the time I was 18 I was (only) down to a 4 handicap.

(Paul): What was the turning point so that you effectively put all your eggs into the golfing basket?

(Danny): I finished my ‘A’ Levels and a lot of my friends were going travelling to Australia or South Africa but I didn’t want to do that. I was supposed to be going to Southampton University to read Accountancy, believe it or not, but I didn’t really want to go…so I just said to my mum (who was a teacher) could I have some time out first and see how it goes and I think my golf handicap went from 4 to plus 1 in about a year!! I won a few local open events and the Essex Under 25 championship and that was about it.

Newspaper Headline

(Paul): I think you are being rather modest about your amateur career and hopefully I can tease out of you some of your achievements. Though I am pleased you have mentioned the Essex U25 championship as that leads rather neatly into a newspaper article I uncovered whilst researching for our chat this evening in that after you had won the championship for the second time, the article headline was:

PROS WILL HEAR MORE ABOUT DANNY HEARD

(Danny): I have still got that article!! It was in my local Guardian.

(Paul): It was a really good article as you stated that you would eventually like to turn professional, but it was a big step up as you had not played much golf as a junior and thus needed to get a good grounding as an amateur player over a 2 to 3 year period.

(Danny): I mentioned earlier about the quality of players at Wanstead Golf Club so I knew the standard I needed to be at to be considered a good player.

(Paul): When you embarked on this journey to dedicate yourself to full-time amateur golf over a 2 or 3-year timeframe, did you always have an inner belief that you would join the professional ranks?

(Danny): I think I knew that having played football and cricket I wanted to be involved with sport and golf seemed to be the one…I know it is a bit cliched to say it but golf is an individual sport where it is up to you rather than somebody else…playing and practising on my own and I suppose wanting to be my own boss. Never really had days off…you never have days off as you are enjoying it. At that age, it’s not a job.

Financial Support

(Paul): In the same newspaper article it said that you were able to play full-time amateur golf partly due to a sports aid grant from your local council.

(Danny): Yeah, I was very lucky. For many years, Waltham Forest was a London Borough of equal opportunities shall we say. It was called Sports Aid and money was given out to a number of sports. I think it was someone who my mum had worked with in the past and they got in touch with me and said: “you are doing well, you are representing the county and there is money available for guys and girls that are playing sport at the county level or above and that I should apply for a grant”. Off the top of my head, I can remember receiving something like £3K or £4K a year. Twenty years ago that was quite a lot of money. There was actually two us from Wanstead Golf Club who qualified for this grant. Also, and I don’t think enough people say it, but I will always be thankful to the Essex County Golf Union who were really good as well. They gave us accommodation for all the events such as those organised by the R&A, covered some of your entry fee, travel and expenses.

Tillman Trophy

(Paul): A few minutes ago, I said I hoped to tease out of you some of your highlights and achievements as an amateur. Let’s start by rolling the clock back to 2000 and the prestigious Tillman Trophy, whose illustrious roll of honour includes Ernie Els who won in 1988.

(Danny): Yes, I remember that well, it was staged at Royal Cinque Ports that year. I had a bad second round…I really should have won. In the last 2 rounds, I was miles ahead on the day. It was an event where you played 18 holes on Day 1, the same again on Day 2 but then 36 holes on Day 3. I played quite well on the first day but then on the second day I had a terrible draw and it was howling with wind…but then I got up the next morning and blitzed around and was the lowest score by a long way!!

(For completeness, Danny scored 73-80-69-71 to finish tied 6th in the 2000 Tillman Trophy)

English Amateur Match Play

(Paul): Later in 2000 you played in the English Amateur Match Play at Royal Lytham & St Annes…was that the first time you had played in the National Championship?

(Danny): That was the first time I had played in the English Amateur. There was no stroke play qualifying back then so there were 256 players in the knockout draw. I reached the 4th round but then I lost to Geoff Harris. Geoff played for England and I think after that he lost to John Morgan and then the final was between Paul Casey and Gary Wolstenholme which Paul won.

(Paul): Paul Casey has gone on to a very successful professional career which highlights the quality of this event in 2000.

(Danny): At the time the set up in England was phenomenal. It was just after the Luke Donald era…Zane Scotland, James Heath, Ross Fisher…really strong.

An Adventure

(Paul): (Although I have not captured it in the article) you mentioned earlier that 2001 was your best year as an amateur.

(Danny): It was my first full year…exciting, enjoyment, new…although I was full time I didn’t go crazy and play in everything. I just played…I didn’t think about it (like now), just turned up at the golf course and just played. I always tell people that it was an adventure as well. I remember leaving home one morning and the Brabazon (the English Men’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship) was at Royal Birkdale when Richard Walker won it. My mum asked me where I was going as I am packing all this stuff in the car!! So I told her I was off to Southport at which she replied: “what for?”…I explained that I was playing in the qualifier for the Brabazon and then if I qualify and make the cut I then have to drive overnight to Skegness to play in the Eastern Counties Foursomes…but if I missed the cut I would stay in Skegness and on the way home I will play in the Tillman Trophy at Hunstanton Golf Club (which was won by Ross Fisher that year). In the end, we must have been gone for the best part of 2 weeks!! It was like an adventure…just brilliant.

British Amateur

(Paul): The following year you played in the British Amateur at Royal Porthcawl.

(Danny): Yeah, I just missed out on qualifying for the match play stage. The entries that year included Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, the Molinari’s, Richard Sterne…the list goes on.

Sunningdale Foursomes

(Paul): When I contacted you to participate in this series, and I am so pleased you said yes, you read some of the previous articles in the series and afterwards you said the one event you miss playing now that you live and work abroad is the Sunningdale Foursomes.

(Danny): What I miss about it is the unique format…have you ever been down to watch it?

(Paul): Not yet, but very high up on my ever-increasing (post-COVID-19) golfing bucket list!!

(Danny): It is unique…boys and girls, men and women, all ages, elite amateurs, ex-tour professionals, current professionals, a few celebrities and other sportsmen such as Tim Henman play…and you are playing two of the best golf courses in the country. You are treated like a member for the week. I always remember you would arrive at Sunningdale on the first morning (in the middle of March) for practice and suddenly you get round the first green and the grass is cut lovely and tight and you would think…”Oh, this is a bit different!!”.

(Paul): Who did you partner in this event?

(Danny): I played with Ricky Blaxill a few times. We had a good run one year to the 4th round maybe. One year I also played with a friend of mine, Nick Knighton, who was a member at the time at Hollinwell Golf Club. It just used to be a brilliant event to play.

(Paul): Did you view the Sunningdale Foursomes as the curtain-raiser for your golfing season ahead?

(Danny): Yeah…I guess my dad is a bit of a golf scholar as well. He is not a great golfer but he always said “this is a great event to play in” and he would always come down and watch me play. One year I played against Keith Maxwell, who was the Head Pro at Sunningdale and professional Tony Johnstone which was such a nice way to start the event with a few people walking around watching. I have played there in T-Shirts, snow, hail…

The Storyteller Part One

(Paul): Quintessentially British.

(Danny): Yes…everything about it. You can go into the clubhouse and have a cup of tea and the halfway house is famous for its sausage sandwiches!! Have we the time for another story from Sunningdale?

(Paul): Absolutely.

(Danny): I can’t remember the year but at the time the Daily Telegraph used to cover amateur golf with a full pull out every Monday…I think the reporter was called Ted Barrett who was a lovely guy. I had entered the event with Ricky Blaxill and they have a rule there if one player pulls out a substitute is not permitted. Well, Ricky couldn’t play so I was out of the tournament!! One of my friends had contacted me to see what time we were playing and to come and join them for the practice day but I had to tell him that Ricky had pulled out…anyhow, I said “Tell you what, I will come down and play” even though I was out of the event and wasn’t supposed to play!! So on the practice day, we went and played the old course in the morning, the new course in the afternoon and I holed my tee shot on the 17th!! The guy from the Telegraph was standing next to the green and he shouted out “Danny, well done…I will catch up with you in the clubhouse afterwards and have a chat”…and I thought “I am not supposed to be here!!” So when we got to the 18th I just said to the reporter “I have to go” and drove off!!

Newspaper Coverage

(Paul): Thanks for that story Danny…just superb. On a more serious note and following on from your comment about how the Daily Telegraph used to have a weekly pull out, I use sources such as the British Library, British Newspaper Archives and the New York Times Archives for the purpose of researching some of the articles. What has been really sad is that across the globe, both in national and provincial newspapers, the coverage of amateur golf has almost disappeared over the past 15 to 20 years.

(Danny): It has…as you say there are now very few column inches dedicated to amateur golf.

Essex County

(Paul): I also read that not only did you represent the county of Essex but you also had the honour of captaining the team. Did you have a good team?

(Danny): Yeah, we had a good team at times…there was Ricky Blaxill who played for England, Richard McEvoy who now plays on the European Tour and won the European Open in 2018 and Bradley Smith who has now almost got his card on the Seniors Tour.

El narrador de cuentos Segunda Parte

(Paul): We touched upon earlier the newspaper article where you stated a desire to play full-time amateur golf for 2 or 3 years before hopefully turning professional…in summary, how would you reflect on that period as an amateur?

(Danny): 2001 was a good year…then in 2002 I started the year in Spain at the Spanish Amateur Championship which was played at Costa Bellena, near Cadiz. Actually, I have got another good story for you if I can?

(Paul): Yes, please…

(Danny): I did Spanish at school so my Spanish was pretty good. Costa Bellena was in the middle of nowhere but I managed to find out that there was a festival in Cadiz. We looked at the map and found that we were not that far (about 20 miles) from Cadiz but what we didn’t realise was that to drive to Cadiz you had to get around the bay!! Anyhow, I remember ordering about 6 or 7 taxis for loads of us…basically everybody who was out there went out ‘all night’. We all ended up in a night club in the middle of their biggest festival of the year as nobody had to play the next day as it was matchplay and it was the final…just a great experience.

Amateur to Professional

(Paul): Post ‘Cadiz Festival’, how did the rest of the 2002 season pan out?

(Danny): Overall, 2002 was not a bad year…I won a few county events and then started off the year 2003 quite well. I did really well in the ‘Duncan Putter’ at Southerndown Golf Club in Wales. Then I played in the (Essex Golf Union) Keating Trophy and believe it or not I actually dislocated my shoulder in the semi-final…my shoulder popped out!!

(Paul): That sounds painful, and some…had you suffered a similar dislocation previously?

(Danny): No, never happened before. My ball was in a divot…my shoulder popped out but I managed to get it back in again!! I was up enough in the semi-final when it happened to ‘nudge it around’ to win but I lost in the final in the afternoon. I should have won actually as I was 2 or 3 up at one stage. Afterwards, my shoulder was weak, really weak and that pretty much put paid to the rest of that year. So I didn’t really play much that year. And that is what made me turn pro. I thought at that point I am going to miss the whole year so my dad sort of said: “why don’t you enrol with the PGA and do your training as well?”…which is what I did, starting in 2003 at Chigwell Golf Club.

(Paul): Certainly not the smooth transition from amateur to professional you would have expected or hoped for…did you have a clear plan at that stage?

(Danny): Not really…I had played full-time amateur golf, but had never really worked…but I knew when I turned professional, I would have to work whilst training for the PGA qualifications. I knew I wouldn’t be able to play golf during September, October and November (because of my shoulder) so by the time the season came around the following year all of my (first year) exams were out of the way and I was a year down the line on the course. I went to Tour School in 2004 with no success and never went again…that was it really. Just played in regional events and played in a few EuroPro events but nothing special.

Everything in life happens for a reason

(Paul): Were you attached to Chigwell Golf Club for the duration of your 3 year PGA Training?

(Danny): No…I was at Chigwell Golf Club, which was is a nice golf course in Essex but then I changed midway through and finished at Nazeing Golf Club which is located on the Essex and Hertfordshire border. Wanstead was my home club as an amateur but then I adopted Nazeing as my home club. I played in Pro-Ams, did alright in the British Assistants Championship and I still had that feeling that I can do this, still want to play but then one day, early 2009, I was in the Pro Shop at Nazeing…I will never forget it.

(Paul): Why was that?

(Danny): It was chucking it down with snow and it was in the early days of social media and I actually put a message out on Facebook along the lines of “What am I doing here? There is a foot of snow and I am shovelling snow to get to the clubhouse to get a cup of tea…what is the point?”. Andrew Darker, who is now the Director of Golf at Aphrodite Hills in Cyprus, but at the time was Operations Manager, saw the message…I knew him as he had coached me when I was about 18 or 19. He contacted me and said “there is a coaching job coming up soon at Aphrodite Hills, we would love someone like you who has something about them, as we are in a real social environment with different nationalities, etc. and it would really suit you down to the ground…obviously it would mean pretty much giving up any thought of playing again but would you be interested?”. I said, “of course I would (be interested)”.

(Paul): What happened next?

(Danny): A few other people knew about it so I went over to Cyprus to meet the (then) Director of Golf, the resort General Manager, the CEO, etc. I went over in March 2009 and started in May 2009!!

(Paul): And not looked back.

(Danny): Not at all.

(Paul): The cliched phenomena ‘Everything in life happens for a reason’ was certainly in play!!

(Danny): Definitely…all as a consequence of that sarcastic message “what am I doing here?”. Incredibly thankful to Andrew Darker for responding to the message.

Golf Academy

(Paul): You have now moved to the stunning Aphrodite Hills Golf Resort…what was your initial role when you moved in 2009 to live and work in Cyprus?

(Danny): Initially, I managed to get myself really busy coaching as the incentive was to work hard, which I did, as I was not employed on a salaried basis. Then about a year or so later myself and Giles Johnson (the other guy who was there at the time) were ‘called in’ to have a chat (with the resort management)…they acknowledged we were doing well and getting busier and busier and they said: “we would rather you run the business as a Golf Academy rather than being employed by us”. So we set up our own company…GD Golf In The Sunshine Ltd.

(Paul): And to think only a couple of years earlier you were shovelling all that snow and questioning what was it all about!! So what next for you and Giles and growing the Golf Academy?

(Danny): When the Academy started there was just the two of us and we used to have a little shed with only one computer!! Now, there is Giles and me and last year we had two assistants. We also have an office guy as well and another part-time member of staff…so there are now six of us.

(Paul): What is your role today?

(Danny): Giles and I are the Golf Academy Directors…Giles does a lot of the clerical side and I do a lot more on the coaching side of the Academy business.

Clientele

(Paul): With Aphrodite Hills being a ‘Golfing Destination’ for want of a better phrase, what is the sort of demographic/nationality of your golfing clientele?

(Danny): I would say we almost have two seasons…the golf season and the tourist season, with December and January being a bit quieter. The busiest period is normally from the first week of March through to the middle of May.

(Paul): Is that due to the volume of golf trips?

(Danny): Yeah…golfers from Britain, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, France, Italy, Germany, Russia…the list of countries goes on. Within reason, every tee time is booked during the daylight hours!! Also, companies such as Golf Breaks have bookings for the PGA Pros and their respective visiting groups…we then rope off areas on the range for each group so when the visiting professional comes to see us in the morning we just say “your group is colour blue, the blue area is yours, the basket of balls are all ready for you” and that simple preparation and planning is really appreciated by the visiting groups. That is one of the reasons why we get a lot of repeat business.

Cypriot Golf

(Paul): You listed several European countries whose golfers visit Aphrodite Hills, but one question I would like to ask: “Is there a healthy Cypriot golfing scene?”.

(Danny): Just before I moved to Cyprus there was a big drive with business owners and wealthy Cypriots…and they were intrigued and interested and some of them do get involved with golf. But I guess that the cost can be prohibitive in a country where salaries are not enormous. Having said that, we have 7 junior groups over a weekend…not overly expensive as we charge something like 45€ a month with range balls, lessons every weekend and competitions. Also, the Cyprus Olympic Committee allocated us some money as Golf was back as an Olympic Sport in 2016, so we had a big drive at local schools and we got a few kids from that…we have got one junior now down to a 1 handicap. We are getting there slowly. In fact, a few weeks ago Cyprus Golf was invited for the first time to compete in the Eisenhower Trophy (Men’s World Amateur Team Championship).

The Storyteller Part Three

(Paul): I will certainly watch with interest, not only the Eisenhower Trophy (assuming it is not cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic) but how Cypriot Golf progresses.

(Danny): Golf is progressing in Cyprus and that will continue…when I was coaching in the UK, people who book lessons are primarily golfers…John has got a slice, Fred is pulling it, Sid has got the shanks and so on. I then had various methods and techniques to address their respective problems during the lessons. In Cyprus, and going back a few years, I taught the Minister for Tourism from Dubai when he was at Aphrodite Hills. He turned up at the range and I asked him to pick up a club and I took one look at him and thought ‘you know nothing about golf’. In fact, he had never seen a golf course before!! I reckon I get asked 2 or 3 times a week “is this grass real?”. They look at the grass, bend down, stroke it, touch it to check that the grass is real!! Then I have to be professional and try to teach them to play golf.

(Paul): But for you Danny those sorts of challenges must be brilliant so that every day and every client is different?

(Danny): Absolutely correct…can you imagine trying to give a golf lesson to someone who does not understand a word you say…it’s really hard.

(Paul): Professionally, it must be very rewarding.

(Danny): Yes, it is…as I actually get the chance to change people’s lives. I always say to one of our young assistant golfers who is now in the 3rd year of his PGA training “in your first lesson with someone you are responsible for that person’s golfing adventure or golfing life…they may hate golf after 45 minutes with you or they might love it, take it up and you become their coach or you end up on boats in Monaco…”.

(Paul): And if that person has a positive experience they might recommend you and Aphrodite Hills to friends and/or family.

(Danny): Correct…and that all helps towards potentially generating revenues in the various facets of this resort (lessons, membership, food, beverages, etc.).

Playing Today

(Paul): Earlier you said that moving to Aphrodite Hills would mean pretty much giving up playing, but I assume you still play now and again?

(Danny): Yeah…and without a scorecard it is easy!! I try to play ‘competitively’ a couple of times a year…I normally try to play in a Pro-Am in Turkey end of November, early December and then another one in February…I just try to stay competitive, that is all I can hope for.

The best facet of your game

(Paul): Continuing with the theme of playing, when you were playing full time, what would you say was the best facet of your game?

(Danny): Short game…chipping. I was a little bit erratic off the tee but thinking about it scoring really. One facet of the game that is maybe overlooked today. People stand there now with launch monitors and want perfect data. There is lots of talk in golf circles now on “Do people forget how to play golf?”. It’s not about everything being perfect on TrackMan. You have got to learn to play golf. And that manifests itself when you don’t play regularly…I go and try to play golf twice a year…brilliant in practice but then I get a scorecard!! In some ways it is pathetic but it is true.

(Paul): The thought patterns and reactions aligned to having a scorecard in your hand resonates with golfers of all abilities.

(Danny): Definitely…but when I am out there I still love competing and being competitive.

Best Ever Round

(Paul): It doesn’t necessarily have to have been your lowest ever score but what has been your best ever round?

(Danny): My best ever score was a few years ago when I shot a 63 at Golf De Pals in Spain in a Winter Pro-Am…I think the course might be a Par 73. Also, the final day’s golf at Royal Cinque Ports which we talked about earlier. Also, I had a really good round at Le Touquet in a Pro-Am a few years back…it was howling, chucking it down with rain and I think I shot 2 under and it was the best score of the day by 7 shots or so…but the 63 at Golf De Pals would be my lowest score.

Advice

(Paul): Based on your experiences, what advice would you give to an amateur golfer looking at or thinking about joining the Professional ranks?

(Danny): Down the playing route, if you can’t beat everyone at your club easily and then if you can’t beat everyone in the county than how do you expect to step it up without some serious improvements. Though there are exceptions to the rule. The PGA now has different routes aligned to what the various roles of a PGA Professional encompass. It’s no longer just about playing and coaching.

Outside of golf

(Paul): I have been following you for some time on Twitter so I am aware of your love and passion for Arsenal Football Club and for football in general.

(Danny): Yeah…to this day I have still got a season ticket in my name for Arsenal, though I don’t get back to London to watch them!! I have been to a few games when they have played in Europe, such as a match in Athens.

(Paul): What other interests outside of golf and football?

(Danny): I love a game of poker. Love playing poker. Time with my young daughter really…it’s nice because we are at that time of the year here in Cyprus where you literally live outside!! The water is warming up and so for a period of about 6 months I don’t need to worry about entertaining her…it’s a case of me asking “shall we go to the beach or shall we go to the pool?”…YES!!

Bucket List

(Paul): Returning to golf, what is #1 on your golfing bucket list?

(Danny): I guess for every golfer, including myself, playing at Augusta has to be at the top of the list. I would be surprised if you got a different answer from anybody who has not played at Augusta. Though I have been lucky to play some really good courses.

Favourite Golf Course

(Paul): On that topic, which is your favourite golf course in the UK?

(Danny): It would probably be Sunningdale, Old and New courses.

(Paul): For the reasons you listed when we talked about the Sunningdale Foursomes?

(Danny): Yeah…it’s just a lovely place to play golf. Two brilliant golf courses.

(Paul): Which is your favourite course outside of the UK, though you are not permitted to say Aphrodite Hills!!?

(Danny): I played a course in the United States called Manhattan Woods, a very exclusive course just outside Manhattan. It was incredible. A friend of mine from school has done very well for himself and he is a member at Liberty National where they staged the Presidents Cup in 2017 and he managed to get me on a few really good courses in the States. Another course I really like is Villa d’Este…a really good, undiscovered golf course in Italy. Also, I have got a couple of Russian clients…I don’t speak perfect Russian but I speak enough to survive and one year I went with them to an amazing place called Ullna Golf Club in Sweden.

Fantasy Fourball

(Paul): In addition to yourself, who would you pick for your Fantasy Fourball?

(Danny): I would pick Seve…for just being Seve and also because he is my dad’s golfing hero. My dad would also be in my fourball.

(Paul): OK…so Seve Ballesteros and your dad…who is your final pick?

(Danny): Tony Adams…he was my (footballing) hero. I don’t even know if he plays golf!! They say never meet your heroes but I have met Tony Adams a few times and he is a top fella…a real good guy.

(Paul): An eclectic fantasy fourball, so what would be the pairings?

(Danny): I think the pairings would be Seve and my dad vs. Tony Adams and myself.

If not a Professional Golfer

(Paul): Earlier you said that you could have gone to Southampton University to read Accountancy so if you had not been a Professional Golfer would the financial world of accountancy have been your chosen alternative career?

(Danny): Maybe…how boring is that!! Maths was my best subject at school so accountancy seemed a logical thing to choose or something along those lines.

Marooned

(Paul): I always ask this question to the professionals participating in this series, which is probably a bit daft with you now living in beautiful Cyprus, but if you were to be stranded or marooned on a remote desert island, what three items would you not be without?

(Danny): I have got a Magic TV Box…it is one of those boxes that when you go abroad you can watch anything you want. I can watch any football game live…that would have to be one of the items. But then I would also have to take a TV with me.

(Paul): I am always kind and generous in this section, so happy for you to combine the TV and the Magic TV Box as one item/package.

(Danny): Thanks…I would have to eat so a Barbecue and a supply of Steak…or Cypriot Souvla, that would be good.

The Nineteenth

(Paul): And finally. You put your current role and responsibilities at Aphrodite Hills on hold whilst you are in temporary charge of the Royal and Ancient. What idea(s) would you like to implement for this great game of golf?

(Danny): The guy who left Aphrodite Hills in February is a European Long Drive champion. His name is Scott Beavan and he won it in 2016 and 2017 and he hits the golf ball rather a long way…I mean scary distances!! Linked to that, I love watching golf and whilst I have been locked up in the house (due to COVID-19) I have tended to go back and watch golf from the 1980s and 1990s much more…forget the clothing, but people played golf and not ‘smash and pitch’. I appreciate and totally agree that there is a skill in that of being physically strong and being able to hit the ball a long way but it doesn’t fill me with enjoyment watching it. So I would like to see something done with distances and maybe I would like to see the use of all (fourteen) clubs brought back into the game. The other day I sat and watched the World match play from 1989 and the players were hitting a driver and 5 iron on the 1st at Wentworth…now they are hitting a 3-wood and a 9 iron…so yeah, changes to make players use all clubs would be my idea.

(Paul): Danny, a great way to finish at the Nineteenth. It has been great fun to chat this evening (via the Skype video call) and thanks so much for kindly sharing such a passionate insight into your golfing journey so far and your thoughts about this great game of golf.

Acknowledgements

And finally, in addition to Danny, I would also like to say thanks to:

• Maite Aliu Rotger ~ Directora, Golf De Pals, Spain.
• Peter Williams ~ Secretary, The Cambridgeshire Golf Club.
• Robert Green ~ Director of Golf, Nazeing Golf Club.
• Kevin Diss ~ Professional Golf Photographer…click Aphrodite Hills and Sunningdale to view the complete photographic galleries of these championship courses.