Fri 14th Jan – 7.45pm
Spend an evening at the Everyman Theatre with the ‘Voice of Golf’ Peter Alliss (Fri 14th Jan) sharing anecdotes, humour and stories from his 60 year career as a player and legendary gold commentator.
With his father, Percy Alliss, among the finest players of his generation, it was almost inevitable that Peter would also make a career in golf. Percy hired Peter as his unpaid assistant at Ferndown Golf Club, allowing him time off during midweek to compete in tournaments. With some degree of success in his first professional tournaments, Peter quickly established himself among the top young players of the time.
Between 1954 and 1969, he won 21 professional tournaments - including three British PGA championships - and was twice winner of the Vardon Trophy. In September 1958, he won the national championships of Italy, Spain, and Portugal in three consecutive weeks.
His first appearance in the Ryder Cup was in 1953, and with the single exception of 1955, he represented Great Britain and Ireland in the event until 1969. He is one of only two father-and-son duos to have represented their country at this level.
Peter made his broadcasting debut way back in 1961, as part of the BBC team covering the Open Championship at Birkdale which was won by Arnold Palmer. His retirement from international golf at the – relatively early – age of 38 led to a full-time career "on the other side of the ropes."
Peter once claimed he's a golf commentator only because he's "there as an old player, a lover of the game and a good weaver of stories". Modesty would prevent him saying that Golf Digest described him as "the greatest golf commentator ever" – but to many that's what he is.
But it's not only as a commentator that Peter is revered: he became a part of tv history, fronting 140 episodes of the popular BBC series Pro-Celebrity Golf, between 1974 and 1988, and progressed to an informal chat show on the fairways, Around with Alliss. His most recent television series, A Golfer's Travels, is still being shown across the world.
An Evening with Peter Alliss
Fri 14th Jan – 7.45pm
Tickets £22 and £25
Box office: 01242 572573 www.everymantheatre.org.uk
