Devon County PGA Player Profile

Iain Parker
Royal North Devon Golf Club
Head Professional

Name: Iain Parker	Position: Head Professional
Golf Club: Royal North Devon	Tel: 01237 477598
Web Site:: www.halfpricegolf.co.uk	E-mail:  iain@halfpricegolf.co.uk
Facilities: All the top brands stocked in a modern golf shop. Lessons available from two PGA qualified professionals. Indoor computerised teaching academy. Short course for beginners and juniors.
Playing History Amateur: Where, when started: At Greenock I used to pinch golf balls then decided to start using them!! Started playing golf at Greenock Golf Club aged twelve, lived next to the 2nd fairway. By 15th birthday I was down to a 4 handicap. I represented the county at Junior, Youth and Senior levels and I appeared in the Scottish Boys squad in 1978. Who was the biggest influence on your golf? Douglas Rae our junior organizer at Greenock, now Morton Football Club Owner Amateur Golfing Achievements: Had a great time at a very competitive club with great scratch team.
Professional: 1979 Turned pro when joining Peter Butler at the RAC Country Club, Epsom, as his Assistant, February 19th 1979 9:30am, it was snowing!!. Fully qualified to the PGA in 1982. 1982-1984 Senior Assistant and Head Teaching Pro at Tilgate Forrest GC, Sussex. 1984-1986 Club Professional/Golf Shop Manager at Silvermere Country Club. 1986- 1990 Head Professional at Prestwick St.Nicholas GC. 1990-1994 Head Professional at Yelverton GC. 1994-2003 Head Professional at Ferndown GC.
Professional Achievements: Still in love with golf after 28 yrs as a pro, Won Ayrshire and West of Scotland Alliance Champs beat Sam Torrance ! Still don’t think I`ve played anywhere near my best yet , looking to get a lot better as I get toward 50 . Still alive just ! remember Churston last year ? Achieved most of the professional goals I set myself when I started as a Kid. Apart from winning the Open ! Still working on that, might have to be the Senior Open now. Won Devon Pro`s, used to outdrive Ashley Moon by forty yards . Hold record for the fastest round in a Tartan Tour event OOM, One Hour forty nine , shot 74 with Fraser Mann (1988) at Dunbar. Coached five players who went on to play for Scotland, helped hundreds of juniors play golf well. Made some great friends. Have trained sixteen Assistants to go on and get their own head Pro`s job`s `Proud of that` still friends with most of them!
Sporting Heroes: Andy Ritchie (Morton) the only player in history, to win Scottish Player of the year (twice) who never played for Scotland `The Idle Idol` blame Jock Stein who wouldn’t pick him. He was a player very much like Mat Le Tissier, voted player of the year when Morton were relegated !! also Seve, Muhamed Ali, Viv Richards, Lee Trevino, Gary Player, Dennis Law, Jim Baxter , Jim Clarke , Jackie Stewart, Ken Buchannan, Bill Shankley, Alex Ferguson, Jocky Wilson,
Personal Sponsor: Srixon
Course records set/held: Too many to mention!!!!! Did have one at Bognor Regis after having three pints of Guinness before the start.
Favourite courses played: Yelverton, Western Gailes, Hayling Island, Dornoch, Oban, Sawgrass, West Sussex, St Georges Hill, West Hill, Gairloch, Walton Heath, Woodhall Spa, Isle of Shiel, Tobermorey, Brora, Olympic Club, Cypress Point, Lake Nona, Prestwick, Troon Municipal (Lochgreen) Loch Lomond, Greenock
Favourite club in the bag: My Bronty Chipmaster, and my extendable ball retriever comes in handy.
Most memorable golfing moment: Meeting Gary Player and practicing with the putter that won nine Major`s .Shaking Sandy Lyle`s hand after he won the Open in 1985. Outdriving Jim White for a whole round when he was hitting it well . Finishing with five birdies to make the cut on the mark, in the Scottish pro`s Championship at Haggs Castle. Beating Sam Torrance by a shot to win in Ayrshire Alliance meetings (Twice) when he was a national hero , (just after that putt at the Belfry)
Most embarrassing golfing moment: Final Qualifing for the open at Hillside, Opening three holes in 21 shots, How nervous !! 1983 Some spectators thought I was Maurice Flitcroft`s brother.
If you weren't a golf pro, what would you be doing now? Playing ice hockey as a Pro. Wish I`d been born in Canada. Doing something to help other people achieve their goals.
Personal Profile
DOB: 26th February 1961 in Greenock	Nationality: Very Scottish
Marital Status: Married April 1999	Partner's name: Sarah
Children: Scott Alexander Graham (3rd Dec 2000)	Nickname: Big Bird
Football team(s) supported: Morton , Rangers, Plymouth Argyle, Scotland.
Hobbies: Roller Blading, Cycling, Walking, Music, Playing with Scott. Socalising, Keeping in touch with old Friends, Playing Fantasy Football.
Favourite holiday destination(s): St Ives, Scotland, South of France, Isles of Scilly, Tiree.
Favourite drink(s): Have we got enough space? Doom Bar (in The Beaver), Lowenbrau (in the bar Instow), Belhaven Gold (anywhere in Scotland), Harveys Old Ale (in the Red Lion Turners Hill) Brandy and Lovage (from a hipflask) Cider (summer in St Ives) Gunniuss (when hungry) , Flowers (at Yelverton G.C.) Bass (in the Dolphin) Basically most things that come in a glass!!
Favourite food: Haggis!! with neeps clapshot and tatties, plus all other of Scotlands great fattening food`s, Mexican (hot) Indian (hot) Smoked salmon (cold) Crusty Roll`s, (white).
Favourite pub(s) & why: The Beaver Appledore is my local, but the Blackboy in Winchester is the best by miles (go there!) The Wykeham Arms also Winchester (I met Sarah there) Wish I had a Pound For!!!!
Favourite film / TV programme: The Vital Spark , Goldfinger, Cool Hand Luke, The Godfather Two, How to Murder Your Wife, The Good The Bad and the Ugly, Rocky 1 and 2, The Long Riders, Ali, When we were Kings,
First record / CD bought: You Don’t Get Me I`m Part of The Union. By the Strawbs.
Favourite band(s): Beatles, Smashing Pumpkins , Stone Roses , Ian Brown, Faithless, Chemical Brothers, The Cult, John Lee Hooker, Rolling Stones, The Pogues, The Proclamiers , The Corries, The Smiths
Favourite comedian: Ally McCoist and my old assistant Ally Watt.
I'm at my happiest when I'm - Laughing till my face hurts with mates Jon Davey Brian Parriss Paul Lamey Andy Popps Ashley Moon, normally over a few beers. But since we don’t see each other enough, playing rough and tumble with Scott is pretty good!!
I'm most afraid of - People who don’t know what their doing, but think they do.
What is the best thing about Devon? Everything. And the Devon PGA.
Who is the most famous person you've been told you look like? Paul Newman
Who is the most famous person you've met? Seve (regripped his clubs), Sean Connery (sold him some shoes) Bobby Charlton,(sold him a shirt) Bob Hope, Telly Savallas, Bruce Forsyth, Sam Snead, Lee Trevino, Prince Andrew(charged him a greenfee)
Who do you think is the sexiest person in the world (after your partner)? Gina Lollobrigida, Sophia Lorean. Virna Lisi, in the film, How to murder your wife, (with Jack Lemon and Terry Thomas) Watch it!!
If you could time travel, forwards or backwards, and why: Back to 1967 Wembley May 3:2 do I need to say any more !! Forward to see how Scott turns out when he is my age.
Anything else: Coming soon!

Updated 30th November 2007