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Stephen Hendry MBE was world snooker champion on seven occasions and is widely regarded as one of the sport’s all-time greats. Since hanging up his cue, when he’s not commentating on snooker, he spends time playing poker and golf …
What is your golfing background?
Stephen: The first time I ever picked up a club would have been with my grandad, in Musselburgh, when I was 12 or 13. I love the game. My handicap is down to seven and I will play as much as possible this year. I got down to 5.2 a long time ago when I was playing a lot and that’s the lowest I’ve been.
Where did you first play golf abroad?
Stephen: That would have been Spain in my early 20s. A mate and I were staying near Puerto Banus, on a course called Los Naranjos. I just remember hitting the ball into the green and it stuck, which was a bit different to playing in Scotland – it was probably the first time I had ever seen backspin on the ball!
Favourite golf resort to relax?
Stephen: I haven’t been to many golf resorts specifically for a golf holiday. I had a holiday at La Manga Club, maybe 20 years ago, and that was a really nice place to visit, relax and play lots of golf.
Most unusual place to play golf abroad?
Stephen: We played a snooker tournament at Mission Hills, in China, and they had four courses – they have 12 now, I think. It’s unbelievable. One course was floodlit and we’d play snooker in the evening and then go out and play golf at 11pm, which was pretty strange. There were signs telling us not to go into the rough because of the snakes. We made sure we followed the advice!
Favourite UK resort and why?
Stephen: I was a member at Gleneagles for 20-odd years, which is incredible, but I never stayed there because I lived nearby. I’m now at Foxhills, in Surrey, another great resort with two excellent courses and a tricky par-three course as well. It’s brilliant and only 10 minutes away from where I live, so I should be getting down there quite a bit this year.
Where else have you played golf abroad?
Stephen: I’ve played in a lot of different countries: Mallorca, Spain, Portugal, South Africa. A couple of courses that stand out are both in the USA. I got to play Bel Air Country Club, in Los Angeles. A mate of mine knew the professional there and managed to get us a game. Hollywood actor James Woods was in the group in front of us.
Stephen: Shadow Creek, in Las Vegas, is another fantastic place. I was playing in the World Series of Poker and one of the other players asked if I fancied playing golf there. I remember going into the locker room and seeing Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan’s names on the lockers. It was pretty surreal.
Any similarities between golf and snooker?
Stephen: Some, in the respect it’s about timing and technique. The practice involved is quite similar and repetitive. You can go down the range and hit loads of balls and you can do that for five or six hours potting balls on the snooker table as well. Everyone I meet assumes I’m going to be a really good putter – I don’t know why …
In golf, you’re looking at the ball from above, but in snooker you are down and looking along. I haven’t found too many greens as flat as a snooker table either. But there are similarities. In snooker, when you decelerate you normally mess up the shot. It’s the same with putting.
Are many snooker players good golfers?
Stephen: John Parrot plays off 1.8 I think. Shaun Murphy is another good golfer; if he’s not scratch, he’s pretty close. At the World Championship in Sheffield, there are two or three mornings where there is no snooker. A few of us commentators – Dennis Taylor, John Virgo, Ken Doherty – will get up early and go and play at Danny Willett’s old course in Rotherham.
There’s a fair amount of pressure involved in winning world championships. Does that make it easier to handle nerves on the golf course?
Stephen: I’ve played the BMW Pro-Am, at Wentworth, for the past few years and teeing off on the first in front of all of those people is pretty tough. Even though I’ve played in front of millions of people on TV and around the world, I usually knew what I was doing on a snooker table. But on the first tee, you’re out of your comfort zone. It certainly helps a little bit that I’ve done that sort of thing before but, trust me, it’s still pretty nerve-wracking.
Does the old competitive instinct still kick in on the golf course?
Stephen: Very much so! I have delusions of grandeur on a golf course and think I should be able to play certain shots but I can’t. I get very annoyed and then have to remind myself I’m not a professional golfer.
Stephen Hendry is an ambassador for Foxhills.
