THE DAY I HAD TO TURN DOWN JACK NICKLAUS
Radio presenter Ronan Collins talks handicaps, his membership of Royal Dublin and his great golf regret
1. You’re the envy of many, a member at Royal Dublin.
I have a great history at Royal Dublin — my grandfather Michael joined in the 1930s and my father and brothers all played there. Only myself and my brother Mark still play. But as I live between Navan and Kells now, I am also a member of Heafdort too, so I have the best of both worlds.
2. How did you get started?
My younger brothers started when they were 12, so they got a headstart on me. I was into tennis when I was that age and didn’t bother with golf at all until I was 28, when I was coming towards the end of my music career. I’d just pop down with my dad, Des, and potter around as a guest, as you could in those days. I just loved playing with my dad because we had something in common at last. It was different when I was a teenager — he was an Army officer and I thought I was a rock and roller! We were poles apart.
3. So how’s your golf?
I’m off 13 now, and my lowest handicap was six. But I was never a great six. It never lasted that long and I had a far nicer time off seven or eight in the late 1990s. Nowadays I don’t chase the game as much as I used to, when I’d play twice a week and practice three times a week. Now, coming into the summer, I’ll be aiming to play Royal Dublin on Wednesday and Saturday and have Sunday at Headfort.
4. After nearly 40 years at Royal Dublin, you must have great memories of the late Christy O’Connor Snr.
Christy was very close to all the members and very proud of them. I played golf with him quite a few times, mainly through the Links Golf Society.
5. What’s your most memorable round?
I’m not one to remember scores. But I do remember playing in the Celtic International at Galway in 1984, which was a four-day pro-am that was part of the European Tour at the time. I was doing some work as an MC in the evenings, and I remember playing in a five-ball in a practice round — Christy Snr, Christy Jnr, Des Smyth, Eamonn Darcy and me. Isn’t that brilliant? What a great memory.
6. Did Christy Snr give you many tips?
The best lesson you could get from Christy was just to watch him play. He had the most magnificent swing, a fantastic shoulder turn and that extraordinary finish — his chest facing out towards the target. He had such effortless power. People said he was so natural, but the reality was that he worked very hard.
7. He was a great character, like so many in Irish golf.
Yes, there were many special guys. Who could forget Jimmy Kinsella in Skerries? What an extraordinary man. He loved all sport and played golf with amazing success with an extraordinary swing. Wonderful.
8. Who was your favourite amateur?
There were so many. But Jody Fanagan was a wonderful player who had no interest whatsoever in turning pro. I loved playing with Jody.
9. When were you happiest on the golf course?
In company. I loved playing with my dad and my brothers. And I still love my regular fourballs with friends like Simon Kennedy, battling for that fiver!
10. Name your dream fourball?
I’d go for Joe Dolan, Christy O’Connor Jnr and my brother Mark. Joe was great company and fiercely competitive. And he wasn’t a bad player either!
11. Driver or putter?
I’ve only ever had three putters. My blade putter was stolen, but I still have the other two — a Ping Anser and a mallet-headed Odyssey Rossie One, which I use now. As they say, you can recover from a bad drive, but you can’t recover from a bad putt. 12. Have you golf ambitions? I’d like to get back down to 10 again and see if getting back to single figures is a possibility. I think it might, but that would mean practice and my short game is a disaster.
13. How bad is it?
I have the yips from 60 yards. It’s on my to-do list [laughs].
14. Is there a course you’d still love to play?
I’ve played most of the great Irish courses, but the older I get, the more I like familiarity. I still get a great kick out of Royal Dublin, which is as good as it was 30 or 40 years ago — not as bare or as dusty as it once was, but a great test.
15. Do you have a favourite hole?
There as so many I love and several are at Portmarnock — the par-five sixth, the par-three 15th. The 18th. And Mount Juliet, which is a special place. Beautiful.
16. Do you have any regrets?
In golf ? I was at Mount Juliet to work during a visit by Jack Nicklaus and after the interview and the clinic, I was in a Portacabin with Tim O’Mahony, Jack, Joe Carr, Christy Snr and a policeman. Jack was taking off his shoes and he said, “Timmy, I’m not going to go to Cornwall this evening, there are a few things I want to look at on the course. Maybe we’ll play in the morning.” So he asked Christy to play, and Christy said he had a commitment to Dr Smurfit at The K Club the next day. “No problem,” said Jack. “Joe, will you play?” And Joe said he’d be delighted. Then Jack then turned to me and said, “Ronan, will you join us?” And said, “I can’t Jack, I have to go to work.” I’d made a commitment to my producer and I can tell you, I cried. I cried that I turned down Jack Nicklaus.
17. Apart from that, would you like a golfing mulligan?
No, I’ve no regrets in that sense. Maybe that’s why I never got down lower than six. Golf was never about winning. It was always about being with nice people.
18. What’s your idea of perfect happiness?
I don’t see golf as a heavenly pursuit. So happiness is being at home with my wife Woody and our grandchild — and we’ve another on the way. That and still being able to being able to do the job I do at a good level. After that, golf is just a nice bonus.