Former Method One champion Damon Hill remembers his favorite vacation hotspots and favorite {golfing} locations. Interview Matt Nicholson
I first picked up a golf membership when… I used to be about 10 or 11. Golf has at all times been a giant a part of our household’s life. I’ve acquired {a photograph} of my granddad enjoying within the Twenties when he was the captain of Mill Hill Golf Membership in London.
My dad [double F1 World Champion, Graham] took up golf after he broke his legs in an accident and he wanted to do one thing to maintain himself lively.
He couldn’t run, so he took up golf. I began following him round on the course and we watched golf on telly collectively, so I acquired into it that means.
I simply began thrashing away and everybody used to say, ‘Oh, he’s acquired a beautiful swing’, which was the worst factor they may have stated as a result of I believed I’d cracked it. So, after that I by no means bothered to have any correct classes – and that was a giant mistake.
My favorite golf course overseas is… Royal Melbourne. There are such a lot of nice programs throughout world, however at any time when I’m working on the FI in Australia we at all times try to get a recreation in at Royal Melbourne Golf Membership. It’s a sand belt course and has a really linksy really feel.
I’m additionally a giant fan of Yas Hyperlinks in Abu Dhabi. Shock, shock, it’s additionally proper subsequent to the F1 observe, so I’m usually capable of nip on the market and get a fast spherical in within the morning earlier than we begin filming, which is a ravishing time to play because it’s good and funky.
My favorite course within the UK is… Hankley Widespread in Surrey. I’m a member there, so I’m considerably biased, but it surely’s a beautiful course and is at all times in nice nick all 12 months spherical, which is essential given our moist winters.
I’m additionally a giant fan of the Downs Course at Goodwood. The views are superb, the course has an amazing number of holes, and also you at all times get effectively sorted within the clubhouse.
My superb vacation for ball would come with… the identical group of fellows I’ve been enjoying golf with for the final 20-30 years. They know who they’re!
My most up-to-date vacation was to…. Mauritius. It was technically a part of a golf journey to play within the Legends Tour’s Superstar Sequence Grand Remaining, however I took my spouse Georgie, so I’m going to rely it as a vacation! We stayed on the Constance Belle Mare Plage Resort, which was improbable.
My most memorable spherical… It’d sound a bit odd, however I’ve nice recollections of enjoying Hankley Widespread by myself a number of years in the past.
I went spherical in about 21/2 hours and shot 75. I had solely supposed to play 9 holes, however I simply acquired into the zone and simply carried on and performed the complete 18.
Having lived most of my life at effectively over 100 miles an hour I discover golf may be very sluggish, so the truth that I might simply whizz spherical with out having to attend for different individuals actually helped my recreation.
The spotlight of my {golfing} profession up to now was… enjoying with Seve Ballesteros at The Oxfordshire. I used to be full in awe. He was an absolute god in {golfing} phrases and was an ideal gentleman, too. It’s at all times good when your heroes turn into good individuals.
One of the best resort I’ve ever stayed in is… the Grand Hyatt in Tokyo. I stayed there the identical evening that I received the 1996 World Championship, so I used to be it additionally memorable for that cause alone, however I used to be staying in an enormous suite which had a grand piano and a boardroom, so it was all fairly loopy.
It was on one of many prime flooring, so it had this superb view overlooking Tokyo. It’s the place they later filmed scenes for Misplaced in Translation.
My most memorable meal…. was in a sushi restaurant in the identical Grand Hyatt in Tokyo. It was a sushi banquet, with course after course of essentially the most superb sushi and sashimi. Recent tuna, salmon and yellowtail.
I’m a vegetarian now, however on the time, I wasn’t, and it an was unbelievable meal. I simply bear in mind waking up the next morning feeling massively invigorated most likely due to all of the protein I’d eaten!
My favorite metropolis on this planet is… London. It’s my hometown and there’s at all times one thing to see and do and I simply love strolling across the streets and taking all of it in. Additional afield, I really like Barcelona, and Melbourne is a good metropolis too.
My prime journey tip is… to get misplaced. Get on the market and discover. Don’t over plan issues and miss out on the chance to stumble throughout one thing new. Every time I’m booked right into a resort on my travels I simply should get out of my room and see what’s on the market.
