Fun-loving Alex had golf game down to a tee

Published on Friday 19 June 2009 10:04

Tributes have been paid to Alex Fox, a former club professional at Dalmahoy and at one time one of Scotland's top golfers, who has died, aged 77.

Born in Glasgow, Mr Fox become a well-known figure in the Capital during his spell at the Kirknewton club, starting there in the mid-1950s after previously working as an assistant professional at two leading English clubs, Wentworth and Sandy Lodge.

"Alex was a great golfer, a real character and also great fun to be around," said George Yuille, one of his assistants at Dalmahoy before he became the long-serving pro at Royal Burgess.

Jack Steven, who went on to become the pro at Glasgow Golf Club, added: "As senior assistant at Dalmahoy, I was entrusted by Alex to run the shop and, at that time, only Eric Brown and John Panton were ahead of Alex in the pecking order in Scottish golf."

Former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher received lessons from Fox when he was a junior member at Dalmahoy. He said: "Alex helped me on a number of occasions. He had a good reputation as a coach and was also quite a good player himself."

Mr Fox won the PGA Assistants' Championship and claimed a notable scalp when beating Peter Thomson, the five-time Open champion, in the News of the World PGA Matchplay Championship.

After leaving Dalmahoy, Mr Fox became the pro at Sandy Lodge in Hertfordshire, where he had earlier been an assistant to the legendary John Jacobs.

"Alex first came to the club in 1954 and I got to know him very well," said David Culling, a past captain at the Sandy Lodge club.

"He was a superb golfer, gave a very good lesson and was also an excellent mimic, having us all in stitches when he used to do a routine at the captain's annual drive-in.

"I used to socialise with him quite a bit as well and I remember when we used to go and watch ice hockey at Wembley. He was a great supporter of the Paisley Pirates."

Don Hollands, another ex-club captain, added: "Alex was one of the most helpful people I've ever come across and all that prevented him from making his mark at the highest level in the game was the fact he wasn't the greatest of putters."

After leaving Sandy Lodge in 1993, Mr Fox moved to Aberdeen, where he did some coaching at the Inchmarlo Golf Centre in Banchory until about a decade ago.

Mr Fox had a good relationship with the Scottish golf writers and they hold an annual event for the Alex Fox Trophy, the next staging of which is due to be held in a few weeks' time at Fairmont St Andrews.

Separated from his wife, Mary, he was living with Dr Aileen Downie in Aberdeen when he died earlier this month, after a short illness.