Jonathan Gaunt - Twenty Questions
Jonathan Gaunt - enjoys whale watching and mountain biking - not at the same time, obviously!
Who are you? Jonathan Gaunt, Director and senior golf course architect at Gaunt Golf Design Limited.
Family status? Married to Maja since 1995 and have a daughter, Lily, aged 11.
Who's your hero and why? Tom Watson comes closest - a true gentleman and inspiration to me as a young golfer taking up the game in the early 70s. Still inspires today.
What is your dream holiday? Probably Cuba or Brazil - somewhere on a beach, where the food, wine and music is good. Otherwise, Nova Scotia, sea kayaking, eating fresh lobster and whale watching.
What annoys you the most? Speeding cars overtaking too closely when I'm out cycling.
What would you change about yourself? Lose a few kilos in weight, and be able to speak a number of foreign languages and play a musical instrument.
Who wouldn't you like to be? Gordon Brown.
Favourite record, and why? Everybody loves the sunshine by Roy Ayers - inspiring and great in-car entertainment
Who would you choose to spend a romantic evening with? With my wife, of course, eating seafood and drinking manzanilla in one of the seafood restaurants overlooking the Atlantic in Sanlucar de la Barrameda, Costa de la Luz in south-west Spain.
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? Buy land by the sea and build my own links golf course.
If you were to describe yourself as a musical instrument, what would you be and why? A drum, because I'm noisy and I can't sing!!
What's the best advice you have ever been given? By Gary Player, "Whatever you decide to do - pro' golfer or golf course architect, work hard and commit yourself - oh, and keep doing the daily press-ups, ideally with a full suitcase on your back". I do work bl**dy hard, that's true, but I haven't managed the press ups - I can only just about manage 100 sit-ups a day.
What's your favourite smell? Sandalwood.
What do you do in your spare time? Mountain biking - I go out 3 or 4 mornings in the week for an hour or so and then 2-3 hours on a Sunday - it takes my mind off the work and gives me a chance to get some exercise too.
What's the daftest work related question you have ever been asked? Can we build a real golf course through the streets of London (by Channel Five).
What's your favourite piece of kit? As I don't design on computer, my propelling pencil!
What three words would you use to describe yourself? Committed, positive, flexible.
What talent would you like to have? To be able to consistently hit my driver 275 yards down the middle of the fairway.
What makes you angry? Inflexibility and greed.
What law/legislation would you like to see introduced? In the Rules of Golf: to introduce a law enforcing the use of a standard (Tournament) golf ball by golf pro's only - like they have in tennis. In UK Government: to introduce a law permitting every house in UK to install solar panels on their roofs, wind turbines in their gardens and a water recycling system that would collect rainfall and use it for domestic purposes, and to hand out substantial grants to every householder to do this.