A round of golf with Judas Priest's KK Downing

Golf, it has been noted by detractors of the game, is a good walk ruined, observes Ben Bentley.

Alas, whoever coined this phrase has clearly never played with KK Downing, guitarist and songwriter with heavy metal legends Judas Priest. And in any case, on our round with KK, we don't walk much - we jet around his 27-hole course within the grounds of his home near Bridgnorth in a mini motorcade of electric golf buggies in scenes that are more reminiscent of The Italian Job - especially the bit where my buggy very nearly imitates the closing shot of the 1969 Michael Caine movie as it beaches on the brink of a bunker.

Golf. Heavy metal. Two forms of entertainment with, it would seem, the commonality of a stick of chalk and a slice of cheese.

But there is common ground. And that common ground is called KK Downing.

KK, who off duty is also known as Ken, has now finished construction on not one but two golf courses - one with 18 holes and another with nine - within the grounds of his magnificent 450-acre estate at Astbury Hall.

The course is set in the glorious undulating hills of south Shropshire and is now managed by Troon Golf which operates some of the world's top courses and has offices in Hong Kong, Australia, Switzerland and Dubai. After several years in the making, Ken's vision to design and construct an international class course has finally become a reality.

It is officially due to be opened on September 15 when 22 teams, each with a celebrity member, will play at a Lord's Taverners charity golf day at the hall, after which the course will be open to the public. It is already open to membership.

And as part of the build up to the opening, the star agrees to a "round with KK Downing" with me and the Shropshire Star's video department, and he's in top form as he talks music and golf and everything in between while simultaneously knocking the Shropshire Star's sporting prowess into a cocked hat.

Although he is perhaps better known for his skill and prowess with a 'flying-V' axe, today, on the "front lawn" of his home near Bridgnorth, Ken's instrument of choice is an altogether different instrument.

Selecting his favourite driver, he swings and belts his golf ball far into the distance.

"Not bad for a rocker," he says admiring his shot as the ball lands near the first hole, which in rock star maths is approximately the distance from the stage to row Z at Wembley Stadium.

"Considering I've not played too much golf recently I'm quite pleased with that."

Explaining how his love of golf flourished, he continues: "I've travelled the world and stayed in every hotel twice probably and golf was just something to do on days off to start with.

"A few of the guys (from Judas Priest) liked to play some tennis, and then one year when we were on tour with our good friends Def Leppard a few of the guys in the bar late at night challenged us to a game of golf. And we said ok, and we'll have a game of tennis in the afternoon.

"That's how I remember the story anyway."

Ken quickly got into the swing of it and when Judas Priest went on tour they'd book into hotels that had nearby golf courses. And anyway, he says, there's just as many sporting stars who try their hand at music. Ken points out that he's played guitar with John McEnroe and Pat Cash.

As we make our way round the greens, Ken talks about how he bought Astbury Hall and later the grounds of the estate with the idea that it might one day become a family home. When that didn't happen he began looking at ways to make the most of the land.

Golf was the answer.

We chat about all the rock stars that are into their golf. There's Alice Cooper. "I've never actually played with Alice - he likes to play very early in the morning," says Ken.

Iggy Pop, too, is partial, and Marilyn Manson can apparently perform magic with a club.

A convivial host, he chats about anything and everything. He talks about being on stage in front of thousands of fans and compares stepping out on stage with tee-ing off on the first.

Says Ken: "I might be worried about breaking a string or something like that, but with a band you've got your mates who can cover up for you. With golf you are on your own."

He talks about designing the course with the help of experts but ultimately the course is as he envisaged it.

"I've always tried to do things the right way, " says Ken. "I got that off my gran - when she cleaned the kitchen she'd lift the lino up and clean under that as well."

Ken kindly gives me a bit of advice about my golf game. He likes a laugh, does Ken, and with my golfing skills laid bare before him he's got plenty of comedy material to get his teeth into.

The problem with my golf swing, as he so succinctly puts it, is that my style is more "air golf" than proper golf.

I need to relax and empty my mind, he says. Easier said than done; I've got a platiunum-sellling rock star for an audience and on top of that I am concerned that one slip of the club and I could inflict thousands of pounds worth of damage to his perfectly manicured greens.

"Aw, don't worry about that," he shrugs. "Have confidence."

"At least you hit the ball," notes Ken wryly as I drive off the seventh. "But you know the tradition if you don't drive it past the ladies' tee, don't you?"

As it happens, I don't.

Ken pulls me aside for a man-to-man chat. I'll be embarrassing myself further today, then. Ladies and gentlement, golf's rock 'n' roll moment has finally arrived.

He explains: "Let's just say that if you don't drive further than the ladies tee you have to play the rest of the round with your, er . . . (he trails off).

"Well, golfers will know the tradition."

Actually this bit of the conversation has been modified for consumption in a family newspaper, but feel free to let the imagination run reasonably wild.

Suffice to say, we dash down to inpsect where my ball has landed. Guess what - it's just shy of the ladies' tee.

Ken looks at me pitifully; I look at the camera man pleadingly. Cut!