John Jones Music

For those of us growing up in the late 1960s while “rock music” was exploding, the Beach Boys were making old fashioned music. Although they did take their genre to new heights with the quality of their songwriting, recordings, arrangements, and performances. 

Brian Wilson was the musical director of the Beach Boys, and after a number of albums he decided to make full use of the best studios and session players in Los Angeles to “produce” their sound, therein setting the gold standard for the recording industry in the process.

There is no question of Brian’s genius and musical influence on the world of music, especially audible on the Beach Boys album, “Pet Sounds,” with its timeless and holy song, “God Only Knows.”
I can vouch for a lot of songwriters who pinched a thing or two from that one!

In the mid 1990s I started playing golf at Holmby Park, on the nearly 100 year-old, 18-hole “pony golf course,” next to the Los Angeles Country Club. The park has two Lawn Bowling greens and a children’s play area, and sits below the “ungodly” Spelling/Ecclestone mansion, next to what was Bing Crosby’s house. The Holmby course was saved from “lack of budget” in 1981, by donations from neighbours, Armand Hammer and Hugh Heffner!
In 2008 I researched and wrote a history of Holmby Park for the Golf Division of the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department.

On a few occasions over the years I saw Brian Wilson walking laps around the park. At first he was alone, and usually in a Hawaiian shirt, but the last time I saw him in the 2010s he was in a dressing gown with support following/helping him around. As far as I saw, no one bothered him, or didn’t recognise him.
I’m sure those that did were happy to leave him in peace.
We were all hoping his walks would contribute to his long good health!

These past few years when I walk our dogs around Holmby Park, I always think of Brian.
“Requiescat in pace”

John Jones.
June 12, 2025.

@2025_johnjones.com

As the historian of Rancho Park Golf Club, it was my great pleasure to score a hole in one on Rancho’s 65th Birthday (July 3)!

“I don’t want any of you to hear the wrong story, it was just bloody lucky!”

July 3, 2014 - John Jones hole in one at Rancho Park, Los Angeles

166 yards according to David Akhavi’s “range finder”. The wind was swirling. Both green’s of Rancho’s 16th are uphill from the tee. The right green is protected by trees on the right, and runs in the direction of the shot, so it’s very hard to get the distance and the line.

I took my 1992 Bullet .444 Invincible II blade 5 iron, and aimed straight at the flag. There was a reaction from the 13th fairway when it disappeared from my view. I thought it was right at it, and the perfect length and trajectory to land at the hole. But a player on the 12th tee said they heard the ball hit the flag, or the hole, and go in. David drove up to the green and declared it a hole-in-one!

I used a #3 Titleist Pro V1 X, with the remains of a Welsh dragon and my JJ initials, on it. I have used this same ball for my last three tournaments. Time to retire it!

My hole in one Titleist Pro V1 X golf ball!

This year’s SCGA Hall of Fame induction luncheon was for Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dinah Shore.

Their children accepted the beautiful Scott Medlock portraits after some lovely stories.

Melissa Montgomery-Hime, Nathaniel Crosby, Linda Hope, with their parent's portraits.

Nathaniel Crosby and John Jones

My collection of Bob Hope memorabilia, which includes the USO Baskets, of which I have three, and the clocks, pen holders, and the ball tester were prominently on display at the luncheon.

Halloween Jones with his Bob Hope basket.

A wonderful time was had by all!

Bing, John Jones, Teri Silvi, Ed Holmes, Adrian Whited, Kevin Smith

In my other life…

At the 112th SCGA Annual Meeting last Tuesday, Rancho Park GC was honored with the first-ever SCGA Foundation President’s Award for its outstanding dedication and commitment supporting junior golf.
John Jones of Rancho Park accepted the award from SCGA Foundation President Ed Holmes, pictured above.

It’s that time of year again in Los Angeles.

Our Rancho Park Golf Club fundraiser for junior golf in Los Angeles and Southern California comes up on October 24.

Click on George for more info about the 5th annual event.

George Von Elm (1901-1961)

Thank You to all who pledged on my behalf for the 2011 SCGA Foundation Golf Marathon. The event, held on May 21 at the Arcadia 18 hole par three course, raised $38,000.

Jeff, Mark and John, starting the 100 hole Marathon for the SCGA Foundation

Nothing could be finer than to be in California in the springtime.

Two old friends from AIR Studios on Oxford Street, London, find themselves having a pleasant afternoon at Rancho Park, in the Cheviot Hills of West Los Angeles, 20 years later. Who would have thought?

Frank Ogelthorpe and John Jones on the 10th teeing ground of the Rancho Park Golf Course

I’ll be playing 100 holes for the SCGA Foundation’s Youth on Course program again this year, and I need your support!

You can choose to pledge any amount per hole that I complete, or a total amount. Follow the link above or below.

Pledge for the Marathon Here

It should be fairly easy to follow the instructions. Please remember to choose JOHN JONES! And thank you!

John Jones with his famous 1931 Willie Hunter 5 iron at the 2010 Event.

Thanks to the intervention of the Brasilian government in Los Angeles by cell phone, Sau Paulo’s oldest golf club let us through the double security gates for a tour of the facilities!

Tamas Janovitz, one of the club’s six professional’s, was born in Hungary and raised in Germany, where he keeps his P.G.A. membership. In the photo we are standing in front of the spot where a very famous old tree stood for many years. It fell down recently. The club has planted a new one. The Sao Paulo Golf Club was founded by the same British, American and local businessmen who made the Brazilian coffee industry the largest on earth in the early 1900’s. Their golf club is still there.

Tamas Janovitz and John Jones at SPGC in Sao Paulo

After an amazingly mild summer, and autumn rain from the heavens, my club’s junior golf fundraiser golf tournament was played on October 25 at Rancho Park golf course in Los Angeles. It usually gets a bit brown by October. Lush was the word for the 4th Annual Von Elm. Lovely!