And with his first tournament of the year just a month away, the former Tuross Head man said he “won’t be doing anything for another couple of weeks”.

However, being in holiday mode hasn’t stopped the Australian Open runner-up from planning for what promises to be another busy year.

Jones, who visited family and friends in the Eurobodalla over Christmas, highlighted success at the Japan Open as one of his main goals for 2013 and said the fact that title has eluded him in the past has made him all the more determined.   

“I’ll have pretty much the same schedule (as last year) but I’d like this year to contend in the Japan Open,” he said.

“That’s probably the one tournament up there that I haven’t won and I’d like to win, so I’m going to try and prepare better for that than I have in the past.”

However, the Japan Open isn’t on until October and so in the meantime, the father of two has just been enjoying some time off.

“I’m just enjoying the time away from the game at the moment,” Jones said.

“I was down the coast over Christmas and I played nine holes with Dad (Trevor) on December 27, but I pretty much haven’t touched a club since then.”

Jones, who finished third on the Japan Tour’s money list last year, described 2012 as “a good year as a whole”, but insisted that getting time off over the New Year was a “major thing”.

“By the end of the year, you’re tired and the little things in the game annoy me,” he said. 

“But when I come back fresh, I know that I’m enjoying myself on the course and that’s when you generally play well.

“For me historically, I’ve started the year well because I’m happy to be out there and I’m keen to be playing golf again.”

When asked about spending time on the South Coast, Jones insisted he “always enjoys” coming down but that he was more than happy living in Canberra.

“I don’t know if I could live there again,” he said with a laugh.

“But I always enjoy coming down and seeing my friends and now with the kids, we’re at the beach a bit more and I don’t think I’ve ever missed a Christmas there.”

And he couldn’t let the opportunity to respond to a story that appeared in the Bay Post/Moruya Examiner last week about his father Trevor hitting a hole-in-one at the Tuross Head Country Club. 

“When I played with him, he didn’t even come close that day,” he said tongue-in-cheek.

“I was in Sydney and I got the message that he hit a hole-in-one, but he’s still a few behind me, though."