ON THE LINKS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 121, 24 May 1935, Page 13

ON THE LINKS.

CLUB AND PENNANTS.

PROGRESS OF THE PLAYERS

WEEK-END OF FEW SURPRISES

Undeterred by B. G. Thomson's length from the tee, It. E. Raiiigcr played steady golf to oust the provincial champion in their match in Middleniore's captain's prize. Rainger's game has become mote solid, and promises well. In receipt of two- strokes, A. L. McLean, winner of the jubilee tournament, defeated 1 , . Savage with two holes to play. McLean played a sound round, and Savage's effort, particularly in view of the little golf he has had recently, was a really good one. S. S. Wilson carried too many guns for C. H. Abbott, a remark which applies to the win of H. L. Roes from A. M. Clark. W. N. Abbott's defeat by H. Covcrdale, or at least the margin of defeat was unexpected. He could do little that was right during the match. T. W. Johnson made few errors in winning from R. D. Wright, and is a sound match player from his mark. He loses little round the green. D. A. Burtj too. had a good win, having quite early amassed a load which spelled the end. Glendowie v. North Shore. Main interest at Glendowie centred in the pennants, in which the visiting North Shore side accounted for the local team. In the singles E. Hutchison demonstrated his match play abilities in holding Browne to all square, while Cole went one better in decisively defeating H. Stevens. Stevens is invariably a better player when engaged on his home course. Bush's win from Stedman was meritorious, while the improving Macindoe earned full honours in disposing of 1 ,1 . Trice, who, though a veteran, retains his game in wonderful manner. N. Hockin, though something of a recruit to the pennant scries, occupied a low mark in years gone by. He may have had a great future in the game had not Rugby held too great a charm for him. The Glendowie tail is weak, and it was here that North Shore asserted a definite superiority. . Glendowie fared better in the foursomes when reinforced by C. Horton, whose play on Saturday had earned for him success in the bogey. Visitors to Glendowie are unstinted in their praise of the fairways, and for that the greens also, which are greatly improved. The opening of the new clubhouse promises to be a redletter day in the club's history, and the future appear bright. Remuera's Day Off. Little need be observed with regard to the clash between Titirangi and Reniuera at the former course, other than that the result was a foregone conclusion. Even without the services of Brinsden and McCrystal, Titirangi lost but one match, though it was on the cards that B. G. Thomson and W. S. Ralph might have won their games. Ralph found Coltman very hard to deal with, and though he held on well was seldom permitted to gain the ascendancy. Coltman is definitely one of our best players. Young and Thomson played golf of a quality of which possibly the least said the better. Their golf in the foursome is stated to have been equally unimpressive. Maungakiekie Extended , . Maungakiekic's win from Akarana, though decisive in the aggregate, was narrow enough so far as individual games were concerned. Both teams were at full strength, so that as visitors Maungakiekie fully deserved the win. Of matches in the singles Greenbank played ■well in defeating McOwan, holing telling putts when the occasion demanded. He was also successful when partnered by Hazelden in the foursomes, though he experienced something of an escape in a hard-fought finish. Hazelden playad steadily all day, and was swinging his shots nicely. The all-equare to Biss and Earle was a fair criterion of their match. Neither was at his best on the day. Pel ham played some sparkling golf in defeating G. M. Coltman, and then aided Tidmarsh to success in the foursomes. In this match Wynness and Coltman weakened over the Iwo final holes. Wynness, who is reaching the veteran class, achieved a good win over Tidmarsh in, the singles. He would seem to have fairly earned his place in his team. The youthful Bryant had a big win from D. F. MacCormack, but his brother fared badly against Maefarlane. The win of the two "Macs" in the foursome was a splendid one, as following a heroic putt by Macfarlane for a half .it the fifteenth; they combined to play faultless golf to win. H. Morpeth was early in difficulties against Pax Smith, though he held his youthful rival on rinding his sea legs. Partnered by Shanly, who had won his singles game after a display which was none too good, Morpeth did yeoman work in the foursomes. In this match the Maungakiekie pair stood 3 down at the fourth, and then won seven holes in a row. Since row might be rend as the noun, one should, perhaps, say coneecutive holes. . B Grade PennantsStrong in its leading players, but lacking the necessary balance lower in the list, Otahuhu suffered a reverse in the B grade at Maungakiekie. Levy and Eustace did their part well, both morning and afternoon, but* the weakness toward the tail of the team proved Otahuhu's undoing. The conditions, too, were of course against the visitors. Titirangi's B team was not seriously worried in accounting for Pupukc, though it is satisfactory that the latter side has become stronger. The bigger clubs have, however, a great advantage in the reserve of numbers to draw from. Though away from home Akarana offered a stout resistance to North Shore. The result of many of the matches might easily have been reversed, but the end was in sight when North Shore won its quota in the leading matches in the foursomes. Match play experience under altered conditions for play is one of the foundations on which the future of players is to be built. For this reason the pennants should assist to raise the standard of local golf. That the standard is capable of very considerable improvement is unfortunately only too apparent. Akarana's Big Prize. In the Swanson Cup at Akarana G. Biss had a day out on the greens to outdistance J. Coney. A. Wynness, too, scarcely left the issue in doubt against L. Bryant, and is playing well- S- Booth met stiff opposition from M. Kalinan, the pair having to journey to the nineteenth. Yet the occurrence is not by any means rare. V. Smith had his hands very full against C. Shenkiu, who, had he not let slip opportunities, could have turned the tables. J. Campbell, Akarana's one-armed golfer, achieved a further noteworthy win in handsomely disposing of F. Ansell, and now meets Smith. The event is still full of possibilities, as C. Taylor, T. Galloway and H. Brown are playing well to handicap. The win of R. Tappenden and JButler in the foursomes was deserved. For the type of event 72 net is a good score for so long a course. The scratch score of 72 is difficult in view of the rating, of other local courses. .. One might here pause to compliment the club on the manner in which brown top has been retained on the majority of the greens. Greenkeeper Hazelden has conducted his operations with conspicuous success. The club is fortunate, too, in having obtained a long lease of the course. Those members who may fear reaching the armchair stage may at least derive solace from the fact tlrat it will be their privilege to watch youth carrying on over, the old battle-ground for many years to come. And throughout all the clubs progress lies been the guiding hand of expresident C. M. Cox. Persistency was rewarded when J. M. Elliffe won the bogey at One Tree Hill. The club president has been playing consistent golf, and on ' this occasion found the count back to his advantage. Scores in the Kingswell Shield were the worst in the history of the event, as the winning total of 5 down suggests- No doubt the condition of the fairways had much to do with the result.

Out at Titirangi. j H. J. Wright's net 71 to win the -Rendell Vase at Titirangi was one out of the bag, though in open , medal events one of the long-markers is always liable to experience the one great moment.. L. Faram, R. A. Spinley and F. G. Alpe also played sound rounds. In the circumstances, H. D- Brinsdeu, with 75 —2—73, was unlucky to have run foul of such good scoring on the part of the opposition. Brinsden is on the edge.of staging a comeback as, though he has not fully regained his matcli play abilities, his cards in club games have been good, if not excellent. Last weekend, at Titirangi, he had a round of 72, which included a 7 at the long fifth—of which he had some observations to make —and no less than six threes. A mathematician was heard to observe that Brinsden's average for the remaining holes was 4 point something.