ROUND THE LINKS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 238, 8 October 1936, Page 24

ROUND THE LINKS.

THE CLUB TITLES.

XXUCTTTATING FORTUNES. HAMILTON COURSE CHANGES. Weather befitting the occasion greeted the championship matches at the various clubs, and with courses in ideal order much good golf was witnessed at Titirangi. J. H. Youug stepped on tha accelerator for a gait of 72, which pace, needless to add, was quite beyond the capabilities of F. W. L-ucas. his opponent. Another youth in G. Galloway, was in devastating form against R. J. Graham, so that both matches were won by large margins. The chase was closer in the intermediate and junior grades, particularly so in the case of the former. Here R. B. Hardy carried on in successful vein, though lie found H. Thomas a real handful. J. L. McCoy and G. Bartleit, too, got out from their respective opponents, A. C. Jacob and A. Shorter, only at the eighteenth. In the remaining match H. H. Souter fairly earned his spurs in defeating a sound player in H. -V. Ganley. In the juniors, E. W. Yates and.S. J. Robinson are left to contest the final, and Yates,, in view of his experience, appears to hold the advantage. A Giance at North Shore. At North Shore Stevens got through another match, but only just, and will require to do better to stand a chance of ultimate success. However; White's performance ill taking Stevens to the last green is not to be overlooked. • Though not having really serious opposition, A. E. Browne did all that was asked of him, and now meets Morrison, who held oil excellently in the pinch against FraserSniith. A. Spraggon, the other semifinalist, had matters much his own way against M. O'Connor,, to apply the finishing touches at the fourteenth. The intermediate grades are being well contested, and there remains in the event a leavening of both y.outh and experience. Old identities in sport in R. X. K. Swanston and S. W. H. Chambers, remain at opposite ends i of the draw; but the question is whether they can survive the exacting test of the I next rouud. i Akarana's Full Programme. The Akarana chroniclers report a busy week-end, championships, a bogey, four balls and pennants having combined for a pot-pourri of golf. Possibly the most noteworthy effort was that of H. Brown, who. though having been on the sick list, out-played P. G. Smith for the first half, only to be beaten on the last green. F. B. Thompson, conqueror of the favourite, S. Bryant, won his match narrowly from K. C. Ward, but in view of absence from the Dominion, is defaulting to G. Coltman in the semi-final. Coltman is, therefore, left to await the result of the game between Smith and H. Wiggins, who escaped from F. Preston mainly by a heroic putt at the seventeenth. Preston has improved his game considerably, his showing in the championship having been a worthy one. The club's victory over Titirangi in the A grade pennant was unexpected, but the way was paved by Smith's meritorious win from H. Brinsden, and Bryant's defeat of Young. Both played well, and made. it a day by a victory in the foursomes over their redoubtable opponents. As regards the remaining players it was largely a case of give and take till the final score was called. The result creates an interesting position in that there is a possibility of a play-off between Titirangi, Akarana and Maungakiekie. □own at Glendowie. Down at Glendowie S. R. Self upset calculations in defeating E. Hutchinson, though the latter, for some little time, has been definitely out of touch. J. E. Stedman carried on in his good form by decisively defeating C. Horton, and Self must find him a most difficult opponent. Stedman has played really well since his showing at the Rotorua tournament in August. ' In the intermediate grade J. V. Lane outplayed G. Gaudin, but in the other semi-final Palmer prevailed only at the nineteenth. Middlemore Semi-Finalists. At Middlemore B. H. Menzies was confronted by but little opposition in taking heavy toll of R. B. Wilson, and lias now reached the semi-finals. Playing witfy~, all the accuracy of former years, veteSird H. B. Lusk completely overshadowed R. D. Wright, as the finish at the 13tli suggests. J. P. Aldred, too, played finely in getting the better of R. D. Horton, one of the club's acknowledged match-players. Aldred hit his shots more confidently, and was in good touch on the greens. " On Wednesday W. N. Abbott, refreshed by a visit to Rotorua, where he had a sparkling round of 70, defeated I. Ma 2Ewan 2 up. Blood matches characterised the battle for the intermediate title, H. V. Coverdale and G. W. Williams having the win only at the nineteenth. Williams is a young player of promise, as is suggested by the fact that he won from a solid matcliplayer in N. Louisson. B. B. Armstrong, who lias given his opponents food for thought, earned full honours in his defeat of D. A. Burt, possibly the sti'ongest . player in the grade. The junior finalists, H. S. Lusk and F. A. Abbott, appsar fairly evenly matched, and one wonders whether Abbott can break his sequence of ill-luck in the event. Semi-finalist last year and runner-up the previous season, Dame Fortune may yet spread her wings in his cause. Country Champions. Keith Kaldwell, of Onewhero, winner of his club and Franklin titles, formerly a well-known member of Middlemore along with Seymour Colbeclc and Trevor Bloomfield, both of whom now golf in the Franklin area, is a long hitter and good golfer. Strangely enough his Franklin title was won only after a play-off with Brian Lloyd, Waikare, also an old member of Middlemore, where he showed considerable promise. J. Roulston, Pukekohe's champion, has also played good golf, and his 6 and 5 win in the final from K. A. Liddle left no doubts as to the merits on the day. J. E. Cooke was again successful at Papakura, having generally carried too many guns for R. Grace. Cooke's present intentions are to golf at Titirangi next year, and his absence will be a distinct loss to Papakura's playing strength. Otahuhu's Open Day. Some confusion appears to exist as to the intentions of the Otahuhu club in regard to the open day for professionals and amateurs at the week-end,: The club announced that the fixture will be held as advertised, and. no effort ■ is being spared to bring the course to _its best for the occasion. From what can be gathered most of the leading professionals and amateurs will be taking part. Reflections on St. Andrews. Perhaps the outstanding lessdh ; of the play at the open day at St. Andrews 'was Alex Murray's determined finish' tp get the big end of the purse.' He lias won in like circumstances on several occasions, and it is a good omen for liis : future. I'. Rutter, N. Bell and E. J.r'Moss. als.o played some sparkling ,golf, and Moss, on the quality of his play, might well have won the major honours. J. loutney, winner of the scratch event for amateurs, performed excellently in view of his ranking of seven. J. Pelliam, had the honours well within his grasp, but could not add the finishing touches round the green. . At the prize-giving, mention was made of the club's hopes of the course being the venue for next year's championships, and of certain projected alterations to the course. The latter gives cause for reflec- i tion, especially in the light of work recently undertaken. The case of the second, eighth and fourteenth holes may be briefly touched on. At the former an : improved green lias been formed in an ideal setting. But at what cost to the artistry of the hole? The old tee, at the imc ?*■ present one, called for a most \.i drive. To pull meant trouble * v the bunkers, while a shot to the « irml,w t ¥^ or J e . ct line > kicked from the 1 •°.l tho tainva y to the rough. The ' and t2p D ° W * quantity, ! of land co^w e i 01 \ pI F of the shoulder , ot land, completely lost. The hole has '

degenerated to a glory for the slogger, and is an easier four than formerly. Might not attention be paid to the tee rather than to tilling in the second line iof bunkers? The drive is now stripped |of much of its ■ strategy, and the charm I of the hole correspondingly reduced. ; Sacrifices and Games. I Similarly, the use of a forward tee | detracts from the interest of the, eleventh i hole. Tlie . pld tee' placed a ,'gveat prej mium on accuracy with the drive, and also-, preserved the playing: 'length of the 'hole. It.-wag stated that';„the :idea is to j form a new'" eleventh, . green beyond the .existing one, but,as: with the ease of'the j sixteenth, there would appear to be haziI ness as to the exact location and forj niation. In neither ease is a new green desirable. The eleventh "is situated in delightfully natural terrain due to the river swirlings of a bygone , age. It is simply, a case, of reverting to the proper i tee and the battle is won. So with the ninth, where a testing dog-leg drive to carry a point far along and across the cliff face has been scrapped for a woefully drab, short and uninteresting hole of the type of the new. eighth. The hitting distance strategy, and control of direction and length from the tee, have been hopelessly sacrificed at these three holes. The case for the retention of the I sixteenth is simply that the type of green is a refreshing break in what might become a monotony of the relative sameness of the four finishing holes. Protest will possibly be loud and long at criticism of the new fourteenth green. My view ; is that an opportunity has been lost. Were ' the green slightly narrower and the fence on the right an integral part of the ; scheme, all would be well. So far as the ; I semi-blind bunker, or hole in ground, on j the right is concerned, the less said the { better. Question of Championship Calibre. One associated with St. Andrews was heard to remark that the "Council would not look at the course." Though possibly far fetched, the statement opens up the question whether the substitution ot the old magnificent features for new ones is resulting in improvement It can be appreciated that any loss or lack ot golfing j shots at the holes under review would be ■ borne forcibly upon one delegated to say 1 Whether or not a course was of champion- | ship calibre. Lack of space forbids fur- ! ther elaboration, though a point worth considering is whether in any case the championships are awarded on the relative merits of a course. Does past experience suggest so? 1 have discussed ot. Andrews with innumerable players ot standing, professional and amateur, local and overseas, and they are practicailj . unanimous that the course is pre-eminent in New Zealand. I have long held sucn an opinion. Why. then, seek to replace splendid natural features with that hieli must be garish. The course demands . everv shot in the game and the greens j every type of putt. Destroy such a wonderful heritage, and the visitor to ot. , Andrews will appear in the role ot the •tourist at Pompeii rather than the golfer to his Mecca. . j