GOLF.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19451, 26 October 1928, Page 13

GOLF.

LQCAL CLUB FIXTURES. Christchurch Club— Saturday, October 27th: jDenniston Cup, final. Wednesday, Oc ber 31st: Reception to Miss D. Chrystall at Club House. . Ayondale Club—October 28th: Open flay end of season tourney, ot»v,•Ashburton Club—Saturday, October Four-ball bogey handicap. November 3rd: Foursome stroke handicap. LADIES' CLUBS. Christchurch Ladies' Club— Wednesday, o°'®" ber 31st: Reception at Club House Miss D. Chrystall. _ . ~ Avondale Ladies' Club—October 28th: Op day—rend oI season tourney. NOTES OF THE DAY. \ ' (By "Jigger.") A. E. Conway, ex-member of the New Zealand Golf Council, and well known amongst golfers in Christchurch, lias won the New Plymouth Club's championship, defeating G. M. Chong, five up with four to play, in the 36-hole final. Mike Brady, a professional in the States, probably holds the record for the number of holes-in-one done in any one round. He holed the six, ninth, and thirteenth holes on the Siasoouset Country Club course in one round. According to Walter Hagen, who quotes Baron Rochus von Rochow, the sports secretary of the Wannsee Golf and Land Club, Berlin, as his authority, Percy Allis, the former Wanstead (England) "professional, makes toOOU a year out of his German post. Miss Dorothy Chrystall, of the Christchurch Ladies' Club, who enjoys the proud distinction of holding three golf championships, the championship of New Zealand, is returning to Christchurch-. early next week, and will be entertained at the Shirley links on Wednesday at a party given jointly by the Christchurch Golr Club and the Christchurch Ladies Golf Club. The Avondale Club and the Avondale Ladies' Club will hold a; joint closing day on October 28tli, which is open to all local golfers. A mixed f°uisome will be played, followed by driving. approaching, and putting competitions, and at the conclusion of the events the prize . presentation to the successful competitors oi the season will be made. There were eight of the British Walker Cup team entered for the United States amateur championship, qualifying rounds, out of a total of 140 entrants. Three of them qualified, John B- Beck with 155, Thomas P. Perkins with 155, and Eustace Storeywith 156. The 157 totals had to pay off for 32nd place. Those who failed to qualify and their scores were:—. Major C. 0. Hezlet 159 W. L. Hope 164 Dr. Wm. Tweddell 164, M. A. Torrance 166, and Ronald H. Hardman 171. ,

J. E. Stokes, of the'Avondale Club, cot in i a double coin at Avondale on Labour Day. In the morning he was partnered with J. G. Irwin, and they were seven up in ihe four-ball bogey handicap, which card was one better than the next best. In the afternoon, in the stroke handicap, he returned_ a net 69, doing a gross 81 with a liandicap of 12 strokes, and was five-strokes ahead of the second man. Fof ;this performance the handicap .committee; reduced him from 12-to six. , Some of the veteran golfers at the ■ United , States amateur' championship. were amused to see John Beck, Of. the, British Walker Cup team, use a'centre shafted Schenectady putter, the type that has been barred m England since Walter Travis won the British championship., Beck, however, with no prohibition against the club ,u» the States, evidently learned to use- it effectively, for he putted well with it in all his matches at Brae Burn. Beck played his second round match against C. Ross Somervilfe, of Canada, and as thev were starting for the first tee, he said: "Anyway, this match is in tne Empire." The Christchurch Club and fte Wei-' lington Club will meet at the Shirley links on Saturday, November 17th, in the second Tuson Cup match of the, season, when the Wellington . Club will send down a team to defend t ,ieir . PJ ~ sent holding. On the same day, there will be a match between the veterans of the two clubs, a contest_instigated a few years ago by K. D. Duncan, of the Wellington Club, and one which has always furnished matches of the greatest interest. W h ® n teams went to Wellington to.jky these matches, earlier in the the Wellington Club was successful m both series. ' The first annual contest for the Zealand Golf Veterans' lenge cup, presented by Mr F. W. kie, of Kotorua, mil be played at Eotorua to-morrow. This. matc open to New Zealand golfers of 55> yeais a P nd over. , The match -11 be played over 36 holes on dicap. It is anticipated that this contest will prove very pop" lar with veteran golfers, and * go °. entry list is expected for the fiIB JJ nual contest, when the views of those present will be as to tne most efficient and popular system oj: co r ducting the match. The challenge p is to be held for twelve months by tne winner, who will also receive a replica, valued at five guineas. -

The London "Golf Illustrated" prints: "It may come as a surprise to our readers to learn that Miss Cecil Leitc has decided to embark upon a commercial career. • On the other hand, to those who really know her, and her intense passion for organisation and meticulous attention to news will not be so surprising, and tne fact that slie is entering of art will be still less surprising. Leitch has, as long as we can remember, been interested in antiques, p . iures, and all the beautiful things of the artistic world. . . • . In s f Hiss Leitch every success in her new sphere of activities, we only hope tnai it does not mean a complete severance from golf. Her golfing abilities and personality, have made women sgoii what it is to-day, and it would be a tragedy for the game if thifr new step rendered an N entire withdrawal imperative." Miss Leitch has gone into business with a firm dealing in antiques, furniture, bronzes, and porcelains. T. P. Perkins, British amateur champion, although defeated by Bo y Jones in .both the-Walker Cup match and in the final of the United States aniateur championship, playe lot of fine golf, and made himself immensely popular in America. In first round of the match play he m Donald Moe, and, after being 3 down at the fourteenth he cut his opponent down and got square, with him at tne seventeenth, got a half with the ai of a stymie at the eighteenth, and wen on to the twenty-second, where he won on merit. In this round he played one, of the spectacular shots of the tournament.' He topped his drive at e eighteenth, arid then, taking , a No. iron, drove the ball to. the green, 240 yards away, an almost nnbelievable snot. He takes,, usually, some seven or .eignt "waggles" in addressing the ball, ana

was in strong contrast to Jones, in the final, who ordinarily takes no "waggles" at all. The sensation of the amateur championship to<ik place in the third round, when J. L. Black, of Otorohanga, put up a magnificent uphill fight to defeat C. B. Wight, of Dunedin, on the thirtyseventh green, after being 9 down at the end of the morning eighteen holes. Wight played the course in the morning in 67 strokes, and so far as is known this is the best round ever played on. Balmacewan. .It was a great performance, and a striking demonstration of Black's skill, steadiness, and determination as a golfer to overcome Wight's morning round of super golf. Black, playing quite respectable golf, i reached the turn in 38, only to find , himself 6 down, for Wight's score was 31. Just as consistently Black played the inward half ih another 38, but Wight was in in 36, and Black was 9 down. That was the sensation of the morning. To Black's great credit he did not break, nor did he become overanxious, but went out after lunch and again reached the turn in 38, and found he had reduced his deficit' to 6 down. His golf improved on the homeward journey, and the match was all square j at' the sixteenth hole, and the next ! two holes were halved in fours. . Black was home in 34, a 72 in the afternoon, after being' 9 dow;n at noon, and he played the same golf at the thirtyseventh hole to win by 4 to 5. The visiting golfers at Shirley included Mr G. 0. Sutton, secretary of the New Zealand Golf Association, .Sloan Morpeth, the new open champion, T. H. Horton, the new amateur champion, J. L. Black, runner-up to Horton in the amateur championship, A. J. Shaw, the new professional champion, and J. Mcintosh, runner-up ip the professional championship. The professionals did not have an opportunity, to play on account of the links being taxed to their limit to accommodate the entries in the Labour Day handicaps. Morpeth and Horton really only played a practice round in .' the morning bogey handicap, and neither returned a card. H. A. Black, playing on plus 1, was 1 up, and this put him second on the list to. the local player, M. A. Johnston, who, with seven strokes handicap, was 2 up. J. L. Black, plus 2, was all square. In the afternoon J. L. Black was partnered with Donald Gsant, also on plus 2, and this pair returned the winning card, 6 up, which was an excellent card from- the plus 2 mark. Morpeth played with A. E., Blank, and, : while he scored a 70, their joint card was' 3 up. Horton was paired ■yvith A. L. Cropp, anc} their card was all square. Sutton was paired with G. T. Weston, captain of the Christchurch Club, and their card was also all square. The programme of the annual Christmas tournament of the . Christchurch Golf Club is to hand, and the events scheduled for play on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, December 26th, 27tli, and 29th, are as follows: Wednesday morning—Bogey handicap. .Wednesday afternoon—Four-ball bogey handicap. Thursday—9 a.m..: Christchurch Amateur Championship, consisting of two rounds of 18 holes each of stroke play. The winner to hold the ,R. E. McDougall Challenge Cup or one year, and also receive a replica of the cup as a trophy. A stroke handicap is. played with each championship round, and trophies will be given to the winner in each case. 10.30 a.m.: Ladies' Christmas handicap (provided twenty entries are received), twentyfour holes stroke play {twelve holes in the morning and., twelve holes, in the afternoon), for cup. • Saturday—Morning: Bogey handicap. Afternoon: Canadian foursome .fyogey handicap. The tournament is open to all amateur both ladies and men. Ladies ' may , arid play 0 in, all events /ex:cept the and hlay arrange -to play with either-■ ladies or men as partners. Ladies will play from their own' tees, and • their' handicaps will be adjusted. Tn thebogey events ladies will take their strokes from the men's card. Partners in. the championship and in the ladies' Christmas handicap will be drawn. Jn all other events jplayers must arrange their own partners and opponents. Entries close with the secretary, "J. E. Donald, at the club house, Shirley, on Wednesday, December 19th. The tournament is in charge of a special committee, consisting of L. A. Dougall, W. R. M. Irwin, R. W. Morgan, E. J. Pumphrey, F. A. Brittan (treasurer), L. J. Taylor, 0. A. Seymour, and J. E. Donald (secretary).

Here are. six mental hazards that make golf a moral test: —First: In hitting the long shots the natural tendency is to try to-hit as far as possible, and yet this is precisely the thing you should,' not. do if you wish to bring 'off a long straight drive. Second:.' In the . shorter shots up to the. green'(approaching) .and on it (putting) the tendency is, out 'of- caution, to hit too easily, and again this is the commonest, error made in playing these, shots. The nearer you get to the cup the shorter each successive shot must be. It is the easiest thing in the world to overdo this weakening of each stroke. Third: The greatest delight in golf is to watch the ball—your own ball, of course—shoot into the air from the ground, yet the first rule of the decalogue of good play is to keep your head down until after the ball is well -on its way, to look at what you are doing. Fourth: The essence of the •pleasure in playing games of' the more violent sort, such as we have all played in our youth, is in throwing all our bodily force into the game at the most exciting and intense moments, but in golf at -the critical moment of hitting a pull shot the body and arms slow up decidedly, and the hitting is done by the weight and momentum of \ the clubhead. Fifth: The fondest dream of every real golfer is to pull off his finest shots before a "gallery'' when his partner or opponent is watching. Inevitably at such moments he wants to show off all his best fireworks. Never are fireworks less likely to blaze 1 A golfer must think what he_ iS doing while he does it, and nothing more effectively prevents concentration than the arrogance of competitive pride. Sixth: Practice is needed most when you first take up the game, but most players compete persistently from the very beginning, delaying their study of correct style until they have cultivated a: bad one. When the bad habits appear and become confirmed in spite of all the "concentrating" they do while playing, they realise that the time has come to do something about it, but now they have to break themselves of fixed habits before they can cultivate good ones-«-alas! no easy task. You have doubtless heard that "golf is mainly, mental." What is meant is that ig all crises of the game success depends more upon your not doing something you want to do than upon doing it! • Finishing the last lap in a race on ttye cinder track, shaking off opponents when nearing the goal in football, or even making a recovery in tennis—here the effort is chiefly physical; the thought involved is simply "give it all you've got'' and little else. Physical courage is the desideratum. In golf, however, moments or supreme physical effort are non-exist-ent. Victory here calls < for moral courage, and, as everyone knows, mpral courage is scarcest when mpst needed. "I can resist anything except; temptation," said . Oscar Wilde, _ ana • to-day we might say that there 13 thing the matter with our character until we take up golf. i