GOLF

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21121, 23 March 1934, Page 17

GOLF

(JOTES OF THE DAY [B» "J-OFTER. ' Golfers are reminded that entries for the Christchurch Golf Club's jester tournament at Shirley close on Jdonday, March 26. To judge from entries already received a successful tourney would seem assured. The New South Wales team defend the Kirk-W r indeyer Cup on the Middlemore course, Auckland, next month will leave Sydney by the Wanganella to-day. Sydney reports are that the team falls little short of State championship lorm and its members are quite capable of fully extending the best players that New Zealand can put into the lield.

According to North Island papers A. Shaw, foiTner New Zealand open champion, is the only Dominion professional likely to enter for the Victorian Centenary open tournament next November, 'or which olhcial reports state that prize money will aggregate £3OOO. The tourney is expected to attract several overseas entrants, including Sarazen and Kirkwood. The Victorian Golf A ssociation recently formed a sub-committee to go into the matter of paying a percentage of expenses of visiting overseas professionals. A percentage of gate money may also be allowed in this respect. Several courses will be available for exhibition games. Recently a golfer hit his ball into the kitchen premises of the Blackjr.oor Golf Club, and after several ricochetting adventures it finally came to rest m a pot of potatoes. The unfortunate player, after considering the situation, gave up the hole. An English humorist suggests that the player should have used his spoon. Efforts to secure a team of British women golfers, including Miss Diana Fishwick and Miss M. Gourlay, either this year or next, have been made ]atcly. according to an announcement in an Australian golf journal by Mrs Austin Gatehouse, president of the Victorian Women's Golf Union. International matches, exhibition games, and the advancement of golf generally are mentioned or expected from such a visit.

Miss O. Kay and Mis- B. Gaisford i arrived in England on March 13. The ! Eritish women's open championship is ! scheduled for the week commencing 1 I\lay 11. tiic final on May 17. Twenty-three definitions arc included in the revised rules of golf: No. 23 reads: A "rub of the green" occurs when a ball in motion is stopped or deflected by any agency cutside the match. A mixed four ball competition 'on handicap), for which players will arrange their own partners and opponents, will be the opening day event at Hagley to-morrow. Interest in Great Britain over the Walker Cup matches is almost equal to interest in cricket tests, judging from recent English golf journals. It is considered that a British victory in the forthcoming series in May woui'd give golf a decided fillip. Seven international matches have so far been i played in the series between the two leading golfing countries of the world, and on each occasion the United States team has been successful. Xa'urallv enough, many reasons have b. en advanced for the continued British defeats. Recently L. Crawley, a form :r British amateur champion stated that until British arnatstrengthened their short game a ; eeossful issue in this event could i.cl be hoped for. Discussing th's event and tne selection of young players for innc.'.ant events, J. C. Pignon, a wellknown E-'siish critic, wrote in a rerat art'cle in the "Daily Mail": "Evc'-y time there is an important match to be played, the cry ef 'Give youth a chance" is raised. "2vow, when the team to represent Great Britain in the Walker Cup match against the United States at St. Andrews next May is under consideration and the authorities must make their choice within the next few weeks, maybe days, there is the same demand io try out young players. It is obvious that a certain number of players appear to select themselves for the team. They are golfers of vide experience and proved ability, who have established reputations in similar matches or in championship and tournament golf. "The argument of those who would experiment with a team composed mainly of young, untried players seems unanswerable, for they say. 'We cannot do worse than we have d-nie in the past. Britain has never yet won the match with all your experienced golfers.' "And, yet. to choose players who have had no experience of championship and other important occasions would obviously be hazardous, and a chance which is hardly justified. There is something altogether different about the golf we play on our home courses and the game we can command under the strain of an important national event. The very fact of being chosen to play in a team representing his country may render a player incapable of producing anything like the golf shots he generally finds easily Within his powers. "It would be unfair, therefore, to expect youthful golfers to shoulder a responsibility that rightly belongs to more experienced campaigners. For that reason I have never been able to understand why it is that in a team match the captain or the best player usually plays in the top match and the weakest" players at the bottom of the team. "Frequently in team games the ultimate result rests upon the decision of the last match or two. Surely this situation is one which should be faced by the best players in the teams."'

Recent statistics show that" no fewer than 49 new clubs joined the English Golf Union last year, which brought the total number of affiliated clubs up to 1016. With an average of 294 yards and an aggregate of 883 yards for three drives, J- Thompson, a young Scottish professional—reputedly the longest driver in the United States of America —won a driving contest at Santa Monica, recently. The amended rules of golf provide the player who has driven his tee shot J nto a water hazard with the option dropping a ball behind the hazard or teeing up again as nearly as possible at the same shot as before, with a penalty of one stroke in either case. Competitors in the first aualifying round of the Borthwick Vase competition at Shirley on Saturday evidently found low scores difficult to obtain. Two 78's returned by G. Francis and C. J. Ward were the lowest gross scores handed "V Six competitors. S. Wynne, M. simes. S. Rutherford. G. Ward, G. Francis, and H. Gosset. returned net scores belter than the revised scratch score, 72. Eleven players, including Juniors, had net 74's, and eight others ne t 75's, which comprised leading scores. An absence of net 72's —the basis from which handicaps are adJusted at Shirley—was a notable feature of the scores returned on Saturday. An aggregate of about 147 would seem necessary in order to qualify in this event to-morrow. Recent English golf journals intiIWte that a team of British women foifers will visit America next SepWfiber when an international match WT the Curtis Cup at Chevy Chase Club, Washington, will be The members of this team

will probably compete in the American women's championship at White Marsh Valley, Philadelphia, in the first week of October. The lateral hip shift—the forward movement of the hips parallel to the ball's line of flight—is described by Charles Herndon in his book Golf Made Easier "as an unsound golf maxim." His shift, he states, does not occur in a forceful, properly-made down swing; but it is an effect of the hand and arm throw, and should not be taught or forced. One of the most ingenious suggestions for winter matches among members of the same club, is the" ladder competition, which has the double advantage of being interesting and exciting in itself, and of giving the man who thinks his handicap is too high, an opportunity to justify his belief. The rules, as used in one club which has adopted this form of competition, are as follows:—<l> A list of names is placed in a conspicuous place in the club house at the head of which is the name of the player with the lowest handicap finishing at the bottom with the limit men. <2> Members are invited to have their names on the ladder, but it is not compulsory. 13> Any member on the ladder is entitled to challenge the player next immediately above him to an 18-hole game, match play. (4> If the challenging member win he is entitled to have his name placed on the ladder above the player he lias defeated. <sl A player so beaten is not entitled to challenge his conqueror within one month after defeat, but if the player next above him is not the person bv whom he has previously been beaten he ientitled to challenge any time. (6> If a player who has been challenged fails to fix up a match within three weeks his challenger shall be entitled to a walk-over. (7> If a member who is on the panel is unable to play for six consecutive weeks, lie shall request the secretary to remove his name temporarily. His name may later be restored immediately below those of the men with the same handicap. <3> All matches must be played level, and strokes or holes start must not be conceded or received. <D) Immediately upon the conclusion of a match player? should themselves adjust the ladder.--From Golfing.