GOLF ON THE HEIGHTS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21812, 18 June 1936, Page 9

GOLF ON THE HEIGHTS

[By THE RABBIT.]

Some golf courses are built to test the skill of the players, some are built as a place for pleasure; others are fortunate in striking the happy medium and provide a test for the cleverest player and also a course on which to spend a very pleasant afternoon. Both of the first two are a necessity in a city with a large golfing population, although it is rare that a good example of the former is found. The second is by far the most common, and it is in this class that Richmond Hill falls. Not even the most ardent supporter of the club would argue seriously that it is an excellent test of golf, and few of those who play the game for pleasure anu not as a business will cavil at the fare provided. Those who go to the course expecting to find perfection in the greens and fairways will be disappointed, but more with the latter than with the greens, as the fairways are, at present, at least, rather unkempt. The greens have been remodelled, although some of the new ones are not yet ready, and tpe tees are good enough to satisfy all but the most exacting. Those which are on the small side are receiving attention, and are being enlarged with spoil taken away in remaking some of the greens. With the small space available quite good use has been made of the ground in the lay out, but it seems a pity that so many of the holes should run either straight up or down hill. The one really good hole on the course, the eighth, is about the sole example of one which runs across the foids in the ground, and it is without doubt a one-shotter which would not be out of place on any metropolitan course. Situated as it is on the shoulder of a hill, the course is very much affected by the winds, and when there is a strong south-west gale blowing the place is almost uninhabitable. Another feature which is liable to cause some confusion is the thick fog and mist which all too frequently roll up from the sea. To a stranger to the course it puts both distance and direc-

tion beyond imagination, and even for one who has played on the course for many years, the folds and the mounds merge into one and the position of the greens becomes distinctly prolematical. Too Many Blind Holes With the folding nature of the ground it was impossible to lay out the course without any blind holes, but at four out of the nine greens the bottom of the pins cannot be clearly seen. The first, third, fourth, and sixth are to all intents and purposes blind, and the position of the second green can be seen only from some parts of the fairway. The long holes and the short holes are quite well separated, although the last two car be reached from the tees unless there is a head wind. The course would be better if it were possible to start the round at the ninth hole, as it is a poor length—--105 yards—and is an anti-climax after the two previous holes. They are holes with character; the ninth is not. Optical Illusions From the first tee a wide hillside slopes upward with two posts which serve as guides on the ridge, and not far over it is the green. It is a deceptive length, and the distance on the card of 247 yards encourages one new to the course to think that it would be possible to reach the green with a big hit, but after the biggest hit there is still a niblick shot to be

The Richmond Hill Course

played. As the green comes into view over the top of the ridge it appears to have a decided tilt to the right. As the putt runs up towards the hole it keeps straight on the line. The man new to the course puts this down to a lump in the green. But still the ball continues to run straight, and finally finishes wide of the hole. Then comes the explanation. The green really has no tilt, but only appears to slope to the right when it is compared with the slope of the ground near the green. With the next hole this is even more marked. It it; no gentle tilt, however, that the green seems to have; it looks like a sharp incline. Here again the ball rolls disconcertingly uphill. This hole is one where the drive has to be placed, as the shot to the green can be easy or difficult from various places on the fairway. It also runs uphill, and is a dog-leg to the right, usually calling for a mashie or four iron for the second shot. It is one of the better of the longer holes. The third hole is blind, and is a poor one-shotter. It has the advantage of going across the hills instead of up or down them, but there is only a guide post to show the direction of the green. It would be better, if the course were longer, to put me green on the slope in sight of the tee. The fourth goes up a hill, and is the steepest hole on the course. It is a bogey four, although i direct measurement is only 178 yards, and it needs a very well hii wood to get within chipping distance For the shot to the green, if it is not reached from the tee. discretion is the better part of valour, as if the approach is short the third is quite frc jently played from further away than the second. This and the three succeeding holes go up and down the hill alternately on parallel fairways, but there is quite a good variation in length. The second shot at the fifth is hard to judge accurately, and a shot with stop on it must be pitched on the slope well short of the green. A powerful iron dropping about 60 yards from the pin

’ is quite capable of running down dead. • Two well hit woods will find the ; sixth green, although it is only 331 i yards away. When the new green is . in play it will need two very well hit shots to reach it, as it is about 25 yards further up the slope. , Excellent Finish ; More than 330 yards away from : the seventh lee. and down a fairly steep slope all tho way lies the new i green. It is a view which encourages , one to hit. and hit hard, in the hope , that the green may be reached in 1 one. but serious trouble lies in wait i for the man who hits and hooks. On , the left side of the fairway, and stretching all its length, is a steep gully, and it usually mea l a wasted ! stroke to go into this. It is a good : hole, although a mishit shot for the • second may easily find the green. It is the eighth hole which really i makes the course. It is 211 yards long and between tee and green there is a great chasm. The green is set in the side of a hill with a steep drop to the left, and a bank to the right. The green is slightly lower than ■ the tee and can usually be reached with a spoon. With this hole all interest in the course ends, as the last is a kick of 105 yards, with no character to make up for the lack of length. Such are the nine holes at Richmond Hill. They do not constitute a good test of golf, but they provide a good way of spending an afternoon in an entertaining fashion. With water laid on to all the tees and greens players can now do this for r longer period than formerly. Moreover, the course is kept in good order, although the grass on the fairways is longer than is desirable through the wet period this year. HOCKEY AT NIGHT The Australian Women’s Hockey Association will carry out an interesting experiment in September, when the Australian team which is to tour America and compete in the International Federation’s meeting at Philadelphia, will play the Rest on the night of September 2. at the Sydney sports ground. If the experiment is successful a night competition may be conducted next year. To assist the players the ball will be coated with luminous paint. The fixture is to be one of the features of the inter-state carnival, which will last from August 25 to September 5. The team for America will leave on September 15. PROMISING HALF-BACK A feature of the match between Training College and Canterbury College, postponed from an early round and played last week, in the women’s senior A hockey competition, was the form shown by S. Aldridge. Usually one of the forwards, she played centre half for Canterbury College in this game, and her exhibition was quite the best seen in Christchurch for a long time. She did a tremendous amount of work on defence, and did it well. Her placing of passes to her forwards on attack was also first-class. Were she a bit heavier she would make an ideal centre half for the Canterbury team. Training College won the match by three goals to one.