CLUBS IN NORTH CANTERBURY

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27992, 12 June 1956, Page 3

CLUBS IN NORTH CANTERBURY

NEW COMPETITION PROPOSED

An inter-club competition for golf clubs north of the Waimakariri river had been proposed by the Kaiapoi Club, and it was intended to call a meeting of club captains in the hope of getting a competition started next year, said Mr R. BruceSmith at a meeting last evening of the management committee of the Canterbury Provincial Golf Association.

It was proposed that the competition be run in two zones, one on each side of the Weka Pass, said Mr Bruce-Smith. The rules would be similar to those of the present inter-club competitions conducted by the association, with teams of eight a side. C.ubs which already had teams in the association’s competitions would be limited to players with handicaps of 10 or more. That would help players unable to get into the present competitions, and would knit the country clubs together. With two zones, and the matches played home and away every second year, travelling would be reduced to a minimum.

The meeting expressed itself in agreement with the scheme.

In a report on the activities of the golf foundation, Mr A. R. Blank said that a study of the pupils’ addresses showed that most of them came from homes near Hagley Park. If instructors could be found, it would be wise to start coaching in the suburbs.

The meeting expressed its appreciation of Mr Blank’s work, the chairman (Mr H. M. S. Dawson) saying that it had put Canterbury’s golf foundation scheme far ahead of others.

Reporting on last week’s meeting of the New Zealand Golf Council, Mr C. J. Ward said that the Manawatu Clubs course had been lengthened and five new greens had been put down for the 1957 national championships. Members of the Manawatu executive had expressed doubts about the couise being ready in time, and there would be an inspection in the spring. If the course was not suitable, the championships would be held on some other course in the area. South Island Selection Mr Ward mentioned that there were no South Island players in the team chosen to play the test against the Australian touring team. Mr B. H. Paton: They should play New Zealand against the South Island, and see what happens. Mr W. D. Armstrong said that if the South Island had a selector—there was one in the selection committee of three—he should come from Canterbury, which had the largest body of golfers. That was no reflection on the South Island selector, Mr J. P. Scouler, of Dunedin, but he could not see ail the players. Members of the committee said there was some uncertainty about the date of the sponsored tournament which, they had thought, was to be held at the week-end before the national championships in Christchurch this year. At an earlier meeting it had been decided to run an amateur tournament in Christchurch before the national meeting. It was decided to inquire about the exact dates of the sponsored tournament. The meeting accepted an invitation for Canterbury to play a New Zealand University team in Christchurch on August 16. Mr Armstrong said there had been an application for the use of the Russley course. Members were informed that the Wel-lington-Canterbury match would be played at Miramar on November 10. North Canterbury Team The Noith Canterbury team for the match against South Canterbury at Ashburton on June 24 is:—W. D. Armstrong (captain), R. K. Atkinson. C. W. Caldwell, B. L. Clegg, R. e. Clements, I. B. Cromb, K. D. Foxton, H. J. Gosset, L. J. James, R. D. Kearns, H. W. Lawrence, W. J. McGavock, D. J. Ramsay. A. W. Robinson, M. W. Stanley, J. G. Scott. TEMPLETON LADIES’ CLUB.—Stableford bogey—A grade: Mrs F. J. Small, 23 points; Mrs R. E. Dunne, 19; Mrs G. P Anderson, 16. B grade: Mrs C. W. Skerten, 21; Mrs J. T. Andrews, 21; Miss P G Hawker, 15. C grade: Mrs C. Bamford, 15; Mrs A. Downing, 14; Mrs P. Logan. 9. Taylor Rose Bowl, first round: J McGavock and Mrs G. E. Sinclair beat C. Ashworth and Mrs Ashworth, 6 and 4- A T. Davis and Mrs E. Fowler beat J. Hartnell and Mrs Hartnell, 5 and 4; F. J. Small and Mrs Small beat J. Cov and Mrs Tyrrell by default; E. G. Mitchell and Mrs Mil- hell beat R. Pugh and Mrs J. Groom, 6 an’ 4; R. Baty and Mrs A. Philpott beat J Rutland and Mrs Smart, 2 up; K Downie.and Miss E. Hadley beat R. Smith and Miss W. Fleming at the nineteenth; M. Morrow and Mrs R. T. Cullen beat M. Meikle and Mrs D. Tankard, 1 up; L. Blumsky and Mrs A. Falcon beat G. McHerron and Mrs McHerron, 3 and 1.

’ Blackie, the cat, shook hands until his paw ached yesterday. It is the welcome he has given to customers in an Armagh street seed shop for almost the whole of his five-year lifetime, but this was a special day. He had been lost for exactly a week. His owners, Mr and Mrs F. V. England (shown above), had scoured the neighbourhood, advertised widely, and the newspapers had printed stories about his well-known escapades. All to no avail.

“The Press’’ carried an item on his continued absence on Saturday morning. Blackie was back on Sunday. Because “The Press” circulates so widely in the country, Mr England believes that Blackie has had a rural holiday and that this news item caught attention in the home where he was staying. Blackie was quite clean, had no cold, or other signs that he had wandered in last week’s wet weather. In the week-ends he had the habit of sitting in the shop doorway and Mr England thinks he may have been picked up by some country visitor as a stray. The cat refused food on Sunday morning, indicating that he had been well fed: but he had lost some weight, apparently through fretting. The shop staff had been searching every day and went down on Sundayon the chance that Blackie would be back. They were delighted to find him asleep on his usual nest of sacks. Yesterday morning the stream vff visitors began as soon as the shop opened. Neighbouring shopkeepers, coming to make yet another sympathetic inquiry, were greeted by Blackie himself. Customers who had not been there in the last week wanted to know what all the fuss was about. They were soon told the story by other regular passers-by, who had inquired about Blackie daily, even though they had no business to offer in this wintry weather.