World’s Golf Boom Reflected In N.Z.

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30940, 22 December 1965, Page 15

World’s Golf Boom Reflected In N.Z.

IBs

R. T. BRITTENDEN]

The upsurge of interest in golf all over the world in the post-war years has been reflected, in New Zealand, in the swift increases in numbers of courses and players.

Sports-minded New Zealanders have taken considerable pride in the achievements of R. J. Charles on the professional circuits and the successes of New Zealand amateur teams in world competition.

In Canterbury golf is not standing still.

attractive course will provide an excellent test of golf. Russley was at its beet for the Wills tournament, but it will be further improved and brougth to the best overseas standards; it should become one of the finest courses in New Zealand, and an excellent venue for championship events. New Greens Made Good fairway bunkers are to be provided and several new greens made; all the greens and adjoining bunkers will be clearly visible from the fairways, allowing better judgment of distance. Ruseley’s new length will be about 7000 yards, with par at 72. Next year is an important one for Russley, for the New Zealand amateur championship will be played there, as well as the Wills Masters, the only tournament on the sponsored circuit to be played, at present, in the South Island.

The highly successful Wills Masters tournament at Russley last week marked the end of the season, but already much thought is being given to the modernisation of several of the principal courses to keep in line with current developments overseas. .The Harewood Young People's Golf Club took the initiative, in having a new 18-hole course designed on modern lines by Commander Harris, the well-known British golf architect The existing course at Harewood is also being remodelled and brought up to full championship standards. The Waitikiri course is being completely redesigned and lengthened to about 6800 yards. When all the planned work is completed this most

The Christchurch Golf Club's course at Shirley is one of the most attractive in the country—it has a fine tradition, and an atmosphere all its own. It has been accepted as the principal Christchurch course for major events for many years.

It also demands that there should be four par throe holes and that the par four holes should be of sufficient length. Shirley doee not meet modern requirements to several of its holes: of the five par fives, three ere 454 yards or lees In length. Some of the fours are distinctly short.

If Shirley is to continue making its contribution to New Zealand golf, and not become little more than a pleasant place for a social round, it is important that it, too, should provide the conditions which test the best, and which, for instance, would offer proper practice for New Zealand teams competing overseas. Fostering Youth Golf in Canterbury la certainly marching forward. Junior golf is being well catered for at Harewood, by the Golf Foundation and by the Junior Golfing Society. The first South Island boys* under-21 championship to be held in Christchurch will be played at Harewood on February 19 and 20. A proposal to send a South Island boys’ team of under-21 players to Australia has been approved by the New Zealand Golf Council and referred to the Golf Association in Melbourne.

So it is to be hoped that the club will also do something to bring its course to championship length and to modernise its lay-out Modern Practice Its present championship length is 6550 yards, and several of its holes are not an adequate test of par golf. Modern practice overseas prescribes that par 5 holes should be more than 475 yards, and that there should be four of them.

The manager of the Australian amateur team which recently toured New Zealand is interested in this proposal and the tour should take place during 1966. A New South wales junior girls* team will be in Christchurch early in January end will play on several of the local courses. A match against a New Zealand junior team will be played at Shirley on January 15.