Good Experience For D. R. Hope

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31236, 7 December 1966, Page 17

Good Experience For D. R. Hope

VXPERIENCE in Austral-1-4 ian tournament condi-

tions is a great stimulant for a young New Zealand golfer, and D. R. Hope, the promising Harewood player, should find that his recent trip across the Tasman was well worth while.

Hope, who played in four tournaments during his trip —the Australian Open and amateur championships

among them —found the courses harder than those to which he had been accustomed. The greater length of the courses, the shaped greens and the cunning placement of the bunkers placed a premium on accuracy with all clubs. “I really had to work on my game,” he said. Although he did not achieve spectacular results in Australia, Hope was happy with the way he hit the ball. Encouraged by the stern tests his game had undergone, he returned to New Zealand to gain the prize for the third amateur in the Open championship at Paraparaumu. Two of Hope’s lasting impressions of his trip were the luxurious facilities at Australian golf clubs and the vast number of good players. ‘They are no better than the leading New Zealanders, but there are more of them,” he said.