SUNDAY GOLF.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 569, 26 July 1909, Page 3

SUNDAY GOLF.

(By Correspondent.) . Auckland, July 23.' Auckland people probably indulgoin moro Sunday picnics- and excursions than residents of 01-liur.'Ne'w Zealand cities, and latterly .-it 'somus that.-, the/golf-.player,, has been in evidence, on Sundays. The cablegram stating that tho '"Wosleyuiv Conference now sitting at Lincoln had passed a resolution protesting [against- Sunday .golf -.caused a ■ "Herald .representative to . lnsiko . inquiries locally. ■The question was put to tliQ<. • Wcslcyanj .minister, at Devonport,-.. tho Rev". R.' , Taylor,i and he said he know of the game.-'being ■played•■in', his district, although,he,had nob actually, seen play in progress. Some people •had approached' him, and. Itho ..Rev. -S. Griffiths,' Congregational minister • at Devo.n;port, asking them whether something could not bo; done to prevent golf being ])layel at tho AYaitcmata links on.Sundays. Tho omHljiyraent of., caddies' on- Sundays • was the chief ground for.complaint.- It was a form of Sunday, trading, an/ inducement'for. Sabbath:desecration .for. (rain.

-V'Tbo golfer's vieiv of tho matter was ex.pressed ~by Mr. A., : M... Howden, a. member \nf the committee-, of tlio.,,Waiteniata. Golf .Club., Mr. Howdon said that. the-, club did not, recognise Sunday play, and no matches' >ere allowed ou that day, but a certain '.amount of play by private arrangement went' on.. To this Mr. Howden saw no objection. Tho lino must certainly be drawn somewhere, and ho was not desirous' , • of - seeing the Sabbath turned into a day of general sport, but coif was different from most other games' in that there- was-little noise ' connected with it. It did not attract crowds,- and was generally played in places which were not ■under public- observation. Many golfers were men .who. were..unable to play, the gamo.on other days.because their timo was ' very valuable, and tho'links were generally some distance out of town. Mr: Howden proceeded to relate the views of clergymen he had vkiiown, who had expressed . themselves as tolerant of Sunday golf, for ,'golfors went to church before or after.tho game.' To bis knowledge, golf was.played,on the following courses on Sundays:—-Waiiganui, Gisborno, Miramar,. ' and Trent-ham (Wellington), Napier, liivercargill, St.- Clair , ' (Dunedin), and he thought Christcliurch and others. .