GOLF.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2132, 25 April 1914, Page 12

GOLF.

[BT n«t:E,v.] MUNICIPAL COLF COURSES, A rather interesting item of news in "Golfing World" jfi the following;,"jktt returns for the last year published by the Edinburgh Corporation In coiroeatioii with the municipal golf courses at- Braids Hill, Portobello, and Snughton are as startling as The figures show that o» each course there was » considerable increase in tho mm* bet' <if rounds played, the total being $36,780) and the grand increase 12,068. On tiro Braids Bills 71,643 rounds of the eighieeii-Mes course were. played, tvliieh was also an increase. income of the three courses was £1700." A natural question to ask after reading this paragraph is: What has become ot the local idea of municipal links? It appears that the idea. bj net exactly dead and buried. The_ City ReservesCommittee may even bring it before' tho council at quite an early date. But how long it will be before tho Jinks materialise is another question, and ft big one, too. The original suggestion was to give the scheme a trial on a portion of tho Town Belt near Britoxftart Street by—(i) Putting down a-nine-hole course on the Duppa Street side; forming a sbort-hpie course fer_ children and beginners on the city Bids of the Fever Hospital. With the links so kaiid, the game Wild rapidly increase ia popularity, aiid then there would be need of other atld better li'iites at places liko Lyo.ll Bay.

From the Health Point of View, Dr. R, A. Cameron, who has for some years been deeply interested in. this scheme of' .municipal golf courses, pews it mainly from the standpoint of the health of the What impressed hint on his last trip abroad. was the Mnfte? in wliicli GrSat Britain, 9- CT J many, Austria, France, and_t.be United States Woto .paying attention to the health and development of the children. They were making great endeavours to provide children's playgrounds, but a difficulty which confronted them was to find suitable reeroaticus far children, in Scotland they had very easily settled that by instituting short-hole golfyand on tho Brunsfieid links they had what was practically a toddlers' course, where the children started to'play at tho age of four years, and rapidly acqtitrea a liking for the game. Out here* Dr. Camermi maintains, ;tho children have always been neglected m tho matter ot recreation at the most important period of their lives, soy from the ago oi tour years to fourteen years. He says thas a problem fof the public men of Wet> tin*tott should l)C-i How" to provide su.ftable io.sroat.ions for all the children attending the. public schools? Then to consider tho largo number of adults, who, when past the "football age, frequently give «p sport, ivhmeas it is most important from ft hoaltli point- of view that they should bo kept in sport. H«e short-hole golf comes to the ressue.

Short-liola Coif on the Town Bolt. There 'has always been a question as to how tho Town Belt might best bo utilised, aiid, according to Dr. Oameron, there are sibout fivo.Bitw «n it which would niake excellent sboit-hole golf courses, and a© soon as tho idea that each must be a billiard table disappears then the courses Will matermUso, Seot'eh public courses are hiHy and extremely sporting, their main attraction. When " down, the Braids stance, tvas my much than the one at Britomart btreet woula oux be. It had been so improved «*» thi,n that ono tscarcely recognised it now.

Tho Matter ot Flnanw. In tho matter of hMiee, Dr. Ctocron holds to the opinion that net toemach money should be spent at tho beginning (lie mentions t.ho very small s„ m C f £300), but that gradual improvement. should be eifccte4 as in. the case of Braid Hills. The charges originally snggested to operate, hero were sixpense a round or one Swflea a season-. Tne matter of control would bo one of detail for tho municipal authorities, An interesting point in connection with the Edinburgh returns quoted above is that the figures would be much larger but for the fact that m fcdiuburgh thev have a number of free snorthole courses, which are very largely patronised— especially by begiMers and by parents playing *ith their children.

Gutta'Porcha possibilities. j If a desire to see the play of the leading professionals affords any idication of the popularity of a pastime (and it is surely a sign of Hiereasing numbers of enthusiasts), tbe present year will bo the greatest in the nistor.V « tfce game (says a recent issue of the London "Sportsman"). Exory mgft suggests that 1911 will be by far the most prosperous year that the gape has ever known, and- thero is good ground lo'r tne beliof that its xeuilh, fat from havmg tjeen reached, is iiot yet even in sight. In the Londoa distdeb the first even of genetal mtefe-st will bo the ' KUtty v. rubber-cofe tests, i.t\ Tflwch and Duncan will oppose Taylor and. Brani as Sandy Lodge, Nerthwood. Vardea, by the way, tojidttated some private trials with' "giittfes" of modern man!,factum on the South Herts eouvse recently. He ma-telied two o'f them against one rttbber-cwe, and immodiatel.v cs* tablisUecl his old happy command ever their genus, ■ He drove thoni to withiii tueniyyavds of the place reached by a well-struck rubber-sore, a.nd, taraiig a hra-ssfo at a spot where lie is wont to use a clock with tho modern ball, he laid ono "gutty" dead and pvit the other within five yards of the pin. In fact, his eonfidenee camo back to hi« like a flash. Ho holed putts from all parts of th® green, aiid had tive. iiiiiH utns of supreme joy in the noccssrty of hitting downhill putts with the "gutty really hard. . The rubber-core srmters Uiav'be at «iirfto advantage at tho tang holes at Sandy Lodge, but there does ; not sees likely t«_ bs the sa.uio 'lisparily beiwoou the sides as the majority of people expected.

johnsonvllto Club. MomcWsluf* of the JohnsoiwiJfo Golf Club has ii!si about d6u'bfcd siu«a last year a.tvd the filuh has a prosperous sc-a-soft ahead. Tho programme ef matches Iras already" been started:, Last Saturday's Bogy cotopetstiiiji rteiilted in a tw -bcitweoa A, M. Adams and 0, T, Hall, both 5 down. There will he two competitions on the drib's links , this afternoon—tlio Men's Handicap Medal round for the Bpuld Silver Cieek, and the Ladies' Handicap Medal round for the Gaifioch trophy. Tho Wellington filtib. Tho Weßmsfton Golf. Club's competition for the Victoria Cup was to Iroyo been played on tlio Heretaunga Links to-dsv, lint on oeecnml of the races it has been postponed until a later date. Waiwctu Coif Club. ■ A special meo'.ituc <if rtietiibfrfs of tho Waiwctu Golf Oitlb Wis hem iii Petone nil Monday nifht when tho question ol the ontr.inro fee and the Atifruiil snbscrifjtion caii.e up far coirsideration. Tiro K;Sult of the meetifig nVits iiia' the entrance fee was aboisstesd, hilt the aiinnal subscription was maintained at tW stAildirrd fixed by a previons meetinfr. Tho eompetitimis irfll be .starting altnost iinmediateiy. Joltings. Tlio genu of something new ill golf is to be detected in the anrtotmcemont thul. two North of ISttgknd elubi>, H"aton 3kw artd Heddish Vate ( «rI'in'iec) ''esriisngs dutc-s'' on whicU tho fficak-rs of the etc dab frill he cis-

titled to play, free of charge, on Ike course of tlio other. A. R- Lcttipriere, the amateur clsainpi<wi of Australia, leaves for England this month. If possible, lie way put in aft appearance ias ft spectator at the •open 'championship at Jrestwiek m June, htifc trill be too Itrfo fof the atn-a-tcar clmifiionsliip at Sandwich) which comnincfis on May 18. The Marten Golf Club has been registered as a private company.