GOLF

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 172, 9 April 1923, Page 4

GOLF

* . OPENING OF WAIWETU SEASON

§ A DISTINGUISHED FOURSOME

The Hutt Park, which was tho cradle of golf in Now Zealand, regained some of its lost glories on Saturday afternoon, when the Waiwetu Golf Club, which has a nine-hole course on the old racecourse, opened the 1923 season with an exhibition foursome between the four leading players of the Dominion. In this match, which attracted a gMlery of some 200 closelyinterested enthusiasts, including several of tho leading players of the district, A. Brooks (open champion of New Zealand) and J. L. Black (runnerup for the open championship), of the Lower Hutt Club, opposed A. Ham (professional champion of the? Dominion) and A. Duncan (amateur champion of New Zealand). Though the four leading players of the Dominion were thus opposed to each other, the exhibition of golf given was very disappointing. Several factors contributed towards the poor showing made. In the first place, the Waiwetu course, which is 2913 yards in length, may be described as all rough, with very small greens, which are particularly merry. Added to these problems, a strong nor’-wcsterly wind ■ was blowing, which promptly took „ command of all balls which were not 5 s truly hit. At the first hole (409yds.), Brooks —- (the Lower Hutt professional) was the only man who played up to form. Well ■ ■■' up with his second against the wind, " ho pitched his mashie third nicely on, and won the hole in bogey 5. The h other trio were al! at sea on the fast “ green.

,* The second hole (293yd5.) was halved 2; by the amateurs (Black and' Duncan) in 5, one over bogey. Brooks gave a taste of his quality as a first-class j; golfer at tho short third (153yds.). -< The strong wind was blowing across S 3 the fairway from the left, and the 7,1 Now Zealand open champion counterJi acted this by playing a pull shot off St the tee, which held the ball up into the wind, and landed it fair and true 5‘ four yards from the pin. The high •J wind caused the other three" to he off j; line. After Ham, Duncan, and ;; .Black had putted their thirds before -ii Brooks was called unon to make his putt, and he set all doubts at rest U by running down tho 12ft. putt for a brilliant 2. Lower Hutt 2 up. At the fourth, hole (336yd5.) Ham H and Brooks were too strong off-the tee, and Duncan badly topped his J; drive. Black, however, got away a beauty, and playing perfect golf, won 1 tho hole in 4, one under hogey, thus placing his side 3 up. It was Black’s turn to top his drive • off the fifth toe (SOlvds.), while Duncan lofted his tee shot. Ham sliced rather badly, but Brooks got a good one, straight and true down the centre of the fairway. . The open champion pitched his second on the green, but it ran through into the rough beyond tho green, and he could only chip out "with his third on to the edge of the green. Duncan played a good second on to the edge of tho green, and he and Brooks halved the hole in 5, one over bogey. At the sixth "AVainui” (340yds.). which, by the way, is tho only remaining hole of tlie original course in which golf was first played in New Zealand, Black again topped his drive badly. He,' however, came to light with a brilliant brassie second, which placed him on tho green, and he won the hole in 4, one under bogey, thus placing Lower Hutt 4 up. At the seventh (297yd5.) Brooks and Ham came perilously close to pulling out of bounds off to the tee. Duncan got a spanking drive in perfect line, but clever short work by Brooks enabled him to halve the hole with Duncan in bogey 4. Ham camo to light at the eighth (389yds.), and was on in two against the strong wind. Making no mistakes, the professional champion ran out in “.a perfect 4, one better than bogey, 'thus scoring the first win recorded in the match by tho Wellington pair, and reducing Lower Hutt’s lead to 3 up. At ffie “Home” hole (395yd5.), Brooks produced, his best form, and, with a « spanking;' drive of excellent direction, and a nicely-judged iron second, was on in 2. He went on to beat the field and bogey by recording a perfect 4, Lower Hutt thus turning for home with the useful lead of 4 up. ; —Brooks was now playing like a champion, and at the tenth (409yds.), ..again beat all hands, and the “Colonel” by holing out in a faultless -w4. Lower Hutt ’5 up. "y Off the eleventh top. Ham and Black .. puucd into the pine grove. Brooks jjiad a rare slice of luck here, as his pulled second struck the branch of a — pino and rebounded on to the green, enabling him to win by recording his third 4 in succession. Lower Hutt 6 up. ' ' Duncan now took a hand, and reduced Wellington’s leeway by winning the twelfth hole in bogey. 3. The thir- ' teenth saw a duel between Brooks and —Duncan, which ended in a half in -J, bogey 5, and left the Lower Hutt pair •■in the comfortable position of dormy ~5. It was all over at the fourteenth (301yds.), which saw Ham and Black . halve in bogey 4, the Lower Hutt pair rthns taking the match by the decisive .'margin of 5 up and 4 to play. l-» It was an enterprising move on tho part of the of tho Waiwetu Club to put on such a strong at- . traction, which should do much to adJvcrtise the course. Waiwetu is slowly coming back into its own. as the club now has a membership of 70 men and 50 ladies. With tho secretarial reins in the hands of such an enthusiast as Mr. W. F. Taylor, the club should go on to' further successes. Afternoon-tea was provided for the large crowd by the members of tho Waiwotu Ladies’ Club.

" : MIRAMAR CLUB There was an entry of 35 couples for the four-ball competition at tho Miramar links on Saturday. A very strong wind was blowing, which made '.‘play most difficult, nevertheless ' the form displayed on the whole was good. The winners turned un in Scott and Marsden, who returned the good card of ’s up, and they were closely followed by J. G. Hughes and Ritchie,jjyith 4 up". N. R. Chapman a>d J. Brown, 2 up, also played steadily. MIRAMAR LADIES’ CLUB The following is the draw for the first L.G.U. medal round to be played by the members of tho Miramar Ladies’ Club to-morrow afternoon:— Miss Sidey v. Miss Asquith, Mrs. V/iddop v. Miss Withers, Mrs. Bantis v. Miss D. Woodman, Miss Carter vMrs Firth, Mrs. Cooke v. Miss Gambrill, Airs. Bensley v. Mrs. Cromb, Mrs. Martin v. Miss West. Miss Taylor v. Miss Muir, Miss Didsbury v. Miss George, Miss Low v. Miss von Dadelsson. Mrs. Watt v. Mrs. Gibson, Miss Williams v- Mrs. Nagle, Mrs Morrah v Miss E. Woodman, Miss Fraser v: Miss I’limmer, Miss Drien v. Miss Grace, Miss Tanner v. Mrs. West, Mrs-

Barr v. Mrs. C. Brown, Mrs. Vickerman v. Miss Stevens. . Beginners are keenly competing for Mr. F. G- Hood’s trophy. Anyone who has not earned a handicap can play. Tho competition closes on May 7,

NEW ZEALAND PLAYER IN ENGLAND. London, April 6. Captain Bullock Webster, a New Zealander, from scratch, tied ;.with Howlett, the West Surrey professional, for the Guildford and District Alliance Championship, ■ with ecores of 153 for 36 holes.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

CROYDON PROFESSIONAL ( CHAMPIONSHIP. (Rec. April 8, 5.5 p.m.)

London, April 7. Ockenden, with scores of 76 and 71, won the Croydon Alliance professional golf championship at his home course, Kaynes Park— Aus-N.Z. Cable Assn.