GOLF.

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 224, 9 June 1923, Page 18

GOLF.

(By

“Niblick.”)

SHORT APPROACHES A E. Ekstedt, by his defeat of the New’ Zealand amateur champion at Heretaunga last week-end, has placed himself in the very front rank of New Zealand golfers. Not many players in tho Dominion can say, 1 once defeated Arthur Duncan. . Last year A. Duncan went right through'tho season without sustaining a single defeat in mter-e nb matches. This season, he has fallen twice—to J. C. Bidwill and to A. E. Ekstedt. And yet to my mind, Duncan Is playing better golf now than he was at this time last season, then a 3ft. putt was a nightmare to bun. In his match'with Ekstedt last weekend, Duncan ran down a 12-footer tor a 3 at tho fifth, sank an “eagle, of 36ft. for a 2 at the ninth (210yds.). and slammed down another 12-footer for a 4 at tho twelfth (410yds.) Arthur Duncan, despite his recent defeats, is still amateur champion of Now Zealand, and the man who dethrones him at Wanganui in September will have to play classified golt The semi-finals for the Balmaeewen Cup were played at Dunedin on Saturday, when A. N. Haggitt beat G. H. Whitcomhe.. 5 up and 4 to play, antf H. W. Bundle bcht M. Foley,. 2 up and 1. In the final of the Junior Cup match at St. Clair. B. C. Haggitt beat H. H. Hooper, 2 and 1. A closp game was played between the two Auckland clubs, Waitomata and Pupuke, on Saturday on the AVaitemata links, the latter club winning bv 5 matches to Pupuke s 4, with 3' matches all square. On the same day, Waitemata split a team to Papakura, where the former won bv six matches to three. J. L. Black outplayed A. E. Ekstedt at Lower Hutt on Saturday last by 3 and 1, and Ekstedt defeated A. ■ Duncan by 1 up the next dey. This is ! something' which Black has yet to ao-. complish, as in their many matches against eact. other the Lower Hutt champion has never been able to register a solitary victory over the New Zealand amateur. champion. Jl’hoy wiß cross drivers again on July 7, Two inter-chib matches are down for decision to-day. Lower Hutt aye sending a team to Otaki. and Karori will journey out to Waiwetu. J. B. Parker (Wellington) is in brilliant form just now, and if he keeps on as he has been going he will scon bo up amongst the first-flighters. In his match against V. J. Stichbury, of Palmerston North, last week-end, ho played like a champion, reeling off holo after holo in bogey and under. He made the pace so hot that the game was all over at the eleventh hole, where the Wellington man took tho game by the wide margin of 9 up and 7 to go. Parker went yT tin 35. Stichbury, who won ’ the Taranaki championship at the beginning of tho season, was not playing bad golf either. (

A. Ham, professional champion, ot New Zealand, during his recent visit to Dunedin, played the best ball of Forrest and Mcßeth at Balmaeewen, and managed to win by 1 pp. Ham went round in 72.

EKSTEDT ARRIVES A. Ekstedt, the Igading player of Palmerston North, has long been acknowledged to be a very able player. He proved this conclusively in the open championship at Palmerston North last September, when he shared, with J. A. Clements, the professional,, the honour of third place in the open. His scores for tho four rounds were 80, 78. 81, 78, which gave him 317eight strokes behind J. L. Black, who was only one stroke behind the winner, \A. Brooks, the Lower Hutt professional. In his match against J. L. Black nt Lower Hutt last Saturday, Ekstedt was beaten by 3up and 1. Thi« would go to prove that Black is still a few strokes superior to the Manawatu chainpion. Ekstedt, however, on this occasion seemed troubled by the greens, and never properly gauged the pace of them. It was. ®owever, by his defeat of Arthur Duncan, tho New Zealand amateur champion, at Heretaunga, that Ekstedt proved his right do l»e considered amongst New Zealand’s foremost players. In this match, he proved that he had a good fighting spirit, as the Wellington champion was up on him most of the way, and it was not until the sixteenth that the Palmerston North player squared the game. Duncan is a prince of mashie players, and yet it was with tho mashie that Ekstedt won his first victory over New Zealand’s foremost player. It was by a brilliant spurt at the business end of 33344 that Ekstedt outplayed the Wellington champion. Born at Stockholm 32 years ago, Ekstedt learned his golf in Palmerston, North. He is one of those who believes that if a gamp is worth playing it is worth playing well, and he has gone on perfecting his plav until to-day.he handles nil his clubs with consummate skill. When the Great War broke out, Ekstedt answered the call, and was so seriously wounded at the front that goH was out of the question for some time. He is however, all right again pow, an'J will have to be- seriously reckoned with at big tournaments in the. future. Ekstedt drivox a vor.v long ball, which Duncan ascribes to the length of his arms. The- pai’’ measured reaches on the way round nt Heretaunga, and the Manawatu man outstretched Duncan by full two inches. The latter declares that a man, with lon<r arms always drives a lung ball. This victory over such a redoubtable opponent will give the Manawatii champion just that little feeling; of confidence which means so much in a bis event.

RANUI CLUB Tlip Two-Life competition has been advanced another stage at Ranui. Tho survivors of tho second round, who have not yet suffered a single defeat aro: A. I. Murray. R. B. Gibbons, E. R. Wells, J. R. E. Bennett, F. G. May, C. Mcxted, R Mexted, and H. S. Hayman. Those- who have survived the second round, but have lost one life are AV. Mexfed, F. Dunlop, F. Garnsgy, A. J. Coleman, V. A. Mills, J. Dow. D Sloane, S. P- Andrew, H. K. Douglas.

The third round has been drawn, and must be played off by June 24 A mixed foursome, arranged for the King’s Birthday, had to be postponed on account of the ■ heavy rain, and will be played this week-end. A competition has been arranged .for a trophy presented by tho captain, /Mr. Tlunbar filon.no. Two qualifying medal rounds will bo played and tho sixteen players recording the best net scores will play off for the trophy by match play. The course is still developing, and. according to a number of the best of Wellington golfers who have visited Ranui recently, is being rapidly improved, and is likely soon to make one of the best links in the district.

WELCOME WEEK TOURNEY

An interesting programme has been arranged bv Hie Miramar Club lor its .Welcome Week .tournament, to be held on the Miramar links on July 10. 12. amt 13. On the Tuesday the qualifying rounds for tho Welcome Week Handicap and the Miramar Golf Club Mfdal Handicap will be played. The Welcome Week Handicap will commence with two medal rounds, and tho sixteen who return the best n©t aggregates wHI Qualify to P» a y off by match plav on handicap over 18 holes in each case. The Miramar Golf Club Medal Handicap, over 30 holes will be plavod in conjunction with The qualifying rounds for the AVelcomo Week Handicap. An innovation will be the Miramar Group Handicap competition. In this all competitors except the last eight left in the Welcome Week Handicap will be divided ’according to handicap into groups of eight, and a competition, match play on handicap over 18 holes in each case, will be hold among the members of each group. The eight eliminated in the first round of the ■Welcome Week Handicap wilt form a separate group. / A trupny wi 1 be presented to the winner in each group. In addition bogey, medal, and four-ball bogev handicap competitions will be played. The finals will be played on the Friday afternoon. Entries close with the secretary of toe Miramar Golf dull (Mr. A. Erskine) on July 4. . GOLF ETIQUETTE Any stickler for the etiquette of the game would be horrified and amazed at the free and easy manners of players on the municipal links on any day when the links are congested. There is simply no such thing as etiquette. Many players simply stroll on to the tee, tee up, and let fly into those who are toiling along the fairway, many of them hitting their balls three and four feet with each stroke, and some missing the little white pill altogether. When you are carefully studying the line of a sft. putt, it is nothing uncommon for a Ifall, or perhaps two balls, to plump down a few inches from your nose. And still, the g a ™° goes merrily on. A prominent lady tennis player, who has recently taken up golf, received a severe blow on the neck last week from an erratic driver who had got about 40 yards off the line. , T Where there is no law, I suppose ■there can be no condemnation, but it seems a pitv that something canrfot be done to enforce a semblance of order in the method of play. The caretaker does his best, but he cannot be everywhere. It might be a good idea to liave a little handbook on the etiquette of tho game printed, and supplied to beginners. A rather amusing incident happened at Berhampore. last week. An old golfer, who was a stickler for etiquette, was waiting to drive off the seventh tee. Before him an armv of foozlers were topping their drives 'into the canyon, and many others swarmed on the hillside across the bunker sclaffing and duffing in great stvle. The opponent of the old golfer advised him to drive over thenheads, nnd so get past the hold-up, but tho veteran would not hear of this. “The etiquette of the game must be observed,” he insisted. They waited for about ten minutes until the band of foozlers had flogged their balls well on towards the post, which gives the line to the tee. Then.the stickler for etiquette drove, but, horror of horrors, he hit a low screamer, which flew to the right, and .landed with a resounding thwack up against the silk-clad calf of a lady’s leg 200 yards from the tee. “You see what your etiquette has done now.” remarked his opponent, as they watched the lady hopping round on one leg on the distant hillside. “Dammit, man, gowf’s gowf,” the old player retorted; “I did not mean to send it out there.” With so many beginners playing, it is certainly a temptation to transgress the etiquette of the game, but a little’consideration by both experienced players and beginners would certainly make for more enjoyable golf at Berhampore.

CAN LEFT-HANDERS PLAY GOLF? There appears to be a superstition exist.ng that a left-handed golfer can nevep hope to become a champion player. Professionals firmly hold this view, probably because they find it impossible to coach players when looking at them the reverce way. re is eaid that J. H. Kirkwood started off as a left-hander, but was caught young and turned round the other way. Bruce Pearce, the Tasmanian, is a notable exception, and Kirkwood recently told him that if he were to go over to the States he could command a princely %alary. Kirkwood declared that they would star Pearce in the States as “The Champion Southpaw.” Coming nearer home, it is not so clear that left-handers cannot excel at the game as well as right-handers. The honours board at the Miramar Ch;b is a standing testimony to the prowess of lefthanders. From 1915 until 1919 the championship of the club was carried off by left-handers. In 1915 R. L. Kidston annexed the championship; H. R. H. Balneavis won in 1916, 1917, and 1919, while another left-hander, Richmond, was successful in 1918. There is nothing wrong with this record. The Manawatu team which visited Wellington last week-end was strong in left-handers, among these being A.. Seifert and IV. Seifert. This prejudice against left-handers at one time extended to other branches of sport. Cricketers who played on the wrong side of the wicket were severely frowned upon for a long time at Home, and when Norman Brooks, the Australian tennis player, first landed in London he was gravely informed that it would never do, and that he would really have to take the racket in the other hand. Perhaps some of my readers can tell us why there should be an impression that lefthanded golfers can never hope to scale the heights? That this conviction is deep-seated I know from personal experience. 1 remember E. H. Dernau, the New Zealand representative cricketer. ’at Wanganui three years ago suddenly changing over from left hand to right at golf, and he played almost as well with the right hand. Why should not all golfers be ambidexterous? They could then carry a few right-handed and a few left-handed clubs in their bag, and no shot would worry them.

THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT Truly, golf is a funny game! At the th' d hole at Lower Hutt last Saturd„ ~ Ekstedt (Manawatu) played a low ball off the tee, which failed to carry the bank. J. L. Black smacked a beauty, which found the green (192

vards). The Manawatu P la ,F r ’-?n ktZ tempting to get a long ball with h s masfiie, hit the bank again, and his ball ricochetted away to the left. Ekstedt with his third, ran through the green. With a skilful little rnashw chip the Manawatu man then holed a it P from a couple of feet outside the green This was from the ridiculous to the sublime. As nearly always happens, when such miracles occur, the other man gets anxious. From what appears a certain win, eno suddenly is not so s uro about it. He has to play very carefully now for a win. This is what happened here. Black , was , sh ° with his approach putt, and actually missed a foot and a half putt for the win, a half in 4 following. Another little incident: A- D x unca ? hit a- perfect drive off the 13th tee.at Heretaunga in his match with A. Ekstedt last week-end. The Manawavu plaver, for a wonder, badly topped his drive, but got a long brassie second. Duncan followed up his fine drive with a beautiful brassie shot, which placed him in the centre of the green in 2. Ekstedt pitched his third on with the mashie. Now came the cussedness of golf. Duncan had come 385 yards in two beautiful shots, but it took him three putts to go twelve feet. A half in 5 followed. Temporary greens were in use, and putting was a good deal a matter of luck. A win here would have placed Duncan 2 up at the 13th.

IMPROVING THE COURSES \ A pleasing sign in New Zealand golf is that clubs are all out for the improvement of their courses. The old order of foozling along in any old style has gone by, and players are out to improve their gaSne. Tn order to do this it is necessary to have courses which will compel members to play good golf. A. Ham, the Wellington Club’s professional, has recently been in great demand advising clubs throughout the Dominion as to course architecture. He recently gave the Poverty Bay Club a design for their new freehold course at Gisborne., The course is 6200 yards in length, and is freely bunkered. ■ The entire scheme will cost about £2OOO, and it is intended to gradually work up to the complete (resign. Ham recently visited Dunedin, where ho reported to the Otago Club upon, the reconstruction of the Balmaeewen links. 'With R. C. Butters, Ham was also engaged, by the Christchurch Club to design improvements to the Shirley course. Ham is greatly taken with the Shirley links, which, when completed, will furnish as searching a test of golf as is provided by any course in the Empire. Players w : ll have to play from every stance, and will have to keep the line and judge distance accurately. Balmaeewen will also be a fine course, he says, when the improvements have been effected.

The Miramar Club has also gone in for an extensive scheme of bunkering, which will improve the course greatly, and make players pay more attention to direction and strength. Seyeral players have donated bunkers to the club by providing the requisite amount to construct them, which works out at. an average of about £5. Even if I were as xyealthy as J. Pierpont Morgan, I do not think I would nave the courage to donate a bunker to my club. I should be afraid of generations of golfers yet unborn bitterly cursing me throughout the ages as they vainly tried to hew their way out of (the pit I had dug for them. However, the Miramar, members must have led blameless lives, as seme ten of them have donated bunkers.

THE WELLINGTON PROGRAMME

The Wellington Club’s list of fixtures for the 1923-24 season has just reached me. Of the officials, W. A. Kiely is again captain, A. Strong and C. j. Reakes are the ground committee, W. F. Ward and A. E. Whyte are tho house committee, P. CL Cocke, A. R. Sclanders, and AV. A. Kiely the match committee, and P. B. Cooke and J. C. Peacock the tennis committee. Miss Greta Ewen is still secretary. The most important fixtures dor the season are the inter-club matches with Miramar on June 16; with Rower Hutt on July 21 : with the Miramar Club on October 27. INDESTRUCTIBLE GOLF BALLS. The new “AVhy-Not” golf ball with the Trellis marking is the nearest approach to an indestructible ball yet made. Its “life” is phenomenal and the paint always holds. Order from dealers and professionals, or from N.Z. agents, W. H. Tisdall, Ltd., Wellington.—Advt.