GOLF NOTES

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 148, 20 March 1934, Page 14

GOLF NOTES

Watt Cup Fixtures THE ENGLISH OPEN Penalising Wild Drives One of the moat popular of the Easter golf tournaments should be that to be held on the Shandoii links on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, March 31, April 1 and 2. On the first day there will be a medal handicap in the morning, the first 16 players returning the best gross scores to play by match play for the Easter championships, the next .16 for the Shandon handicap. In the afternoon there will be a bogey handicap. On the second day there will be a medal handicap in the morning and a four-ball best-ball bogey handicap in the afternoon. The same programme will be repeated on the third day. A special trophy will be presented to the player returning the best aggregate score for the three medal rounds to be played. Entries for the Easter championship and Shandon handicap will close on March 27. Post entries will be accepted for other events.

Watt Cup Competition. The following fixtures have- been made by the committee for the Watt Cup competition this season: — “April 14: Shandon v. Titahi. nt Shandon. April 28: Manor Park v. Titahl, at Titahl. May 5: Waiwetu v. Shandon, at Shandon. May 20: Paekakariki v. Manor Park, at Paekakariki. „ , .Tune 9: Shandon v. Manor Park, at Manor Park. . , June 10: Waiwetu v. Packakarki, at Paekakariki. ... , , .Tune 23: Shandon v. Titahl, at Titahl. June 30: Waiwetu v. Manor Park, at Waiwetu. , , „ July 1: Paekakariki v. Titahi, at Paekakariki. . July 14: Titahi v. Waiwetu. at Waiwetu. Paekakariki v. Manor Park, at Manor July 28: Shandon v. Waiwetu, at Waiwetu. ~ ' August 4: Titahl v. Manrje Park, at M August a iB': Waiwetu v. Titahl, at Titahi. August 19: Shandon v. Paekakariki, at Paekakariki. . .. . , , , September 1: Paekakariki v. Titahl, at Titahl. ' , September 8: 'Waiwetu v. Manor Park, at Manor Park. September 15: Paekakariki v. Shandon, at Shandon. ' September 29: Manor Park v. Shandon, at Shandon. October 6: Paekakariki v. Waiwetu, at Waiwetu. z

The British Open. In a short time the hardy annual golf question, “Can Great Britain recover her open championship trophy from America?” will be raised once more. Hope arises anew each year, but although players like Compston, Ernest Whitcombe and Easterbrook have gone close, it is 10 years since a British player was successful.

Alfred Perry at Leatherhead the other day suggested to a London newspaper that, in spite of their disadvantages in regard to experience when compared with the Americans, British players would be more than likely to win if the event could be played on an inland course. He agreed that if it were played at Walton Heath, a course closely bounded by thick heather, the Americans would stand less chance qf success, because our golfers are more accurate through the. green. At the present time Americans continue to win the English championship by making great recoveries from misplaced tee shots which should give no chance of brillient recoveries. A drive which finishes miles off the line should lie in trouble from which the player should have no other alternative but to extract himself before attempting an approach, shot to the green.

Punishing Wild Sliots. But how many seaside courses do this? At many of them there is no need for accuracy from the tee. Hooked or cut tee shots can be made with impunity at most holes, and very often a crooked drive finishes in a better position than one which flies straight down the middle and comes to rest on the down slopes of a large mound. Such a thing should not be possible and is not possible at a course like Walton Heath, where a drive off the course means the certain lose of a stroke.

Why not therefore have a national championship course, presumably designed by someor.v like James Braid? The Walton Heath rough to punish wild shots could well be imitated, but something more interesting in the actual lay-out of the holes is wanted. The appointment of James Braid as designer would be a guarantee of this. The advantages of Perry’s suggestion are obvious. Championships would be decided on a course specially made for the purpose, with no thought of the rank and file of the game. Length with Accuracy. The winner would be required to hit a long and accurate ball from the tee, and the approaches would be tight enough to make anything but the straightest line inadvisable. He would not be able to cut or pull his drive to glory and still have a chance of banging a long iron shot home. Recoveries could no longer be brilliant; they would have to be of the safe order. Unfortunately the difficulties in the way of the scheme are great, and not the least would be the decision about the locality of this national championship course. However, the courses on which championships are now decided do not set sufficient store on accuracy. Putting accordingly plays too large a part in the final result. In their different ways the best British and American professionals take, roughly, the same number of shots through the green —with the advantage even now slightly in favour of the Briton—but the American pulls ahead on the putting green. Yet if errant tee shots were sufficiently punished even the American’s considerable putting advantage would scarcely enable him to bent the allround skill of the British professional. Driving Off One Leg. “The balderdash that is talked about the golf swing is ruthlessly opposed by Ernest Jones, who lost his right leg in the Great War, and shortly afterward did his home course in 70 strokes,” writes lI.C. “He played standing on one leg, dropping his crutches for the stroke. Where do your preposterous ideas about the left leg come in here? An eminent golfer says there is no weight transference at all. The body is twisted toward the right and then swings back again, and away goes the ball. How, therefore, can there be anything whatever in bending the left knee. The left knee certainly bends of its own accord, or it will twist because it is forced to by the wrenching left shoulder going round. All these are perfectly natural movements, and make nonsense of the behest that except that he must really use bis hands the player should not otherwise think of them, but only of his feet and legs. The question of the left heel, and the moment it should get back again, may also bp rejected. “I once heard Walter Hagen. Io whom the question was put, confess that he did not know. He was clearly mystified by the question, which was put by a man who should have known better, and he strongly recommended his interlocutor to waste iw thought whatever on so trifling a detail.” Ernest Jones says: “If you actually swing the club head, you cannot do anything else, or be conscious of anything else. If you do anything else you can’t swing the club head smoothly. You can’t push, lift, or hit, and still swing.” As a contrast to that the eminent golfer referred to writes this blithering nonsense: “Both arms should set with the legs.. In the back swing the left knee must move toward the right, and not toward the line of flight, and the muscles must be fighting against this movement, so that in the down swing the left leg helps the body to stand, and if the player delays grounding his left heel he will fight all the better against the down owing. If the heel drops this resistance is weak. The whole thing amounts to this: That in both parts of the swing the feet take the resistance, and. to do this the muscle-set must be to-

ward the ball.” Whatever all that may mean, if it has any meaning nt nil, beats me, and only shows the trash that gets into modern golf publications. Finally Ernest Jones says:. “If you swing the club .head smoothly you also pivot naturally, you cock your wrists at the top ns a matter of course, and there is no sudden tightening, no quick hitting.” All this is comprehensive enough to the man with two effective arms, but to the 80 per cent, of people who carry a left arm which is practically useless it will be unavailing advice —unless he concentrates upon keeping the left arm in action —n most difficult thing to do.” GOLF COMPETITIONS Summer Season Closes at Manor Park The summer season of the Manor Park Golf Club was brought to a 'close during the week-end. Following are results of competitions held: — 18-hole bogey: F. Page (scr.), 3 up; B. Brickman (14), 2 up. Best-ball fourball bogey: Mrs. Sherwood (13) and 1 IT. Sherwood (14), 7 up: Miss M. Butler (26) and D. Butler (5), 6 up: Mrs. Barker (27) and J. A.'Barker (14), 5 up; A. Radford (7) nnd E. A. Rodgers (6), 4 'up. Canadian foursome bogey (half combined handicap) : H. Payne and A. McKinnon (10), 4 up; Mrs. Sherwood'and E. A. Rodgers (10), 3 up; Miss D. Nash and J. Forbes (13), 2 up. Next. Saturday is the date fixed for the opening of the winteh season, when a mixed 'Canadian foursome will be held over thirteen holes. Winter handicaps will operate as from opening day, the standard scratch score being 74. Wellington Ladies’ Club The following is the draw for a bogey match to be played under the auspices of the Wellington Ladies’ Golf Club at Heretaunga to-morrow:— Seniors: Mrs. Brodie v. Jins. G. Nathan, Mrs. Hayman v. Mrs. Blain, Miss M. Peacock v. Miss Juliet Nathan, Miss Dyer v. Miss Grose, Miss J. Peacock v. Mrs. Menzies. Mrs. Stout v. Mrs. N. Nathan, Miss Burton v. Mrs. Hunt. Mrs. Weston v. Mrs. Spiers. Miss Parker v. Mrs. Robertson, Miss Mclntosh v. Mrs. Kemp. Miss P. Blundell v. Miss Wilson, Miss C. Young v. Mrs. Stott, Miss Webster v. Miss Wheeler, Mrs. Tweed v. Mrs. Henry, Mrs. Richardson v. Miss Wylie, Mrs. Welton-Hogg v. Miss Riddiford. Juniors: Mrs. S. Paterson v. Mrs. Aiken, Mrs. Hunter v. Miss Elliott, Mrs. D. Tripe v. Miss M. Morice, Mrs. Vogel v. Miss J. Wheeler. Miss Joyce Nathan v. Mrs. Tripe, Mrs. Sinclair-Thompson v. Miss S. Nathan, Mrs. Hill v. Miss Macintosh, Mrs. Holmes v. Mrs. Riddler, Miss N. Wheeler v. Mrs. V. Ward. Mrs. Turnbull v. Mrs. E. Blundell, Miss Hempton v. Mrs. G. Mills, Miss V. Richardson v. Miss A. Harcourt, Mrs. Howden v. Mrs. Findlay, Miss S. Todd v. Miss A. Pearce, Miss B. Herbert, v. Miss H. McKenzie. Mrs. C. Bell v. Mrs. Findlay, Miss B. Reading v. Miss McFarland, Mrs. A. T. Young v. Miss J. Elliott. Shandon Ladies’ Club The draw for the first L.G.U. medal and qualifying round for the ladder, to be played by the' Shandon Ladies’ .Midweek Club on Thursday at 10 a.m., is:—• Seniors.—From No. 1 tee: Mrs. Spiers v/Mrs. Frazer, Mrs. Vance v; Mrs. McIlroy. Mrs. Kerr v. Mrs. Monteith, Mrs. Saunders v. Mrs. Boyd, Mrs. Paterson v. Mrs. Jones. Juniors.—Mrs. Hunter v. Mrs. Clemens, Mrs. Black v. Mrs. Proctor, Miss Judd v. Mrs. Doherty. Mrs. Stewart v. Mrs. Caldwell, Mrs. Warden v. Mrs. Fnrgie, Mrs. Wallace v. Mrs. Mincher, Miss Dorset v. Mrs. Sothain. Mrs. Dennis. v. Miss Skipper, Mrs. Richards v. Miss Carstens, Mrs. Lees v. Mrs. Munt, Mrs. Smith v. Mrs. Bishop. From No. 11 tee: Miss Marris v. Mrs. Hardcastle, Mrs. Cocksroft v. Miss Hyde, Mrs. Mill'ird v. Mrs. Cathie, Mrs. Press v. Mrs. Peterson, Mrs. Cameron v. Miss Rogers, Mrs. Carstens v. Mrs. Kirby, Mrs. Campbell v. Mrs. Robinson ; Mrs. Savage v. Mrs. Mouat, Mrs. Mnyer v. Miss Thompson, Mrs. Bourne v. Mrs. Zachariah. C Division.—Miss Dennis v. Mrs. Raine, Mrs. Andrews v. Mrs. Maher, Miss Rockstrow v. Mrs. Fisher. Miss Porter v. Mrs. Lewis, Mrs. Whitcombe v. Mrs. Hunt, Miss Douglas v. Mrs. Miller, Mrs. Chartres y, Miss Levs.