Progressive Moves In Women's Golf

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 186, 4 May 1937, Page 14

Progressive Moves In Women's Golf

Wellington Leads The Way

(By

NIBLICK.)

rpilE progressive policy which the New 1. Zealand Ladies’ Golf'Union has adopted of arranging inter-zone matches will bring the Dominion into line with older countries, and do much to improve the standard of play in this country. It now transpires that the N.Z.L.G.U. is particularly desirous of encouraging promising young players to gain match play experience, anil forge their way to the front if they can produce the golf in the best of company. With this object in view, the- L.G.U. will make a grant toward the expenses, of players travelling to the venue of the inter-zone contests. The N.Z.L.G.U. has during recent years given every encouragement to youthful players. Already such,names as Miss Oliver Kay, Miss Bessie. Gaisford, Miss Winnie Barns-Graham,. Miss Valmai Fleming, Miss J. Hotwell and Miss P. Helean appear on the role of those who have represented New Zealand in international matches.

Wellington’s Progressive Move. The women golfers of Wellington have entered wholeheartedly into the scheme. At the instigation of their captain, Mrs. Duncan Stout, who is a member of the council of the N.Z.L.G.U., the Wellington Ladies’ Golf Club convened a meeting of delegates of women’s golf club« in the Wellington area at Heretannga on the Wellington club’s opening day of the season. At this conference a scheme for inter-club matches was thoroughly gone into and adopted. It was decided to divide players into three grades: A grade, with handicaps up to 12; B grade. 13 to 20; and C grade, 21 to 30. In these grades clubs will enter teams of six, who will engage in regular inter-club competitions. Tin’s will be preferable to the old custom of playing inter-club matches with cumbersome numbers of Twelve and more.

Mrs. Stout, who has put a great deal of work and enthusiasm into the scheme, is at present engaged in working out a programme for inter-club matches for the season, which in itself is a big task. The women golfers of the Dominion and of Wellington are to be heartily commended for the progressive moves they have taken to raise the standard of play in New Zealand. In a few months’ time we will have the pick of Australian women players invading New Zealand to defend their hold upon the Tasman Cup. The inter-zone and inter-club matches which are to be played will bring under notice every player with prospects of inclusion in the New Zealand team, and enable the selectors to have a good look at the most promising of the younger players. It is probable that the first series of inter-zone matches, as far as the Wellington area, which embraces Marlborough and Nelson, is concerned, will be played at Palmerston North. A New Star.

New Zealand has produced some able women golfers in the past, and is still doing so. It is clear that in Miss Joyce Betts, of Nelson, a new star of the first magnitude has arisen. Athletically built, this Nelson girl reminds one of Mrs. Guy Williams and Miss Ena Gambrill when this great pair were at the zenith of their powers some 14 years ago. With a wide stance, Miss Betts brings her hips and shoulders round much as Miss Gambrill did iu those days, and can hit the ball as far as the average man player, and a great deal further than the majority. of men.

That Miss Betts is in the very front rank of women players in the Dominion she proved by annexing the Canterbury provincial championship at Shirley a few weeks ago. when she convincingly defeated Miss Valmai Fleming in the final, and then coming over to Wellington last week and winning the championship at the Hutt ladies’ open tournament. In the semifinal on Thursday, the Nelson girl played brilliant golf to defeat Miss D. Wilson (Titahi), a sister of Mrs. D. A. Crombie, by 8 and 6. Scarcely making a mistake, Miss Betts went out in 38, to stand 7 up at the turn, and she then did 4-3-4 at the next three holes to finish the match. Good Temperament. That she possesses ideal temperament for match play, Miss Betts showed in the final, to defeat that able player, Mrs. Foreman, the Miramar open champion, by 3 and 2 iu the final. Mrs. Foreman is one of the most improved women players in the Dominion at the present time, and played consistently sound golf to come through to the final. The pair played quite good golf in the final, and were ail square at the turn, Mrs. Foreman taking 40 for the run out to Miss Betts’s 41.

Mrs. Foreman drew 1 up with a birdie 3 at the tenth, but from then on Miss Betts played sterling golf, and never faltered to take the championship by 3 and 2. A phenomenally long driver, Miss Betts also plays her iron shots aggressively, and keeps excellent direction with woods and irons, while she is very sound round about the greens. It is pretty certain that this finished Nelson player will be one of the New Zealand team which will del’eud the Tasman Cup at Napier in September next. Mrs. Foreman is to be complimented upon the able fight she put up iu the final at the Hutt last week. This Miramar representative has improved to such an extent that she is now a worthy opponent for any player. Among the gallery who followed the final was Mi's. Duncan Stout, captain of the 'Wellington Ladies’ Golf Club, and a ‘ member of the Council of the New Zealand Ladies’ Golf Union. Mrs. Stout, as Miss A. E. Pearce, won the women’s championship of New Zealand iu 1903. Another spectator who was much impressed with the play of the Nelson girl was Miss Ena Gambrill, captain of the Miramar ladies’ club, who saw a resemblance to herself in this powerfullybuilt player from across Cook Strait. Miss Gambrill has just returned from a visit to Australia, and has many nice things to say about Sydney courses, though she found the heat rather too much for golf iu the New South Wales capital. She was accompanied on the trip by another Miramar 'player, Miss Plimmer. Watt Cup Tussles. So far as the Watt Cup contest has gone this year, Shandon appears to have the strongest team in the competition. Following their decisive victory over Manor Park, Shandon outplayed Waiwetu, ou the Waiwetu course, on Saturday, by seven games to four, -with one game halved. Strangely enough, Shandon’s three top men were all beaten on Saturday. W. R. Tustin had to strike his colours to R. G. Holland to the tune of 3 and 2; Keith Jeffery was outplayed by “Jock” Wallace, the margin being 7 and 5; and R. G. Hayward could not step to the lively pace set by 11. H. C. Ribbands, who triumphed by 5 and 3. J. Logan, the Scot, was the first man to stop the Waiwetu advance, but he had to do 79 to defeat J. J. Cheevers by 2 and 1. Shandon possesses a large number of low handicap players, and it was lower down the list that they scored their wins. N. J. Sherwood (Waiwetu) played good golf to finish all square with that able Shandon man. E. J. Kretschmar, who is always a hard man to beat. Baby of the Bunch. Paekakariki, the baby of the Watt Cup competition, is showing signs of kicking off its swaddling clothes, and developing into a lusty youth. The team did really well on Saturday to be beaten by Titahi, on the Paekakariki course, by only six games to four, with two games halved. Alex. Murray did well to hold Jack Black, who was playing his first game as No. 1 for Titahi, to a 3 aud 2 win. They had a lot of fun at the fourteenth (200 yards), which Black won in 5 to 6. Black could not find his ball after his tee shot, and had to play his second off the tee while Murray put his tee shot among the trees. Black’s first ball was eventually found reclining in a water-plug near the green. Paekakariki will not be so strong for the remainder of the season. G Parkhouse, who defeated W. Marchant by 2 and I on Saturday, is leaving shortly to take up a position with the Samoa Administration, and G. H. Scott injured a wrist so severely that he may be unable to play again this season. The Paekakariki club will hold an open tournament on Coronation Day, when the Paekakariki Cup will be competed for. The Squadron Cup. and Miramar will play a match on Saturday, the A teams meeting at Heretaunga, and the B teams at contests for the Squadron Cup and Crawford Crescent will be fought out between the eight top players in the A tM IHs to be hoped that the Wellington plavers will mate a better showing thau they did against Hutt in the first major inter-club match of the season.