GOLF

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 264, 4 August 1937, Page 3

GOLF

Titahi’s Challenge to Napier POSSIBLE CONTEST (By Niblick.) N. W. Parker, of the Titahi elub, recently wrote to R. Hobbs, of the Napier club, forwarding a challenge from Titahi , to Napier for the Wilson Cup. A reply . has been received from the Napier player - in which he states that the Napier club would be only too pleased to have a match with Titahi if the rules governing the Wilson Cup contest permit. He understood that the cup was originally donated for competition between teams from the Napier, Poverty Bay, Wairarapa, Manawatu and Wanganui districts. However, Titahi’s challenge had been referred to the Hawke’s Bay district golf committee. Hobbs stated that the Napier team which recently successfully defended the Wilson Cup against a challenge by Wanganui consisted of 12 players with handicaps of 5 or under. Titahi Stalwarts. Incidentally, Parker, who hails from Stratford, is a decided acquisition to the playing strength of the Titahi club. He played perfect golf in the Watt Cup match at Titahi on Saturday, put in 34, he was 7 up on the steady Waiwetu player, Wallace, who, however, did well on the run in. eventually to be beaten by 4 and 3. Parker plays No. 3 for Titahi. Another reliable player in Titahi's senior team is T>. A. Dacre, the exAucklander. He played good golf on Saturday to beat H. 11. C. Ribbands (Waiwetu) by the wide margin of 6 and 5. Daere took 37 each way. which is good going for this time of the year. I. Parkes, who hails from Taihape, is another Titahi player who handles his clubs stylishly. He did the out journey at Titaiil on Saturday in even 4's to fstand 6 up on C. Walker (Waiwetu) nt. the turn, and went on strongly to take the game by 7 and 6. While at Taihape. Parkes used to play frequently with J. P Mortland. and this no doubt has helped to tune him up to his present high standard. H. 1). Gyles, who is still in his ’teens, is proving that tennis is not the only game he can plav well. Joint New Zealand junior men’s doubles and mixed doubles tenniis champion, he hap already proved that he can wield a racquet skilfully. and he is al«o an adept at tabletennis. Now he has taken up golf and has succeeded so well that he has gained a place in the Titahi Watt Cup team. He covered the course in 79 on Saturday to boat W. T. Wilson (Waiwetu) by 8 and 6. Another good all-round athlete in the Titahi club is Penis Smith, the wellknown New Zealand, Otago and ( nnterbnry renresentative cricketer. He plnvcd ns No. 1 for Titahi in the Panish Cup match on Saturday and beat K. R. Hendry (Waiwetu) by 7 and 6. From Scotland. Scotland has always been regarded as the birthplace of golf, and has given many eminent exponents to the game. Wellington has nt least two who are approaching the form they showed on their native henth before settling in this country. They are J. L-ognn, who is now No. I for iiis club. Shandon, and who will make a bold bid for the club championship this year. He did a 74 last week-end with a couple of penalties in the round, and. > off the 2 mark, won the boßcy competition with a card of 1 up. The other is A. T. Cielliind. of lhe t Waiwetu club, who is fast regaining the i outstanding form he .showed a couple of reasons hack. On Saturday he covered .1 the Titahi course in 75 to beat W. Mar- : chant by 4 and 3 in the Watt Cup con- <

Mary Alward Cup. The Mary Alward Cup contest is arousing unusual interest among women players of the minor clubs in Wellington this season. Titahi are at present leading with 36 points, while Manor Park are only 1J points behind, and Shandon, who have played a game fewer than Titahi and Manor Park, have 294 pointe on the slate.

The positions of the teams to date are as follows Dlatches

Hutt’s 111-fortune. The Hutt club for the past two years has had the strongest team of any of the major clubs in Wellington, but they have been sadly depleted xvithin the past year. First of all Rana Wagg. decided to give the game a spell for a while. Then ,T. L. Black joined the Titahi club, and, as if this were not enough, W. J. Davidge transferred to Auckland and Bryan Silk returned to Wanganui. John Kember has for some weeks past been in Dunedin, and this week Colin Armstrong joins Bryan Silk in Wanganui. It is not often that a elub loses so many top-notch players in the space of a few months. Fortunately Hutt has several promising young players coming along to fill the gaps. A Holo in One. D. Hartwell, who has been associated with the Dlornington club since its earliest davs and who in the years gone by has held the seuior championship, was the recipient of many hearty congratulations from the members on his return to the clubhouse after his hard-fought victory in the second round of the intermediate championship agiiint|_ F. W. Andrews on Sunday. With 15 holes played he was 2 down. The sixteenth hole saw a turn in the tide when he scored an ace, and followed this up by squaring the match at the eighteenth to go on in the senu-darkneh’S to wiu at the nineteenth.

They Both Fell. . A good story is going the rounds just now concerning two well-known and enthusiastic Wellington golfers who. a few years ago, ha<l nothing but the utmost contempt for the game. They arc Harold Boon and Vie Swanson, who for many years were among the best rifle shots in the Wellington area. Some 10 years ago they were members of a rifle team which competed in a match on the Grey town range. After the match, as the pair wore strolling along the road with their rifles slung over their shoulders, they passed a golf links and paused for a while to watch the peculiarly-garbed persons engaged in this game. “If you ever catch me in that garb you can give me as hard a kick as you can land,” said Boon.

‘‘That goes for me, too,” said Swaneon.

The years rolled on and Boon took up golf and naturally, in the course of time, donned golfing garb. One day he was in a hostelry enjoying a glass of refreshment when, to his amazement, he received a violent kick in the rear. Swinging angrily round, he met the beaming countenance of his friend Swanson. Time moved on further, and Swanson fell a victim to the golfing habit. One day Boon had occasion to ring up his friend, lie was told that Swanson had that dny donned a suit of plus-fours for the first time and had gone out to Miramar for a game of golf. This was too good a chance to miss. Boon hurried out to the Miramar links and craftily stalked his prey until -he caught him bending down intently study- ” mg the line of a 20-foot putt on the home green. To the astonishment of the others taking part in the game, and the amazement of Swanson. Boon repaid in good measure the kick he had received on the former occasion. When Swanson regained the perpendicular he had to admit that he had only received a Roland for an Vi",?' i n two eraek had both hit the bull s-cye. They were all square, and repaired to the nineteenth.

Titalii played Points 36 ■ Affinor Park •> .... 5 344 Rhnndon . .... .... 4 294 Wfiiwptn .... .... 5 12 Paekakariki .... 5 8