GOLF IN MANY LANDS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 270, 11 August 1938, Page 7

GOLF IN MANY LANDS

Wellington Man’s World Tour PLAY ON 70 COURSES Mr. J. Shelly, of the Miramar Golf Club, has just returned to Wellington from a world tour in which he played on no fewer than 70 golf courses in different countries, and saw some of the

world's greatest players in action. Leaving Auckland by the Monterey on December 1." last. Mr. Shelly had his

first game of golf on the lour at Suva, where he found the course pretty rough.

Going on, he made a stay at Honolulu, where he played upon two line courses —the Royal Honolulu Golf Club's links at Waibaili, and the Aloha country club’s sporting and hilly course. Beaching California, he took part in the Los Angeles open, the Bing Crosby Invitation, the Pasadena open, and the Lettuce Growers' open tournaments. The last-named* links are situated at Brawley on the Mexican border. The greens there are composed of sand, are very tricky, and compel golfers to play run-up shots. Golf, he found, had a great hold in California. As many as 350 entries are received for a tournament, and 180 professionals each year go on what is known as the “Golden Trail,” a series of tournaments which starts in .January, and concludes about the end of April. Lighter Air. Mr. Shelly found that he could get 20 yards further with his driver, and li> yards further with his irons m . fornia on account of the air being lightci than in New Zealand. This suited him so well that he got to the semi-final in one tournament off the 4 mark. He found the larger golf ball very tricky in the wind, and it seemed to float in the an. He considers that the Monterey I eriinsula is perhaps the best golfing country in the world, being sandy and undulating Here are clustered such splendid courses as Cyprus Point, Pebble Beach, and the Monterey country club, which are all beautiful but expensive. He played on the Lakeside course at Ix>s Angeles, which is patronised by the Hollywood cinema stars, and the most exclusive Bel Air country club. Here elevators are used to convey the plajers to the elevated tees, and refrigerators with iced water are beside every tee at Lakeside.

Some Celebrities.

Mr Shelly saw John Montague the “mystery” man of golf, play nine holes with George You Elm, and both took 35 for the out journey. They weie playing a match for the modest wager of I °M’hile'i r n California. Mr. Shelly played a good deal with Babe Diedrickson, one of the longest women hitters in the world, who can hit an iron shot as far aS any U 1 He also saw “Slamming” Sammy Snead and Jimmy Thompson in action. The latter won the Melbourne centenary open championship m 1930 ami asked to be remembered to A. J. bnaw Mr. Shelly found the American Professionals all keenly interested m the New Zealand centennial ..tournament which it is proposed to hold m J o44 ’- *.. ~ It was interesting to find that all tournaments in California are P^ aye “ threes, instead of fours, as in hew Zea1U An interesting few days was spent on Catalina Island, where he found a sporting golf course amid beautiful surroundin”hi America every player’s bag is; inspected before he sets out on a round to see that he has not more than 14 clubs Many cameras click and loudspeakers blare at the big tournaments, and P ro b’ress reports come in almost after each hole has been played. The greens are well watered. . Among the thrills he enjoyed was to see Johnny Thompson do the home journey at Pasadena in 29 and complete the round in 64 in competitive play. He also saw Byron Nelson shoot at 64, and miss an eight-foot putt on the home green. . Mr. Shelly visited eight or nine courses round San Francisco, and on one of them Earl Fry recently put up a world record by recording 61 qd. a par 71 course. Public Courses. Mr. Shelly flew from San Francisco to Detroit, and had a game there on a public course. The public courses in America are just as good as the club courses, and all the professional tournaments are played upon public courses. Proceeding to New York, he played on * eight or nine courses there, including the Lido Country Club, a most exclusive institution. He had a game here with Mr. Homer Kerns, who was a member of the Miramar club while in New Zealand. Mr. Shelly landed in England on May Day, and lost no time in sampling English links. Among those he played on were Hendon, IL-i.C., and Stoke Poges. He then made a tour by car, and played on two courses at Manchester. He went on to Scotland, and spent three days at Gleneagles, sampled Carnoustie, and then spent three days on historic St. Andrews. British Amateur.

He then journeyed over to Troon to attend the British amateur championship. He had cabled an entry for this event, but was twelve hours too late, and the officials were adamant. He saw the amateur championship from start to finish, antj said that Harry Hattersley, the Australian, played very well indeed. Everybody in Seo,Hand wanted to know why Jim Ferrier was not in the Australian team, as his golf was most highly thought of both in Scotland and England. Hector Thomson appealed to Mr. Shelly as the best player at the tournament. He crossed over to France and played on two Parisian courses. He then went to Germany and played on a course at Potsdam whose club at one time had a membership of 314 which has now dwindled to 20 owing to Hitler’s banishment decrees. Thio club has no professional coach, for the reason that Hitler will not allow profesisonal sport of any kind in Germany. Mr. Shelly next went on to Vienna, via Prague, but did not find the courses at all good in Vienna. He then motored to Budapest and played on the course of th? Magyar Country Club, which has fine links controlled by an old Scotch professional, Malcolm Goodwillie, who was a school mate of J. Galloway, the Manawatu club's professional couch. Italy was visited, but Mr. Shelly did not sight a golf links there, so went on to the French Riviera and played at Cannes, Monte Carlo and Nice. He came home via Suez and played nt Colombo, Perth and Sydney, having sampled 70 courses during his eight-months' tour. How New Zealand Compares.

Comparing New Zealand courses with those abroad, he said that Shirley came nearest to the American type of links, while Hamilton could be likened to the not too severe Scotch type. After having seen the world’s best players he is convinced that no amateur ho saw had a better style or more ability than J. P. Hornabrook, the New Zealand open champion, and that A. J. Shaw’s golf style compares favourably with any professional player be had seen on his travels.

Speaking of green fees, he said that one paid from 5/- to 15/- for a round on American courses, while caddie fees were from 10/- a round for good caddies to a/for the poorer sort, with tips extra. In England and the Continent the charges were about the same as in New Zealand.

One village he visited in Era nee practically existed on caddie fees. The caddying was all done by girls and women .and one could hire a girl caddie of 14 years or a veteran woman of 70.