GOLF.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 25, 29 July 1911, Page 14

GOLF.

(By "Mashie.") FIXTURES. WELLINGTON CLUB. sth August— Ladies' Silver Putter. 12th August— Ranfurly Cup. Men's Foursomes. 22nd-26th .August— Ladies' Club Cham« pionehip. AtmAMAR CLUB. 19th August-*-Medal Handicap. 21st August— Fourth Medal Competition. 21st-23rd August— Ladies' Club Championship. HUTT CLUB. 2nd-3rd -sth— Ladies' Club Championship. 9th Augusts-Putting and Approaching Competition. | 12th August— Silver Button (medal). The Miramar Ladies' Club has decided to alter the date of its championship from 7th and 9th August to 21st and 23rd August. These dates overlap with tho ladies' championship of the Wellington Club. The Otaki team, which came down oa Saturday to play the Hutt Club, met with defeat by five games to two, but it is explained that some of the country club's "best players were unable to make the trip. It is stated that Mrs. Beaven, ex-cham-pion, ie again playing a good round, and there ars possibilities of her competing in the forthcoming championships at Heretaunga. Mrs. Murphy, of the Hutt Club, who recently won the L.G.U. coronation tnedal, is aIBO playing consistently, and should be seen on the Wellington Club's links in championship week. The members of the Otago Ladles' Club played their bogey competition on Tuesday last. The following were the best card 9 handed in : —Miss Scott, handicap 2, 4 down; Miss Theomili, handicap 8, 6 down; Mrs. Cohn, handicap 14, 6 down. The semi-finals of the Christchurch Ladies' Club will be played on Monday next. There afe left in the competition at this stage Mrs. Donald, Mrs, Hill, Miss Campbell, and Miss Sytnonft. The past week has been remarkable for its contrast to the previous one— at any rate as far as golf is concerned. Instead of the iron-hard ground of the early frosty mornings) we have had a spongy course and much casual -water. The creek running ' through Heretaunga ha* been in flood, and it is probable that a quantity of the watercress and weed has been scoured out. The last time a flood of any consequence occurred at Heretailhga, Mr. Watkins, whose property is lower down the stream from the links, found a rich lode of golf balls, well over a hundred. Tho competition at Troon, won by the Hon. Michael Scott, of New South Wales, has created some interest in colonial golf. The London Sportsman, however, is quick to claim Scott as an Englishman. This may be, but certain it is that he learnt a great deal of the game in Australia. "It provides a touch of the glory of Em» Eire to describe him as an Australian, but cis an English golfer. His victory at Troon with rounds of 77 svhd 78 affords clear proof that the honours of golf across the, seas are not won by moderate players. Mr, Scott, says the Sportsman, has perhaps qualified to bo regarded as the first golfer in Australia, but h© has been beaten from time to time, and yet he has proved equal to winning a competition of such importance as that which took place at Troon. James Braid had several opportunities of seeing Mr. Scott play at Walton Heath a few weeks ago, and said, I believe, at the finish, that few bet» ter golfers had com© under his notice. Clearly Braid was no bad judge," The final (36 holes) of the champion* ship ©f the St. Clair Club (Dunedin) was played on Saturday between J. Drake and L. Jardino. At tho end of the first 18 holes Drake was 2 up, and, winning the first three holes in the second 18, held a commanding lead, and finally won the match— 6 up and 4 to playi Jardine was not playing in quite such good form as he has lately, when ho beat some strong mon in the earlier stages of tho Competition, while Drake 1 played steadily throughout. During his' residence in Dunedin J, Forbes, now of Christchurch, held an un« beate^ record for the seaside club's championship, and it is a fitting compliment to him that his mantle should fall on Drake, who learnt his game under the tuition of th© ex-champion. The present champion's style of &l&y is identical with that of Forbes, and as ho has the golfing tern* perament in a marked degree it is only reasonable to expect to see- him in the first flight before very long. J. Forbes is still doing well in Chrisichurch, and recently put up some good rounds at Shir« ley. The cable brought news of Miss Par* bury's win in the N.S.W, Ladies' Golf Championshipi In the preliminary round of stfoko plaj Miss Parbury played a consistent round of 44 out and 44 in, made up as follows :-Out: 7,5,5,4,5,6,3,4,5-44; homei 6,3,4,5,6,4,4,?,?— 44; grand total, 88. "To play a gam© without a ball on,'* said a man the other day, "is like playing nap for love." He is a player of many years' standing, says the Sydney Sun, and he has, ih one capacity and another, rendered Valuable service to th© game in and about Sydney. li, would not matter if he and a few others were alone. But, unfortunately, they are not; and they are setting _ a wrong example to th© generation that is coming on. It is wrong for many reasons. For one thing, it encourages the gambling spirit among younger players-for it is a gamble, after all, which of tho two performers happens to be on his game on that particular day. For another thing, if the practice became universal, it would add to the financial liabilities of the game. And in private clubs these liabilities arc already heavy enough for a man who is not exceptionally It is not the club subsoription that_ counts— it is the petty "cash. Ih© trouble is that a player who is not inclined to accept th© proposal is likely to bo regarded as not a sportsman, and, recognising this, he often yields in the taco of his owh convictions. It may be weak, but human nature is human nature. Ino incident, however, does not help his respect for a game which, so he is told, is not worth while playihg without something, tangible, attaching to it. This is a shocking principle altogether ; and, though it is disquieting to see that it is erowintr m favour with the rank and file of players. it is good to know that the best Australasian and English players have little time_ for it; that is to say. in a comprehensive way. For there can be no objection, on occasion, to a player agreeing to back his skill against another's. It is the genci'al practice that is bad. The professional championships of Ireland and Scotland produced results expected and unexpected respectively. At Portrush Michael Moran won the Wish championship for th© third year in succession, and he is as clearly the best native product among the professionals us Mr. Lionel Munn is among the amateurs, i ±le has not the same natural advantages of strength ahd build as the amateur, but ne "as ft beautifully easy and steady stylo, that has the appearance of not bomg ablo to go far wrong, and, like Mr. Munn, he is almost certain some day to do bettor than ho has as yet done on this sido of the Channel. _ Sinclair, of Loith, who won the Scottish championship at Turnberry, has hitherto been n completely unknown qunn- | tity. Tho score of 309 for four rounds with which he won does not in the^e dnj'n of wonderful scoring appear a particularly brilliant one. But it is well to romember Hiafc the greehs were very decidedly fast anri in places bumpy, and that the sun had probably beeh blazing down upon them quite ruthlessly for some weeks. Tho London Times on Mr. Hilton and Mr. Lockhftrt:— In tho final match at Prestwick Mr. Hilton was quite human, but in nil his previous rounds he went from hole to hole with the pitiless oc curacy of a machine, delightful to look at, horriblo to play against. Nobody els© came near to him in th© matter of (his steady excellence in round nftcr round. Perhaps the nearest approach to him was Mr. Gordon Lockhflft, who crushed (ill his Bdvetsrtries with the utmost ease until he met Mr. Hilton in the semi-final rouad. Even then, he

played golf good enough to win, and win comfortably, most matches that take place at this stage of the competition. F. G. Hood writes to say that he was using a Patent Challenger, which is really a first-class all-round ball. He cays that he always preferred a Challenger to ahy other ball, but that the Patent Challenger goes one better. — Advt.

The lease and plant of the Victoria Quartz Company, Bendigo, Victoria, whose shaft (4365 ft, in depth on 31st December, 1910) was regarded as the deepest of any gold njiiio in At.etralifl, and probably the deepest gold mine in the world, was put np for public competition lately by the Sheriff's officer under a writ of fi. fa. issued by the Supreme Court on the application of a bank. The property was knocked down for £1200 to Mr. J. Cock, a former Ben-digon-iaii, who for some years has been a leading mining manager in tho Chiltern district, Victoria.

Lord Iveagh (head of the Gnmnei family, the celebrated brewers) has ii creased the long list of hie beiwfactiot to Ireland. Hotne years ago he endoue Dublin University (Protestant), ut whin ho is now Chancellor, with a laigc *>vi for scientific research. He hae tin 1 come to the assistance of University Co lege, Dublin (Roman Catholic), one C the constituent uolleges of the New N# tional University. The governing boarl of the college has been informed b him that he proposes at an early datl to present to the college two plots of hi property adjoining the Bite of the latl Royal University in Earlsforfc-tcrraet Dublin. These plots, amounting i about half &n acre, will form a valu able addition to the college site. liord Iveagh desires that the gift may hi associated with the names of his valuet friends, the late Moneignor Molloy, urn the lat« I'ather James Healy the f&nioui and witty parish priest of Little Bray near Dublin.