AMATEUR GOLF

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 113, 9 November 1921, Page 10

AMATEUR GOLF

; TO TBI IDIIOR,

Sir,—ln reference to Mr. Kirk wood' 9 opinion that amateur golf in Australia is of a higher standard than in New Zealand. As I have played in Australia many times and had a chanoe of judging the merits of the Australian and New Zealand amateurs, perhaps it might not be out of plaoo for me to express an opinion. The courses in Australia are very much better and many more times the money spent on them than on New Zealand courses, and Mr. Kirkwood' should know that the best links give the ■ player the most confidence and ability. In the same way the English and Scotch courses are very much better than the Australian courses,, hence the of golf is much higher in England than it is in Australia; but let the champions of the first six English, Australian, and New Zealand clubs come and play on New Zealand links, and my opinion is that there would be very little in it. The long daylight in England and Scotland gives the English and Scottish golfers the advantage, because they gat very much more golf on account of the long' daylight. Just the same witfi Kirkwood himself, owing to his doing nothing else but play. It gives him a chance and a half when he meets men like Douglas (over four times open oharnpion), who spends most of his time making golf clubs and teaohing. Last . year Kirkwood came over here, af^er playing many months every day two rounds per day, while to my knowledge Douglas had no time to practise. This year, if Kirkwood had not left so suddenly, after Moss defeated him in Auokland, there is no doubt but that' the suddenly-cancelled Douglas and Kirkwood match would ■ have convinced him that professional golf here is as good as in England and Australia. Golfers, including myself, consider that Douglas, is one of the world's best golfers when in form, and his recent Christohurch open championship score proves this. If Douglas was allowed to play more I think he' could go ,and bring back the Australasian Open Championship', »nd perhaps ono of these days one of our amateurs will bring baok the Australian amateur championship. There are men here good enough for it.—l am, etc., ■ S. TURNER. 7th November. .