GOLF NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 1, 1 July 1922, Page 15

GOLF NOTES

(By "Bunkers.")

The pait week has been a quiet one so far as local golf news is concerned, no fixtures of special importance having been played.

The six men who tied on the 76 mark for the qualifying 16 for the Hutt Club Speedy trophy (four vacancies) played off another modal round of 18 holes last Saturday, when Matthews and Caminer dropped out, the lormer ruining his chances at the last two holes only. 1 The competition will now proceed by match play; at this week-end.., The^ four new holes recently got ready on the riverside will be brought into play for the first time at the monthly bogey competition this afternoon, and will thereafter continue in use for the men. We understand that something in the region of £750 has been spent by the club in clearing about 20 acres of old riverbed flat of gorso and boulders, top-dressing, and formation of greens. For some time to come the going will necessarily bo rough, and teeing up will be allowed on the fairways of three of the four new holes. The mashie-shot hole bordering the river which was laid out a. few months ago cannot well be utilised at present, as overflows from the river have denuded the land of soil and left it too stony. However, the green made for that hole will be used for the how long hole going south, as it is in better condition than the green designed properly for the long hole at the present time. The necessity for teeing up will prevent the ladies using these holes for their L.G. Union fixtures, as the union rules do not recognise hai dicaps earned by scores played, under such conditions. The bringing of these new four holes into play does not yet complete the course as laid out for the. club by Butters, but will make the course a better and more varied one of 18 holes without duplication. There is land and room for three more holes on the island north of the course upon the club's freehold when funds permit of its being cleared and broken in-, When this can be accomplished, some of the. all too many short holes on the present t-.ourse can bo put out, and the round be made a, respectable length. What is sadly needed in the Hutt Club, and aleo other big-mem-bership clubs,- is a short course for beginners. The clubs at present are confronted with the difficulty of providing comfortable play for the whole members. The juniors or learnsra have either to

be debarred from play at the week-ends or ohivvied about from pillar to post, couples constantly demanding to pun through them. A short beginners' course, to which all players over a stated handicap would be restricted on Saturdays and Sundays and holi lays, would be a godsend to all the learners, and, incidentally, to the good players, by removing congestion on the course proper. We feel sure that ail members, both senior and junior, would gladly pay an extra. subscription if it would bring about the result suggested by us. The first senior club close to the city to provide such a. learners' course will, we feel sure, be rushed with new members. We have received the following letter from an esteemed correspondent: —"The enclosed clipping may be of interest, and might be incorporated m your weekly budget. I do hot think he could possibly belong to the Wellington district judging both by the general ignorance of the rules displayed by the younger players and by the numbers of divots lying loose all over the local links. ' . "RFaPLACE THE TURF." "A young golfer, a hopeless novice, possessed good intentions. His first job after joining a club was not to study the game, but to study the club rules. He was. a stickler for obedience.' He went round the course alone at first, having no desire to worry his friends with his bad play. When at last they saw him returning they were surprised to find that he was wheeling a big wheelbarrow. 'What on earth have you got there?' they asked. 'Turf,' replied the novice, 'I'm going to replace The result of the British Open Championship was a disappointment to colonial golfers, who had hoped to see Kirkwood make a bold bid for supremacy. In eight rounds of medal play prior to the championship proper he had established. a. most remarkable lead over all other golfers. Golf, however, is suoh an uncertain game that, anything may happen, and when it came to the particular four rounds of the open, Kirkwood appears to have got stale, and everything went wrong that could do so. Like a good sport, he is disappointed, but hopes to do bettor another time. The triumph of his friend Hagsn was not unexpected. Kirkwood recently wrote to a Wellington player that he considered Hagen the best player in the world, and now that Hagen has won the open as well as the American championship, the opinion seems justified. If New Zealand clubs can afford induoerrient to these two players to .inolude the Dominion in their world tour, this new honour Hagen has won: will add materially to the interest of seeing him perform on the local links.

The meteorite, George Duncan, must

h&vo been strokes behind Hagcn with one round to play, but when he went out in 34, and coming 'to the last hole wanted a four for 68 (a record round), imagine the excitement amongst the thousands of spectators when it was known that, _od account of his brilliant run of play, if Duncan could get that four he would tie with Hagen, who had already finished—such a little decides the actual championship, as Duncan's fourth shot finished two inches from, the hole, and he had' to be content with second place. We think an extremely interesting contest would be provided if a team of say 8 of New Zealand's best lady golfers were matched afrainst a similar number of our best amateur men, who would concede a such an event is played, the crack men players conceding their opponents a stroke at every alternate hole. The ladies there have to play from the men's tees, and have been beaten each year. We think it would be a fairer proposition to allow them to play off the ladies' tees. As the New Zealand ladies' championship is to be held in Wanganui simultaneously almost with the men's championship -at Palmerston, it ought not to be difficult to arrange such a fixture, which would be extremely popular. We suggest it could be arranged for the Friday before the men's big event at Palmerston, and just before the ladies muster at Wangaiuii. People would be quite keen to see the relative standard which has been reached by the ladies. In the meantime, why should' not local clubs imitate the contest among their own placers to stimulate interest in~a bigger district or Dominion fixture to be later arranged?