On the-Links

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 83, 4 October 1924, Page 19

On the-Links

LADIES' TITLE

NOTES FROM HAMILTON

MIDDLEMORE GREENSj

COMING EVENTS. October s—Rototawai v. Hutt, at Hutt. October 6, B—Miramar Ladles' open. October 9, 11—Wellington (Heretaunga) ladies'

open. October 11—Wellington v. Miramar, at Mirarnar. October 11—Second qualifying round it Hutt. October 23—Farewell to Governor-General at Miramar, by New Zealand golfers.

By "BAfirT." J To continue the notes written last week concerning the New Zealand Ladies' Golf Championships: They had barely gone to press when the fourth round results brought a heap of surprises. Miss Snodgrass (Rotorua) defeated Mrs. Guy Williams (Wellington), former holder of the title, on the last green, and played good golf to do it. Miss Snodgrass has played consistently at a good number of tournaments, but has never gone so far in the New Zealand meeting. Mrs. Peake turned for home 1 up on Mrs. Bly the, because of two stymies—at tlie eight and ninth. The game was a hard one all the way, Mrs. Peake just holding the' advantage at tlio last holp. Then came two more surprises, forsMiss M. Paytott, who beat Miss E. Bell'in the final of the. Wellington tournament at Heretaunga last year, caught Mrs. Slack off bet game and finished the game 8 and 6. The gallery was, however, attracted by thn match between the sixteen-year-old Miss Kay (Whangarei) and Miss Gambrill (Wellington). The match opened evenly, but a run at the end of the outward journey put Miss Kay 3 up. Miss Gambrill had a chance to recover to 1 down by ■ the thirteenth, but a bad kick from what appeared to be a perfect second lost her the win, and Miss Kay vyas again 3 up at the fourteenth. Miss Gambrill then pulled her tee shot, failed to recover with her second, and lost the deciding hole. However, it was th» thirteenth that cost her the match.

Then came the semi-finals, in which Miss Snodgrass and Miss Kay were put out. Mrs. Peake continued to play steady, good golf, and the match with Miss Snodgrass was one in which both played to standard. Mrs. Peake was out in 46, and took 38 for the next eight, long holes most of them in a good wind. -Miss Snodgrass never really got on to her tee ellot after getting out of bounds and losing the first hole. A stymie With her second putt was laid by Mrs. Peake at the last hole in the match, and this won her the match, 3 aud 1. Iv the other match the strain of hard matches and an attack of neuralgia proved too much foi; Miss Kay, who dropped below the standard of her earlier play* and went do~wn 3 aud 1 to Miss Payton. In the final victory went to Mrs. Peako by 10 up and 9. Miss Payton, of Auckland, was Mrs. Peake'S opponent in the final, but she never looked like playing to her true form in the first roUl'id, and the reliable golf produced by .Mrs. Peake comhpletely overwhelmed her. At tho close of the eighteen holes of the thirty-' six, which were scheduled for the final over match play, Mrs. Peake held a strong lead of 7, and going out in the afternoon her golf continued so solid that she forced a decision at'the twentyseventh green. It had rained fairly heavily in the early morning hours, but a few showers wero the Worst that befell the players and the large gallery which followed the finalists. Mrs. Peako did an 86 in tho morning, and was out in 46 in the afternoon. Miss Payton took 94 and 50. Mi's. Peake's margin is understood to be a record in New Zealand ladies' championship play. There wore two or three stymies iv the match, including one on the last hole, enabling Mrs. Peake to win. Although this was her first appearance at tile Now Zealand golf championship meeting, Mrs. Peaka had the honour of succeeding to the title of champion of her club, Cambridge, on no fewer than five occasions, though she is not the present holder. Apart from- South Auckland championships at St. Andrew's now and then, Mrs. Peake has never departed from her home course to tjike part in tournament play. The limited coaching in tho game Mrs. Peake lias had Was in hor leeils, while visiting_ Christchurch, from Dav o Hood. The impressions she gave thou were that she had the ability and tho natural teniporahient for the game, as those who have followed her play in the championship have had conclusively proven. Tlie best ' gross score of tho tournament was returned by Miss' Gambrill, the Wellington and Miramar player, and a' former run-ner-up for the r> Tew Zealimd championship, whoj playing in a bogey handicap with Mrs. Guy Williams, went round in 82 for the eighteen holes. Her card read: Out—3 6 4445 65 4 41; home—4 5 5 5 3 4 6 5 4—41—82. The weather was the only drawback to tho tournament, rain falling on several days. The tournament feature was the early defeat of nearly all the players who have been most prominent. A record was established in stymies, and nearly every match had onoj while aeverul had as many as three or four. The championship next year ha* been allotted to Miramar.

Mrs. Mellsop (Eofcorua) has/been reelected president of the New Zealand Ladies' Golf Union) and Miv« Gainbrill (Wellington) has, been re-elected secretary. .. •

The date for the next home links Coronation Medal has been fixed for the last week in May. There was no discussion on the subject of the levy imposed on lady members of clubs by tile Golf Association. In connection with the levy, by the Way, it is thought that whatever message was sent to England indicating an intention to bring out one or two specialists in course architecture was either sent uffder misapprehension or was misunderstood in England. No suggestion of i paying a large sum for a visit of course architects has been mooted. The only suggestion, as I indicated last week, is to import a professional with some standing m golf course laying out—a man something like Arthur Ham, Who planned or feplanhed a number of New Zealand courses. MIDDLEMORE GREENS. From what can.be gathered there is an indication that my remarks, after the open championship at Auckland, were taken as severely critical with reference to the Auckland greens, and even as being aided by a spirit of animosity. I can give those concerned my assurance that the notes that 'appeared in this column were only written in a discursive strain, and in.an endeavour to provide some ex-cuse for the poor scoring. There had to bo some i'e.ison for it, and as yet no olio has pointed out any other feature that could explain it. I still adhere to the opinion that the greens were not cut sufficiently short, that the holes wero not flattened down when they were ptit iv for the championship, anil that the holes were placed in the hardest position possible. The Auckland committee did their hardest lo make the courts' perfect, and gpsnt tt lm'!je aiuuUiit of oityiey. wid time _n j_

course was in excellent order. No championship has been played in New Zealand where the course has been in better order, and it is questionable whether there has-previously been such a fine sole of turf on the . greens. My remarks about the putting of Moss with an iron have been misread. It was not intended to convey that the Open Champion putted from ten feet with an iron. He did not. But if he had an approach on the green that was over 10 feet, and there were plenty of 40----feet approaches at Auckalnd, he ran it up with an iron. It was frequently suggested before the championship that seventy would be broken more than once—but the competitors found that it would have required a combination of luck and perfect play to do it. Wishing to be quite open about the matter I wrote'to three golfers of repute, two in the North Island and one in the South, enclosing my notes, aud asking the following three questions: (1) Do you consider that the holes were placed in a position on any of the greens that was unfair? (2) What is your opinion about the greens, and do you think the Auckland Club could have done moro than they did to make them playable? (3) To what do you attribute the poor scoring in the open championship? Mr. J. Came Bidwill supports the views I have adopted, for he replied: (1) I think the holes for the open championship were placed in the most difficult positions on each green. (2) More cutting woili'd have improved them. (3) Weather conditions and placing of holes on greens.

Unfortunately the Christchurch player approached considered no good purpose would be served in expressing an opinion, and therefore declined. ' ■ ' Mr. A. D. S. Duncan is the first player I have met who differs from the opinions quoted, and he replied: (1) The position of the holes at the recent open championship at Auckland were, in my_opinion. well chosen and quite fairly placed. Consideration had to „be given to the placing of tee shots by the player, but this is only in accordance with the accepted practice in other countries, and a welldirected drive was invariably rewarded by a reasonably easy approach to the hole. In no case were the holes so placed that a sound approach shot would be punished. (2) The greens were in excellent condition, and should have presented no difflcultes, as they were on the Slow, side and therefore comparatively easy. I consider everything was done by the Auckland Golf Club to bring the greens into first-clasß order. Some criticism was expressed because the holes were not changed for the second day's play in the open championship. This is certainly unusual, but that it did hot detrimentally affect the play is evidenced by the fact that the scoring was appreciably better on the second day than on the first: (3) I find it difficult to account for the poor form displayed. All the conditions necessary for low scoring, including . fine weather, wero present, , and yet there can be little doubt that the form shown was much below the New Zealand standard. THE CONQUERING HERO. L. Quin, the new amateur champion, was accorded a Warm reception When ho arrived' iii Eltham from Auckland. The local band Was at the station to meet his train, and when he alighted •it played "See the Conquering Hero Colnes," and Quin was carried shoulder high under an-arch of. golf clubs held by members of the club. A large number of his friends and local citizens wore present, and speeches of welcoino and congratulation were made; cheers wero given,' and "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" was sung. Quin, in reply, I said he was very pleased at the warm welcome home from 60 many good friends. Speaking of the match, he said the semi-final had been a good game, but he felt confident all the time he could win it. In the final he was in good form all the way, and had no misgivings from the start. He could assure his friends he would do his best to retail! tho title, and hoped to be again successful next year. Quin was then escorted to the centre of the town by a procession of golfers, headed by threo members of the Eltham Pipe Band. A dinner was accorded him. The members of the South Herts Club, Totterldge, England, recently celebrated a 21 , years' association with Harry Vardon as thoir professional. Ho joined tho club when at. the zenith of his powers, and though strong forces have tried to drag him away from his post ho has remained faithful to their interests. Vardon was 33 years of ago when he left the peace of Ganton (Yorkshire) for Totteridge. ■ He "had already won the championship three times, and he marked his appearanco in London by immediately gaining a fourth victory. CHAMPION HONOURED. Though his powers are now declining, Vardon can look back ou a record which is unsurpassed in brilliance, and which in many ways can never bo equalled. J. H. Taylor had alroady won the championship twico, to the dismay of the Scots, when Vardon uppeared, and the two men became the keenest rivals. They have been rivals ever since. Then came Braid, and these three players were the props on which modern golf was built. To their influence und example the game owes its growth and popularity, not only ill England but throughout the world. Among all the dazzling feats which Vardon has performed there is one which the old. members of the South Herts Club would probably recall today. This was was the challenge which three leading London amateurs of the time threw down to Vardoii. He was to play their best ball. All of them were rated better than scratch, and they calculated that one of them would be putting for a three at almost every hole.

The one thing they (jVerlooked was that Vardon was just as likely to be putting for threes, and, moreover, getting them. As a matter of fact writes a golf correspondent, Vardon did get the threes, and he gave them a*3readful drubbing. I forget the exact result, but it was something like five and four. The\;e aro three matches which Vardon recalls as representing perhaps the best golf he ever played. Two of them were against J. H. Taylor in Ireland, in the days of the guttie ball.. In a final at Newcastle, Co. Down, he could do nothing Wrong. Taylor reached the turn in 39, which represented par play, and *he was as many as seven down. Vardon's score was 32. , The match was over 36 holes, and he won by twelve to eleven.

The match which Vardon has declared to be tlie most important in his career was that with Willie Park. The Scotsman had missed • a yard putt to tie with in the championship of 1898 at. Prestwick, and it arose as a result ■of this close finish. The first half was at North Berwick, and it may be recalled that the first eleven holes were halved. Vardon, however, finished the day two up. and at Ganton, when Park failed _ completely to do himself justice, he gained the hollowest of victories.

All winds aro contrary to the disgruntled player.

Golf is a mirror, in which we see tho best and worst of ourselves. Never'cackle till your egg is laid. To believe a 51..0 i impossible is the sure wuv to make it'so.

Everyone can cure a slice but him that httl.li it.

Two chronic kickers in any club are too many by tt couple. ' Tli<s ftoKe'r \y_o ulka liiilo, mike tint of himself.