GOLFERS' FAREWELL

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 100, 24 October 1924, Page 4

GOLFERS' FAREWELL

TO GOVERNOR-GENERAL

A PLEASANT GATHERING

."HAPPIEST HOURS ON THE LINKS."

The chilly -wind that blew down the first fairway and carried with it a light driving rain, at Miramar yesterday, in n6 manner served to damp the happiness of the gathering of golfers from near and far who met to extend a farewell to Viscount Jellicqe, Governor-Gen-eral. . During the years he has been in New Zealand His Excellency has learnt something of the game, and has spent many an hour playing and practising on various links, but more particularly at Miramar, while he has also taken part in several competitions. Gradually he became ons of that somewhat conservai tive brotherhood of golfers, an alliance only understood by those who have succumbed to the attractions of the game. This very conservative spirit puts the game in a class by itself, as it does its followers, and into the now vast ranks of its members one only enters because o£ Bis qualifications as a golfer —as distinct from a mere player. Sportsmanship and honour, are the two essentials, and on one them dependsjihe distance of penetration, by the player into the fraternity of golfers. The fact that yesterday afternoon, when the official farewell of New Zealand golfers was tendered to His. Excellency, there were prosent golfers from Auckland to the far South, players who had travelled hundreds of miles in some cases, just served to show the degree to which the now departing golfer has penetrated into the inner confines of the golf circle; As he has been accepted by other sports so hn has been accepted and welcomed by the golfers;-to what extent could be judged by the golfers; to what extent could be judged by the representation Vpresent.. The affair was the happy thought of the Golf Council, the members of which were assisted by the Miramar Club in placing its links at their disposal. . > ' THE FINAL GAME. Over seventy competitors drove away in the four-ball bogey competition which was played prior- to the guests being entertained at afternoon tea, and meet- j ing the Governor-General. His Excellency played with R. C. Kirk, president of the council, of the New Zealand ! Golf Association, and the pair were partnered by A. E. Mabin, Miramar club captain, and A. D, S. Duncan, of the council. Duncan and Mabin produced the best result of the" afternoon, finishing up on'bogey, and receiving the trophy at the hands of the Governor-Gen-eral, who, with his partner, finished 1 up. The gallery,naturally followed this four-ball. The Hon. Lucy Jellicoe caddied for her father. They were treated to a fine exhibition by A. D. S. Duncan; w^ho played steady golf all the way, varied with a couple of outstanding shots. He revived his old habit, and at the_ tenth and twelfth holed out with his maahie, from 50 yards, to get a. three^against a five bogey at the one hole,"and a two against par .three, at the next. The course and greens were m splendid order. ' A MEMENTO OF MIRAMAR. The gathering at afternoon tea was a particularly happy one, enlivened by! humorous speeches by Mr. Kirk, and His Excellency in reply. The council presented their main guest with a panoramic view of Miramar links as a memento of his golf in New Zealand, and His Excellency was also the recipient of two beautiful wooden clubs, a driver and, a brassy, made specially and presented by the Miramar professional (Mr. F. G. Hood). Mr. Kirk said ho felt that he could n°fc adequately express the feelings of the New Zealand golfers on such an occasion. They were not farewelling the Uovernor-Generul as the Governor-Gen-eral, but as a djstingwshed sportsman. At the nineteenth hole, where there wero no handicaps, where tho ' foozler ceased foozling, and whero the-golfer was at rest—(laughter)—they could c«*. press the wish that His Excelloncy would again come to play golf in their midst, and x that, in the meantime, h» would get all the golf he desired, and his lady all the hunting. To the golfers of New Zealand his. stay" hnd boon an urn diluted pleasure. (Applause.) So far as the golfers were concerned,' they had always looked upon him as a gentleman who, in his multifarious sphereß always played the game. They had every confidence in wishing him future happiness and a long life in which to enjoy it. In view of His Excellency's family record they were encouraged to think that .when some of. them wero seeking their future golf in the astral state h# would still be playing the game on som» ?!• v ?ouraes F ound London. (Laughter.) Mr. Kirk again expressed their sincere regret that His Excellency had to leav« them. "SWING TRUE AND STEADY." _ r ln "P'ying to the toast proposed by Mr. Kirk, which was honoured mosf heartily, His Excellency thanked brother golfers most sincerely for the photographic memento of the links where h« had c-pent. so many hours. "I trust the photographer has omitted the bunkers, hs remarked, amid laughter. "In thsm I have spent so much of my time. If they are not orijitfed then I will have to expunge them, in order that the photograph shall not remind m© of those unhappy moßfentfC when I was left in them with only my mashis and my Maker." Laughter.) His Excellency paid a tribute U> Hood, and said his hours on the ■Naw Zealand links had been of such happiness that they would be ineffacable His happiest periods had been on the golMmks of New Zealand. Ho .had not been in any sense a golfer when he came here, but what he did know about the game liow had been entirely learnt on the Dominion's links. It had been fortunate for their opponents that day that they had had himself and Mr Kirk with them, for their opponents h a a felt impelled to play wonderful strokes. (Laughter.) Mr. Duncan had found it necessary to hole out with his mashie on a couple of occasions to secure wins and it waa all their doing. (Laughter.) He and his partner fel|; as pleased as if they had won the trophy themselves He then expressed his deep sense of honour that golfers had attended from Cfreat distances to take part in the farewell. Golfers over the Dominion were true - sportsmen, and one of the liest of them was the president of the Uolf Council. (Applause.) "Good luck to you all, he concluded, "May you keep your eyes on the ball, may you swinsj true and steady, follow through well, and. never foozle any of your approaches." •-■ ( Tlio singine; of "For ( He's a Jolly f!(iocT Follow" find cheers wove accorded His Excellency, and then Mr. Kirk. THE BEST CAttDs! The \bcsl cards returned' wero as follow- i=- ' ■ . A. D. S. Duuc&a (New*Zealand Gojf

Council), plus 2, and A. E. Mabin (Miramarjy 11, 5 up. H. J. Shanks (Mornington), 5, and D. Hartwell (Mornington), 5, 4 up. L. D. Hurst (Miramar), 2, and M. J. Crombie (Miramar), 6, 4 up. M. H. Godby (Christchurch), 5, and B. C. Rutherford (Christchurch), 2, 3 up.- \ C. C. Holmes (Otaki), 8, and S. Seivers (Otaki), 8, 2 up. . A. Howard (Mornington), 11, and J. Wallace (Mornington), 7, 2 up. Viscount Jellicoe (N.Z.), and R. C. Kirk (N.Z. Golf Council), 5, 1 up. R. 0. Chesney (Hutt), 2, and E. C. Robieson (Hutt), 8, 1 up. L. W. H. Grace (Miramar), 3/ and E. H. Liddle (Miramar), 2, 1 up. . Colonel J. G. Hughes (Miramar), 9, and —. Seaward (Miramar), 8, 1 up.