GOLF

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 33, 9 February 1927, Page 14

GOLF

a reviving Interest

HUTT'S NEW PROFESSIONAL

ENGLAND'S LONGEST HITTER

(By "Chipsh'ot.")

With the growth of the suburbs, golfing ground is hard to get near the city. • The latest club to,feel the city's expansion -is Johnsonville, which is within sight of the end of a pleasant occupation of its course. Tawa, Flat \r, seeking to extend .its membership this season, and, it is understood, will ..ke in. some well-known Mornington players. Here and there are signs that | the eyes of summer proselytes are re'.urning to the corner where they droppod their clubs when the weather got [ warm, and with the colder days there will be revived interest in the links. Brown courses and fiery greens will give j place to softer turf and better putting. Usually there is a good deal of summer i golf, but this ye,ar the heat has made it unpopular. butt's New Pro. Lindsay Eoss has been appointed professional of the Hutt Club, and has taken up his duties, halving resigned from the position he held on the New Zealand Golf Council. Bom on a golf course at Sutton Coldfield, Boss received his earliest training from his father, th? professional ther\ and took his first assistant's place at Wolverhampton, and then successively had experience at Hoylake and Le Touquet, returning as professional to Wolverhampton. On being demobilised after four years with the Army, he w:as appointed professional at Ladbrooke Park, from which he came to New Zealand to the New Zealand Golf Council, with which he lias been two years, coaching in all the provinces.

England's Longest Hitter.

It has frequently been contended that the air in New Zealand is "heavier," or more resistant to the flight of a golf ball than in California and other parts of America, where the tremendous carries are got in the summer, ■ and if this is true, local long hitters should put" up' a good; showing if entered in long driving events there. • It is not while the muscles are tightened up in a long driving contest that the length is obtained,' but rather in the ordinary day's play. English conditions, as regards atmospheric resistance, should more nearly parallel those in New Zealand, and if this is so, the carries of Andy Shaw compare favourably with those of the longest "hitter of the day in England (J. Smith), assistant to Duncan at Wentworth, Virginia Water. Of the latter, G. W. Greenwood says: "Since "he. came into ■ first-class golf Smith has been recognised as one of the world's longest hitters; longer than Mitchell, who in recent years seems to have lost a little length. On many occasions I have seen Smith hit some astonishing drives, but I do not remember having seen him. hit with such tremendous power as was the case yesterday. . Some of. his shots were so terrific -that.they- made: one's best efforts, those that can be .viewed with a certain amount of justifiable pride, look absolutely ridiculous. And it is all accomplished without any undue straining; just a quick, right-handed punch, with the left holding on like grini death to prevent the club face being turned over at impact. The most astounding shot of all, I think, -was the drive to the 14th, which measures :289vyards.. Guarding theientrance to the green on the .right-haiidHside is a bunker, a tentacle of juts out a good distance on to the course. Smith drove, slap over the bunker,^necessitating a carry of,.over 270 : yards, and finished two yard's from'the holeside. I have never, seen anyone ■ perform this feat before, not even Mitchell, who in his famous contests, first against ..Compston and: then against Hagen, steered a course to-the left to avoid'the bunker, and on neither 'occasion reached the green. Long hitting that is divorced from straightness ft of, no use, but Smith appears to have brought about.a most happy union of these: two vital factors."

Oamaru Links.

.. Oamaru golfers will be playing on their; new links when the season opens, according to reports, as the work of getting the fairways and greens into order, under the direction of Basil Smith, is progressing rapidly. While it cannot be called •« seaside course in its entirety, it touches the sandy beach at one>point, and the holes are of a sporting character. The golf house will be in position shortly, and it is intended to renovate the caretaker's house thoroughly.

Professional Tournament.

Early next month the Botorua pro-fessional-championship and Handicap tournament will give visitors an opportunity of seeing some of the best golf in the Dominion. Commencing on Wednesday, 9th March, the tournament will continue on Thursday and Friday.

Auckland's New Club.

Some portion of the undulating landscape within bus reach of Auckland is to be called Akarana, when it becomes a.golf course, but the meeting of sixty golf enthusiasts which decided to form a club of that name on Wednesday last had not then decided on the land to be leased. The club was nevertheless formed, with a subscription not to exceed £4 4s for men and £2 2s for ladies. t James "Watt, who started the Wellington municipal links at Berhampore,'will lay out the course free of charge. It was resolved to charge no entrance fee if members joined within three months of the inception of the club, the first annual meeting of which will be held in March. The Akarana Club is assured of a membership of 400 within a year, if it puts in an eighteennole course, in the opinion of Mr. Watt. Another course is needed," he said at the meeting, "and I do not think you can go wrong," he added. "I have been trying to get municipal links in Auckland for the past seven years, but the City Council will not wake up Every municipal course in the world pays its way handsomely."

Veteran In Form.

The week-end gathering of the members of the New Zealand Golf Council at Jferetaunga to celebrate tha sixtyfourth birthday of their president (Mr. «. 0. Kirk) quite naturally took the form of a'golf contest. Mr. Kirk ■.despite his years, finished 1 up on bo'eev and unconsciously provided a lesson as S K V\ to 0l idv golfers as the.many winch he has delighted for ynars to give to younger players. The .Hsabili'mfw *PV lmpoSe are Just as severe on Mr. Kirk as on others who, though they have not gxven up the gain, have da mcd their^age for the falim'g off while it has been largely due to their tailure to adapt themselves to the r stiffening muscles. IW people in the r sxxties have accorded the game so much careful thought in this direction asMr K«k, whose ball still flies down ttp nnddle of the fairway, whose m ashi e does as he intends, and whose putter is merely « pleasant little tofll, the"« of which is an enjoyable ritual

D. O. Whyte was the -winner of the Ward knockout handicap, beating lan MacEwan in the final, 3 and 2.