GOLF

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 68, 21 March 1931, Page 22

GOLF

BY "CHIPSHOT"

BUTT'S LAY OUT

UNEVEN NINES

KIRK-WINDEYER TEAM

The playing allocation of the holes on the Hutt golf course, in order to avoid monotony, is a matter that has engrossed the attention of tho committee for some time; indeed, the secretary (Mr. E. S. Johnston) said at the annual meeting on Wednesday that they were printing cards only in small batches until tho final decision was reached. The chairman (Colonel B. O. Chesney) said at the meeting that many of tho leading golfers who had visited tho links, including A. D. S. Duncan, D. C. Collins, Harold Black, and T. H. Horton, were of the opinion that the prosent allocation was not the best possible. To begin with, there was a difference of 700 yards between the first nine and second nine holes. Then the first nine were either drive and iron, or drive and mashie holes, whereas of the second nine eight were two full wooden shots. By removing two of the wooden shot holes into the first nine, playing them as the eighth and ninth, and by putting two of the drive and mashie holes in the first nine into the second nine, they would equalise the lengths of the two halves of'the course within fifty yards. The committee could not agree on this question, however, by 3 to 4. Personally, his opinion was that if the change suggested wore carried out, the course would be improved. It mignt not be the view of the golf architect, Mr. Bedhead, but they were golfers, and it appeared that way to them. Mr. Hyder thought the question had waited long enough, and moved that Colonel Chesney's suggestion be carried out; but the latter said he would. prefer a bigger attendance of the keen golfers of the club to decide it. Mr. B. Wagg thought they should play the existing course to the. seventh, then play a new eighth, which would be from a tee some fifty yards in front of the present eighth to tho existing eleventh green, play the present twelfth as the ninth, play the existing eighth as the tenth, the ninth as the eleventh, and the present tenth as the twelfth, and then carry on from the thirteenth. That would give equal nines, and, in addition, break up the monotony of the first nine holes, comprised of drives and mashie shots, and give two long secondshot holes in the first nine, and take the two shorter holes into the second nine, whereas in the present .scheme the first nine were similar in length, and the second nine were similar in length. Better than monotony would be the division of the course into groups of six holes, making abetter variety of golf shots throughout the course. They could still maintain the two starting points in use at present. Mr.. S. A. Wiren said r'>nt he had discussed this matter •with Hr. Bedhead at Eotorua in September. Mr. Bedhead had produced a number of text books and cards from other courses, to show that tho lengths of the two halves of the course had very little to do with it, as in any ease it was eighteen holes that had to be played. It was better to avoid monotony than to divide the course equally into halves. They suffered from tho fact that of eighteen holes clevon were two-shot holes, of more or less the same length. They would got a different additionon the card, but they were not overcoming the monotony of the course at all, but they would be playing the present eleventh from the wrong angle, and, after playing the twelfth, would have a long walk back to the present eighth. Colonel Chesney did not think that the links were monotonous, because of tire way the holes were broken up, but there were many holes of the same length. It was stated that Mr. Bodhead's scheme had been adopted with one exception. Mr. J. H. Wagg remarked that with all deference to Mr. Bedhead, they could not ignore the opinions of the leading golfers mentioned by Colonel Chesney. Mr. E. Wagg said that perhaps he wanted more than Mr. Wiren; there was the question of a future championship course. Mr. Hyder suggested that Mr. A. D. S. Duncan be invited to play in a fourball, and give the club his advice on the allocation. A member remarked that while they were on the question of mo notouy, it had become monotonous to have the holes changed every week last season. There was also the disadvantage of spending money on fairways needlessly. Colonel Chesney thought that they should settle 'the question themselves, without outside help. The opinions of leadine golfers were known. Tho first halt never had been monotonous, but they should bring two two-shot holes into the second half. A member who described himself as a rough golfer thought the pleasure of the majority should weigh against the chance of getting a championship course in six years'.time. The only monotony ho found in the last nine holes was the bunkers. (Laughter.) He suggested that a postal ballot of the members of the club he taken or a special general meeting held. Motions and amendments embodying most of the suggestions mentioned above were finally discarded in favour of the secretary's motion that the question be referred to the incoming Management Committee to deal with as speedily and per, manently as possible. Kirk-Windeyer Cup. The fact that T. H. Horton is not available for the Kirk-Windeyer Cup team to go to Australia this year will quite possibly make an opening for some new blood. Why not Hornabrook, or some other brilliant youngster likely to stick to the game? Hattersley made good for Australia here. The cup will bo played at Kensington, Sydney, in June. K. Ross, jun. K. Boss, jun., is a youngster whose present handicap of 20 will be considerably reduced before the end ol 1 the season, says the "Diuiedin Star," and hjg, progress, with Dr. Boss to steer him, should be considerable. A not CS earned him second place. Shirley Greens. Shirley's season has opened with patchy greens, says the "Press," and it is feared that temporary greens will have to be put in. Tho trouble has arisen mainly from the efforts made to combat tho intrusion of the small yellowish grass called Poa annua, which, under lawn treatment, lies close to the surface and goes on sending through at least eleven months of the year. If encouraged by watering it forms a dense enough covering, but it is too soft and easily dented to be suitable for a putting green, and, of course, it benefits equally with the more desirable grasses from applications of sulphate of ammonia, which would destroy weeds like dnndelion and plantain. Unfortunately, tho converse statement almost necessarily holds good, and, as has happened at Shirley, applications of sulphate of iron, made with tho purpose of destroying the Poa annu.'i, have been equally fatal to tho finer grasses, among which it had heroine established. Sonic good rains during the next three weeks would probably enable the fescue to re-establish itself by means of its underground shoots, and so save the situation, otherwise, .it seems inevitable that considerable areas on several greens will need to be rcturfed or resown, ■