GOLF NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 112, 7 November 1935, Page 24

GOLF NOTES

THE BRITISH LESSON

PROMISING PUPILS

New Zealand's women golfers have been set a new standard by the visit of the British team, but it is one by no means unattainable by themselves. Anyone who saw much of the New Zealand ■ women's championships must have come to the conclusion that there was some fine material undeveloped amongst the New Zealand women, quite apart from the team selected to meet, the visitors. That team could have been little improved I upon, but it could be seen as the tournament progressed that there were a number of young players who were quite capable of becoming equally good, with a little more study of the game, plenty of steady practice apart from play, and the confidence which meeting better players engenders. Amongst these may be mentioned Miss M. Guy (Manawatu), Miss J. Hornabrook (Masterton), Miss A. Ormond (Napier), Miss James (Masterton), Miss O. Smith (Napier), Miss J. Stevenson (Christchurch), Miss I. Seifert (Feilding), and Miss P Helean (Seafield). Of these younger and less experienced players, Miss Helean was the only one to reach the fourth round, and that she was beaten only 4 and 2 by the New Zealand champion, Miss Jessie Anderson, who proved even more formidable than the redoubtable Mrs. Walker, shows that there is some promising golf in the Seacliff player. If length is everything, and it was the law laid down by the British golfers, Miss Helean starts with a good equipment, and once she masters the habit of placing her tee shots where she wants them, should be heard of again in front-rank New Zealand golf. On occasions she played impressive long irons. Coming to the backbone of the New Zealand defence, pride of place must be given to Miss Oliver Kay, who, alone of the New Zealand team, had the requisite length as part of her ordinary game. Other members of it at times equalled the British women, and it would not be fair to say that they were consistently outdriven; in--deed, they were not; but there were not wanting signs that the strain of keeping up a length from the tee that they were not in the habit of getting did not improve their game. Scoring the only wiri against a British player during the championship tournament, and one-of its longest hitters at that, Miss Kay had'to go to the twentieth before a series of bunker troubles lost Miss P. Barton the match. Miss J. Horwjell and Miss V. Fleming had the honour of squaring their foursome at Miramar. Miss Horwell squared her single, and Miss W. Barns-Graham played fine golf to be 1 down to Miss Barton. Mrs. Fullerton-Smith played first-class golf throughout. It is perhaps noteworthy that the only three times when 80 was broken in the Mellsop Cup were twice by Miss Kay, and once by Mrs. Jacobsen, each of them New Zealand golfers, who have competed at British contests. All the leading New Zealand players gained inestimable benefit from the British visit, •and, with what they have learned and some preparation by playing whenever possible from the men's tees, as was recommended them by the British captain (Mrs. P. Hodson), a team could be picked from them which would do New Zealand credit on the next overseas tour. Without the constant practice which was the'keynote of Britain's success here, New Zealand women cannot hope to compete on an equal footing. Some of the visiting team practised as long as an hour in the morning, others only twenty minutes, and a great deal of the practising was done with iron clubs, which, after all, are the shot-savers.