PIONEER GOLFERS

Evening Star, Issue 19712, 12 November 1927, Page 22

PIONEER GOLFERS

BRITISH TEAM FOR SOUTH AFRICA [Written by tlAKiir Vauikin, for the ‘ Evening Star.’] It is good to hear that the Royal and Ancient Club has accepted the invitation to send a team of four British' amateur golfers to South Africa for a tour in that country. Except in the. case of tlio Walker Cup sides, who cannot strictly be. described as tourists since their mission is to play a match against tbo pick of the United States and then come home, there has boon no previous instance of an official invasion hy Britain. The Oxford and Cambridge Society wont round America over twenty years ago playing matches against club and State teams, but that was a purely social piece of pioneering. It is excellent that four such wellknown golfers as Mr R. H. do Montmorency, •/ho has been appointed .captain, Mr Cyril Tolley, Major G. 0. Hezlot, and Captain A. G. Pearson have agreed to form the party for South Africa. No doubt they will take part there in the amateur and open championships, and llius a. very good idea, will bo obtained as to the standard of the game in the laud of their expedition. Wo may congratulate ourselves that British golf is still rated so highly ns to receive this invitation in preference to the United States. To bo sure, blood is thicker than water, but wo cannot blink the fact that America predominates on the links nowadays, and that its leading representatives would he a strong attraction in any country. Moreover, they have the money To undertake such crusades. Not long ago, I heard of a “ llound-the-World ” Club which bad boon organised in the United States, tlio programme consisting of a four months’ tour in • a ship of 25,0CX) tons ‘ and a visit to every quarter of the globe in which tlio game is in season. 1 believe this enterprise is to begin soon. j APRICOTS AS HAZARDS. j They have arranged their programme so ns to spend Christmas in the Holy Laud and New Year’s Eve in Cairo, and then proceed to the principal courses in India, Japan, Australia, and other countries, their arrival homo being timed for April. On their way they are to visit various centres of the game in remote islands. Could there bo any pleasanter manner of following the sun ? At tins season of the year, when our gaze, as wo tramp over tlio homeland courses, is met by deteriorating trees, it is inspiring to think of a round of golf at Cairo, whore, at tbo ninth hole, the tee-shot must carry an apricot grove with a lino of lemon trees on the right and an orange clump on the left. Who would not gladly pay a penalty of one stroke for the privilege of lifting out of apricots in full bloom ? For the most part the Egyptian courses consist entirely of saud which, however, provides a remarkably true playing surface. Helouan was laid out by J. H. Taylor, who, in his work of planning and constructing, was struck most of all by the natural undulations, of the saud, which gave the course a character that plenty of clubs would ,pay a great deal to possess. At least, the only circumstance that went deeper homo to him during his business of making the Helouan course was that, climbing to the top of tbo highest hill one day, seemingly alone in the desert, lie was suddenly confronted by a huge ami fierce-looking Bedouin armed to the teeth.

However, this giant proved to he perfectly gentle and friendly. He was the man appointed to gaurd the golf club’s property, and appreciating the distinction of meeting the architect of the course, he spent the next few days following Taylor about with the placidity of Mary’s little lamb. I hope our fortunate brethren, the round-the-world-boatload of golfers, do not think of going to Aden. I cannot fancy a golfing holiday at Aden after reading what tho secretary has to say about it. On the subject of tho conditions for visitors, ho remarks: “No visitors come to Aden. If one should come, he could play if brought by a member. There is Sunday play with caddies—if the caddies desire it.” Hie - prospect is happier at Sierra Loono, in West Africa, where, as my authority explains, tho hills surrounding the course riso majestically to a height of 2,000 feet, and where tho greenkeeper has the picturesque name of Santiggi Fimanui, JAPAN’S COURSES. The. tourists may be in India in January. When they go to Japan they will doubtless make a point of visiting the course at Kobe, which is the oldest in that country, hut I am not sure that they will want more than one round of it. Captain Pearson, one of the team for South Africa, who tried his hand upon it two yours ago, declares that it has strong claims to be regarded as tho world’s worst course.. Thu grass on tho putting greens, lie says, is like long cocoa nut matting, and ho found that tho only way to urge the ball into the hole was by using a heavy lofting iron. There is a really good course, however; at Yokohama. It was laid out just after the great earthquake of 1923; it lias excellent soil and other groat natural advantages. The Japanese champion, Mr Kawisaki, plays there. _ Captain Pearson had a round with him, and says that ho would be rated at about four in tho British national handicaps, so that he would bo good enough to take part in our amateur championship. Students of psychology and physiology have predicted that when the Japanese take up golf whole-heartedly they will make tho greatest players in the world. They have a golfing society of their own in London, and are keen pupils of several professionals.