GOLF

Evening Star, Issue 20440, 22 March 1930, Page 9

GOLF

[By Mid-Iron.]

Under excellent conditions and with just sufficient wind to make things interesting a record entry competed fot the Sidey Cup at St. Clair on Saturday, with which event, tho club opened its official programme. Forty-four’couples faced the starter for a mixed foursome tournament against bogey. Tho result was a win for Mr and Mrs W. Wrather, with a creditable return of 3 up on the redoubtable Colonel. Mrs Sterling, who was partnered by H. Skinner, played well, and had not several short putts missed their mark this pair would have had an excellent round. Two family combinations in Mr and Mrs J. H. tlobertson and Mr and Mrs H. A. Gamble showed consistent form 1 to be all square on the day. The low handicap performers were not conspicuous on this occasion, and followed the general rule in this respect where mixed foursomes are concerned. Sir Thomas Sidey congratulated the winners and presented them with the cun, aftr being tho host to the members at afternoon tea. The second qualifying round of the Balmacewen Club championship was played on Saturday afternoon, mid the results make a highly interesting study when compared with the figures returned in the first round. Although a 'airlv stiff breeze was blowing, conditions otherwise wore in no way less ideal for low scoring than in the previous week. I have a little pet “ grouse ” about the practice indulged in by most golfers, and this seems an excellent opportunity of giving it another airing. I can scarcely recollect the last time I saw an amateur deliberately set out for a serious practice of playing into the wind to master the art of controlling the ball both for trajectory and direction when lacing that disturbing element, but I have many a time and oft watched a player solemnly march to the far end of the fairway so that he may practice joy shots down wind. Of the sixteen who qualified only five players improved on tho figures of their previous round. Dr Gooff, Barnett lopped no less than seven strokes off his 83 of tho first round, but that first round was much too bad to be true, and his 7 ( i, which was equalled by l)r K. Uoss, stood out from the rest of tho field on the day’s play. Indeed, only five players managed to break 80, and 1 strongly suspect that serious practice against the wind whenever opportunity occurs would prove of real and lasting benefit to many players who competed on Saturday. J. Spence, with a somewhat scratchy 79. managed to head the list of qualifiers, but N. G. Hay required no less than ten additional strokes to his first round of 72, and tied for second place with Dr K. Boss, whoso experience in overcoming difficulties and knowledge of tho game stood him in good stead E. J. Hocking, who incidentally is u better golfer than he appears to be, and J. VV. Trewern returned creditable cards of 79; but play for the .most part was considerably poorer than the conditions warranted. A notable failure was that of the captain of the club, A. N. Haggitt, whoso first round of 80 should have ensured him a'place amongst tho qualifiers. 1). M. Irvine, J. H. M’Uougall, and C. U. Spackmnn tied for the last two places, and in tho play-off the two first-named retained their positions.

Prophesies on tho results of golf, especially where eighteen-hole matches are concerned, are apt to bo highly dangerous, but a mild forecast of tinresult of the first-round encounters might be essayed. J. Spence should certainly account for J. H. M’Dougall. and Dr Boss should not have much difficulty m defeating E. A. Reed. 1 fancy that both J. B. Laidlaw and J. L. SVight will be compelled to strike their colours to their respective opponents, D. H. Butcher and G. F. Barnett. N. ti. Hay sholud have a shade on D M. Irvine, but. the result is by no means a foregone conclusion, and Irvine might easily bo too experienced for his youth ful opponent. G. C. Henderson will probably bo a little too steady for J W. Trewern, although there is little lu choose between the two players. The best matches of the day should undoubtedly be between B. E. Hayward and J. G. Dick and C. T. Irvine anti B. J. Hocking. Since forecasting is the order of tho day, I plump for Dick and Irvine, but would hate to have much on tho result of either game. Walter Hagen and Joe Kirkwood, having finished their displays in Sydney, meeting with decisive defeat on one occasion, have journeyed to Melbourne, where the two tourists engaged in a tbirty-six-hole single, which resulted in a win for Hagen by 2 and 1Reg, Jupp and Arthur Lelevre, the two most experienced of the Victorian top-notchers to-day, engaged in a fourball with the visitors at Royal Melbourne over thirty-six holes, but were beaten by the visitors, of whom Kirkwood showed, the better form, whilst Hagen was very far from his best. Tho upheaval in New South Wales golfing circles has resulted in the Suburban Golf Association electing Mr F. H. Greaves as president, in place of Mr W. A, Windeyer, who has held the position for twenty-eight years. Whilst recognising the great services that Mr Windeyer has rendered to the game in New South Wales, the association could not sec eye to eye with him in his support of tho claim of the two oldest clubs to do most of the controlling and selecting, and otherwise to monopolise the direction of affairs in general of the State. With the exception of the open championship itself and tho amateur championship, the feature of most interest in Great Britain this year will probably bo the “ needle ” match between Leo Diegel. the present American champion, and Abo Mitchell. Diegel has been after Mitchell’s blood for some time, and is very confident of his ability to 1 win tho £250 that Mitchell is putting up ns a side bet. Mitchell never says ho is confident of winning anything (it might be bettor if he had a little American self-assurance), but he is good enough to tackle any job of the kind and make a success of it, too, and the match is sure to draw an enormous crowd to Moor Park. Balmacewen was the scene of the annual meeting of members of the legal profession on St. Patrick’s Day. Play was against bogey over eighteen holes, and the occasion was made a combination 'of golfiing and social amenities. That sound golfer, R, S, Brown, produced the best form, and won the event with a return of 3 up, and both W. G. Hay and H. S. Ross were both 1 up. A certain amount of criticism is not unnaturally levelled, at this time of year, if no good rains have fallen foxsome weeks, against those responsible for shifting the holes on the greens and cutting new ones. The flintlike nature of the soil immediately beneath the surface makes hole-cutting almost a matter of impossibility, and it is of no use to blame the curator of the course. Tho real trouble lies in the fact that the greens are built on soil that was never intended, by Nature, to be made into putting greens, and those who lift up their voices loudest in lament are quite possibly those who are the most ardent obstructionists of the only remedy for tho conditions complained of. Golf was intended to be played on sandy soil, but where conditions have rendered this impracticable, sea sand is always used on the greens to produce a porous effect. Its advantages are so numerous and its drawbacks simply so non-existent that it is a matter of complete bewilderment to me that the astounding statement that sea sand will cake in the summer and produce a cement-like crust, has been actually credited by committees, and passed unchallenged in the face of all evidence to tho contrary, without anyone taking the trouble to find out, by actual experiment, whether or no the inspired information had anything of truth in it. It is, of course, mere flapdoodle, as a visit to any seaside course would immediately prove, as would the remarks of any builder on whom one attempted to palm off sea sand for the making of cement; but players in Dunedin have been for so long accustomed to such little unnecessary inconveniences that there is but small chance that the time has arrived for a' demand for such improvements as it is in the power of committees to afford them. The St. Clair and Balmacewen Clubs meet on Anniversary Day in tjie first of their two annual encounters. Teams of eighteen aside will engage in singles and foursomes, and the venue will be at Balmacewen mi this occasion. Matches between these two clubs are always tinged with a touch of real keenness, and the good-natured rivalry pervades each and every match. It has been the general rule recently for victory to lie with the homo team, and this advantage is a very considerable one, at Balmacewen especially, where local knowledge is of very great assistance, Whatever the result of the meetings, a very first-class day’s golf is always assured.