PUBLIC GOLF LINKS

Evening Star, Issue 21823, 12 September 1934, Page 8

PUBLIC GOLF LINKS

ACTIVITIES AT CHISHOLM PARK TWO “PITCH AND PUTT " COURSES At the Chisholm Park Reserve, the site of future public golf dinks, Man is gradually, beating Nature in the battle entailed in the formation of crisp fairways, and it should; be only a matter of time and patience before citizens will have the ! benefit of several . fine courses in that neighbourhood. _ The most important of these is that which comprises, nine full length holes, but, in addition, there will also he two “ pitch and putt ” courses of the typo that have become so popular in Great Britain? Lastly, there is to be: an eighteen-hole putting green. At the present time relief work groups, made up mainly of returned soldiers, are employed at various kinds of jobs associated with the big task in hand, and the superintendent of reserves (Mr _D. Tannock), who showed an ‘Evening Star ’ reporter over the whole area this morning, is confident that the outcome of the operations will be highly successful. . , ' As regards the big course, no difficulty is being experienced with the greens, all that is needed ,to- put them into perfect shape being top-dressing and rolling. Probably, however, the final touches will not be administered until the fairways have been brought up to the desired standard, although the greens will be kept inown and rolled all summer. The task of getting the fairways in order has involved a long fight against the übiquitous lupin, the new growth of which is still being pulled up. Marram grass also is being drastically dealt with, but Man has an able ally in the couch grass, which is gradually taking possession as the lupins disappear, and which will eventually form a fine springy surface calculated to please the golfer who welcomes a good lie for his second stroke. Except for the fact that they are being firmly bund with Mcsembryanthemum, or ice plant, some of the sandy knolls are being- left as they are, but others again are being shovelled and wheeled away to serve the twofold purpose of levelling certain fairways and filling in „ adjacent depressions. The biggest of the levelling jobs is being carried out at the ninth hole, where a fair number of men are busy with shovel and barrow.. Later on Mr Tannock hopes to have trees planted at places where, without interfering with the accurate golfer, they will serve admirably as wind breaks. The ‘shorter of the two “ pitch and putt ” nine-hole courses, both of which skirt the Tomahawk road, should be ready for play before the other. Already the grass is coming up, and practically all that remains to bo done is the topdressing of the greens, for which special soil was procured from Tonga. Park. In length the holes vary between 40yds and 6Qyds; so that golfers should realise how valuable the course will be for practice at approaching. The other course, situated across the Tomahawk road to Chisholm Park, has holes ranging in length from 70yds to 90vds. The proper soil is now being laid down, the material for the surface of the greens being carted from Bathgate Park.