GOLF

Evening Star, Issue 22618, 9 April 1937, Page 4

GOLF

[By Slice.] Otago Golf Club. The St. Andrew’s Cross stroke handicap at Balmacewen last Saturday was won by T. 0. Tyrrell, the club champion, with 76—4—71. This proved to be an easy win and was a very good score,- as the links are playing very long just now and the rough is vrey, very rough. It will- not b e very long before Tyrrell leaves the 4 mark, as his game is very sound in all departments. He also has a good control or direction—a most vital point. Second place was filled by W. F. Edmond with 84—10—74. This player has a wellbalanced swing, which with practice should put him on a lower mark. T. B. Ferguson, characteristically enough, had the second best gross score of the day with 76. Ferguson is not hitting the ball quite as hard as he used to, but is still getting as good a length. He seems to be eliminating some of the “ hit ” element,, which does not give consistent control oyer direction. Other players to break 80 were A.. Gibbs 78, J. A. Scouler 78, and J. G. Dick 79. ’ ~ . . The winner of the junior division was D. • IJ. Strang with an excellent 86— 18—68, and his handicap will undoubtedly show a decided drop. W, W. Johnstone smote terrific balls off the tee and came second -with 85 —15—70. Rather a good story was told the Other day about this player. Two players were playing their second shots at the second, off good drives when -a ball landed about 60 yards past them on the full. One player said to the other: “ Who is that player?” Second player said, without turning round, • W. W. Johnstone.” Port Chalmers Golf Club. A recent, low marker from BalmacewCn is distinguishing himself at Port. He won the last monthly medal match with 72—5—67. Hayward will be well remembered as being a -real giantkiller at the Easter tournaments, when, he rather unexpectedly eliminated some favourites. The Golf Bag, The 14 clubs question in .golf promises to become in England as acute a controversy as the 14 seconds count that followed the second fight in Chicago between Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney, writes an English critic. There are, as usual, two schools of thought, but it seems to me that the professionals with the greatest influence - are of the opinion that neither the R. and A. nor any other organisation has need to tinker with the existing rules. Henry Cotton, who is likely to be first favourite for the captaincy of the British Ryder Cup team, made his attitude abundantly plain in a newspaper article recently. He is dead against the R. and A. and all in favour of permitting golfers to carry as many clubs as they desire. I called on him to obtain more clearly his views on the subject, and I found that his main contention was that, although professionals of his status are not likely to be particularly affected,, there is a real danger that a limitation will severely cut into the earnings of lesser-known men who depend for their living on the sales of their shops. There is a good deal in this argument. Every , individual who has played golf knows that when he found a club that suited him, even if it could be used only for one shot, his anxiety was to acquire it. I have bought many that did little more than jam my bag. but one of the points stressed is that golf is already cluttered up by too many regulations, few of which the average player knows anything about. The'new rule, if it is finely adopted—and there is some doubt about that—cannot come into force until next year, but it would be a very grave development if there were defiance of tho Royal and Ancient. There has been whispered talk about that possibility. The number of golf professionals who can roll around in their cars, or who can afford to patronise the luxury hotels, is so tiny as to be almost negligible. The vast majority, and especially those attached to unfashionable clubs, lead a hand-to-mouth existence. Their retainers or salaries are paltry pittances, and they would all be in the workhouse if their shops were closed arid their sales interfered with. Cotton told me ho is fighting not so much for himself as for his more unfortunate fellows who would not be listened to if they bellowed their heads off from housetops. This is an admirable aim, for - Cotton, if he wished, could banish all others from his mind and merely bask in the good fortune that his talents -have brought him. '.He took, up his new duties at Ashbridge _ recently. It is known to all that his earnings there are largo, that he nas made a considerable amount pf money since he first broke into the golf picture, and that the outlook for him to-day is better than ever it has been. He is easily our greatest golf personality, and as a consequence he finds himself in the pleasant position of being eagerly sought after. For exhibitions he can demand a fee that only the few would dare to ask, and it has been demonstrated over and over again that his presence in a tournament means a large increase in the number of paying spectators. When he was the professional to the Waterloo Club of Brussels he took litle part in the legislating of the game in this country, but now he is back he is playing a big part, particularly on behalf of the under-dogs. When I asked him what ; his charges are at Ashbridge he said that for a 30 minutes’ lesson he requires 15s from a non-member and 7s 6d from a member. To secure his services for a round costs £2. Some • may regard these prices as stiff, but the answer is that his engagement book is full to the end of February. He thinks he will have to pick and choose when the summer arrives. His aim is to lift golf to a higher level than it has reached so far. If he succeeds those who will thank him most are the under-dogs already referred to.