GOLF NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 23727, 7 November 1940, Page 2

GOLF NOTES

[‘By Slice.]

Otago Club. The generally good scoring conditions experienced on Saturday were reflected in the St. Andrew’s Cross bogey handicap, m which several good cards were returned. This resulted in a tie between J. N. Lemon (2) and E. A. Lucas (6) with excellent scores of 4 up. In administering the old “ Colonel ” such a thrashing both played masterly golf for their respective medal equivalents of 70 and 72. Lemon after being 3'down at the seventh, never put a foot wrong, and had seven pluses and four halves at the remaining holes. Out in 38, he came home in 32, 5 under bogey. Lucas was out in 37, which included a penalty of two strokes at the fifth, and the inward half was covered in 35, 2 under bogey. Unfortunately the latter is at present indisposed, and is likely to be out of the game for some time, but the wish is expressed that “ Ted ” will soon be fit again. These figures may possibly earn reductions in handicap for these two players, but in weighing the value of the scoring'it is to bo recognised that the course was playing a little on the easy side. A. Boyd was on the spot, too, with a 73 to fill third place with 3 up from an allowance of 3 strokes, a score deserving of a better fate. R. F. Ban - (5) and W. A. Mitson (8) were next, with 1 up. B. V. (Pip) Wright, transferred back to Dunedin after several years spent in Central Otago, also displayed top form in finishing “ all square ” from the plus 1 mark, as did Balfour Ferguson from scratch.

In the B grade A. M. Cameron (11) was in top gear to carry off the honours with 4 up, W. W. Johnstone (11) and S. J. M'Donald (12) being next with 2 up. On Saturday the first round of the club championship will be played, and with the fairways and greens at their best some very low scores should be returned, and competition will be very keen. St. Clair. The past week-end was again full of golf interest for the club—the finals of the intermediate and junior championships, the monthly medal and two rounds of four-ball bogey play for the Goldsmid Memorial Cup. As anticipated, both finals were productive of excellent golf iu their respective classes. J. Delbridge continued to show that improvement which won him the Otatara Cup on the previous Monday by whining from A. Jefferson, 1 up. He was 3 up at the tenth as the result of steady play. Jefferson then took command;of the game to win the next four holes in bogey figures, giving him a lead of X up with, four to play, Delbridge recovered, however, with a perfectly-played 4 at the difficult Gums to square the match. The sixteenth was halved, and a win at the seventeenth restored the lead, which ho retained to the end. Our congratulations to Delbridge in recovering so convincingly from a long, lean recovery by the way, which he attributes to a timely visit to the club professional, “ verb sap ” —and to that consistent performer. A. Jefferson.

The junior final gave promise of a dingdong struggle until near the end, when Joblin seemed to lose touch. As indicative of the class of play they are capable of, the game started with a half in birdies. Holes then won and lost in good figures put Joblin 1 up as they left the twelfth. From this point on Cardno did not look back, and proceeded to take the next four boles and the match, 3 and 2. The monthly medal produced some good scoring, the players relishing the improved overhead conditions. In the seniors A. Aitken shot a sound 77 from the 8 mark to lead the field. The prompt attention of the handicapper was his just reward. Andrew plays a stylish game of golf, which will shortly earn him a much lower handicap than 7. In the juniors, R. Griffiths burnt up the course with a net 65. He will now struggle with the “ Colonel,” with a smaller allowance.

In the Galdsmid Memorial Clip some strong combinations had to admit defeat at the hands of two limit men, 0. Brown and W. J. Meade, who won their first cup 1 with a score of 13 up. Largely as the result of combining well in the morning, they placed themselves in strong positions with 9 up. Starting late in tbe afternoon, they bad to finish in a heavy rainstorm. Wet but undaunted, they arrived at the eighteenth, 3 up. At tins hole Brown staged a strong finish with as good a 4 as Plight be expected from a scratch man. Congratulations to them both. Thirteen up over two rounds is an excellent score, and we expect to hear more of them in the future. Belleknowes. Last Saturday saw the first rounds of match play in the club and junior championships for the Hay and Nees Cups. In the senior division the results were more or less as expected. The leading qualifier, A. I. Murray, was fully extended over the first nine holes by T. A. Morland, who led 1 up. From that point on, however, the former took command, the game finishing at the fourteenth. J. F, Byers did not have things all his own way against R. MTver, and had to fight hard to get out at the eighteenth. B. R. Rogers combated the greater experience of R. A. Penman very well in taking him to the seventeenth, while R. Bruce-Smith found himself heavily engaged against 6. Gregory, who held on tenaciously to the last green before accepting defeat. H. V. Huntley had a close tussle for most of the journey in his match with G. S. Thorpe, but was able to clinch matters at the seventeenth. N. R. Driver and R. M. Wilknson both played below form, the latter’s putting being about the only bright spot in the game. Victory, however, came the former’s way by a 2 and one margin. In the juniors the real spice of the afternoon provided by F. Hinton’s victory over W. A. Race and S. A. Stannard’s conquest of F. B. Clarke, first and second qualifiers respectively. Race had the upper hand for the majority of the game, and at the eleventh was 2 up. Hinton then fought hack strongly, and by dint of steady golf had reversed the position at the fifteenth. The sixteenth and seventeenth were Won by Race, and they faced the eighteenth “ all square.” A 4 to Hinton here gave him the hole and the match, and a strong contender for the junior title vVas relegated to the role of onlooker. P. Clarke, whose recent form indicated bright prospects in the match play series, found Stan. Stannard a tough opponent. There was never more than one hole difference throughout, and at the seventeenth the position was “ all square.” Stannard annexed the last hole and earned the right to continue in the event. L. R. Sceats was hard pressed by A. D. Fuller, and was extremely lucky to get out at the nineteenth. Lionel was definitely not on good terms with his putter, as on 10 greens he three-putted. This is unforgivable at Belleknowes, where the greens, which are not big, are level and true. However, it is the delivery of the vital punch at the right time that counts, and this he was able to do. Just how many lives have been saved at the nineteenth would be hard to estimate. H. A. Lawless was expected to prevail over M. F. O’Sullivan, and although playing good ?o!f ho was unlucky with several shots. Had he got the advantage of one or two breaks different history might have been written. However, congratulations to " Mick ”on his win. The remaining games were won with comfortable margins. On Saturday the second round will he played, and during the week-end a stroke handicap competition for teams of four players (sealed teams) will also be held.

Port Chalmers. The final men’s match for this season took place last Saturday, when a stroke jiandicap was played, in which several good scores resulted. F. E. Hunt was the winner with 72—8—64, and showed good form Next in order were R. E. Hayward 70—41 —66, D. Forsyth 82—16—66, and F. Pithie 88—22—66. Macandrew Bay. In the senior championship final F. Waller defeated C. S. Palmer by a good margin. Tho former is a most consistent golfer and did not meet with any real opposition in tho championship, and bis win was a very popular one. The junior semi-final between G. White and G. Blackman was expected to bo a good contest, but the young junior member had little difficulty in eliminating his opponent, who did not play- up to expectations.

In a Stableford bogey competition a good card was returned by P. Waller with 19 points, 17 of which were scored off the stick, which was really good scoring. C. S. Palmer was second with 17 points. In the other semi-final of the junior championship, between, R. S. Twose and H. Morrow, a surprise win resulted for the latter. Twose has been playing consistently well of late, and it was expected that he would have little trouble in defeating Morrow, but" the latter has also improved his game considerably, and he will now meet G. White in. the final. The medal match played last Saturday under ideal conditions resulted in many good cards being returned. F. Waller returned an excellent gross 31, which is 1 under par. D. H. Morris and R. Dick both played well to secure net 30 to finish equal in second place. Other good cards were those of R. Twose, A. C. Penny. G. White, and S. Whitburn. Chisholm Park. The season was officially brought to! a close last Saturday, when an aggregate Stableford match was pi ay rd in conjunction with the ladies’ clubs. A good field of over 70 turned out, and some fine scores were returned. G. Mora and Mrs A. Bristow were the leading pair with 42 points, followed by A. Laing and Miss Richdale with 40. Subsequently the minor trophies won during the year by the men’s club were presented by the club captain, Mr H. Davies. The following trophies were presented by Mr J. M'Mullan, the club’s president, at a social in the evening:—Club championship: Senior, G. Burns; runner-up, G. Mora. Intermediate, R. Pollock; runnerup, L. Wright. G. Watt; runnerup, R. Morris. Trengrove Cup, E. J. Roche. Manning Cup, F. Pink; runner-up, G. Mora. Megget Cup, J. Kenyon; runnerup, W. Meldrum. Four-ball “ knockout,” R. Steel and J. M’Hugh; runners-up. A, Anderson and M. Stewart. Onslow Ladies’ Club. The season is now drawing to a close and the main competitions are nearing finality. The closing day has been fixed for November 14. The final of the four-ball ” knock-out ” competition was played last Monday between Msedames C. S. M’Lean and J. Blackie and Mrs A.' Cormack and Miss M. Dev, when the latter pair were successful. Mrs W._ Pinkham is showing muchimproved form and has now qualified for the A grade. Many of the B grade players are also shaping well and should qualify for the A grade next season.