THE GOLF BAG

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 November 1938, Page 2

THE GOLF BAG

LIMIT ON CLUBS TOURNAMENT

It seems that one of the most interesting golf tournaments arranged for. many years may have to be cancelled because of lack of support. Wrote Henry Longhurst in the “Sunday Times" recently. The tournament consists of four rounds of medal play, the first of tvhich is to be played Avith a full set of ‘clubs. The second aVUI be played with five clubs. Next day the first round will be played Avith three clubs and the final With only one.

Here is a tournament which —to me, at least—appears to offer unlimited scope for entertainment. I look forward hot so much to seeing who wins, or even to trying to win for myself, as to noting the difference in the scores of individual competitors with the various numbers of clubs. Particularly I am waiting to see how many players do better with five clubs than with their full set. It has to lie allowed, of course, that they will be more familiar with the course on the second round than on the first. All the same. I think that the number of people who find themselves more competent with a bare five clubs than with the number they habitually carry will be surprising. I do not believe that many will do better with one than with three or five, but I suspect that a good many will be just as capable with, three as with five or their full set.

The choice of five clubs does not present much of a problem. I imagine that putter, mashie-niblick, No. 5. medium iron, and spoon or brassie will be the standard choice.

But what about three? • Are you.going to take a putter, a mashie and a wooden club, and ignore the bunkers and the rough? Or are you to confine the choice to irons and play for safety at the sacrifice of length? Or can you, alternatively, find some adequate substitute for the putter, and so carry the equivalent of four clubs? For myself, lam not yet certain. I am assured with confidence that the spoon is a. good substitute for the putter. so perhaps the spoon, rhe No, -I and the mashie-niblick is the best choice.