GOLF.

Gisborne Times, 21 April 1928, Page 3

GOLF.

THE VARDON GRIP

TOOK AMERICA BY STORM

LOG UST HA NDIC APS

The frenzy for golf engendered in the . American people by Harry Yardon's first visit to the United States in the year J OKI was tremendous. Great- crowds attended -tlie matches. Ihe \ ai(ion grip was a detail of immense wonderment, and everyone seemed to lie practising it. Yarclon tells bow many places of business were closed lor the afternoon in some districts, and on one occasion the Stock Exchange also. A letter in one of the papers concerning the extraordinary manner in vlnch America was taking the golf fever contained these -sentences: “I went into a leading house to-day, and found the three partners of the firm in a violent discussion. As I thought they were talking business, I deemed my presence intrusive and started to edge awav. Suddenly the head of the- firm rushed into liis office and rushed out again with a cane. As tlie words were heated, 1 was just about- to interfere, when ! saw a weapon appear on the scene; but the head partner wasn’t looking for blood. Instead of hitting anyone he swiped the cane along the ground, and then I heard the words, ‘This :’s how Vardo-n holds it.’ T wanted to make an appointment with one of tlie partners, but lie’ told me he wouldn’t be in. ..However, I guess I’ll meet him. because I’m going out to Dixie myself.’ In Florida Vardon struck droughty conditions and exceptional heat, which had produced a plague of locusts. The ‘greens’ were of sand, and the difficulties of these were intensified for tlie time being by locusts. To such an extent was this the case that, while Yarclon. and his opponent were putting, men were employed heating sticks to keep the locusts off the line of tfieir putts, for if the ball struck a locust it would come to a sudden stop.' One of the incidents of Yardon’s visit was the surrender to golf of Captain. Anson, at the time America’s champion and overlord of basebnl!.’ A Chicago paper wrote about this as follows: “Captain Anson capitulated to golf yesterday during the race between Vardon and Taylor. Captain.says the game of golf is a go, and he has. ridiculed it ever since it began to get the people. Anson's remark when Yarclon drove Ids guttie off the'first tee some 220 yards, was. ‘Good boy, she’s a homer.’ Anson was pulling when ho nulled up at the 18th hole, but be felt better than if ho had stolen second base.’ ”

FREAK MATCH

240 MILE" ROUND

KENYA TALE,

From Kenya Colony (Africa) comes the latest tale of a “freak” match. The players were Mr. T. E. Hateley, Vice-captain of the Nairobi Golf Club, and Colonel Ley. and they were the principals in what was perhaps the finest golfing feat ever accomplished in ..the colony. Round the nineteenth hole one evening in the Nniri Golf Club, arguments were raised as to. whether or not it was possible to play nine holes in a day in each of the four (.courses. Nairobi, Gilg.il, Njoro and Eldoret. This meant that between the hours .of 5.45 a.m. and 930 p.m. the player had t& travel 240 miles on indifferent reads by. car and pla-v four rounds of nine holes each. The general impression in the club was that* an vone undertaking to accomplish... such A,feat would have hut a very outside chance of success, but Mr. Hateley, snorting veteran -that lie is', took tip bis rhalienge and backed himself to do it. '.So. "accompanied by Colonel Ley. lie set out, and successfully accomplished tlie'task with ten minutes iln spare,-. '