GOLF

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 12140, 30 December 1933, Page 11

GOLF

GOLFER’S MYSTIC RIGHTS. Rathe.]' more important than, usual vyill. be 'this year’s dinner of the Royal ’ Blackheqtb Golf Club, founded hi .f6pß-—its course until 1922 Avas oh the heath. A ugav field niarshai, Mr. f . S. Sawyer, long a. member, is to be given his gold badge; and this does not often happen, for the. ancient office is a life appointnient. He wears epaulettes to lvis fed coat. Tlie captain of the club Avears one epaulette only. The red coats of these tAVO, and of past captains", will make splashes of bright colour round the tables of this dinner at the Park-lane Hotel

The most picturesque incident, however,., will be' the ceriemony of installing, the noAV -Captain : Mr. Willi, hra Saggers is the* man• this year. He will, s'tand up. and Major Guise Tucker, tlie .secretary,; aaull administer the solemn oath: ‘'You have been elected Captain of this Royal Club by the unanimous vote of its members. We' ask and expect- that you will do all that in you lies to maintain its honour and dignity, to protect i!t,s privileges, and to fonvard the true intere,sts of golf . • -Kiss the Club!

. An ancient silver talisman, this sceptre of the reigning captain, it is one of the many unique possessions of this famous club. Another is the quaich from Avliteli the piper, who plays the gathering in to dinner, takes—neat—his traditional reward of a tof of whisky. And it is a point of pride that the piper takes the draught straight off, Avhile. all watch him do it—solemnly turning the quaicli upside doAVn then, to show no drop remains.

TWIG WAS MOVED AND HOLE WAS LOST. WOMEN GOLF CHAMPIONS WERE IGNORANT OF RULE.

Two golf champions lverc concerned in a remarkable inciden t du jlhg the women's autumn foursomes at Ranclagh (England) recently. The players were Mi's. Percy G'aron i Avho holds the women’s open championship of Germany, and Miss Kathleen Garnham. holder of the worn on's open championship, of Erauce, both international players.

It was alt the second hole that the incident, which had a bearing on the course, of the match, took place. Miss Earn ham, espying a twig lying on the, green, picked it tip, whereupon Mrs. Coats, a Scottish* international. and Mrs. Ge«ron’s partner, claimed the hole, presumably under Rule 12. which states that a loose impediment- lying more than a club 'length from the hall may not ho moved under penalty of loss of the hole.

Doubt being expressed about, the legality of the claim, a messenger was sent to the clubhouse for a copy of the rules, the result of the hole being left in abeyance while the match continued. When the rules arrived and were, examined it was mutually agreed by the parties tha./. Mrs.. Coarfcs’s, interpretation w.a s correct and that by removal of the twig Miss firamham had lost the hole. Only when the players returned to the clubhouse at the conclusion of tin match was it discovered that i claim was an unsound one, and to Miss Garnham had committed, no illegality. It sees extraordinary (comments a golf critic) that three players of'international repute should, fail to remember, the provisions of a rule which says that loose impediments may fie removed from the putting green, irrespective of the distance ’of the position of the ball. In sfiots through the , green a loose irnpeclnpcnt may only he .removed if.it is within, a club-length of- the ball. Bfit this rule will . soon be dead, for On find laifter -January 1 next the club length limitation disappears, apd loose ...objects," wherever lying may bfc renioyed at the player’s option.

In ' this instance, Miss Garnham lost a hole which in fact she halved, but it is tp be supposed that the pppfients would have won • the Match just’the same and at tlie same point —the. 17th.

Afi the backmarkers, rated at plus 1, Mrs".* Garn' and her partner were conceding six strokes ,to Misg Garm ham ..arid Mrs. G. Edison, of . MidSurrey... Mrs.. Gar on and Mrs. Coats accomplished the 17 holes . of tfio matph ’in the wonderful score of > or ; nine, •under 4’?W :■ : G-iving tlie.m a 4 at the 18th, a reasonable assumption, their round Would have ,been .63 two shots under the standard: scratch score. which beay, fiestimpny to. the ,equality of'the .partnership’s golfi are: QutV 44 .3 iiv' . ; if holds)/ 1 59/" ' 'j-

Ra/iclagh may. he a short course.— the. longest hole i.s 445yds—hut the figures, have to be, obtained, and'in/a ■strong hiustering' wjp.d r afi wfis The case this tirne, the golf is riot so" easy it. Tpoks,." fi.;.:,.' : ■•■