GOLF.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 23 August 1924, Page 10

GOLF.

NOTES. Interest in the men’s championships is well maintained, and the drawing ■after tli-e qualifying rounds are played will be awaited with keen interest, It is a question whether a fairer and; better method would be, as is usual in many clubs, to play two qualifying rounds. This would he a better test of form, for it is quite on the? cards that a good player might have a day off and put in one had card which put him out of the running, whereas an inferior player might strike a patch of good form. Two rounds would serve to give anyone a fairer chance. The course is in. first-rate order, and now that tlie old eighteenth is cut out and the extra hole secured by cutting Westward Ho in halves, players practically have no wet country to negotiate save and except the portion of the old seventeenth, and this can be avoided by playing straight- and long, or by making it somewhat of a “dogleg.” It is, however, hard to have to give up such a fine green as j-he last. It- is easily one of the best. “Members may lift and drop, without penalty, if ball lies on soil used for top-dressing on greens or lies in open graves or coffins.” , Such is the gist of a local rule of the Tientsin Golf Club, the club formed by the European residents of that Chinese city. A visitor to Hawera, who goes round the world on a business trip every two years, and who, being a keen golfer, has played on many courses all over the world, told of this local rule. It appears, he said, that the course was formerly a Chinese cemetery, and after some years, as is their custom, they dig up and collect the remains and transfer them to another location. These excavations were going on at the time of a visit paid by our friend, and hence the conditions and the local rule. He added that the Chinese so far have not added golf to the number of modern sports which they have adopted, and the game in China is confined to the European residents. The Hamilton Golf Club, in a memo, dealing with competitions, states that numerous complaints have been made to the committee of the slowness of many players. Everyone is urged to play briskly. It is the duty of those unable to do so to allow faster players to pass through. It is a point that could be noted by players generally in all clubs. In the second round of the ladies’ golf championship at Hokitika, Mrs Brodie won from Miss Lewis, Mrs Staveley won from Miss Potts, Mrs Neville won from Mrs Williams by forfeit, and Miss Moore also won by forfeit from Mrs Tomlinson. In one of his interesting articles, Harry Vardon expresses the opinion that modern driving is longer, but not so accurate as that of some years ago. He says, inter alia: It cannot be said that modern driving is distinguished by tlie straightness. It is very long —the present-day ball makes it that —but in accuracy of direction it does not combine with the driving of twenty years ago. At that time it was an almost startling incident when a first class golfer hit a thoroughly crooked drive. It happened so seldom that, when it occur, people talked about it all the way round. Nowadays, it is so common as to be regarded as inevitable at intervals more or less frequent. THE USE OF THE LEFT AEM. One hears a very great deal of the straight left and believes that it takes a very useful part in good play, for all shots, being very valuable in steadying up tlie back swing especially, but it, of course, can be overdone. Harry Vardon is somewhat scathing in his comment on the “straight, left,” which he considers is responsible for much tribulation to players in putting the doctrine into practice. But he says it wants to be “firm” rather than ‘ ‘stiff,” and this no doubt is sound. One of his main arguments against overdoing it is the danger of “communicating this to all the muscles of the body, whereupon a general condition of constriction is effected.” The champions can make a law unto themselves, but for the average player who does not get much practice the firm left, especially in the first part of the back swing until the arms naturally bend and the wrists come again into play, is very useful if not essential. Then it is an acknowledged axiom that the swing from the top is at the full length of the arms as though aiming at a point some feet behind the player and coming through at full length, and in this the firm left is a very useful adjunct. It is of great service in keeping the player’s swing steady. One must concentrate, and especially at the moment - of impact when correct timing is the essence of the successful shot.

Harry Vardon gives his idea of the full swing from which best results are obtained. He says: The first, movement consists of turning the left wrist gently inwards towards the body—a half turn like the action of locking a key in a door —so as to start the clubhead back. The second consists of continuing the swing from this position, keeping the head still all the while, and screwing the body round at the hips—until the hands are level with the head. The third consists of allowing the shaft of the club, gently but firmly controlled by the hands, to fall into position behind the player’s head. They merge with such rhythm into one another in their sequence—or, at any rate, should do —that no break is discernible in the whole action.” CONGESTED COHERES. It is easy to recollect when Sydney golf clubs were badly i 11 need of members. At one meeting some years ago all those present resolved publicly to secure a member, failing which they were to forfeit a fee. Now the reverse is the case. All membership lists are full, and there is a long list of members with restrictive rights, while, following on their heels, is just as big a list of members up for election, and ■waiting their turn to get the right to play on any terms whatever. It all goes to show that Dr Arthur’s proposal

for golf- courses at French’s Forest lias a lot to commend it. It is now practically impossible to get a game at Manly, Killara, or Moore Park, unless a time is booked fairly early on the preceding Saturday. I do not mention Concord and Bonnie Doon, as I am not quite sure of the conditions prevailing there, though they are probably ,-just as strenuous. Further playing areas are sadly needed, though there seems little prospect of getting them. Passing through French ’s Forest during the week-end, Dr Arthur’s idea to construct a course there seemed to me a very good one. There are numerous large areas in that district suitable for golf. There, might, be some difficulty as to methods of transit, though, given the course, golfers would quickly find a way of fietting there. Conditions might be remedied if an assurance could be given that a course, if constructed, would not be resumed or taxed out of existence. Surely as much land is available in Australia as in America, and yet in the States courses spring up almost daily. Municipal golf is taking on and flourishing. The number of clubs given in a recent statistical book sent, me is staggering. As to municipal golf, the success of the Moore Park Club should fully warrant further efforts by the City Council. A GREAT SAME. The whole annals of the game may be vainly searched for a parallel to the match recently played at Gleneagles, wherein the incomparable Aberdonian golfer, George Duncan, defeated Abe Mitchell, of North Foreland, by 8 up and 7 to play for the first place in the Glasgow Herald 1000-guineas tournament.. The puissant George, treated the great ex-artisan amateur in a manner reminiscent of that in which Mitchell himself dealt with Kirkwood .three years ago, when, although our man played on top of his game, so, much so that The Times described that as good enough to win such a match nine times out of ten, yet the. Australian went down by 7 up and 6 to play. This latest remarkable match saw Duncan successful at the 29th hole, although his opponent’s form and figures were even better than those he pro.duced against the unlucky Kirkwood in 1921. ( The 1920 open champion not only altogether outplayed Mitchell, but actually outdrove him, and in so doing supplied one more instance of his genius for rising to. the occasion; in this case, indeed, he soared so far above it as to reach heights of opportune super skill never before attained by any hero of the links either past or present. The nearest approach to the phenomenal standard of golf within Duncan’s powers to, exhibit in his inspired moods was perhaps that of Roger Wethered in “Jock” Hutchison’s year, when the great Oxonian averaged two strokes better 4’s on the final day of the 1921 championship at St. Andrews, and would have, won the title outright but for the tragic and historical slip he made in accidentally treading on his ball in the final round, which robbed him of the highest honours of the links. A sense of patriotism impels one to suggest that Ivo Whitt on’s delightful final round of 70 in the open championship at Seaton last year, as well as his similar score at Sandringham a few weeks ago., when-lie was faced with the necessity of breaking the record on the last day in order to retain his title, and did it, were efforts almost worthy to be classed with those of Wethered on the occasion alluded to, although of course falling far short of the clashing skill Duncan displayed at Gleneagles. In the match under immediate notice Mitchell played the two opening holes perfectly in par 4’s, only to lose them both. Mitchell managed another par 4 at the fifth hole, but he lost that, too. He was one under 4’s for the round, but went in to lunch 5 down! He did even better in the afternoon, and when the match came to an abrupt end at the 29th hole his figures were three better than 4’s, yet so little did this magificent play avail him that he was absolutely outclassed all along, and made to look like an ordinary scratch amateur. George Duncan’s splendid spark of genius can only last a few more years. Surley it is not beyond the • power of Australian golfers to secure a visit from him ere it burns quite out. This wonderful Trumper of the links forms the greatest golfing spectacle the world has seen, and the few thousand pounds that might tempt him to tour this country would be a trifle compared' with the entertainment his golf would afford thousands of Australian golfers and the inspiration our young golfers would be* sure to derive from his sparkling methods of play. Gleneagle’s Score Card. Appended are the names of the holes with the length and bogey of each: — No. 1, Dun Whinny, 370 yards; bogey 5. No. 2, East Ne.uk, 395 yards; bogey 4. No. 3, Silver Tassie, 380 yards; bogey 5. No. 4, Broomy Law, 475 yards; bogey 6. No. 5, Het Girdle, 160 yards; bogey 3. No. 6, Blink Bonnie, 460 yards; bogey 5. No. 7, Kittle Kink, 440 yards; bogey 5. No. 8, Whaup’s Nest, 165 yards; bogey No. 9, Heich O’Fash, 360 yards; bogey 4, Out, 3205 yards; bogey 40. No. 10, Canty Lye, 435 yards; bogey 5. No. 11, Deil’s Creel, 170 yards; bogey 3. No. 12, Tappit Hen, 395 yards; bogey 5. No. 13, Braid’s Brawest, 450 yards; bogey 5. No. 14, Dentv Den, 275 yards; bogey 4. No. 3;>, Howe o’ Hope, 445 yards; bogey 5. No. 16, Wee Bogle, 135 yards; bogey 3, No. 17, Warslin’ Lea, 370 yards; bogey 5. No. 18, King’s Hame, 460 yards; bogey 5. In, 3135 yards; bogey 40. Out, 3205 yards; bogey 40. Total, 6340 yards; bogey 80. A GOOD STORY. In the hope some may not have heard it —but still a good story may surely be told more than once —many poor stories are hashed up again and again. A clergyman and one of his parishioners were playing a round of golfj and the clergyman was being very severely defeated. As they returned to the clubhouse the clergyman was very silent. “Cheer up, vicar,” said his opponent brightly, “you’re dead out of form; that’s all that’s the matter -with you.” The clergyman shook his head. “No,” he said sadly and decisively, “I shall never be able to beat you.” Tlie other laughed. “Oh, well,” he said, “you’ll win in the end all right. You’ll be burying me, some day. ’ ’ The clergmyan, however, refused to be comforted. “Yes, but even then it’ll be your hole.”