GOLF.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 25 October 1924, Page 10

GOLF.

COURSE ARCHITECTS. Though there was some mistake recently about the suggested proposal of the New Zealand Coif Association to bring two prominent golf course architects to New Zealand to inspect and advise on the laying, out of the courses, it appears it may be a mistake that will bring someone good, for the proposal has been quite enthusiastically ‘ supported in Australia, which would doubtless pay a. good sum towards bringing the architects out. A general

! tightening up of the New Zealand ’ recent championships at Auckland ‘ showed that there was no improvement ; in the standard of our golf; in fact, it appeared to have depreciated. To J quote a local instance, there are too ? many courses like the Hutt. Mr. J. C. Bid will remarked to me: “You have j a jolly little course here, hut you want . plenty of bunkers to force, the young . players to keep straight and play golf when, they get near the hole.” There , are dozens of courses that are in the same position, and until the players ' are forced to play for everything they . get, as at Miramar, golf in New Zealand .will not improve. The proposed visit, of the architects, which we know to have been in mistake, was referred to in a. Melbourne paper as follows: “Discussing the cable outlining the New Zealand proposal to invite two professional golfers to New Zealand with the object _ of improving local courses, Mr. W. Meader, honorary secretary of the Victorian Golf Association. said that undoubtedly it would be an excellent thing if we could have the advice and experience of leading British golf architects on the laying out of new courses or the amending of old ones. In the event of these experts coming to New Zealand, the question of attracting them here would certainly become prominent; but he was not in a position to say how the financial side of the matter would* be arranged. It was his opinion that, before advice of this sort could he of lasting value, it was essential that the all-important matter of a standard golf ball for the game should be settled. “Mr. H. C. Culliton, former president of the V.C.A., said that in view of the numerous new courses being constructed in. Australia, it was most desirable that advice of the very best variety should be obtained. Unofficially, a number of prominent Victorian arid visiting golfers had seriously discussed this very question only the* other <hiy. He considered that Victor East, formerly professional at Royal Melbourne, hut now in U.S.A., was as competent as any to advise in these matters. . “Mr. Robert Nettlefold, open champion of Tasmania, thought that it was a wonderful idea, and, speaking of his own club, Kingston Beach, Launceston, where he is the chairman of the greens committee, said that they would be only too pleased to pay their share towards financing, the scheme. He was pai'ticu- s larlv delighted when he heard of the i possibility of ‘the grand old man,” j. 1 H. Taylor, coming out, and he con- < siders that for many reasons it won hi ] he eminently desirable to bring the < expert out.” * ' '<