GOLF

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 7 February 1925, Page 9

GOLF

Tin? Hiawera Gtuib have -definitely. defined. their position and u.e now out of a links. .Viembii-s a.e now up against' the problem oi a new course, and it is therefore up to everyone to take a part in. finding a solution to the present difficulty. They have decided that.it has to be faced now, and members are exploring the land available.

Summer go Hens will be pleased to learn that the New Plymouth Golf Club’s course is now' iii. splendid order. All long grass, has been, cut and removed and the fairways ami greens closely mown.

The year just closed lias been the greatest in. the golfing history of Australia. Never before has the spread of the game been more- marked, has the general standard of play reached SO' high a pitch as it has done during the past twelve months. The open champ io rush ip play at Sandringham, although not producing the.'lowest; figure-) with which the title ha«' been won (Kirkwood’s wonderful 29(1 in 1920 is likely to remain 'unbeaten' for some veal's), was of an all-round excellence greater .than, that attained at any previous. meeting of the kind. It was demonstaled, too, that our amateur talent, despite the 'partial eclipse of Ivo Whitton, was still capable of achieving the highest honours in the face of the increasing ranks and skill of the professionals.

Before a crowd estinnatde at ten thousand, Gene Sarazen, former professional golf champion, made the first, hole oil the Briarcliff .Lodge course (U.S.A.) in 1 bv the light of two powerful searchlights and. several smaller lamps. This is the first time such a feat has beem accomplished on an illuminated con re. When the hall landed on the green a few feet from the hole and then rolled in, the spectators burst ipto applause. The ball was plainly visible throughout its flight from the tee to the hole.

PLUS FOURS—ARE THEY GOTNG? (London Punch.) The fallowing extracts from a very clover skit on, the famous and. much talked of plus fours, bv an. occasional Punch contributor, will be read with interest and lamusement by ali golfers: To-day is medal day. It is my first dav in. plus fours. The- club-house i s full of golfers waiting for the rain, to stop. I am booked to play with Grant, bub he has? telephoned to say lie won't- come up till the weather clears. For some time. I have been hiding in. the dressing-room: T have been feeling a little nervous; still doubtful of my right to ' wear plus fours. But at length I slipped into the smoking room and took tip my position) at the writing-desk, my legs partly concealed beneath it'. Beside me, sprawling round the fire in all the available armchairs, there sit the tigers—Claud Haslain, of international fame. Jim Dent (plus 1), Charles Roberts (scr) and some more.; Looking at them I noticed to my surprise that Haslam and Dent were wearing flannel trouoers, . Haslam’s of biscuit colour, and Dent’s a kind of lilac. . It was during a lull in the yawning that 1 overheard Roberts remark: '‘Yes,’’ he was saying, . “I suppose trousers are the only possible things to wear, now that plus fours are .being rhade by,'' aIU The cheap tailors. “Absolutely,” HasWn replied. ... . . .

So there it is. I am wrong again. Hopelessly wrong. My plus fours—mv beautiful long-deferred . plus fours’ —bought in the hope that they might perhaps lift me one stage oht of rabbitdom (at any rate in. the clubhouse), are about to stamp me finally and indisputably as a rabbit: _ aw a readv-made rabbit. The rain has nearly ceased; Grant bias arrived : he is wearing grev flannel trousers. Even Grant! He looks, at my, plus fours with a fainitlv pitying smile. It is. too much to bear, j Why did T know nothing of all this 9 Why do I know nothing about golf? Whv am I always wrong ? I honestly believe the game is too hard for me.