GOLF

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 24 April 1925, Page 9

GOLF

Ttio piesident of the Meals Club, in his \ery nappy phrase, said that “at last me" club Jiad found a home.” Like Japhet in search of a father, the club nad achieved its object, and for that relief much, thanks. -*.O the committee this is due, for it has put in a lot ox work and carried out much negotiation.

The opening day, though naturally theie was a good deal to contend with, was an unqualified success, and there was an air of optimism about members which is bound to curry them on to overcome all the obstacles that lie .111 their path. The improvement jo the tairway and greens 111 two weeks .since when some of the members last went over is remarkable. Rain is needed, and with it p enty of work. it the powers above will do their part there will be uu difficulty with the rest. The club lias a custodian who takes a keen interest in tne welfare of the club, and he is more anxious than anyone to see these gieens as good as were tiie greens on the olcl course.

There are difficulties to be overcome on the way round, and this is the case on every good course. Analysing the course, practically the only holes at which there is trouble on both hands, that is for slice and pull, are 2 and li. The slice drive is penalised at 1,3, 5, fi, 7. ID. 12, 15 and the pull at 8, 13, 18, and at several of the greens the overstrong stiot spells troube sometimes. This sounds perhaps a hit fearsome, but let the player contrast it with the old course, where the sliced drive was in trouble at 1, S, 9, 11, 12, 14, 1(5, 17; the pull at 6 and 10; the overstrung ball at 4 and 7; the duffed approach at 9. Both slice and pull might be penalised at 10. The half-duffed ball at 15 and 18 was punished. The penalty certainly in most cases was not quite so severe p«ihaps. It comes down to this, however, that the player who plays straight and with average length is not punished. The golden ru’e. so often stressed, is practice: do not press, slow back and eye on the ball. Of the three the last is the most important.

The locality has a very historic interest. for just'across the Tunituru lload is the site of the redoubt built by the 18th Royal Irish nearly sixty years ago. and not far away from it is tne remains of a very big Maori fortification, whi’e at the extreme south, end is all that is left of another Maori fort, on the toji of which is the tec for hole No. (5, and midwav through the fifth fairway or just off it may be seen the relics of an old rifle butts. The spirits of Maori afid Rakeha soldier must surely hover round watching the modern fighters with a new kind of club, all matched against a certain imaginary fiery old colonel who, it must he acknowledged, more often than not manages to >iek them. One can imaging the dusky warriors coming across the links to the attack on Turutufu-Mokni way back in ’(SB, while some hours lafei Von Tempskv and his cavalry came across country in the other direction to the relief of its sorely-tried defenders.

The presence so close to the links of the historic reserve, which has been partially beautified, should lead to their becoming much more popular as the years go bv and the reserve and. gardens ait* patronised more freely.

And another factor for optimism is the fact that the owners of the property are both keen on the game, and have done very much to help the committee.

It is good to know, also, that the ladies are very keen on the new course. They have enlisted a number of new members, and look forward to. a g l .eat time cm the course.

Reporting the plav 01. the ever young veteran, Arthun Duncan, a Wellington paper says of his play in the Wellington championship; —“In the second qualifying round for the Wellington provincial championship at Heretaunga the veteran Arthur Duncan had a wonderful round of 73. got in a high wind with heavy rain, and pools of water on the greens. Duncan qualified at the head of the list 8 strokes better than the next man and ultimately won the championship a fine performance.” During last week he put up a Of) at Miramar. Truly he is a marvellous player, and he seems almost to get better as lie gets older, for many of his recent performances have been the most remarkable in a career such as is given to very few men.

HUMOURS OF THE GAME. Is there any real humour in the sayings, exclamations, and jargon of the golf course? In reply to this question an American player who was, he says, induced to enter the game chiefly because he was told that it was redolent of humour, recalls tha.t once, when ah opponent- teed up on a course full of brooks, rivers, swamps, ponds, and soft, squidgy fairway, he said: ‘‘So this is Venice?” When his ball went into the long grass of the fairway he was toid it was “in the whiskers; if he played a high ball it had kers”;; if he played a high ball it had ‘‘gone up to Lizzie’s room”; when it fell in water, it was “in the drink”; when he got iu the hunkers he was ‘ ‘ Houdini. ”

meeting your team and seeing the match on December 13 brought many happy recollections hack of the busy time 1 siient among you, when everybody did their utmost to welcome me and make my time a happy one. On chose years i always look hack with the greatest pleasure. Kia Ora.” The match in which the Earl of Ranrurly saw the All Blacks at play was that with the United Services. Mr. Dean, in his reply to the Earl’s letter, expressed the team’s appreciation of the good wishes, and added: “I shall have pleasure when retailing incidents in connection with the tour in mentioning vour interest in the team, and which I am sure will please your many friends in the Dominion.”