GOLF

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 25 July 1925, Page 12

GOLF

August 31. —American Amateur Championship, .Oakmount. September 25. —N.Z. Championships, Shirley, Christchurch. , September 28. —American Ladies Championship, St. Louis. October 15— N.Z. Ladies’ Championship, Miramar, Wellington, HAWERA MENS’ CLUB. August I.—Match —Patrons v. President’s team. NOTES.

Th© inter-club matches which have been arranged by the Men’s Club hare been much enjoyed by members, ancl have done a lot towards enabling. them to meet members of other c]ubs, ancl thus foster that spirit of camaraderie which is such a feature in golf. But it has caused the cutting out or one or two weeks’ competitions r l hose played have created a’ lot of bealtnv emulation .and no doubt have a good effect on the general standard of play and lead to more practice amongst members. . Hawera has had a number of very bad week-ends, but they ar© not alone in this. Th© Dominion golf writer reports of the Miramar Club: “Owing to the unfavourable weather earlier in the week, the Miramar Club postponed the match with Raimi last Saturday, but as the course was in fair order a scratch four-ball bogey was put on. It was rushed by some 90 entrants, glad to get a game after so many wet weekends. Teeing up was allowed m all fairways (17 and 18 were not p.aynble), and one and two holes were played twice to net the full 18 holes. A paragraph in the report of the last meeting of the Golf Council stated that they considered correspondence in reference to arrangements made hv the secretary for coaching by local professionals in lieu of Dean, who resigned his appointment. James Watt is at present at Tauranga, and will possibly go'to other clubs in that district. G. W. Macß-ae is now in North Canterbury, and according to his reports is doing exceedingly well there. R. C. Butters has already ooachbd at Raetihi, and is coaching at Marton. Th© professionals’ golf tournament of 1926 is to be held at the Balm acewen links, Dunedin, in conjunction with the amateur championship, meeting. which is being held early in the year during the Exhibition period. A net 60 is a somewhat rare occurrence, but tbis was recorded at tbe Park links. Invercargill, last week, when F. Hinton returned a- net 60 score, or 12 under the bogey of. the course. The player mentioned ig a junior, with a 23 handicap. He not only beat the-whole of the B division , but he tied with the best score in the A class with a gross 83. A visit from a professional would lie a great advantage to the local club, and would, it is felt sure, be welcomed by members. Patea have recently had Mclntosh, of Palmerston North, for some weeks, and members of tbe club have derived much benefit and have expressed great appreciation of his methods of coaching. According to a weekly paper the native s of Kawiskos, an island in the Pacific, wear plus-fours. The explanation is quite simple. They don’t know any better. i Eitham Ladies’ club still retain the Taplin Cup-, given on the conditions that the challengers play on the course of the holders. Teams comprise six ladies. Eitham beat New Plymouth last week pretty decisively, winning four matches out of the six. In an interclub match played at the sara© time, the result was all square. The, pioturesqueness of the Eitham course and the excellent conditions of the links combined to make th© visit of New Plymouth specially enjoyable. The visitors agreed that they had never spent a better or more enjoyable day’s golf. Kapi Tareha, th© long-driving Napier player, has announced his intention of competing in the championships in Christchurch, in September. He js quoted as saying that he has adopted new training methods from last year. He is not risking staleness, and will not play serious golf until three weeks or a fortnight before the championships.

“From north and south come reports of fine scoring (says a northern critic). The handicaps of the players are too big a puzzle for me to work out.” “It’s time something was done, to equalise up to some degree the handicapping of the small and big clubs. There is not the slightest doubt the L.G.C. has the wood on the men in go'if handicapping and system, and the sooner th© clubs work on the same principle in New Zealand the more satisfactory it would be for all who play' in tournaments.

It i s an old saying that the House of Commons is the best club in Europe. The mmbers are this year to have golf competitions, tennis competitions, cricket competitions, shooting competitions ; and some of the Labour Alenbers are arranging for pigeon races for their constituents.

Air Lindsay Ross, the English golf professional, is now in Dannevirke, and will spend a week on the links coaching local players. He ha,s been brought to the Dominion under engagement to the New Zealand Golf Council. A GOOD STORY. A good story was told by Mr. Newlands on Monday night of a caddie who used to carry regularly' for Lord Balfour at North Berwick. Lord Balfour had been away in America, and on his return, went to have some golf at the course where he was accustomed to play. It is amongst caddies a point of etiquette not to attempt to secure players for whom’ one caddie has been in the habit of carrying, in other words not to “poach on another man’s preserves.” When Lord Balfour arrived on the links he was greeted by a strange, caddie, who, on being asked where, Jock was, replied: “He washit his heid.” “And you never wash your head?” said Lord Balfour.” “Na! na!” was the reply, “I liae mair sense.

THE RISING GENERATION. “I see,” said the neighbour, to a Kent farmer, “that your son is spending his holidays, with you. • I hope he’s taking an interest in the farm?” “Yes, he’s interested,” the farmer replied. “He’s already shown me where we could have a fin e golf course, and how easy it would be to turn the barn into a garage.”

IN THE EAST. A UNIQUE LOCAL RULE. A visitor to Hawera this week was Mr W. AlcKinlay of Glasgow, a keen golfer, who carries his clubs with him oh liis business tour of the world and plays on all sorts of out of the way courses. He has also played on most of the New Zealand courses and on many at Home. Speaking of the East, Air. AlcKinlay sap] then*© were several good clubs - in China and in Japan, but that in J India the only really, good course is

at Calcutta. In Hong Kong there are four, and in Tientsin and other centres have one each. The Chinese, he added, do not play golf, but in Japan the people of leisure are playing, quite a lot. It i s pretty expensive, and he quoted one case where lie understood on a new course at Osaka, the subscription and entry fee totalled about £IOO. Tliere is so valuable and hard to get on account of t)ie denseness of the population, and this accounts for the expense connected with th© game. At Tientsin there are conditions ruling probably unique in the world. The course was built over an. ancient cemetery, and as it is the custom of the Chinese to dig up the bones of the dead in cemeteries, it happens that there are in some parts open graves and coffins. And hence a local rule exists dealing wit'll this very gfruesfome ctondlitimi. As a matter of interest the local rules of the club are quoted in full. They are as follow : REVISED LOCAL RULES.

Ground under repair.—(a) Ground disturbed for the purpose of obtaining dressing for the greens, (b) Graves in course of construction and open coffins. Lifting ball without penalty. —If lying within two-clubs’ length of telegraph poles, stays or boundary stones. Lifting ball with penalty if one stroke. —A ball may be, lifted from any lie and dropped "not nearer the hoi© with a penalty of one stroke. When this occurs in *.a bunker, the hall must be dropped in the bunker, but not nearer the hole. With reference to rule No. 28 of the rules, of golf, it is permitted to smooth the green with the back of the hand as well as with the club across, but not along the- line of the putt. “Out of bounds.” —‘“If a bail be out of bounds the player shall play' his nextstroke as nearly as possible at the spot from which the- ball which is out of bounds was played. If th© ball were played out of bounds from the teeing ground the player may tee a ball for his next stroke; in every other case the ball shall be dropped.

EX-PERAIIER’S HOLIDAY. A GOLFING PARTY FOR SPEY BAY. Air. Ramsay AlacDonald and Aliss Ishbei AlacDonald recently took the following golfing party north with them to Lossiemouth for the Whitsuntide Pariamentary recess: —The Earl and Countess de la Warr. Air. Oswald and Lady Cynthia Alosley (daughter of the late'Lord Curzon), General Lord Thomson, Mr. Leach, late Under-Secretary for Air, and the;Lord Atayor of Bradford. Air.. MacDonald and his friends played over the Spey Bay course, the Lossiemouth course still being closed to the ex-Premier by reason of the Moray Club’s decision • last- year not to rescind th© famous war-time resolution of expulsion. DOMINION CHAAIPIONSHIPS. TOURNAAIENT ARRANGEAIENTS.

Particulars of the New Zealand golf championship meeting to take place on th© Shirley links, Christchurch, from Friday, September 25, to Saturday; October 3, hav© been received. The programme will be as followsFriday, September 25. —Alorning: First round of open championship and first qualifying round of amateur championship. Afternoon: Second round of open championship and second qualifying round of amateur championship. Saturday, September 26. —Alorning: Third round of open championship and third qualifying round of amateur championship. Afternoon: Fourth round of open championship and fourth qualifying round of amateur championship and th© O’Rouke Vase (inter-club contest.) Monday, September 28. —Alorning and Afternoon: First round of professionals’ championship, over 36 holes : first round of amateur championship, 36 hole s play-off; also bogey handicap For amateurs not engaged in amateur championship. Tuesday, September 29. —Alorning and Afternoon: Semi-final of professionals’ championship, over 36 holes; second round of amateur championship, 36 holes play-off; also stroke handicap for amateur s not engaged in amateur championship. Wednesday, September 30. —Alorning and Afternoon: Professionals’ stroke play handicap match, over 36 holes play-off; bogey handicap for amateurs not engaged in amateur championship Thursday, October 1. —Stroke handicap for amateurs. Friday, October 2.—Alorning and Afternoon: Final, of professionals’ championship, over 36 holes; s emi-finals of amateur championship, over 36 holes.; also four-ball handicap. Saturday, October 3. —Final of amateur championship, over 36 holes.

HOLES IN ONE. Holes in one blossomed like mushrooms after the rains in Wellington last week, says the ’Post. Four holes in one day in one city is where a record for the, Dominion. Holes in one are getting monotonous. Years used to pass without one, and now, four in a day! It looks almost as though heavy greens were an advantage in thug laying approaches, not only dead, but in the morgue. Rana Wagg holed the 198 yard third at the Hutt; A. Hawke (a Southland visitor) 'also sank his tee shot at the 105 yard “Citadel” at the Hutt; at Karori G. W. Janies holed out at the 100 yard fourth; at Atiramar R. G. Westbrook sank his masliie tee shot at “Potiki.” Casual mention may be also made of Hagley’s first hole in one this year scored recently by H. E. Solomon at the 110 yard ninth.

GOLF IN AMERICA. AUSTRALIAN’S lAIPERSSIONS. Mr. O. H. O’Brien, the former NewSouth Wales golf chainploTi. returned to Sydney last w-eek, greatly impressed by the progress of golf in America and the popularity of the motor-car. “Golf is making wonderful strides,” he said, “and, with the exception of baseball, and perhaps tennis, lia s more devotees in the United States than any other game. “The total number of golf courses in the Chicago district, which comprises territory within a radius of 25 miles of the Chicago G.P.0.,” he continued, “is 120, of which 23 are public courses, or course where a daily fee is charged. The public courses cannot nearly accommodate the players, so much so that it is a common sight to see players wending their way to the links as early as 4 o’clock in the morning. In Philadelphia a syndicate has just opened a new public course, purely as an investment. This course is situated about 20 miles out of the city. Instead of telephoning the club-house for starting times, players pa,y their fees first, and receive their time., of starting in the city. In this connection arrangements have been made with two of the leading banks, who receive the fees on account of the club, and allot the times. The. coupon received bears a date and time, similar to a theatre ticket, which is presented by the player at the first tee. On May

16 ib# Olympia Fields Country Club dedicated it,. new club-house, just completed at a cost of over £200,000. THe building, which is of the Queen Anne style, has more than four acres of floor ’ space, with four eighteen-hole courses, and an area of over a square mile. Tt' iT said to be the biggest golf club in the world. It is on this course the Professional Golfers’ Association championship will be contested in September.’-’