GOLF

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 25 June 1927, Page 12

GOLF

. FORTHCOMING EVENTS. July 11.—-British Open Championship, St. Andrews. August 22-27.—U.5.A. Amateur Championship, Barn-ton. August 2.1-27,—Roys’ Amateur Championship, Minnesota. September 2-10. —New Zealand Championships, Hamilton. LOCAL INTERESTS. The weather for some of the weekly competitions ha,s been far from good, and in some cases exceedingly trying and tempestuous, and Juts rendered a decent score almost impossible. It lias been suggested—and this is favoured by several' members—that the’ former arrangement for competitions, any day from the Wednesday to the Tuesday following, would be a wise change. It may he wortli reconsideration. The greens are improving all the time, and now the surface generally allows one to putt with confidence. Some new tees are being elected, and these wall be much appreciated. It does seem to inspire the player with confidence to have a nice leva, teeing ground, where a stance and lie are both easily available, rather than have to search for a spot, and perhaps find no place but uphill or down. A southerly buster is a trying condition on the Opnnake links, where the whole course is laid on a narrow neck of land running out into the ocean. On a day such a,s last week-end it must have been very difficult. A slice a.t either of the finst two ho’es would be disastrous unless the player allowed liberally for it. Most of the members reported trouble at the conclusion oi' their rounds.

OUTSIDE MATCHES. Manaia will send a team to Hawera on Wednesday, July 6, and Waverley a, team on July 2, while a Hawera team will travel to Waverley on October 1. The Hawera. ladies are showing a fine spirit of enterprise and enthusiasm, and numbers are reducing handicaps. Miss C. Robertson put up a good round in the L.G.U. competition recently. The members are generally mueh keener than the men in putting in cards.

NOTES. An enthusiast, eulogising Horton’s play, pays a great tribute to Leo Quin. He says, inter alia: “Horton’s work, m frequently a. revelation, and in this aspect of the game, both in technique and effectiveness, lie stands head and shoulders abore any other New Zealand amateur.. His one weakness is a certain timidity on the greens, and were he to putt with the courage and grimness of Quin it is difficult to conceive to what heights he might climb.” It will be some comfort to the medium go’fer to learn from the details of the match that going out Whitten twice missed the easiest of putt.!, and coming home Du.ncan did the same, and that at times both “fluffed” the .shots or approaches. By the conditions of the contest all matches had to be played out to the end, and Duncan was at the 18th two up and one to play, but lost the last hole.

Napier golfers took revenge for the defeat of Hawke’s Bay and the taking of the Ranfurly Shield by going down to Masterton and annexing the Wilson Cup_ for golf (says Stymie in the Napier “Telegraph.”) The games were played in atrocidus weather, rain pouring all the time. In the face of the conditions, which are, a great deal different. to the usual Napier conditions, the win of the travelling team was meet commendable. The cup is for inter-club competition, and .should result in some good teams coming to A apier.

it is- on arid round the greens that the long handicap man loses most ground. Some of the work through the fairways at Miramar amongst the junior® last week was remarkably good (says a AVellington critic), bub in approaching and in the approach putts there was a unanimity of uncertainty <™S-st half a dozen pairs running I here are many ways in which a caddie can make or mar a. game (says a city writer). Some bovs grasp the essential quickly, and others always told what to do in some detail ot the game. One of the most exaspenng thing® is to lose several strokes through striking the pin, and it caddies would realise that the pin is a. danger on the green, and always kept it well off the ground when the R u • , been struck, this would be obviated. Most of the best players, whenever the hole is at all visible, ask that the pin be taken out, and some or them are, not satisfied /until the caddie and pin have removed themselves from the neighbourhood of the cup altogether

Winnie not much is being heard of the "'2- - I i-sitors who accompanied the official New Zealand team, their friends may have no anxietv concerning them except that they may be “killed by kmdness.” “Judged by their standard we are unsociable,” writes Mr C. M. Banks. “’Those who knew anything about our Australian cousins expected they would give us a good time, but I tear that we sad/ly under-estimated their wonderful and very generous hospitality. Both the Kensington and Royal Sydney course® are in excellent condition, and beat Miramar in all respects. Another New Zealander’s opinion of Australian hospitality is Only the strong will return.” The, Scottish cricket captain was watching the form of a new man at the nets. The batsman was a verv •solid fellow, who declined to be/ tempted by any loose ball, but patted eacfi one gently back to the howler. At last the skipper broke out encouragingly. \\oll, come away, Jeemie, your putting is all right. Lot’s see a bit of your driving and approaching now..”