GOLF

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 28 July 1928, Page 12

GOLF

COMING FIXTURES. Aug. v. America, Walker Cup International, Ciiicago Cllub, Wheaton, 111. Sept. 10 —American Amja/teur Ckampionsbip, ■ Bpae Burn Country Club, West Newton, Mass. Sept. 24—American Ladies' Open Ciiamipionsh.ip, Virginia Hot Springs, Va. Oct. 12-20—N.Z. Open and Amateur x O/i ampionsiiiips, Balmacenvan, Dunedin.

LOCAL AFFAIRS. i The decision to get all the clubs in South Taranaki to co-operate in keeping (busy a professional is a scheme that was suggested some year or two ago in these columns. So far the clubs are responding well and it is hoped to have a rota of work and engagements made for Mr Fuller who has begun already at Hawera. Already one can see the improvement in the style of some of the younger players and possibly mostly arnonst the ladies. It is good indeed to note the free, supple, easy swing, with arms at full length, which is essential to straight, long play. OpiiUake, through their president, Mr J. N. Stephenson, were enthusiastic in their praise of the Hawera course

auu- 'sprain a. wiuxuugmy goou u.uy nere. They are eagerly looking forward to the return visit and Hawera men will, it is quite certain, derive as much pleasure from the trip. J. Goss did a fine 71 on the' Belmont links 'recently, going out in 33 and corning back in 3S, due to two short missed putts. This, equals the course record. Bogey is 80. Dr. It. K. Lee Brown, the dark horse brought over :by the Australians, and to whom they largely owe the possession of the Ivirk-Wdndeyer Cup, was recently the runner-up for the New South Wales amateur championship, which was won by G. H. Fawcett. Comments in an Australian paper on the winner and runner-up i n the New South Wales championship: “O. H. Fawcett looks like Napoleon. With a slightly reduced waistline he might he backed for any money in the ring, either wrestling or prize fighting. He is determination personified. R, K. Lee Brown is a feather-weight; slim and debonair, with the artistic temperament, of a surgeon and the profile of a beauty actor.’ ’ The New Zealand Golf Council lias altered the play in the championship meeting, to he held at Balinabewan in October. The four qualifying rounds will he played on Friday arid Saturday. On Monday the amateur championship foursomes will be played. The first two rounds of the amateur championship match play will be over IS holes and will both be on Tuesday. On Wednesday there will be the third round of the amateur of 36 holes. -

Thursday will he an off-diay, a,s heretofore, and the semi-finals and the final, each 36 holes, will he played on Friday and Saturday. This arrangement shortens the tournament by two days, which is a good move and will doubtless meet with universal approval. It is suggested that a further area of the Town Belt in Wellington should be taken oven- for a municipal course, so great is the congestion at the Berhampore Course., A big area near the Avon River (Christchurch) bias been offered, it is reported, at a comparatively small 1 figure to the Christchurch City Ooun-i cii for a municipal golf course and report has it that a syndicate is prepared to take it up if necessary. Interesting 'Sidelights- on the changed methods of play adopted by Douglas since he played against him here years .

ago iii-© given by James Watt, one of tii© New Zealand. Golf Ciounoil’s travelling professionals in a letter to the secretary of the council (Mr G. O. Sutton;. “His wooden clubs are very short,” he says, “ana he stands as close to the ball as one would dp when' using a mashie. He keeps his arms close in to his body, and stands witn the feet fairly dose together. He drives a great ball. He must have played some fine golf at Home, as 1 saw some •of his trophies, including the Midland chanipiousnip cup. Has best score was a 32 out, at .St. Aimes, a score two strokes better than anyone had succeeded in doing before for those first nine holes. There he finished second, his last three holes being spoiled by the crowding of thousands of spectators. Abe Mitchell beat him by two shots only, and Hagen, Barnes, Sarazen, and others all finished behind him. He will be hard to beat in the open, and Ihe is sure to go.” It is interesting to note that Douglas tried conclusions recently with E). J. Moss, the present open champion, and professional at Middlemore, on the latter’s own ground. It was a touch-aud-go match all the way, Moisis heading Douglas by holing a long putt from the edge of the eighteenth green. One rarely hears of fatal accidents on the golf links, but there nave been instances of very old men, after being players for many years, collapsing after a round. A message from Salt Lake Oity last month, recorded that Nathan Taylor, aged nine, had his neck broken by a golf ball while orqissing the links. The bail had travelled 30 feet before striking him.

VARDON’S “EXPLOSION.” Harry Vardon, by many thought tt> nave been, at his best, the equal of Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen at their best, and has won the open golf championship of the world six times, lias told about the luckiest shot he ever played. It occurred in an open championship, in which lie happened to be paired with his great rival, J. H. Taylor, who, by the way, has won the supreme title five times. They were having a tremendous tussle in the crucial third round, when Vardon made one of his very few visits to a bunker. The isand in hazard (which adjoined the green) was of a powdery kind, and the hail) contrived to hide itself completely in it, and at first it looked a case of lost ball. However, it was at length found just visible through the covering sand. The rules permit the sand in suck cases to .be pushed aside, so as. to make the ball visible, but in this instance tlfat could not 'be done, for no sooner was the sand scraped away than it trickled hack again, and’ the great Harry was oonupetlled lcist» to lxsuvc a* stiot in the dark, so to speak. He was now up against it with a vengeance, since if he til’d not dislodge the ball it was almost a certainty that be would forfeit bis chance of 'the title, for they were running neck and neck, and Taylor was playing like a machine. At last he exploded the sand which he mdged to foe his hall’s hiding place, and out- flew what seemed a bucketful, with the ball in the middle of it, and the position was saved. At what age should a man give up playing golf? The older enthusiasts would place no age limit, but some of the younger men, after a round in Which they have' been compelled to regulate their pace to that of tw o ancient players pottering slowly around the course, hold a different view (writes an Australian critic). But with the younger men this feeling is only temporary. On another day, seeing the two ancients ambling amiably up to the clubhouse after their daily round, one will say to the other - “That shows you what al fine game golf is! Look how those tw 0 old chaps aie enjoying life Had it net been for golf they would either be dead or being wheeled

around in invalid chairs. I only hope when 1 am their age I will still be able to play my round of golf each day.” I could give the names of several men who were prominent in the public life of Victoria 20 or 30 years ago who may still be seen nearly every day on the golf links, but if their names were given they would probably indignantly deny that they should be stigmatised as “ancients.” One of them was playing IS holes with his grandson the other day on the Metropolitan club’s links. As they walked around the old man began to sing the praises of golf. “1 have never regretted taking up golf, my boy,” he said. “It has given me the greatest .pleasure I have ever experienced in iny life, and I get just as much pleasure out of it now as when I was a young man. I shall play golf when I have one foot in the grave.” The fact that the young man was equallv as enthusiastic a golfer as his grandparent can foe gauged from his reply. “My word, grandfather,”, he said, “that, would be an awkward stance 1 , wouldn’t it?”