GOLF.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 14 August 1929, Page 7

GOLF.

HAWERA CLUB NOTES. FIXTURES FOR AUGUST. (By “Donnie.") Aug. 17—President v. Cap La in match. Allg. 18 —All first rounds of championships to lie played by this date. Aug. 21 —Inter-club mateli, v. Alanaia, a t Hawera Alug. 24 —Bogcv Competition and second round of championships. Aug. 2-5 —Intcr-club match, v. Eltliam —Seniors at Hawera ; Juniors at Elilham. Aug. 28 and 31—Four-ball Bogey Competition (1) Seniors, (2) Juniors. Sept. 7—lnter-club match, v. Waverley, at Waverlcv.

PRESIDENT v. CAPTAIN MATCH. This match is drawn for Saturday, and a fair amount of interest is being taken' in it by club members. It is understood the respective captains are picking the teams early in t-he week, and the teams should be published by Thursday. “Donnie” also hears that the Limit Handicap Championship draw will be out this week, so that members can push on with their matches immediately. As there is likely to be about 30 players participating in this fixture, members should not lose any time in getting their matches played. QUALIFYING ROUND. Once again this season our club fix- i tores have been somewhat interrupted ] by the weather. On Wednesday all j the mid-week players were due' to play their second qualifying round, I but unfortunately rain put this l>e- | yond completion. Since then many of these players have considerably assisted the Match Committee by playing their round, leaving some four or five ,to put cards in on Wednesday. Saturday turned out anything but favourable for golf, but nevertheless some 30 players tr.eed the windy conditions and completed 1 their final qualifying round. Naturally nothing wonderful was expected in scores, but all the same those returned for the competition showed a very even result, no less than four returning cards giving a net score of 82. while there was only a difference of four strokes between < the leaders and the twelfth card. The seniors proved themselves well ahead of the juniors in windy conditions, for s out of the 17 cards returned 12 came < from senior members. “Donnie” thinks it would lie unfair to make any : comments on the individual cards this t week, for he gathers that putting was | perhaps the main cause of many of the indifferent results, and really in some instances it is more or less a matter of luck as to the result, of one’s putt when we take into consideration where the pin is situated. “Donnie” understands that in many clubs the pin is altered every week, hut somehow here once a month seems sufficient. and even then very little interest appears to !>e taken, for the hole gets put in some ridiculous places. Our course has sufficient troubles in the fairways without having matters made harder when one does reach the green.

DIVOTS. While walking around the course lately ‘"Donnie” could not help but be struck by the sorry state of the fairways caused by the general neglect of members. One would almost think players took out spades with them, using them to see how much grass they could do away with. When playing a round nothing is more disappointing on reaching your ball to find it lying well down in a divot left by some careless member, especially after a. long drive—then the individual’s feelings are next to unprintable. “Donnie” feels certain every member has been so situated lately, and it’s up to every one to do his job. and when he does take turf see t-liat the pieces are collected, put hack, and stamped down. Should it he iniDossible to find the remains. members must smooth the gash down as well as possible- with the foot. Members would not do it on their own lawns, and it- is up to them to treat the course as such.

WHITE PEGS. During the week ‘•Donnie" noticed white pegs have been placed about- tlie oouirse. They a:re to be found on all long holes situated 200 yards from the tee. AH courses do not have them.

but iii our caste members will find them very useful, for a player need not now use hi® imagination a» to tho distance from bis ball to the hole when playing through the fairway. All that is now necessary is to fonmi an idea, how many yards your tee shot, or hall is from the white peg and then the diintauee is readily ascertained. In golf the shot to the green is the telling one, and these pegs should assist materially in helping a player to decide what c.lu'lr it is necessary for hiiin to use to get him on to the green, yiuli as a, wood, iron or mashie. The longer handicap members should (in l l these jiegs very useful, as they kind of break the io'e up for tliriTi. One often hears about the player who always) hits his tee shots) 2o() yards. Well, those mgs will prove- it’s a hard business to do 200 consistently. Now they aie t-tiere. “Donnie-” would advise members not to endeavour to .put it.].) records for v:m<i driving hv trying to. beat these pegs'. for hv doing so more often than not. a. member gets into bad 1 Mill its and goes completely off bis drive. scorn: cards. ■‘.Donnie” has been privileged to gee many cards, lately, and be notices a. tonneucluii>; improvement could he obtained in the writing up of ■ these cards. Dozens of instances show the name of the competition, the 1 date and .the verifying signature missing. These arc little matters, but asi places are .provided for them on the card. it. i.v up to us to do our bit. for it must make * matters very hard for the match committee to size up many cards. To-keep a- card properly is a. simple matter if members would- only apply a. 'little though I b" li lling in all the competition partioiiuirs on the card before beginning their round. As each hole is oom-j/’.e-ted the number taken mins't then be> .put clown, and so on to the 18th hole, and the card, then added and signed before reaching the club house. On no I account should cards be filled, in after ] ;n round is completed or signed other j than immediately the game is over. ! One often sees and bears of players I marking their own cards, which is not | unite correct. A player marks for Ills w.oueot. and if iie so wishes for himIse’if in the column provided-, the opponent doin '- the .same, so that at the -cud lof the round each card can be checked before, sign in*'. " -> hints nire irniiinIv for t ,,Q beginners, at ,"olf (itbo-nab ivi-oiv middle and km- players pv-dd do **•'tb - c.b-'.k" mil. for nr> doubt •’) is confusin'' fo' - O'om when fir'd t.he.v bo"in bandling cards.

P FT? SOX AT,. Harry Wilson, who. lias been oil holidays. spent severa'i tiny- in Ko-horun.. at tir-'t ecu Id not do much on the co u se. Attar a- visit and several talks te Alevt'oi inic k. lie improved, and ‘‘Dermic” is in Tor mod lie lias returned with a ,seu\('nir duly signed showing an even Tv (laved 77 if be can keep this , |- Ids presence, inn- I:.- felt during-the che.inniii-onship matches.

CLUB COMMITTEES. Ono very often hears remarks reflecting a certain am cunt of lack of interest on behalf of the club's committee. At times it may seem that matters do drift, but “Bormie” thinks this club has been fortunate with their committeemen during this and last season. It should be remembered a committee has many difficult matters to ’overcome and “Bonnie” feels ours has the club's interests very much at heart. Last year they took on a big thing in engaging a professional and though perhaps the arrangement with the outside dubs tliis season has not been quite as successful as desired, owing ,to his programme being broken up, they are to be congratulated on taking 'this step for South Taranaki is developing considera'blv in golf and a professional is more or Jess a necessity. Hawcra, being the centre, is naturally .the ideal place for a professional’s headquarters, but local members must do their bit to make his job worth while. Coaching is nor a professional's only made of living. Members should assist their man and thereby make this point one of • which professionals may t;uk about with credit so that should we ever lose om present one there will not be trouble in obtaining the services of another. Now we have one stationed here members would be at a loss if one was not available. Always remember one constantly at hand is much better than a visit of two or three weeks a year from perhaps a different professional each year. |

Another good effort of the committee last season was the -tournament, which was a great success and secured good support and it is up to us to give the committee our assistance in any scheme they should bring fomvanl for the betterment of the club and members. In this particular matter, by signing up this book -before going out. members would at. rimes perhaps save dis-

appointment should one's card be mioxpeetedlv a good one. For many years members of the club bare always been dependent on a few. for trophies for competitions. In some respects trophies arc a necessary evil. ' but without them “Donnie” feels a tremendous amount of interest would r be lost. To get over this matter our { committee this season embarked on a new scheme for this club —though it is fairly general at all other clubs—of requesting members to. provide -their own trophies and .fo this end decided on a competition book and to make till entries Is per event. In practice it is a most simple business. All that is required is that members wishing *o take part in a competition—it is not compulsory to' take part if" a member does not desire to —must sign their name in the .book, pay up and then obtain a card before proceeding to the course. On no account can a card be accepted for any competition unless the member’s name is entered beforehand. This system has met with a great deal of support from local players as well as ether Taranaki players. Both these ventures have had a good effect in putting our dub on the map. This season the second tournament will be held at the same time of the year—Labour Day week-end—when the same enthusiasm a.' last year is anticipated.