AROUND THE LINKS

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 10 June 1933, Page 8

AROUND THE LINKS

SOUTH TARANAKI CLUBS

play in tournaments > • INCREASING POPULARITY The large number who were in evidence-on. the various links last week end gave evidence of the fact that it takes more than just cold or blustery weather to drive the golfer home. But one must remember “it- never rains, on the links.” In passing, it may be remarked that in spite oYa few doleful pessimists early in the season there appear to be more goiters than. ever. Club memberships are on the up grade and the game is gaming recruits every week. The extent to which golf is being played this winter is an answer to the despondents who would have everybody mope in sympathy with then own outlook (writes “Chipshot ’ in the “Wellington Post”). One of the many golf shops in W ellington recently sold five sets of clubs to beginners on a Monday morning. Perhaps they had found that their friends on the links forget their worries there. It is amazing how the courses are congested every week-end, considering the state of affairs generally. It is distinctly pleasing to see the clubs in the district outside the larger centres catering for their players and those of adjacent clubs. They give on the one hand a chance for the low. handicap men and on the other an opportunity for the players on the medium handicaps and up to say 20, and serve to- bring out those who previously never took part in tournainiemts. They nyould not in many cases go to the big meetings or golfers and, therefore, the recently instituted tourneys fill a very. useful placein the golfing world. They have proved increasingly popular and will grow in favour as the years pass.

JUNE 3 TOURNEYS The committee and officials of the Eltham Men’s Golf Club were exceedingly satisfied with the results of their tourney on the King’.s Birthday, which quite exceeded their expectations The weather was somewhat unkind, but that is a factor which is always a “lottery” at this time of the year. Taken all in all the club j was not treated too harshly, for the weather was worst on the opening day and., gradually improved until the third day was delightful and then, curiously enough, the rain came down in torrents just tfs the presentation of trophies was finished. There was a good contingent from Hawera, * which was- pleasing to see', because Eltham players have always supported the Hawera tournament very tvclT. Just as with nations, icaiinot “live .imtio themselves” and they must all do what they can to help others. This is’ p. maxim essential to golf as to all other communities and certainly golfers set a good eX Hawera players generally found the heavy course at Eltham difficult and a marked contrast to their own conditions, and many of them did not show their best form. - J. J. Pease and lion TV ard were remarkably consistent in. their ? the former returning 83 in each round while the latter went tround in. 8b and 88. O’Callaghan after , a bnl-[ limit 79 in the first qualifying- round, could not get touch with his clubs in the second and took 15 strokes iiiore than in his first. All three qualified •for the championship and the ‘•vagaries” of golf were once more exhibited in the* match play when 0 Callaghan beat Pease 3 and 2 and was then beaten by Bale by exactly the same margin as the latter beat TV ard. this is one of the peculiarities of the game, O’Callaghan’s handicap being much lower than Ward’s. In a round of eighteen holes a player does not need to slip much at each hole to throw away his chances of a .wm or a . close struggle. , n Roy Wills was another example of consistency, with two 88’s, just two less than his clubmate, ■ TYalkiey, but both fell in the first round to Arantage (MQanaia) and C, C. . Stannerts (Eltham). . . . ‘ , J. Quin was in fine form in the match rounds’ and played., as he was wont some years ago. . t , The finalists in. the championship, played excellently off the tees, in. the fairway and up to the greens, but neither Conway nor Dale putted consistently well. They got down a lew long ones, but neither was really accurate- Conway’s chip approach at the first and his 24-foot putt at the third were the principal factors in Ins win. Dale often outdrove him by oO yards, but on the whole Conway’s approaches were, of superior accuracy. G. Morris, son of Mr A. E. Morris, and an ex-Hawera., young playex, had, the honour of leading the field nr tfie Eltham Handicap, while J. C. Robb and L. Ritchie also qualified, but none got far in the match play. The Opunake Club was pleased with the results of its June . 3 tourney, Stephenson has been very consistent in his play for a long time and has earned the right to be considered the best in his club. The Opunake course must have been pretty difficult in the heavy weather experienced, with the sea rivei front so close, but naturally, on. *.% more or less sandy area, the rain would not trouble them as it does on the inland courses.

IN OTHER CENTRES Wanganui men’s championship qualifying rounds have been completed and the matches began this week. B. M Silk, whose play in Hawera lasu year was so full of interest to local enthusiasts, easily headed the list by a margin of eight strokes. He looks a practical certainty for the championship. If' he continues as he has started this season Silk will be a hot favourite for the New Zealand open and the amateur championships, tie appears to do equally well in stroke and match play. • ; „ , Playing on tho Ekctsihunft' L*olt Club’s links last week the club captain, Mr D. I>. McGregor holed out in one at the River hole, 112 yards. This is the first occasion on which a golfer has achieved this honour on the Eketahuna links. ; . 1

Twice in the. course of a few daysplayers on the Awapuni golf links have succeeded, in holing out with shots from the tee. Recently O. H. Wells sank his drive at the eleventh hole, a distance of 140 yards, in the course of a friendly match, and during the week-end M. Steineke did the same at the ninth, a distance of 180 yards with a little timely help, from a fence-post. The shot was a remarkable one. for it travelled with great velocity to the boundary fence, and would have been well out of bounds but for a collision with a post, which deflected the ball back to the links and towards the green to eventually be found in the hole. A somewhat similar occurrence happened to a Hawera player some years ago, when a sheep’s head caused a pulled ball to deflect and lie close to the hole.

H. L.; Crispe had an extraordinary experience at the seventh hole at Kiilara (Sydney), says. Hector Morrison in an Australian paper. A tractor was chugging backwards and forwards cutting the steep slope to the left of the green when Crispe played his iron shot from the tee. Th© ball lobbed on a wheel of the tractor and rebounded right across the green sideways, r out of bounds. The tractor continued on its way, Crispe teed up again and played. Again the ball lobbed on a wheel and sailed over the fence. Once more Crispe essayed to find the green from the tee, but again the ball lobbed on a wheel and careered out of bounds. What happened .after that is best left unsaid!

NEWS AND NOTES

- The feleing about handicaps at times borders on the intense. An Australian, writer offers the suggestion that ti;ej “kicker” system be introduced. It Consists in letting everyone handicap himself or herself—and who is better qualified for t-lie job ? —but if that “self-awarded allowance of strokes results in the player beating the par figures, then he, or she, is penalised ■ two strokes for every one stroke by which par, that is to sav, perfect “play, has been surpassed. Thus, when the player has been too liberal to himself in the matter of strokes, and so misses the trophy, instead of vilifying the handicapper, lie kicks himself —hence the name. The Roval and Ancient Golf < Jub of St. Andrews recently rejected all proposals to alter the procedure in tnc British Open Championship. Two qualifying rounds of 18 holes cacli will be played, one over the old and one over the new course, with 72 holes of championship play proper over the old course. The qualifying rounds are scheduled for July 3 and 4, and will reduce the field to 100. After 18 holes on July o, and 18 more oil Ju*y j 6. the field will be further restricted to 80 players for the final 38 holes, to be played on July 7. The total prize money is £SOO. The English Golf Union lias recently decided that the practice of amateur golfers receiving gifts for such i,crformances as the accomplishing of a hole in one stroke is not in the bestinterests of the game, and that the practice should be discontinued. This decision came into force on March 31, and affects all the golf clubs affiliated to that union. It is reported that similar action is also being taken by the Scottish Golf Union, the Golfing Union of Ireland, and the Welsh Golf Union. According to “Golf Illustrated,” this practice, which has been in force for many years, was considered to have led to some irregularities which had brought discredit on the game. All firms who were known to •present such gifts have, therefore, been asked in the interests of the game to discontinue their offers. Gene Sarazen will be called upon to defend his titles as British' and American open champion within the next four or five weeks. So strong is the competition, nowadays that the odds are against his success. It is almost a certainty that he will lose one of the championships and the possibility is that lie will lose both. Sarazen is a great golfer though, and despite flic odds he may bring it off. An interesting competitor at the British amateer championship this month will be Mr C. Ross Somerville, the Canadian who holds the amateur championship of the United States. When the last mail left Home it was expected that Somerville would be m the big field at Hoy lake on the 19th Inst.

One i’ee>3 Inclined to the. opinion that, all things considered, i't is the average player who gets most out of the game. He sees aspects of golf and has experiences that can never be the j lot of the champion. Surely this would form a fit subject for a debating society. Players are credited with being able to talk and to arguo after playing eighteen or perhaps nineteen holes. The cynic will say again, it is the extra hole that does the damage and one does not need to be a golfer to hole out in one. There the champion need not be “plus two” unless he gets in early-. At an early date the newlyelected Auckland City Council will he asked to decide the future use of a large reserve, known as the Stone Jug, which for the last 18 months has been levelled and cleared by 500 relief workers, says the ‘ ‘ Herald.” It is understood that plans have been prepared for converting the area into a municipal golf course of 18 holes. A scheme is on foot to form another golf club in Hamilton, with a course-on the Claudclands show ground, and Mr H. T. Gillies has arranged, on behalf of 120 players, to confer with the A. and P. Association. The proposal is to start the season at Easter and close two weeks before the annual show. The scheme would involve the expenditure of £SOO and it is proposed to provide •work for unemployed men. The association’s committee have arranged a subcommittee to meet the golfers and the Trotting Club, who are also interested in the scheme.

; M. J. Ryan, the Australian open golf champion, was responsible for a wonderful performance recently at Rose Bay. Operating from the back tees — that is to say, with the course stretched •out to 6800 yards—Ryan completed the round in a score of 68, of which the details were—4, 4,4, 4,3, 3,5, 4, 4—35;. 4,3, 3,4, 5,3, 3,4, 4-33.