GOLF.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, 7 October 1916, Page 6

GOLF.

The Hawera Golf Club will be officially closed on Wednesday, October 18, j when the' customary mixed foursomes ' will be played. The senior champion- , ship has reached its final stages; El-! liott and O'Oallaghan have now to play off over 36 holes, and it should be a good contest. The play throughout in the senior section has not been nearly sup to championship form this season, j and although there have been patches I of really good goJf, no one has been ! playing a consistently sound game. The semi-finals were both hard fought games I nnd the 17th hole was <really the decid- ! ang factor in each match. Elliott was one or two up on his opponent most of *he way, and at the 13th hole had increased his lead-to 3ivp. He, however, lost the next, three, and the game was nil square at the 16th: Both played «ood tee shots at the 17th, but E'lliott got down a long putt and won the hole. The 18th,was halved in 5. O'Callaghan f and Sutton had a very similar experience, this match also finishing one lip -to O'Callaghan at the 18th hole.

Awdry's win in the junior^ championship was well deserved. No .member of the club ha® done such consistent practice as he has, and his/play with his brassy has improved out of all knowledge this season. When he gets settled \ down with his iron and mashie play he should make matters very interestang m the senior contest next year. • Mre French. scored a well deserved win in the ladies' senior championship. This season sh e has been driving yery consistently and, getting a very long ball, find hea- iron, shots were played with a firmness a"d decision so essential to consistent play. • . "Fore," the golf contributor who m the Australasian writes good and sensible notes, had something to say last week on the rules of the;game, winch can be read with profit by aIL players. Inter alia, he says :—<'-Possibly the game of golf is governed by more rules than any other sport or pastime, but, like the notice, "Replace your divots - tlrey are heedlessly ignored»On*} oi; the first duties-or the aspiring golfer is. to. learn the rules. - There is an old saying that "ignorance, of the rules is worth a stroke a Me," *md from all accounts this is a fact that cannot be denied. Possibly rule 7 is one that is most transaressed. It reads:—"When the balls are in play, the ball farther from the hole should be played first-; through the green, or in a hazaord, if a player piay when his opponent should have played, th.c opponent May at once recall the stroke. A ball so recalled shall. be dropped as near as possible to the p t ace where it lay, without. penalty." How often do we see a player intent- on his own game,, and who keeps to the fairway pitvj on up to' the green, .whilst his more unfortunate opponent, haying pulled or sliced into the rough, is toiling behind, and has1 possibly lost his Even when th.c ball is lost, 1 . have seen the player hole out, and then condescendingly walk back to assist m finding the lost ball." ■/'.."