GOLF.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 24 March 1923, Page 3

GOLF.

j The winter season is getting fairly 'into its stride, and the enthusiasm of i members is growing fast, especially in ; view of the near approach of the Taranaki Easter Tournament. The course | is in perfect order. The season bids fair to be one of the best in the history of the club. j The ladies, who have always shown I commendable enthusiasm in the tnani agenient of their club, opened their season on"- "Wednesday in perfect, weather. They had a very enjoyable ■ and interesting afternoon and. have thtis opened in the best of conditions and with the most hopeful prospects of a good successful season. The committee of the New Plymouth Club has appointed D. H. Butcher to be handicapper for the season. The Hamilton Golf Club show in their annual statement of accounts that they spent £342 on wages, casual labour and horse feed, £46 on seed and manure; rent £200. A motion was carried, increasing the subscription to £6, reducible to £5 before May Ist. For members under 21 the subscription is £2 2s reducible to £1 Is, and for country members £2 2s reducible to £1 11s 6d, and for honorary members £1 Is. The increase in ordinary subscription is £1 ss, and this, it was stated, was necessary to cover increased expenses and to procure new plant. The membership w&S' . only ]12 as against 127 last year. A speaker said that this was not in keeping with a town having 15,000 of a population, and also realising the> popularity of ihe game. This, showed that there was something wrong. The default lay in the fact that members thought; to /much of their own game and neglected the welfare of the club as a whole. It was essential to obliterate the idea outside that the club was exclusive. It' they raised the subscription they would be no better off, unless they also increased their membership. During the course of the meeting, Mr Day made allusion to the "clique" that was in evidence among the small handicap players, who would not coach the novice ct the giime, while there was no coatjn at the Club. Mr Webb .pointed out that Mr H. I). Gillies had been the one bright exception in this respect, as be had at all times displayed a keen liiturest and had willingly helped the voting player. The Hamilton Club have fixed their opening: day for Sai"uv/lnv, April 14. "'^The annual report of the Royal Sydney Golf Club states that, no less than

60 m«n- and 114 women • are on. the I waiting list for membership. The n-.- 1 port adds that in the- construction of j "the l&-hole course an effort has been; made to provide a .championship course. which will be a first-class test of golf,' with hazards so arranged that the aye- ! rage player can get good golf without ; being unduly, punished. The 18-hole course now measures 6405 yards, with a bogie of 80. Your committee notes with satisfaction the large numbers of ; new players taking up the game, and ; ■would make, a suggestion. to the older players, that"they can materially assist: in raising the standard of play in the club by giving some of their time in ; encouraging and assisting these new i playera. i Says All Square in the Taranaki ! Herald:—"l noticed the xoliowing in-! cident some weeks ago:—A player's ' bail was in a bunker half-way up the : high bank in front. The player I grounded his club jn addressing the : ball, which rolled to the front of the '• bank as he was making his shot, caus- .; ing him to miss it altogether. Ho j then played his next Gut. If playing . in a medal match, how many strokes ' should go on his card for his efforts , in the bunker? I say nve. Does anyone disagree?" A famous young player once ex-; plained ola less accomplished and older rival whom he had narrowly j beaten; "He said so many kind things'; to me that 1 very nearly lost to him." | The earnest golfer will understand j that. A round in which cue does ] not exchange a word with one's oppon- , ent or partner may not be ideal, but j it is reasonaTjle to declare that, on the : links, silence is golden, and speech is' the alloy that necesarily creeps in now and again.—"Arrivadon." Referring to a statement made by a critic that American golf lacked sociability,' Harry Vardon. says:—"What struck this particular critic was that whereas we of the Old Country were disposed to engage in occasional conversation during our rounds, the Americans pursue the game so earnestly that they hardly ever speak en the links, it is, at any rate, an interesting breakaway from the tradition that the British people are the most re-, served in the world. Whatever may be the pleasure of going round with a bright conversationalist, it is an unmistakable fact that he makes it very nearly impossible to play golf properly. It may be that, in the days when I was struggling to establish a position in the game. I had the reputation of s?.ying very little to anybody. It was not, perhaps, that I possessed any particular tendency towards taciturnity ; it was simply that, to a- man who had ioeiissed his mind on playing .every shot to the best of his ability, n-o matter what the event, consideration of other subjects was impossible while the game lasted. One recalls the ohesnut, which after all, though worn threadbare, is still one of the best. — Sandy (to Jock), lifter playing seventeen holes with«ut a word. "Dormy!" • Jock, with a glare. "Chatterbox!"' Has anybody ever Beard of a succession of golf flukes to boat these? They occurred at the first hole at Waiton Heath (England). On a windy day the pond there is often a source of tribulation, but in calm weather, such as prevailed ongtivis occasion, it ought easily to be carried, from the tees. An American golfer was playing with two members, and was given the honour. He hit the water a glancing shot and rioochetted cut of it on tG the fairway. He was duly congratulated on his fiendish good fortune. One of the Walton- Heath members played next. He also hit the water and ri'ochetted on to the fairway. The third man laughed at their unrehearsed feat of jugglery. Then he played and. did exaetlv the .same thing, his -ball striking the water and leaping out of it on to the fairway. Ai the finish the

P> balls Jay within a radius of ten ion the .best part of the cyurse. anybody know of a more egregious ftoe or fluke having been countered