GOLF.

Mataura Ensign, 23 May 1910, Page 3

GOLF.

A CURIOUS INCIDENT. A .emulous, incident occurred at JNort Berwick .recently in the course of match on the old links between Gsor? Sayers, jun., and W. Neilson, a visi ing golfer (says the 'Sydney Daily Tel graph'.), .AkiJie 12th hole Mr Neilson ball struck a wall. The ball rebound; and hit a lark on the wing, killing tl bird instantly. An almost.similar o . currence occurred at Manly about thrx weeks ago, when a player's ball .struc . a pee-wit, the bird being killed .alma instantly. Mr H. N. Pope has had tl bird stuffed, n and it may now be set j adorning .the i club's dining-room i , Manly.. ] ] WHERE SHOULD STROKES BE .TAKEN? That eminent authority, Mr Gawk C. Smith, contributes an interesting .a tide in "Golf Illustrated" on thegue tion of "Where Should Strokes IE Taken?" This question has often bee discussed, and the consensus of opinio " seems to be .that the strokes should \ given as much as possible at the long< holes. Mr Smith, however, says:— "If there is a choice, between gisran j a stroke at a one-shot hole and a ±sp< J shot hole, the stroke is invariably give * at the latter., .and in the same way, I there is a choice, between a drive snx i a pitch-hole and a long two-shotter, tl I stroke ie irreariabjy allocated at t x long The idea of this to give the receiver of odds his strofe l at the holes where he will most nee them and at the same time not to ot© whelm £hs better player by giving tl receiver of odds .an undue advantat at the holes where, he has a good chant of halving them. This is a praisewortl. and equitable idea/Jjfflt it may be doufe ed if the universal .-idea of giving tl strokes at the longer;holes is a perfei and infallible method of giving. effe< to it. The those who gi-; strokes m<a\e iOi£ten;tb&n they do not that on a course .where there are man of the fashionable long two-shot hole they find it harder vtoiwin their matchi than on a course where :>ihese holes ai few in number and there .is a good pr portion of shorter : two-shot holes. 1 other words, they .find it easier to gn a stroke at a hole which is a drive an £ iron than ati one which requires two i'u ■ shots with a wooden .club. I± may soun {paradoxical to say ;that the superic player is better aMeto give a stroke i 4 the shorter hole, but-the explanation not difficult. {"Long driving is tthe commonest i golfing ' accomplisnments, and if yo eliminate approaching, .which is th {rarest, as you do at a full two-she hole, you deprive the 'superior playe B of the chief advantage he has over th Tl inferior. The full two-shot hole, i 4; fact, is only a test of driving and pul ting, whereas the drive and iron hole i ■ a test of driving, approaching and pul J 'ting. Even when there is an adrers B wind at the longer hole, and an ar. | proach is required after the two fu § shots, it is usually of a featureless an j non-interesting character on to a larg ■B unprotected putting green. For thes _ reasons it would seem desirable in th q interests of good handicapping that th " holes at wnich strokes are' to be givei J should not be determined simply b, J their length, but upon consideration o {their character as all-round tests of th ga-rate.."