GOLF

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 1 April 1936, Page 9

GOLF

LEAVING THE BALL ALONE (By Air Mail—From Our Own Correspondent) LONDON, 12th .March. Golfers are pointedly antagonistic to the suggestion that the flight of the ball should be further limited. They refuse to pay the slightest heed to the experiments which have been made to prove that it travels too far. They prefer to accept the evidence of their own efforts, and from, this they declare that they cannot hit it far enough. I think they have taken up the correct attitude and that they have nothing to fear. St. Andrews will protect their interests, as they have always done, knowing that the interests of the experts. wlio occasionally make courses look small when the ball runs merrily on the sun-baked ground of summer, arc of small account as compared with those of the handicap players. The latter form ninety-five pci cent, of every club membership, and already they have had to submit to much by the stretching of courses in order to suit the big hitters. Club secretaries, who may be said to represent the views of their members, arc strongly against any further tinker, ing with the ball. One authority declares that not fifty per cent, of golfers could go round a championship course in less than a hundred, and that less than twenty per cent, could break eighty. This is supported by the scores in competitions over St. Andrews. For instance, the winning score for a number of years in the Royal and Ancient tournament for the gold rnedal has averaged 77J, and that for all competitions about 80. Here, at the home of the game, there is truly no evidence that the game lias become to easy. Professionals may occasionally beat the scratch score of a course and even break seventy, but what does it matter. Moreover, most golfers are business men, whose play is confined to the week-end, and they do not look forward to a tramp of four miles around and further unless they lake the straight and narrow path, which is seldom. The agitators for a larger and lighter hall have also to meet the opposition of the manufacturers. If the change were made new plant would cost them many thousands of pounds, and they insist that the expenditure cannot he justified. There can, of course be no alteration this year, and the odds against one next are overwhelming.