GOLF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14566, 31 December 1910, Page 4

GOLF.

Tho only lesson which the match for £25 l>ctwecu the one-armed golfers at Troon and Silloth seems to teach is that it is possible to play a really first-class game using one arm only. In finishing ten holes up Scott in the first half of the match at Troon Park proved by his score of 76 that his one skilled arm possessed more of the virtue of accurate and. consistent play than is attained by the majority of golfers with the best use of two arms. Though it is by. no means the first of the.-e sporting matches -which have been played (says tho Field), it is possible to admire the resolute courago which induces men who have lost a limb through accident to persevere, despite tho obvious discouragement, in continuing the practice of their favourite outdoor recreation. At Levcn there were two first-rate golfers who each lost an arm through an accident in tho local mill. It needed some moral courago to continue to play a game with one arm when each of these players had formerly found so much enjoyment in playing a scratch, game with two. But, despite their misfortune, they persevered with the use of 0110 arm until they were able to play with a,s much skill as they had formerly been able to return scores with the two anus. One is compelled to admire the plucky resources of friendly one-arm combatants like Park and Scott.

Golfers all over the world (says the Sydney Morning Herald) have combined with a view to bringing tho price of golf balls down to what they consider a reasonable level, and the boycott, originally started in England is now about to start in Sydney. The rise in the price of rubber is primarily to blame for the high values soft by manufacturers 011 their products. But when tho value of the rubber in a golf ball rose one penny the price of the ball rose nine pence. This was resented by the. English golfers, who decided to boycott tho dear old golf balls and buy none costing over 2s. The movement spread to America. Now if. has come to Australia. The result of the movement at Home was to force tho manufacturers to bring down tho price of the article, and to put on the market a good quality cheap ball. Golfers hold that the price was kept up artificially for a very long time by restrictions placed on the retailers by tho manufacturers, who fixed the retail price, below which the retailer could not sell. The price was thus always kept a.bovo a legitimate level. The present movement is just to put a fair market value 011 golf balls. When the price of rubber declined it was anticipated that golf balls would also Ix'como cheaper. But they remained at 3s and 3s 3d, instead of 2s 6d as formerly. So local golfers are following the lead of the Old Country, and have organised a boycott of all balls over 2s 6d each. This movement, was not sprung unexpectedly 011 the trade. Somo little time ago local club officials warned the importers against stocking largely the high-priced golf balls.