GOLF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15325, 11 June 1913, Page 9

GOLF.

THAMES COMPETITIONS.

fBY TELEGRAPH. —OWN . CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Tuesday. A men's competition was held on Saturday for two trophies, presented by Mr. E. J. Clendon. The winner of ; the "A" section was J. Metson, with a net score of 86 for the 18 holes, the next places being filled by C. Montgbmerie 88, Dr. Rogers 89, and S. W. H. Chambers 90. The winner of the "B" section was R. G. MacMorran, with a net score of 82. Two of the competitors in the A" section were disqualified for failure to comply with the rule as to the keeping of scores. NOTES AND COMMENTS. Following are some of tho performances of H. H. Hilton, who recently won the British Amateur Championship: — Won Amateur Championship 1900, 1901, and 1911; was runner-up 1692, 1893, and 1E96; won Open Championship 1892 and 1597 won Irish Open Amateur Championship in 1897, 1900, 1901, and 1902; won St. Georges Vase in 1893 and 189*; won gold medal of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in 1893, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1901, and 1907, and many other competitions at this and other clubs. He has represented England v. Scotland in 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1909, 1910, 1911. and 1912; was amateur champion of America in' 1911. Hilton beat Harris in the, final, 6 up and sto play. ' , : i

Although Scotland is frequently spoken of as the home of golf, it must be admitted. that the Northerners have hardly occupied the place that they might have been expected to take in tho British Amateur Cham-' pionship. A reference to the list of winners and runners-up since the event was instituted in 1886 shows that in the last 10 years of this period there have appeared in the final 14Englishmen, five Scotsmen, and one American; while in the period from 1886 to 1895 there were in the 10 finals 10 Englishmen and 10 Scotsmen. The bare figures of these first 10 years suggest an equality of merit, but if the names are examined it will be seen that Scotland at that time held the better record for all-round merit, and that in tho 10 .finals there were only three Englishmen—Mr. Hutchinson, Mr. Ball, and Mr. Hilton—while five Scotsmen cam© to the front, namely, MY H. Lamb, Mr. J. E. Laidlay, Mr. Leslie Balfour Melville, Mr. P. C. Anderson, and Mr. S. Mure Ferguson. Seeing that there have only been three Scottish victories during the last .10 years as against six English victories, it is obvious, taking that list as a guide, that ■ Scottish amateur golf is not holding its own—at least, in the championship. Several reasons are suggested for Scotland's decline, and some of these are that there are three times the number of golf courses in England that there are in Scotland, that the milder winter permits golf' to bo played nearly every day of the year, and that English golfers, belonging, as they do, to a more leisured class than Scottish golfers, have more time to practice. Mr. Mark Allerton thinks that the last of these is the true reason of England's success, as ho says there are far more players in England who aro able to devote all their attention to golf. The thousands who play over the Braid Hills course, for example, may enjoy themselves enormously; yet these hurried rounds do not turn players into potential champions. As has been said, the public course is, after all, the elementary school. Advanced golf is the result of much practice on a seaside links, where one may take time to think over, the shots, as well as to play them. The British Open Championship meeting is to be held at the Royal Liverpool Club's course at Hoylake this month, and it is curious to read of the extraordinary precautions which are being taken by the authorities in the expectation of attacks by. suffragettes. The club has the sympathy and support of the local community because it allows them free golf on the course, and gives prizes for an annual competition. In the