GOLF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16234, 20 May 1916, Page 5

GOLF.

WAITEMATA LADIES' CLUB," .J®&. monthly Red Cross medal -match of the Waitemata Ladies,'. Golf Club was played li on. Wednesday, the winner being Miss John-* .<'."'' ston.. .with a, score of » 113-?2&53, '. Other good cards were returned by. Miss < Preece. : •■ 122—36—86; Miss Goudie. . 106^5*^87; Miss 3 Bray, 112-24-88: Mrs. , Rodger, 4S-r36-88. 1Z A match will be played for Sjjnze pro- X sentco. by Mrs. A. Johnson on Wednesday '-" next and the following Wednesday. Conditions : Stroke competition, players to choose their own partners; a different partner to* be chosen, for each match. '* AUCKLAND LADIES' CLUB. The semi-final of the Hope Lewis Rose liowl match was played at Middlemore on Monday., The weather was fine, and the course in fairly good condition, but the greens were rough. The contestants were Miss Gwen Gome v. Miss Muriel Payton, and Miss E. P. Gorrie v. Miss Kathleen Holmes. Much interest was taken in the result of the former match, for Miss Gwen Gome, with one win to her credit, waa generally considered to have a good chance to win the rose bowl. She had been playing' steady and good golf, and only a week ago had a fine round of 88. Having to concede only three strokes to her opponent, Miss Muriel Payton, one of the most improved players in the club, a close and interesting match was looked for. But such was not me case, for the younger player quickly took the lead, and at the turn was four up. The match ended, at the 13th hole with Miss Payton the winner, six up and five to play. Miss Gome > appeared to bo nervous, and made several mistakes; her play on the putting greens was weak. Miss Muriel Payton was congratulated upon beating so easily euch a good player 0,3 Miss Gorrie. In tne match between Miss E. Gorrie and Miss Kathleen Holmes the latter had to give seven strokes, and was defeated by four up and three to play. The final between Miss Muriel Payton and Miss E. P. Gorrie will be played on a date to be arranged. NOTES AND COMMENTS. Golfers in, America are, as a general rule, fond. of counting their scores, and to their credit be it —they are accurate rather than approximate in the statemeatu j they make about them. They also have a strong liking for multi-ball matches. Th« consequence of these two. predilections ia | that they regard the occurrence of a. stymie as an unwelcome incident in a round. It is the intention of the United States Golfing Association to approach the Rules of Gott Committee at the first convenient opportunity to ascertain whether there is any chance of persuading them 'to relax the stymie rule, or even to abolish, it. A convenient opportunity can hardly arise before the end of the war. for during its progress a quorum, could not be raised. But when peace is . declared the Rules Committee seems likely to be faced with, an insoluble dilemma, for opinions in Great Britain and America with regard to the stymie cannot be reconciled by human wit. In the circumstances the U.S.G.A. will do well not to follow the wait-and-see policy, but to frame a stymie rule on their own authority which, shall satisfy their immediate clients. When. . all is said, good law is no more than crytalised custom, and if American golfers now disregard the existing stymie/ rule in their private matches, and find it an offence is. competition,. tournaments, the sooner the law is altered— America—the better. Prompt action would not only give satisfaction over there; it would also prevent the Rules of Golf Committee irom, finding themselves in a, most invidious position later on.