GOLF TOPICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21167, 27 April 1932, Page 17

GOLF TOPICS.

STANDARD SCRATCH SCORE. USE ON SHORTER COURSES. TAYLOR BOWL COMPETITION. Much lias been said lately regarding the scratch score and the true playing value of tbe respective courses around Auckland. The old custom was to handicap from the player in the club, provided he was somewhere approaching scratch. 'llien, when the New Zealand championships were held with a restricted entry of 80 players with the lowest handicaps, the controversy commenced. Players were accepted who were quite unable to produce their rating, and young, promising golfers were barred through the fault of the system. Courses had different values, and cases arose in which a player claiming membership to several clubs obtained entry to the championship by using his lowest handicap. This state of affairs could not be allowed to continue, and it was perhaps due to the efforts of H. B. Lusk more than anyone else that the English introduced. There is no doubt that the system of the standard scratch score was method is quite equitable on a fulllength championship course designed by a golf architect with every regard to the value of the good-length hole. The great weakness, however, in this country, is in its strict application to the shorter and also the lightly-bunkered courses. These have been laid out m most cases by amateurs, who simply took the best advantage of the area available and of any natural golfing features, no special attention being given to the length of many of the holes so long as they were of a sporting character. On such courses a number of easy holes of the drive and short chip variety are found. These are called par fours, as under the 'system it matters not whether a hole is 240 yards or 400 yards, as long as the ground is level it is still aA. The 420 yards hole and also the 570 yards are par five, while a short 100 yards hole is of ! the same value as one twice this length. Therefore, it naturally follows that a course with a well-balanced lay-out of good-length holes can be truly assessed, while one badly designed and containing a number of holes of poor length obtains an entirely false value under this system. Handicapping from Par.

The same can be said of the system of handicapping from par, which is in vogue in Sydney and America. In Sydney it has been stated that a well-known player, who plays at three clubs, has a handicap of 2 in one, 4 in another and 6 in the third. In America the par system has been in use for some time and all the big courses have been laid out to conform lo its principles. Anomalies are perforce inevitable when a cold-blooded system is applied to courses which were designed in the good old days. The New Zealand system lays down that, having arrived at the par value of the course, certain strokes, either 1, 2, or 3, shall be added, for reasons apparent, thus obtaining the standard scratch score. But as the bad-length hole is the real crux of the position, a possible remedy would be to deduct half or even one stroke for each bad hole.

A fairly general opinion seems to prevail that the standard scratch score at Middlemore is too high. In approaching the matter it must be remembered, however, that this is only the second season in which the full-length, completed course has been available. Also, the scratch score as allotted was marker! from the back tees, which have rarely been in use. However, the present conditions of the course are approximately the same as those under which the score was assessed. One-shot Holes. The one-shot holes are good, as also is the long 9th. while the short twoshot holes, the 6th and Bth, are excellent and the lltli, although short, calls for clever golf. At th e Ist, 3rd, 14th, 15th, 16th and Iflth correct golf bas to be played and the drive carefully placed lo obtain orthodox fours.

Coming to the long two-shot holes a possible reduction may bp, made. The 2nd is 405 yards and owing to the conformation of the ground is a very difficult 4. The 4th is 420 yards, but being down hill is really easier than the 2nd, but is still a good 4. The sth, although only 390 yards, is undoubtedly one of the best two-shot holes in New Zealand, as sufficient length cannot always be obtained off the tee to enable even the scratch golfer to find the green with his second. The 12th is 380 yards and is difficult because it has to be played from a set tee and usually into a head wind. However, this can be overcome by using the ladies' tee. Lastly remains the ]7th, of 425 yards, which is a great, hole closely trapped and only the bold hitter can get home in 2. (<f these five holes four are undoubtedly par fours, which brings the par of the course to 71 and to this can be added cither two or three strokes. In view of the fact that this will be the second season on the full course it would be safer to add three strokes, making the scratch score 74. Playing off the back tees at all times commensurate with the weather conditions a 74 should call for scratch golf. Club Competitions. Golfing conditions on Saturday were ideal and at Titirangi the Taylor Bowl was advanced a further stage, when the third round was completed. T. (loudie bad a great battle with W. ]>. Vercoe before prevailing at tlio 19th. 11. Hrinsden, playing finely, beat both J. Murray and If. Bandrup, while G. Tallis held Ilis place by beating A. 11. Magson. At Maungakiekio If. Morpeth annexed the bogey competition with the good score of 2 up. This also won him the play-off for the Kingswell Shield. Morpeth is destined for a much lower ranking and, being a keen worker in the interests of his club, his win was most popular. K. J. Smith played one of the best rounds of his career in winning the bogey at Aknrana with the gross score of 73.

A senior ;ind junior medal was pinvo<l at, Middtemnre, t-lir» former being won by IT. B. Wilson with tlin excellent card of 76, 7—69. During (lie play Wilson holed in one at (lie short seventh and in dtio course received the congratulations of the club. li. (>. Thompson, a young, keen player, annexed the junior medal with 80, ]3—67. Thompson has a nice, free style and under good tuition should do well at tlie game. Conditions at (Ilendowie were by no means easy, the strong wind proving troublesome and for this reason the performances of N. A. ('liing, ,1. E. Sledman and F. Farnm, all square, were full of merit. At I'npuke the scratch score was attain attacked when A. CI. Edey won with an 83, 22—66. BRITISH OLYMPIC TEAM. RESPONSE TO INVITATIONS. One of the problems in Iho formation of Britain's Olympic team, finding men of ability who could afford the time to make the trip to Los Angeles, appears to be less serious than at one time seemed probable, 6ays an English paper. It means roughly six weeks' leave, and if, was expected that economic conditions would have affected many possible members of the team. But the responses to preliminary inquiiies made by the Amateur Athletic Association have been most eneotnaging. There have been, as is inly to be expected, exceptions. C. Ellis (mile), K. S. Brangwin (quarter), and Tj. T. Bond (pole jump) will not be able to go. The last-named, who is a Birmingham doctor, will be much missed, for good pole jumpers are scarce.