GOLF TOPICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21257, 10 August 1932, Page 15

GOLF TOPICS

DEFEAT OF AUCKLAND TEAM LAY-OUT AT MAUNGAKIEKIE VARIOUS CLUB COMPETITIONS The cold southerly wind made golfing conditions much more difficult last Saturday. On several of the courses, notably Middlemore, putting was extremely tricky and many a promising score was ruined through inability of players to gauge the faster greens. An Auckland club team visited Muunpaliiokie, and although soundly beaten, enjoyed a delightful day s golf, lo many of the Middlemore players the visit was a new experience and to sumo it served to revive memories of other days and othet faces. Maungakiekie was the old home of the Auckland club, with half the course on the mountain and half in the tramway paddock. The present layout is confined practically to the tramway paddock, with only the 15th hole on the Hill reserve. When the Maungakiekie club severed Jts partnership with the Titirangi club, Mr. C. H. Redhead was called in to modernise i the course. The area is somewhat restricted, but very full use has lipoh made j of this beautiful piece of country, from j which the outlook over tho Manukau is I magnificent. Under a keen executive, Mr.ij Redhead's layout is assuming shape, ably supervised by Mr. R. M. George, and already several new greens are in play. However, without in any way detracting ; from tho general scheme, but having par- j ticular regard to the limited area, it is a debatable point whether tho club is J wise in its apparent effort to obtain i length. There is always the fact that the playing comfort of a full attendance of golfers may be endangered if every available part of tho property is in play. Rotorua Course Popular There is nothing wrong with a short course, provided it is well designed, with a variety of really interesting holes. Rotorua is a course of this nature, with no fewer than seven one-shot holes-, and yet it is popularly considered be tho most interesting course in New Zealand. Maungakiekie can be made another course like this if the club refrains from straining after length and is content to provide a series of good length holes well, but not severely, bunkered. The present one-shot holes are excellent with the exception of the 12th. which is to be remodelled. The second bole of 400 yards is a fine two-shotter, where the drive has to be accurately placed. The sth, 6th and 7th fairways are rather close together, where a wild hitter might become a menace. The 6th hole of 357 yards is played uphill on to a closely ; trapped green, calling for a bold second sliot. The guarding bunkers to the left of this green are very severe. The 10th is a good hole, made difficult owing to the hog-backed fairway and would perhaps be a better test if shortened by about 20 yards and played on to a closely bunkered green. The 15th can be made the f"" two-shotter on the course by removing the stone wall and reforming the present green under the hill. The loth is also to lie remodelled with definite use made of the ring-rocks basin, | which is one of the natural features of the course. The obvious thing to do here would bo to put the green in the basin, suitably guarded. The new 18th hole, as a finish, is not convincing as an unlucky kick off the front of the green will spell absolute disaster. A diagonal sand bunker below the approach to "this green might be a solution. Maungakiekie'e Success In the top match between Maungakiekie and Auckland R. M. George was 3 up on W. S. Ralph at the fourth hole mainly through weak putting by the last-named. George was playing his new steel clubs perfectly, his card being equal to oven fours at the 17th where the match finished. Although several oi the Mlddlemoro players appeared to be in a winning position none was able to clinch matters. Menzies was dormy on Hawley. and lying dead for his four at the last hole when Hawley holed a long putt for a win in three to square. T. Clark was dormy two on Meredith, and after missing a very short one for the match at the 17th had the mortification to sea Meredith hole a 20-footer on the 18th to halve the match. Tidmarsh was dormy on Gardner and again the local player produced the figures to square. Perhaps the best recovery was that of H. Morpeth against V. Masters. Morpeth won the first- three holes only to see Masters in an inspired run win six holes almost on end to become 3 up and 5 to play. Not to be outdone Morpeth took a turn and reeled off tho last five holes in 3 under bogey, winning them all. In the third rouna of the 72 holes medal at Middlemore the best card was returned by the captain of the club, A. M. Howden, with 79, B—7l.8 —71. Howden played grand golf throughout. W. A. Donald again returned the best score, his card of 76 being particularly meritorious, as lie started off with four putts on the first green. Donald was driving a colossal ball off the teo and after tho first hole putted beautifully. Play at Akarana The semi-final of tho captain's prize at Akarana saw B. J. Smith beat G. Biss, while A. Finn accounted for J. Coltman. It is fair to say that Biss wfis not quito himself in his match otherwise he would have been more than 1 up on Smith at the seventh, the latt-named starting badly. Smith then struck his game and played tho next ten holes in par figures to win on tho 16th green. Coltman, conceding Finn ten strokes, was 1 up at the turn, but was unable to withstand Finn's homeward run of 40. Smith will have to give Finn 13 strokes in the final and should he prevail all honour will bp duo to him. That keen golfer A. Shorter won tho president's trophy given for the bogey match with the good card of 2 up. Tho Sfeclman brothers appear to havo a penchant for match winning at Glendovvio. Last wetk A. C. Stedman carried off the honours with a card of 85, 12—73. A four-ball aggregate bogey match was tried and provided an interesting change at Titirangi. The winning card of 3 down by McTjean and Harold indicates the effect of this method of scoring as compared with the popular four-ball best-ball bogey. As an example in the aggregate bogey match A and R are partners, and at tho first hole A gets a win and B a loss, the result being a half. At the second liolo A again wins while B this time halves and the side becomes 1 up. At the third each obtains a win, and tho side becomes 3 up, but at the fourth hole each gets a loss and the side is again only 1 up. While this .type of four-ball is undoubtedly a better test of tho strength of a pair of players than the best-ball bogey it is doubtful if it will over supplant it. Play at North Shore was confined to a medal competition, and with the exception of the very fmo gross score of B. Rae, who returned a 72, the best cards were those of new members on long handicaps. The winning effort was that of R. G. Entrican, followed by 11. Rartlctt. It is hoped lo have six of tho permanent. greens ready for play next month, and at present they appear to be in good heart with a splendid sole of grass. Each green is of a distinctive character designed to conform as nearly as possible to the natural contour of (he country and calling for correct shot-production.