EASTER TOURNEY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23012, 13 April 1938, Page 26

EASTER TOURNEY

NORTH ISLAND EVENT ALTERATIONS TO COURSE PLAY AT PALMERSTON NORTH [FROM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT] PALMERSTON NORTH, Tuesday Visiting golfers who will be competing in the North Island amateur championship, on the Manawatu Golf Club's course, Hokowhitu, Palmerston North, during the Easter holidays, and at the end of the month, when the Now Zealand ladies' autumn foursomes championship will also be held on the club's links, will find that extensive improvements have been effected during the past two or three years. These alterations, although comprehensive, are by no means completed, but they will suffice to give golfers better sporting conditions, while yet providing a keener test of skill and temperament. The Manawatu Club has over been progressive in action, and, as it is likely that either, or perhaps even both, the New Zealand men's and ladies' open championships will be decided at Hokowhitu within the next few years, it was a wise decision by the club's management committee to sanction an outlay of several hundreds of pounds in bringing the course up to the highest possible standard. Still more fortunate, from a golfer's point of view, is that so much has been accomplished in time for competitors at the forthcoming tournaments to enjoy the improved conditions.

The greens, obviously the most important part of the course, have received special attention. The first, second, sixth, seventh, tenth and eighteenth have been reconstructed, while the ninth has been considerably improved by making the distance 30 yards longer. The fairways have been harrowed in places to eliminate weeds and resown with grass seed, and a number of undulations levelled off to permit of machine mowing. The bunkering system has been altered to provide closer guards to the greens, and the old type of deep bunkers has been replaced by flatter and _ more open traps with a natural drainage outlet, and which golfers will find less costly in the matter of strokes. The scratch score of the course (36, 37—73) remains the same, but the length of the links has been increased by 180 yards to 6288 yards (3098 out, 3190 in). Constant artificial watering has ensured a thick and virile turf on all greens, and. filthough the fairways are parched, the recent heavy rainfall should bring back the colour and growth before the tournaments commence. Another improvement that will provide additional shelter from the winds, and greater beauty, in the future is the thousands of young trees planted singly alonc>ide the fairways all over the course. The clubhouse also also has been extended and renovated to enable the increasingly high number of members greater comfort.

BETTER GREENS

METHOD IN AUSTRALIA LEADING ENTRANTS The chairman of the greens committee, Mr. B. E. Keiller, with whom Mr. C. G. Moore has been actively associated, has taken considerable trouble to ensure the greens are as near perfection as possible. Mr. Keillor's task has been lightened by the officers of the Plant Research Station, Palmerston North, which conducts a number of experimental plots on the links. Assistance has also been rendered by the greens research committee of the New Zealand Golf Association, which is co-operating with the Plant Research Station officials in an effort to discover the most suitable mixture of seeds, and use of manures and weed exterminators for New Zealand conditions. On a recent visit to Australia, Mr. iveiller spent some time in investigating the methods employed on Australian courses. It is interesting to note that he returned with the conviction that the greens on New Zealand courses are mown too closely. T he greens on Hokowhitu are not mown as closely as those on other curses, but even so Mr. Keillor would like the turf to benefit in strength by having a fraction of an inch more leaf. With this view Plant Research Station officials concur, and state that golfers would readily become accustomed to a slightly slower green. J. P. Hornabrook, who is this year club captain at Hokowhitu, the present New Zealand open champion, and holder of numerous other titles, and Brian Silk, the present amateur champion, are the two most notable entrants for the North Island title. With a strong field of opponents from all parts of the North Island, they will need to reproduce their best form t< play their way into the final rounds. There will' not be any _ qualifying rounds in the championship. The 32 lowest handicap players will be drawn for match play over 18 holes, commencing on Saturday morning, with a 36 holes final on the Tuesday afternoon. All players, with the exception of the eight remaining in the quarterfinals of the championship, will be graded on the Sunday morning into groups of 16, according to handicaps, and will take part in flight handicaps. The 16 lowest handicap players will compete for tiie Manawatu Easter Cup. and there will bo in addition the usual teams match, as well as stroke and bogey competitions.