GOLF TOPICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23302, 22 March 1939, Page 23

GOLF TOPICS

CENTENARY TOURNEY TITIRANGI COURSE CHOSEN CONTESTS NEXT OCTOBER UST CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING The selection of the Titirangi course as the venue of the Auckland Centenary golf championship to be played next October should meet with the approval of most golfers. As the Auckland provincial championship is to lie held at Middlemore at Easter'and the Labour Day tournament at Titirangi in October, the decision of the advisory committee was not unexpected. Although the courses are of a different type, either would provide a fine test and the fact that the Auckland club will be holding the New Zealand championship meeting in 19-10 probably infllienced the committee to some extent.

When the Dominion championships were held at Titirangi in 19313, the road liole, the stroke-and-distance penalty and the terraced greens were criticised by a few southerners. Certainly, there may have been some justification for the complaints, but tho fact remains! that the meeting proved to be one of the most popular and successful ever.' held in this country. However, most of the critics were players who could not handle the conditions, and wtire perhaps prone to judge the course by the scores they themselves returned.

DIFFICULT HOLES SAFETY TACTICS ADOPTED LEADING PLAYERS FAIL PROFESSIONALS CONSISTENT For uome time prior to the championship a good deal of publicity was given tp the terrors of such holes as "The Wrecker" and "Temptation," with the result that some players approached these holes with an inferiority complex:. Actually, neither hole should present any great difficulty to lowmarkeni, but because of the adoption of safety tactics many players failed at these particular holes. It was not uncommon to see players take an iron from the tee at "The Wrecker" only to strike trouble with the second shot. In the lirst round of the open championship, J. A. Clemeni;s, open champion in 1909 and 1912, was level fours to the 12tli, but he struck trouble at the following hole to card an 11, J Weir, who, at that time was assistant to Moss, required 25 strokes at that hole in the Jour rounds, his figures being 7, 7, 6, 5. Another young professional, N. H. Fuller, the present professional champion, carded 6, 7, 5, 3, a mixture of mediocrity and brilliance. Of the lenders, A. J. Shaw had the best total at "The Wrecker" for the four rounds, his figures being 4. 4, 5, 5, J2. S. Douglati and 13, J, Moss both averaged fives for the hole, but Douglas carded n 7 at the 12th and 16th holes in the first round. A remarkable feature of the open event was the excellent scores returned by these two players at the short holes, and actually it was their ability to play the one-shotters well, which enabled them to lead the field with totals of 300, Douglas had four twos, eight threes and four fours for a total of 48, Or even threes for the 16 holes. Moss was a model of consistency as ho carded no fewer than fifteen threes, a 4 at the short 4th in the final round being the only time he dropped a stroke at the qne-shotters.

THE LOWEST SCORES MOSS WINS ON PLAY-OFF The leading scores in the open championship were as follows: E. J. Moss . . . . 75 77 72 76—300 E. S. Douglas . .. 79 7674 71—300 A, J. Shaw . . . . 74 78 74 78—304 H. It. Blair , . . . 79 72 76 79—300 W. S, Ralph , . . . 74 80 77 76—307 B. V. Wright . . 79 73 77 78 —307 N. H, Fuller . , , . 75 78 77 77 —307 In the play-off, Moss had rounds of 74 anci 72, while Douglas required 78 and 77, ALTERATIONS TO COURSE OFFICIAL RECORD ROUNDS The Titirangi course was laid out by a famous golf architect, Dr. Mackenzie, but those who have not played on it since 1933 will find that a number of alterations have been made. Three new blinkers are being constructed at the first hole, and the second green is now just short of tho road on the righthand side of the fairway. The third tee will be shifted well to the left of the present site, but the line to the hole will still be toward the boundary fence. The entrance to the fifth green will be narrowed down, and the placing of a bunker on the left will enhance the value of 'the hole. A new green hais been formed at the Bth and, although the site is unchanged, the hole will provide a better test of golf. Tho famous "Wrecker" has been improved by the construction of a tee near the'Whau Creek and the green, which was remodelled a year or two ago, is being well bunkered on both sides, The last of the short holes, the 14th, is being-lengthened by over 40 yards, and consequently will be as much moro difficult to negotiate in par 3. The 15th green has also been remodelled since 1933 and it is intended to alter the bunker at the entrance to the green. At present it is right in the line of play to the pin. A bunker on the right of the 18th green and the elimination of one terrace will be a decided improvement and. when this work is completed, the finishing hole will be a fine one. The distances and the scratch score of the holes are as follows: *

Hold Yards Srr. Hole Yards Scr. 1 300 I 10 401 4 2 Ml 8 1 H 161 3 3 .'SBO 5 1 2 467 o 4 155 a 13 474 5 5 500 5 It 170 3 « 430 5 15 372 4 7 170 3 16 355 4 8 308 I 17 446 5 O 287 4 .IS 329 4 Total 2848 37 Total 3175 37 Total yardage.—6o23. Scratch score.—74. The official records for the course are: Amateur. —B. G. Thomson, Professional. —E. S. Douglas, 71.