GOLF

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1514, 7 March 1901, Page 43

GOLF

BY “ALL SQUARE.” Interest in golf has suddenly .revived in Wellington, and the players are flocking to Miramar in large numbers. Nothing has contributed more to hasten the inevitable probably than the importation by Mr W. XT. Tisdall of a large number cf the newest clubs' from the oldest makers. It is not surprising tnat what one of our best players' has characterised as the “best collection of clubs in the colony” should be attracting a lot of attention from the disciples, of the royal and ancient game. Indeed, so magnetic ns the attraction of Mr Tisdall’s display for a number of our golfers, just now, that it has been suggested by one of the local humourists that Mr Tisdall should make a charge for rental to. some of them. One of the most promising players at Miramar is Mr A. J. Abbott, who is likely to find himself behind scratch before the season is ever. On Saturday Mr Ab - bott went out in 39, to come back in 49 —a really creditable score in a trying wind. The links at Miramar will be in better order this 3*ear than ever before. The new golf house has been completed, and is now full of conveniences and comforts. The members are taking a great interest: in the furnishing, and all are contributing articles, either useful or ornamental. Stables have been erected at the rear of the golf-housa both for horses and bicycles, and the new arrangements will contribute to make the club-house and its surroundings as up-to-date as any in the colonies. From every point of view golfing is a most beneficial amusement, physically and mentally; so much so, in fact, that there are links in Scotland, England and America maintained by the municipalities on behalf of the citizens. Undoubtedly these advantages are largely availed of wherever the generosity of the City Fathers has made such a boon possible. An idea of thel popularity of the game in America- may be gathered from the figures just published respecting th 3. Boston municipal course at Frank ire Park, of which the late Willie Campbell was professional. During the last season, which commenced in May ancl terminated in November, there were 41,041 starters. The daily average players foi the seven months was 220. Thel gieatest number was during the bannei month,” September, when there were 7854 players, a daily attendance of ovea S °The Australian Championship date lias

not yet been decided upon, as the Bo 1 ;- any Club wishes to secure tneFattendan.ee of several prominent players, but- a data in June or July will be fixed upon as so on as the Australian Golf Club completes its inquiries. It is expected that among the competitors for the championship will be found Mr P. C. Andersen. of Melbourne, and an eix-amateur cnampion of England, Mr White (the present champion), Mr Riddle of the R.M.G.C., mid Dr. Swift, of South Australia. New South Wales will be represented by th-e present champion, Mr Macartliur, the ex-champion, Mr Hugh Macneil, Messrs Simpson, Martin and others. Mr Arthur Duncan (champion of New Zealand) and Mr Gillies (ex-Australian champion) have also premised to go over for the meeting. Mr Hugh Macneil is expected to return from England next month, and it is hoped by the Sydney golfers that, he may be successful in inducing some English amateur crack to visit tne championship meeting at Botany. Mr Herbert Ross, of thei Hawtrey Comedy Company, is also a likely competitor. He receives something like two handicaps at St. Andrews. Mr Ross holds the record (83) for the Botany links. Mr CR. Burnside, honorary secretary of the Australian Golf Club, will undertake the honorary secretaryship of the Golf Union during the championship gathering. Mr S. H. Fry, the well-known MidSurrey golfer, intends taking up his residence permanently in Australia. An ex-Victorian player, Mr Travis, has a wonderfully good record this sea - son in America. He captured the United States Amateur Championships, and out of the nine open tournaments in which he took part-, was successful in winning seven, and established medal records over the hill courses. Harry Vardon made hosts of friends in America, and it- is not improbable that there may be some truth in the rumour that ho has an idea of settling down later on with the Yanks. During his American tour he played seventy-three actual matches, in the majority of which he was heavily handicapped. Of this number Vardon was successful in sixty-two games, and according to the “Sun'' Ids revenue from exhibitions, etc., amounted to £20,000/' But of this amount, it is said, the greater part goes to the Sporting Spalding Goccls Firm who had charge of the tour. In the match witn ' Bernard Nicholls, at Braeburn, there was a side bet of oOOdol. each:and the gate money. This match was won by Nicholls, which must- have placed the America i in a good financial position. Bernard Nicholls, of Boston, U.S.A., who twice defeated Harry Vardon in. America, played his first public mated since his arrival in England on the links of the Tooting Bee Club- cn December 20, when he met Peter Paxton, the local professional. Nicholls started badly ov driving into the bunker, and hittino- a tree with his brassie shot, but after losing the first hole, he squared at the second, thanks to a very shou. He took the lead at the sixth, and was three up at the turn coming home. Nicholls pocketed the twelfth, and after a half won the fourteenth hole and the match by five holes up and four to play. The scorels were: Nicholls, out, _4l; home, 40; total, 81. Paxton, 44 ana 45, total, 87. The weather prevented low scoring, but Nicholls played a. good long game. His putting was not great. On December 22 Nicholk met James Braid, of Romford, in- a 36-hoi-3 match on the links of tne! Romfoid Golf Club. Play commenced in a dense fog., which placed the American, who did not know the course, at a great disadvantage. ’He was bunkered at the first hole, and after making several attempts to get- out, he gave up. Every hole on the outward journey except the third, whicn was halved, fell to Braid, but he could not increase his" lead. on the lionietvvara half.. He was thus seven holes up at the end of the first round. The weather was a little clearer in the afternoon, and Nicholls played a better game. He was, however, a hole to the bad going out, and stood eight clown at the turn. Braid became dormy at tlie tenth hole, which was halved, and, winning the next, secured the match by nine holes up and selven to play. The loser played a good long game, but was weak in his- approam and putting. The late Mr F. G. Tait, of the Black Watch, known to his friends as “Freddie,” was killed in South Africa. At Magersfontein Mr Tait was knocked over with a bullet in the thigh when within 200 yards of the Boer trendies. Subsequently he expressed the opinion that the Highland Brigade was “simply thrown, away,” but he cleared General Wauchope’s memory from an imputation tnat rested upon it. Whether he was to blame or not-, that fine soldier woind have been the last to endeavour to shift the burden of responsibility. A couple ox months later poor Tait was killed at Ivoocloosberg while gallantly leading on his men to the attack. .As a golfer laitwas unsurpassed, especially in match play. In his younger days he was an extraordinarily long driver, and it is on record that at St. Andrews, in January, 1893, he drove a ball 341 yards, the carry N covering 250 yards. Latterly he kept this marvellous power of hitting nioie under control, realising that straightness was of more importance than distance. When at the top of his game he seldom made a mistake, but if “grief aLd arrive Tait was seen at his best, from lies which ordinary players regarded as hopeless he would get away his ball with surprising results in- the of strength and accuracy, and it was this power of recovery that rendered him such a dangerous adversary. His last important match was with Mr John Balk on 2nd

October, 1899, and, winning by one hole, after having been three down with five to play, Tait revenged his defeat in die amateur championship. Glancing at some golfing events in the fast year of the nineteenth century, the “Daily Telegraph” finds several which claim the attention. Yardon’s prolonged tour in the United to cates and Taylor 's shorter visit to the same country are not without significance as showing how keenly the! game is being taken up by ouv cousins across the Atlantic. There are now nine hundred golf clubs in the United States, practically the same number as in England, and when it is remembered that half a dozen grearg ago American clubs could be counted on the fingers of one hand, thsi astonishing nature of the progress becomes aggarent. An international tour nament between Britain and America may be arranged ere; long, and shoulo assist in promoting those cordial relations between the two countries which are now beginning to be established. The blue ribbon of golf— Open Championship—was carried off last year by J. H. Taylor, as all the world knows, but his play at St. Andrew’s is deserving of more than a passing recollection, for a, finer exhibition of golf was never witnessed. St. Andrew's is generally considered to be the most difficult of the five championship courses, and this opin - ion is supported by statistics. The par af the green is 75, and until last year the lowest score ever returned at a championship meeting was 77. Taylor heid the four rounds in 309 strokes, giving an overage for each of 77-’ , and he completed one of them in 75. The player that could achieve such success must have been faultlelss, and seems almost to raise golf from the domain of chance into that of mathematical certainty. Varclon was second with 317, a score which would have easily won the championship on the last occasion of its being decided at SfcAndrew’s. Playing in rare form, Mr H. Hilton had no great difficulty in winning his first Amateur Championship. In no less than four past tournaments his chance was extinguished by the late Mr Tait, wa> seemed always able to get the better of Mr Hilton at match play, although m the scoring game Mr Hilton could more than hold his own.' Mr Robb, St. Andrew's, was the runnel; up, and Mr Branxston, Oxford University, reached the semi-final. For the second year in succession, the Ladies’ Champ ion ship was won by an Irish lady, Miss Rhona Adair vanquishing all her adversaries at Weriward Ho! She encounteired strong opposition from the Misses Whigham, who hail from north of the border, and with more practice in placing before a “gallery” these young ladies are likely to go far. In the fourth round Miss Adair fooled the course! in 90 strokes, a oerformance which first rate golfers ox ‘lie stronger sex alight not always equal.