GOLF.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 5134, 28 November 1903, Page 15

GOLF.

(By “AUi-S^uare.”) ‘G'olf XUusfc^a^ted ,,, brings news that old Tom. Morris bag resigned tho custodianship of tho St. Andrew's links, a position ho has held for forty years. It is not that old Tom is fairing in health, la still lemarkably-active, but it is teit that a younger loan is required for the heavy duties of,tho post. Tho 31. and A. Club have gan-eiTOusly arranged that old Tom shall continue to receive his present salary. Many are the good stories told about old Torn; but still more numerous are the good stories which Tom hell's of the old days. Among these latter is one of a forv mor champion, who backed himself somewhat heavily to win tho championship balk The night bofdr© the match, however, he was indisposed, and on coming down ih tho morning called off all his bets. "Syne/" says Toni, sniggering, "ho went oot an" won tho belt. V* He also delights in a story of how Allan Roberteon, his old muster, one© played a trick on a shortsighted ; opponent. He placed a couple of green-'Hairpins near the hole, and enjoyed; hugely/the puzzled efforts of his antagonist to get-his ball in. Jas Braid, ex-champion of the world, usually carries the following clubs: •*Two drivers, used from the tee; two brassies, used through tho course; clock, used from 150 tc 160 yards from hole; driving mashie, used from 130 to 150 yards; iron, used from 100 to 150 yards; magfcie, used to approach with up to 100 yards; niblick, used in bunkers, ruts, whims, etc., and putting deck/" ‘'When endeavouring to clyivo your ball from, a &and bunker/* says Braid in a recent interview, "stand perfectly still, and swing your ding almost perpendicularly. Strike the sand one inch behind tho ball, and then bring tho club up sharnlv to make the ball rise quickly, flit hard/* '•A threcrquarter iron shot/* continues Braid. "I* played very similarly to th* drive, but { he grip on the club should he equally firm with both hands. Bo pot (urn nuilp fo much a a in tho full drive, am! carry votir club through rather more

. 1; « direr-t ]rm w:Hi Hi/ hole. As you pum, a.;, tlie iui'Hit r b-ick you Hi** Jolting Mot. grip the dub frur-iliv' ti i ,;i iy wlHi both hands. Keep Hi ft weig.ht well down on the fool, .ha right shoulder well down, and lot tho dub ;i*cli/if* bad; from the perpon,diculjr r-> (.:> to get wdi under Hw? bull. I.’raid amt mivnv ether hue players are m-w ud.:-' iw;Hi rornijuKed iaccs-. “U ko'-«;s‘ito- ball from ducking, espemdIv on tho iieav:/ \v.-«t ground oiion iound or inland conr-i/H." . - TJji. following America!! dc»cri|ihon of lijf. diiDvr-nces between Iko Kn;;hsli and America ::t- v,-il| bo inteiwling to our Holier.-: —“The sm-cr®, of the visitors in list hove a salntnrv effect, not only bocauso it “lioul.l snow the United States Golf Association that in simulating .lie air mill n: niosidiero of file Koval and Ancient dull it has been pursuitur a pnm;(Oin hut !.eeau.-e flio visitors havo played the spirit and not tho letter of the gst.te. Of the eleven uiemiir-rs ijf Ihe Unrflish ‘ ’Vorsit-irs’ Society all played the game from a stapiipoint di/Tereut from that af (ho mmoritv of our auialcurs. '.one wen-p so absorbed l>y the ainliitimi to von as to forget (hero were other pleasures beoiiirs golf. Hather the spirit of cotn-1-adesTiip than the desire to win prompted tlmir e(Torts, and this apparently had a marked eU'eet ou I’iudley Douglas', for there is no ouestion that the letter in Ills three matches against the liritisliers played with more vim, more relish, and more abandon than in all ins games sincje he came to the country. There is a dash and freedom about the play of the Britishers which by comparison makes our men give tho impression they would be excellent mutes at a funeral. The latter’s air is so serious, so imbued with the terrible consequences of defeat, that it is to he hoped our most promising young amateurs will shake olf tins funereal altitude. At present the greatest plague wnieh hart attacked our amateurs is tho preliminary swing, which has become such a habit that unconsciously they are drif ting into the stilted, jerkv. present-arms style, which is not only painful to watch, but deplorable whom one contemplates the future” “Golf Illustrated” has an amusing article on tho difficulties of golf in Malta. "Xu tho month of August thero is more reek than grass, and one could -not possibly take a ‘divot/ no maaliie would ever stand it.” ■ They piny with gutties painted red, on account of the glare and the difficulty of finding a white ball, and at the end of a round the state of the paint is such as to necessitate the buying of a. new ball. Tire tco is a small platform cut out of the rocky floor, and no sborfcetightad player would ever notice it. There is no sand-box, and slices of guttaX>eirolra piping take the places of the tees. A little further on. high upon the middle wall, is a notice that cyclists are not allowed in this ditch after one p.m. Wliy eyebsts want to ride in a ditch at all is another matter. The greens are all in ado of cement, and daily sprinkled w>th saiud. if there is any wind about it blows the sand about into little ridges, making the putting green into a sort of miniature steeplechase course. Each green is circular iri shape, seven paces in diameter —not so very muoli room to pitch and lie —and there is no changing the hole ou, modal days, for each tiu is firmly cemented into the centre. The course itself is extremely narrow, being only about twenty-five yards in width; pullers and slicers can depend on having a gay'time climbing "upstairs.” “Upstairs” is a colloquialism for those parts of the outworks on tho top of the walls surrounding the ditch in which the course proper lies. To get "upstairs” one has to climb up tho walls with the aid of iron supports let into the sides in the shape of a ladder, a-nd if a bit awkward at first, they soon lose (heir teirron-s, on the principle that familiarity begets contempt. The ladders are situated at various points round the course, aard to anyone who has ever been off tho.line they appear to be aoi obvious necessity/’ Again, it says:—“Many players have been known to play the cannon game when near a green, ,i. 0., playing on to a Slide watl and cannoning it off on. to the green if possible. But this is hardly golf, and not to bo recommended, as, beyond the knowledge of strength it requires. It takes a knowledge of angles, and, as the walls are by no means like the cushions of a billiard-table, the shot lays itself a>en to being greatly interfered with by re cracks, and holes, and interstices spread adl over tho surface of them.” " Golf Illustrated" has the following rather good story:—"How long ia the Log Cabin Hole on your course?” “I don’t know the exact length, but tho way I plav it, ita just ouo drive and seven niblicks.”