GOLF.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13857, 21 March 1907, Page 10

GOLF.

Br The Piffleh. The second round of the championship of the Otago Golf . Club was played 011 Saturday in a drizzling rain. ' Tho links wero in grand order, and one could putt with every confidence, moro especially as tho condition of the soil now permits of the hole tins being sunk well below the level of tho green.

I would again remind members that it is almost imperative that the matches, at anyrate in the first two rounds, should lie played off promptly, been use tho draw for thj consolation matches is dependent on' the results of these two voimds. Of course, in the case of indisposition some latitude might be allowed, but if it is only a business engagement that interferes with the playing of a match in the week allowed then it is a case of giving up the engagement or giving a bye. The matches on Saturday last resulted, in one or two eases at least, quite unexpectedly. This was the ca;e where Cook beat Hogg —it must be remembered, however, that Hogg has not had much practice lately and tho other man has. and one begins to realise how few strokes there arc between the various players: the ono has only 10 be a little off and the other a little on Lis game, and there you are. On paper a. good many of us put down Hamilton Smith to beat Maelvwau. but it just proves that although a. player may do an excellent score round 1 it does not follow that lie is a good match player, liecause there are other factors that, enter into match play. MacEwan, in my opinion, is perhaps the best match player we have got, so it is not. surprising that he won. Braseh and- Kottle provided us with what has been, so far, the keenest match. This match, on liandicaps, should have been won by Kettle; but Brasch, doing the nineteenth in 4, finished the game in his favour. Basil Smith again did a good round 011 Saturday, and it is satisfactory to Macdonald that, under the circumstances, he was beaten by so small a margin. Basil Smith ought to give a good' account- of himself at the forthcoming Christchurch tournament.

Hurt deserves every credit for the uphill game he played, and for the brilliant finish he made in his game with M. Turnbull. The matches in the first consolation are to be played on Saturday. I think it is a pity the committee has decided not to have a separate draw for this event. It would not matter so much if there were no hyes. but to my mind every player is entitled to the chance of a bye cve.ii in a consolation. Then, again, it seems to mc that it would be better to give a chance of having fresh matches drawn. As it is at present, a player who is put out in the championship goes into tho first consolation; from that 1 lie may go into the second consolation and meet his original opponent, who has meanwhile been put out of tho championship in llio second round. I understand the Otago Golf Club is trying to arrange a match with tho Timaru Golf Club for tho Orbell Challenge Cup. The match will probably tako place just after liastcr The monthly Bogey competition of Ihe St. Clair Golf Club will take place on Saturday first. J'he Balclutha Golf Club is evidently determined to improve its links. It has now appointed a, greenkeoper, and has arranged with the A. and P. Association for the loan of its pavilion as a temporary club house. Mrs Hutton, lion, treasurer of the English Ladies' Golf . Union, was recently in Auckland, and gave the ladies there some valuablo information. She. suggested that a Ladies' Golf Council should be formed in New Zealand, and at the forthcoming championship meeting (which is to be licid at. Auckland) steps will bo taken to carry out the suggestion. I would like- to remind the ladies that tho bulk of tho ladies' elubs throughout New Zealand are, already affiliated with the Kcw Zealand Gol r Council. It is stated that E. M. Byers. tho amateur champion of, tho United States, is to compete in the Amateur Championship of Great Britain. Tho Hon. M. Scott has returned to Victori?. and the following is taken from "Bulger's" notes in the Australasian: — " I understand that Mr Scott has lieen playing a great deal in the Old Country, awl that his ideas of fprm in Australia as coinpared with British form have undergone a considerable change. Before he went Home he was of opinion that; his brother, tiio Hon. 0. Scott, runner-up for Iho championship in 1905, could give him a third, hut after playing a great many games with him on level terms he finds that, he won more than 1m lost. I am told that Mr Scott, and his brother played a great many four-ball foursomes with the most prominent amateurs at. Home, and that they wore never hoaten —that Mr Keoti considers Braid, with whom lie played a great deal, by far the best golfer in tho United Kingdom; and that after playing over all the most prominent courses lie would place, as a test r.f golf, St. Andrew's firs'. Deal second, and Sandringham third, the last being, in his opinion, considerably the most difficult." In his " Field Page " in the London Daily Chronicle, which arrived by the last mail. C. I). Pry provides an interesting article from the pen of Henry Leach. It gives tlio views of leading amateurs and professional golfers upon how to attain success at golf. I will briefly restate the views of these champions Mr John L. Low, "thoughtful " golfer, picks out as the great 1 moral for the study of iho game that when the student takes a great player as his model and tries to copy his style ho should not merely try to imitate tho shots but should try to understand "the man's game and its meaning." In other words, study the : man's smallest characteristics and discowr their effects on his game. James Braid, who is a made golfer, and not a born one. if over one was ma<lo, puts it in this way: that he is inclined to think that it is too cften. said that great golfers are born and not made; and then Iw w» «» —

that golfers must put. up with certain natural peculiarities of style that are thrust upon them and -which, provided that nono of the fundamental theories oF the gamo arc violated, need he, no serious impediment io their progress hi the game. Jlr .Tames Robb, amateur ehampiou, states similiarly:—"A man's style must Ix 3 adapted to his build. Tho stylo of evert tho best of golfers cannot be recommended to a beginner without consideration of this point.- Jiach ono must- find out what, is his most, effective way of wielding tho elnb " Harry A'ardon contents himself, with:---"Stttdy the gamo." IT. H. Hilton roars out:—"Why don't you follow through?" Thoro is a lot of truth in IT. G. Hutchinson's advice, which reads:—"Don'i. knock off playing; you will never have tho same confideiice if you t;tl:o oven a. short spell from golf." To finish with, there is something pathetic in i Ito soliofpiics of Mr Ldward Blackwfll, that prineoof long drivers whose long gamo is the envy of all who have seen it. Ho wishes that in his youth ho had s' v 'oii more attention to the "short game! "If I had to learn my golf all over again- from the. beginning-," he says, "I should .study putting more seriously and carefully than 1 did tho first time, and I should always putt with a wooden putter, which I think is by far the truest of all."