GOLF.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13874, 11 April 1907, Page 5

GOLF.

By The Piffles. . There was a large entry for the- St. Andrew's Cross competition of the Otago Golf Club, which was played on -Saturday last. The gold cross was won hy TVir' J. R. Scott, with the excellent score of 76, and Mr J. R. Park, tho winner oE the silver cross, is to be congratulated ' on his score of 77 net. Mr H. D. Stronaobi was disqualified for inadvertently teoing . Ins-ball ontsido tho diecs. I have- lookedup the decisions of the Rules of iGolf-Com-'■• .mittoe, and find that- the Glamorganshire Golf' Club statod: "A player oatho .first . tee in .a medal competition dro'vo-3iie firsb shot from, outside the, limits of'tho "'discs; '. ' but, attention being- called to the eamo ' brjforo another stroke was 'played, 1© drove again. Question, Was he, disqualified! •as • under Rulo No. 5, or could it ho taken, that the first shot ivas not tho ■commence- . merit of tho game? Aleo, should BUeh ■ happen off the second or other tee, would! , there bo auy other ruling?— Answer: Tho.;: ''•'{■' player is disqualified from any tee."' It ; • is very liard that a player,, through; inadverjence, should be disqualified, and more >' especially as most of us have an uneasy feeling that some players,, through ignorance of the. rules, teo outside tho discs' and -nothing is said about it. All players.'■■' should 1 rcmombcj that, they are competing , against tlie field, and! it is incumbent on them to, know and observe tho rules,)and also to.'eeo that.tho men they-aro drawn > •,-.' with comply with tho rules.

Tho putting.competition also took■ place ■ on_ Saturday, but had ta bo "discontinued' owing to darknessi setting in. ■ , The combined team- :from the Otago Udics' Golf Club and tho Otago-'Golf -,- iClub are to bo congrcitnlated. on,'their' .':'" winning the OrboU Challcngo Cup .'at V Timaru oh Thursday last, i.. ■ . . ' The visiting golfers speak■ voty., highly *.. of the-'hospitality they received both, at '{.. Christchurch and Tinmru, and, all-round, \ they seem tcHiavo-lind a real gqgcT'Vtime. ' ;'■ I asked l one of the visitors to Waikouaiti'' : how they had fared at that" place, and 1" cannot.do-better than quote.his»own words! ', "A few ladies and gentlemen enjoyed-..-,; a- pleasant golf holiday at, Waiktoiti. \■'", Those private links aro decidedfy , goodA ; and of the sporting order. Straight and •'.7 good driving is necessary; anything olseV 'lands one in serious trouble. The .putting'■ ■ greens arc .on tlio..natural turf, and'throiigh ■ the good- work douo by those in charge-aro as nice .as anything : in the colony, and' better than on 6omo championship courses. , ..Mγ and Mrs W. Kdmond very'kindly pro- .' vided prizes for a bogay match on Easter > : Saturday. Mr Edmond and- Mr Stilling / ! [ arranged tho Jiandicaps, and .provided n, rather liberal bo?ey';(104), with a-view to giving all tho visitors a fair chance of beat-' >■' ing tho colonel. ' The prize-winnere worn: • Ladies-Miss .Winnie Scott, 9 up; Miss doLautour, all square. • Gentlemen-Mr F. '-, J. Stilling, 18 up; Mr 'J. H. Scott, 10 ~' up. Mr Stilling had only two. strokes, '-.- 'handicap, and his gross score was only': ,77 for tho 18 holes, so that his phenomenal. ■ success, over the colonel must not be.attri-'."■'■' ■buted to 3iis liaiidicapping. but to his meritorious play Mr and Miss Scott had tho honour oE being tlie scratch' players ,on • this oecasion. All the visitors are agreed: '\ that their Easter golf at 'Waikouaiti was a very happy experience." In Golf Illustrated some-very interest ing remarks with regard to the marking '.■ on golf balls are concluded as follows:—'

"It- has been found that the bramble- ' marking gives more'reliable results'in the flight and riin of the ball, and these'im- : portant considerations outweigh tho qucs-V tioti of the loss of paint. But , even in,, the nramblo moulding there aro degrees of'' excellence. Some patterns give better results than others. It is claimed, for in- •'. stance, by the Silvortown peoplo' (the', makers of • the old Silvertown gtitta) -that thoir special arrangement of the pimples, ns seen in .the Kite, Colonel, and the jot* Silvertown 'N. 9, has an important bearing :' on the ground resistance experienced by. tho ball in its v un, Mid 1 on the putting , #rcon, and that a perfect balance is ; obtained in the outer cover."

Tho passing of the red coat is 'deplored, , by tlio Field in ■ tho' following terms:—"lt is impossible not to heave a sigh of regret tot tho golfer's red jacket 'should have, fallen in these days into widespread jun-'' Apart from the fact that: it .lira been immomorially associated'with gamq -as the , distinctive -badgo oi -the whole' golfing tribe, thero is a deal to'bo"eaid for its retention- on all golf linlra-vwhoro - ■play is popular. Tho red jaokot'is recognisable against the bright green of the turf at long distances ahead. ' Tho' colour ofthe jacket forms-a bright contrast with tho all-nervadincr green l , and l hence every player on tho .links is enabled with one swcop of the oye to see, not only liow rcany couples aro playinghim, but ho is enabled thereby to separate the casual spectator -and the : non-player from those who.aft taking'an active'parfc in the game." " ', ', ■• ..