GOLF.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19013, 8 November 1923, Page 4

GOLF.

By Divot. Dr Ross put up a rattling good performance at Balniacewen last Saturday in finishing only one down on bogey from the pins two mark. His stroke score was about 80. A gale of wind was blowing all the afternoon. and' there were two or three cold rain showers. T. 11. Horton retained the title of champion of the Masterton Golf dtfb on Saturday last, deefating VV. 11. Percy. 4 up and 3 to play, in the final match ot this year’s competition. Horton accomplished a fine 74 iu the last round. The first match for the Miramar Chib s Senior Championship, over 36 holes, was played last week-ena between A. H. B. Duncan, folder of the title, ana A. A. Stichbury. The former was the winner, 6up and 4 to play. Play opened m dramatic fashion. Duncan, who had the honour, badly hooked ins tep shot into the rough, while Stichbury got a good drive. Duncar. only got about six yards with his second, but then hit a good ball with trie brassie. Stichbury was within a hundred yards of the green with his second, and the hole looketi to be as good as won for him. Duncan, however, took his spoon, and with a masterly shot against the wind, landed his ball on the green. After coming to earth, the ball travelled straight for the pin, and disappeared gracefully into the hole for a sensational 4 at a 475 yards hole. It was a shot of fully 170 yards. The precise construction that is to bo placed on Mr Lloyd George s recommendation last week to' the American people to “follow through and keep their eye on the ball” may lie puzzling to non-golfers, of whom there must be a proportion even among the residents of the United States. It is a recommendation, moreover, the merit of which may not be so apparent to golfers as a suggestion to “keep their eye on the ball arid follow through” would have been. Golfers in Christchurch and in other centres are talking of the proposed plan of altering the golfing season. Arthur Ham, the Wellington professional, says it should be done “both to secure more enjoyable golf and to enable the clubs to put their courses in order in the winter, when they are most easily worked.” Dunedin, whore it is possible to play all the year round, is not really affected by the proposal. Arthur Ham, the Heretaunga professional, has decided to leave New Zealand, and to seek his fortune in the United States, the country where big incomes are commanded by prominent golfers. Hum is naturally loth to speak of the reason for his leaving, but boiled down it means (writes “Bafty” iu the Evening Post) that the professionals, after spending their lives learning the game, are not receiving the support from members of clubs that provides them with a sufficient means of livelihood. “One of the main troubles out here is that of balls. The members buy outside, and one of the lines on which the professional depends most is taken away from him,” remarked Ham. New Zealand is waking up to the position, but the members of clubs in but few instances consider anyone but themselves. Mrs Solanders won the Wellington Ladies’ Golf Club Championship last week. After beating Miss Ewen 5 up and 4 to play and Miss Bell 4 up and 3 to play in earlier rounds, she disposed of Miss Marchbanks in the final 2 up and 1 to play. On the day’s play Airs Sclanders deserved to win, as her approaching and putting wore exceptionally good. Though Mrs Sclanders has not taken an active part in Wellington golf for about six years, ten years ago she was the outstanding lady player in Napier for a number of years. As Miss Hindmarsh, she won the championship of the Napier Ladies’ Golf Club in 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, and 1913. and in 1913 also annexed the Hawke’s Bay Ladies’ Championship. The point that was reserved for consideration in the match in the Lower Hutt championship competition, in which Rana Wagg defeated J. L. Black, is explained in the Wellington papers. Wagg, at the sixteenth, removed grass behind his ball preparatory to taking his shot through the fairway. The local rule is that the vilayet may tee up in this fairway, and Wagg contended that as an even better lie could have been obtained by teeing up elsewhere than by the removal of the grass, he was not breaking the rule. Black, who won the hole, objected, but failed to make the objection formally correct before proceeding to the next hole. According to the rules of golf, this disposed of any claims he might have had, and a valuable official decision on th© point at issue in this instance was lost. The formation of the new links in Dunedin, which are, being laid out on the Town Belt, has reached the stage at which the greens are being made. Mr Wallace, who was greenkeeper at the Otago golf links and has now been appointed green keeper of the Balmacewen Bowling Club, has made the greens. The question is being considered as to whether a club should be established, composed of those who play on the new course, which, it may be mentioned, begins immediately behind the shed at' the junction of the cable tramway service with the electric service in Rattray street. The promoters of the club will probably find it necessary to follow the plan that is adopted at the municipal links at Berhampore, Wellington. As th© links iu each 1 case are laid out on a public reserve, it is impossible to exclude all-comers from the use of the course, a charge of sixpence a round being made at Berhampore, but the regular players there have formed a club —Mornington by name—and they hold their own competitions. That even the mighty ones of golf are affected by trifles when thei r nerves are on edge in a big match was plainly evidenced (writes “Niblick” in the Dominion) at (he last New Zealand championship tournament at Wanganui. In th© final for the amateur championship between J. (loss, of Wanganui, and A. Duncan, of Wellington, an unfort'unato lady spectator had the temerity to cough just ns Goss was about to take his putt on the tenth green. W hen the sound of that loud cough broke the dead silence of the electrical atmosphere Goss immediately straightened up with an aii' of outraged dignity and walked several yards away from his ball, glaring at the hillside from which the offending sound had come. The referee (Mr F. C Fryer, of Hastings) at once excitedly appealed to the spectators to have some consideration for tlie players. It all seemed so unnecessary. The day was excessively warm, and many hills had to be climbed by the spectators, and it was scarcely the lady’s fault that a sandfly took the liberty of popping down her throat at the wrong moment. When silence bad again settled down and every one of the 700 spectators was afraid to breathe, Goss once again carefully addressed his ball —and missed the putt. On another occasion Arthur Him, when playing in the opening championship, asked his caddie, who happened to be his wife, to stand behind him. Mrs Ham, instead of, moving to the loft out of sight behind the player, wont well over to the right. Ham played his iron shot and popped it into the bunker, and then blamed his caddie for being the cause of the duffed shot. I myself (“Niblick” confesses) nm affected tliat way. If there is a pretty lady anywhere about I find it extremely difficult to keep my eye on the ball. But it is scarcely fair to blame the lady. It is not only the players, however, who become worked up to the highest tension in a big match. The spectators also become highly affected by the strain. In the final of the amateur championship at Wanganui, when Goss was 2 down to Duncan with six holes to go, a lady called up excitedly, “I will bet anyone £lO that, Goss wins!” Under normal conditions this lady is as demure as a nun, but the excitement of (he thrilling contest outre carried her away. It was not observed whether anyone took up the bold challenge, but it certainly showed (ho confidence the Wanganui people had in their representative, and this confidence was justified. An attraction to golfers who are going Homo next year is offered in a letter received from’ the secretary of the Royal Colonial Institute by Mr W. J. Napier, the lion, secretary in Auckland. The letter draws attention to the fact: that the institute has started a series ef golfing games which have proved very popular. Next year if is the desire to develop this, an din particular, if possible .arrange a match between' the Royal Colonial Institute and tlie House of Commons Golfing Society, and perhaps with the D-- ” Society, also. “I am particularly anxious.” writes the secretav “that on thin first occasion we should have n very strong team and one that adequately represents the whole f ih« T'rilish Empire. For (his purpose I want at least one first-clans goffer from each of our great dominions. Can you lirlj- me bv mo the nemo. or names, of some good golfers who will be over here next year? T behove that we should get a very wide interest in a match of this description. If the first year is successful there should he no difficulty m getting it made an annual future.”