GOLF.

Otago Witness, Issue 2879, 19 May 1909, Page 64

GOLF.

XOTES BY BULGER.

The championship of the Otago Club was finished on Saturday, when Hamilton Smith again won. Salmon did not play up to his form of the previous Saturday, and suffered defeat by 8 up and 6 to play on the two rounds (36 holes). Smith now holds the championship of New Zealand, Otago, end his club. He has won the championship of Otago and his club for two years running. The proposed date for the commencement of the Australian championship meeting — viz., October 4 — has caused (says a Melbourne writer) a god d:al of discussion amongst the leading players. Unfortunately the date clashes with the Australian Jockey Club's spring meeting in Sydney, and will no doubt debar some of our friends in that State, who, as a rule, look forward to spending a fortnight at Sandringham, from taking part. It will also prevent some of Victoria's first-flight players competing, owing to business engagements, which must be attended to ait that time of the year. I feel confident that the committee of the R.M.G.C. did not decide on the 'date without the most careful and mature deliberation, and we are all aware that they cannot please everybody ; still, I am inclined to think that they overlooked the clashing with the Sydney races, etc. Granting that the course is at its best in October, there is no gainsaying the fact that golf in Australia is purely a winter pastime, and ithe fixing of the date for about the middle of August would, I feel certain, meet with general approval There is certainly more daj'light in October, but we get some very warm and enervating days as well during thait month. All the championship events finish early, and as the handicaps are decided by one round the question of daylight need not be taken into consideration. Regarding the weather, it is no doubt purely a ma-tter of chance, but if we take the results of past seasons I think that the records will show less rainfall and strong, high winds in August than either September or October. If not too late, it is to bo hoped that the R.M.G.C. will reconsider this important detail and change it to about the middle of August, which, no doubt, will enable a greater number of players to take part in the golf meeting of the year.

Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey, in an article contributed to - The Times, on the flight and accuracy of golf balls, states that none of the rubber-cored balls are correct as to their centres of gravity, nor are any of them truly spherical ; the old gutties being as near true spheres as possible r.nd also show very little error in centre of gravity. On shooting the balls from projectile sngines against a head or side wind snne curious results were obtained. Against tho wind the balls with the roughest markings invariably carried the shortest distances, owing to their always tending rto fly too high or to soar upwards at about twothirds the length of their flight. With a fresh side wind from the left all the balls except ithe guttie pitched from 8 to 12 yards to the right of the mark at a range of 130 yards. Here, again the more roughly marked balls consistently showed the greatest divergence from, a true line of flight. He also describes a new form of ball that was sent to him to try. The ball was perfectly smooth, like a billiard ball, and when fired from the engine " ducked " every time in an extraordinary iganner, and not carrying more- than about" 80 yards. For putting it was also a failure. Thinking that this form of ball did not suit the projecting engine, he engaged the well-known professional Edward Ray, of Ganton, to play a round with it. Ray, who is an exceptionally long and accurate pleyer with driver and oleek, failed time and again to get any distance with it, about 100 yards being the furthest. After playing six holes there was no disputing that a smooth ball was quite useless for golf. He then proceeded to nick the ball slightly with the point of a knife, spacing the small raised nicks about onethird of an inch apart, the ball being still a very smooth one in comparison to any of the usual kinds. After the slight alteration the ball flew splendidly, whether off wood or iron clubs, neither too high nor too low, but quite straight, and with the very slight rise towards the end of its carry that is the essence of perfect flight in a long ball; some of the carries when measured from the tee being well over 200 yards. On retMrning home he shot the ball used at Ganton from the small engine again, and it now several times outdistanced the best records made by any of the balls previously tested. He next chipped up many more little raised nicks of the semi-smoorh ball as a further experiment, but found that this treatment not only reduced its length of flight by several yards, but also caused is to soar too much upward when projected against c head wind, as does Ihe ordinary rough-marked ball. From such practical tests it is evident that the surface of a golf ball is lar too rougn, and that it would fly with more accuracy, and further, especially with a head or a side wind, had it much less numerous and prominent markings on its cover. He suggests a ball with slightlyraised lines intersecting ite surface, with spaces between the 'ines where they intersect, that in area would be about that of a threepenny-bit, and which would somewhat resemble in pattern the network on the outside of a melon

The following extracts From a recent iss'«e of the Scotish Field will be of interest: —

Although the new code has only been in use for three months some clubs are finding a difficulty in interpreting and applying the rules. The odd man on medal days, for instance, has been the cause of much disputation among the members of committees. Rather than attempt to observe literally the rule about two men plavinp for a medal, many committees have boldly kept to their well-tried system of allowing the odd man to pJay with the last couple drawn. This is the easiest, simplest, and most workable way of dealing with this problem, which eroDS up continually at courses where several ballots are held in the course of the day. Permanent grass in bunkers has also caused some confusion. In the old code it was specifically stated that a club could be grounded when a ball lay on this particular grass. In the new rules nothing is said about -permanent grass in bunkers, and the great majority of players have been labouring under the idea I hat they were prohibited from grounding their clubs under these conditions. On the authority of the Rules of Golf Committee this interpretation is inaccuxate. In replying to a question put

by the Preston Golf Club the committee state: — "Ground covered by permanent grass, though it is adjacent to or surrounded by hazard, is not necessarily regarded as hazard. In each particular case it is for the local committee to define accurately the extent of the hazard." This being the law on the subject there does not appear to be much justification for excluding the explanatory line from the ruic. Probably other point 6of equal importance will crop up before long. It will be remembered that a lively discussion raged recently in the go!iing press as to what constituted "professional' and "amateur' 1 golfers. The difficulties and inconsistencies of the present position were freely stated, but no real attempt was made to solve the first and to correct the second. The present anomalous position of affairs cannot go on forever, and the sooner a remedy is found the better. I observe, that an effort has .been made to get some light and leading from the Rules of Golf Committee. It cannot be said that they illuminate the subject. As regards a "professional golfer" tho committee say that the t'ftrm ie usually applied to -players who receive payment for teaching: or playing the game. No one can take exception to that statement. Nor can anyone seriously deny that a person who "makes clubs for sale" is also a professional ; but according to the amateur championship delegates a person who '"makes a living from the sale of clubs is an amateur." That is a fine distinction. To be quite logical, then, we must consider persons who "make balls for sale" as "professionals." and shopkeepers w.ho "make a living from the sale of balk" as amateurs. Such inconsistencies can easily be augmented. What about the men who make golf bags and golf shoes, and thosewho sell these as part of their business? The ramificatione of the game, I fear, have become too great for such a'bsurdit"es to hold sway much longer. Probably the only way to avoid the pitfall of illogicalirv is to adhere to +he simple definition that a, "professional" is a person who receives money for teaching or playing the gam«. The following is the result of the Otago Ladies' Golf Club's Bogey competition on Friday la6t : — Hep. Mi«s K. Rattray 6 2 down Mies Gould 6 2 down Miss M. Law 17 3 down GOLF IN "WELLINGTON. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, May 15. Sir Joseph Ward, as president of the Wellington Golf Club, officially opened, the season on the links at Heretaunga this afternoon, and Lady Ward presented the prizes won in the various competitions during the day. At the close of the proceedings it was intimated that Sir Joseph Ward rjad signified his intention of presenting two cups to be competed for by' members of the club— generosity that was highly appreciated.

A great improvement has been made in the links, the beauty of which is admiringly commented upon by players who have acquaintance with the prettiest links in Great Britain and the Continent. Several members have built very pretty weekend houses on the terrace overlooking the green, and there is also the attraction of excellent trout-fiehirig. The club has now a large membership, and some very promising players. Martin, the Sydney professional, who is probably the best "coach" who has ever, visited New Zealand, has had his services largely availed of, and has made an all-round improvement in the play of memfbers. One of the younger lady players is described as a coming New Zealand ohampion, and one who is likely before many yea-re are over to win honours on Australian links. Amongst the men, Mr Arthur Duncan is still in a olas3 by himself. The club has evidently a bright future before it.