GOLF.

Otago Witness, Issue 3672, 29 July 1924, Page 49

GOLF.

By

Divot.

the preceding four nights 1 - however, were on tlie hist , , '{Vie anr ] the balls were easily found Dj me fo e of whom each player bad wo T e’-olf would have been good or daylight play, the best ball being three over bog e y f o r the six boles, and tl.e game was interesting, being won two up and one ‘Vtom of Royal Melbourne Chib players visited Sydney early m e ™ players played the Australian Club, nine p- J n-side on the Kennington links. a though strictly a club game, the sides had more the appearance of mter-State teams. The Victorian star Uo^Mhitton, amateur champion! headed the Australian Club team. latter won by 4 matches to 3, two matches gr os si n g i natch that between WhiUon and M'Lelland, which the former won. 3 UP Fxte d nsive°work; are in progress on the Balmacewen links in pajud way to the hr g fourth green f»=t, *<“' ("ÜbSi. tta itat i. merits now unaei l - p, , were (writes Of the Cbnstchurch p Golf Club--Jlgg f e ‘ . ‘ reasons, and the most unsary foi ° iea ’ (1 nee d of the mdi--1 rentes oTthe club Shhley has been rated as »» 6000 yards—cause its length \yis le-- ■, because rf 83 f J° P< s iticW together with little tne Airways them and from one t"" g course to the other there was insufficient bunkering, both the au^ wavs and about tlie greens. little incentive to keep staight and none to ‘Vace” their shots, and the result lias been' that low handicap players going to Oilier courses bad trouble to play down to Ueh mark, and. long handicap players at home did not improve as fast as tney Kd In qtlier words, almost any kind of golf was good enough for Shirley, -be course when" the present work is completed will be 6123 yards in length which will help a great deal, and every fairway and -reon will be bunkered to such an extent that, while distance will be required shots that are off the line will bring a nonaltv in most cases. The standard of plav at Shirley should improve very perceptibly in a short tune after the play begins under the new conditions. The addition of 210 yards to the course, mcreas ing the total length from 5883 to 6123 yards, is to he obtained of the following holes:—No. 4 10yds. No. 5 38yds, No. 6 ?oyds No 7 50vd=, No. 9 ffivds No. 10 12yds, No. 11 75yds, and No. 13 syds. 'The contest for the professional championship of New South Wales, which was won bv T. E. Howard, was preceded by the Sydney Sun's £SOO tournament on the links of the Royal Sydney Golf Club at Rose Bay. The prize was bv far the richest that- has yet been offered in Australia, the winner securing £195 and a gold medal. Eliminating rounds reduced the field, comprising the best of the professional talent in all the Stales, to 16 competitors under conditions under which four rounds of knock-out match play, each

match consisted of 36 holes, were required to reach a decision. In the first round U- V la i V ’ ,V- G - Soutar (New South Males) boat J. Young (Victoria), 6 up and A 1 b Howard (New South Wales) beat A. le Fevre (A letona), 3 up and 2: W I. Wr (Yicloria) beat A. Spence (Queen-1 Lnd) 2 u |); Unmcgie (lark (New Soulh s w .i ? K ' (Victoria), 6 up and t>; E. Popplewell (Victoria beat E Cates. hLt 11 ?- a A U X P Rowley Banks (Victoria) c Campbell, j Clark (s ’ South Males) bear R. Stewart (South Australia), 3 up and 2; R. Keating beat ri. -U Manus (New South Wales). 2 up and rV , , secorK ' round. Soutar and Howard had a great tussle, the former winBmfl -*\ 2 "? an<J , L and Popplewell beat ,1 anks. 4 and o, but (be two Clarks had runaway victories, Carnegie beating Spicer by .10 up and 8. and W J. Clark disposing of Keating by 11 up and 10. In well S f ml 'p " a ' ' I Clark beat Popple- , , bv 8 up anct 7, and Carnegie Clark bea Soutar by 3 and 2. Nothing, if £ pa?e ortl U Vt V' Vilh,,ood lhe hurricane ? f, ~ * ar k * figures against Popplewell !a)f the fi | rst I 8 :o!es - of their match. The lattei played a winning game, and yet con lasted with his opponent’s achievements he looked mediocre. He was very excusably staggered. It i s difficult to reconcile a round of 73 e.t Rose Bay with the rather dismaying position of 4 down. I lark only departed from par play to improve upon it. His figures, giving hint 63 for the round, were easily the best that have ever been done on the present hose Bay course. The final had thus to be played between the brothers Clark It pioyided one of the most interesting games mat have ever been seen in a big match from beginning to end the golf was highclass and, as it should be in big golf, when anj thing went wrong the perpetrator had p > the penalty. All the same few chances were given. Twelve of the morning holes were halved, and 14 in the afternoon. It was a delightful struggle. nerve vieV- " 0t T™ 1 " if botlt «« nerie-iackmg shots, but neither player f'?r b fhV n 'k’ w ,T, ne [- 01 ' ,oser - each Should feri that he did himself justice. The younger brother, Walter, vval 2 up in the morning round, which be accomplished in (4. hut Carnegie got all square with 4 to go. .the players were again on level terms with one hole to play. A half in four necessitated the playing of the 37th hole, and the match was then settled by Carnegie laying a dead stymie for hi, brother. Walter _ fried to pitch over, but both balls went in. and a stirring game came to a sensational finish. I have received from the secretary of the Roxburgh Golf Club programmes of the annua l tournament which is to be held on the ciuh s links on August 22 and 23. The principal event cf the tournament is the Goldfields ad Open Championship of 36 if?i 7 which two open handicaps, of lo holes each, are to be played concurrently. The programme includes also a Ladies’ Medal Handicap and two Ladies’ Handicaps, each of these three events being over nine holes, a Men’s Medal Handicap (18 holes), and two four-ball handicaps, one for men and the other (over nine holes) for ladies. Some players from Invercargill who attended lasi year's tournament enjoyed the outing immensely, and I have no doubt ,hat Dunedin golfers, some of whom know the Roxburgh links and speak favourably of them, would come back with equally favourable reports if they could make it convenient to participate in the tournament. That they would be made welcome goes without saying, and the secretary informs me that he would be pleased to make arrangements for their accommodation.