GOLF TOPICS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17232, 11 April 1930, Page 3

GOLF TOPICS

ITEMS IN BRIEF (By "Putt.") Lady and gentlemen members of tho Poverty Bay Coif Club will meet on tfio Awapnni links to-morrow afternoon, the Occasion being the official opening of the 1930 season. The usual opening day tournament, a Canadian : foursome, will be played, and although most members will not bo in good form, there will bo somo who should give good performances, and will benefit as a result, of their early training. Players should be well, into their swing by tho time the Easter tournament commences, for early next month the qualifying rounds for tho Reynolds Cup take place. The season promises to be a strenuous one. and members should endeavor at all 'times to keep their matches up-to-date, thus eliminating unnecessary delays. The lour of Australia by the two world-famous professional golfers, Walter Hagen, open ehamipion of Great Britain, and Joe Kirkwood, has given tho sport the greatest fillip in its history there. Interest has brought the popu larity of tho game permanently before Die general public, and has whetted the desires of followers of the sport to im prove their play. Mainly (<> goiters (he advantage has, and will, come, from the actual observance in play of the visitors.

Hagen and Kirkwood, at present visiting Australia, are greatly impressed with tlie links there. Both rated Metropolitan, Victoria and Royal Melbourne as first-class modern championship tests of golf comaring favorably with the best to be seen anywhere. Hagen was decidedly keen to play more over them, for lie said they wero tests that called for tlie best golf possible, and bo thought that with a. little more local knowledge ho would play better on them. He am' Kirkwood expressed great admiration of the excellence of the bunkering and general lay-out. schemes. They were most intrigued by Metropolitan, for there the turf is matured ; the biinkeritig, in addition to having much golfing point, is artistically carried out, anil the country is among the best of the park sort in Australia. G onerously these two praised the men who were responsible for the line holes <>f the links. Waller Hagen says that no mattei how promising a player may be, be can not develop into ji champion until be seltles down to constant and systematic training. Practice, according to Hagen, must l)e Ihe actual making of shots. He is quite against indoor and net practice, apart from putting. Hagen bad an experience once, when ho practised foi' weeks in the winter for a big event, and Mio'rityljt he was in fine (rim. He had developed a hook that proved the worst affliction of his golfing career, ft was because of this that lie and doc Kirkwood would have none of net practice on fix- boat, but beat 110 dozen balls into the sea. They wanted to see how they .were hitting (he ball, and for that had lo see ils full flight.