Golf.

Southland Times, Issue 19508, 6 May 1922, Page 9

Golf.

were excellent and the scoring was good Great interest is being taken in the ringer match to be decided in conjunction with the medal matches, and quite a number of twos and threes were entered up on the board after Saturday’s round. The Park Club were favoured with perfect weather when they opened their season last Saturday. The Club, having just taken over the links from the Corporation, feel that the enthusiasm displayed augurs well for their future success About 70 ladies and men took part in th* opening foursome, which was played over 12 holes. Tbis was won by C. A. Davis and Miss Stout with a score of 67—18—49. A number of other pairs were close up in the fifties. After each four had finished their round they adjourned to the club house for afternoon tea, which was bountifully provided for by the ladies. The driving, approaching and putting competitions were then carried through and were keenly contested. The ladies approaching match provided a close finish. Mrs Spencer and Mrs A. E Smith tied for first place. They then playec another round and again tied. Mrs Spencer won on the next round. The prize for the winning lady in the foursome was a silver fruit dish and for the approaching a piece of doulton ware. Both of these prizes were donated by the captain of the Club, Mr A. W. Morgan The ladies’ driving competition was won by Miss Campbell and the men’s driving by Mr Wm. Smith. The ladies putting was won by Mrs Brook. At the conclusion of the competitions the captain, Mr Morgan, presented the prizes to the winners. He also preeented the prize for the putting competition carried through at Easter, which was won. by Mrs Brook. Mr Morgan said it gave him great pleasure to see such a large crowd of players turning out to the opening of the Club under their new regime. They had had a lovely day and he congratulated the members of the Club on the enthusiasm displayed in taking over the links. The committee, he said, intended to spare no pains in making tba playing area a first class one. Special thanks were due to the ladies that day for providing such a capital afternoon tea The Park Club will play the first match of the season to-day, the monthly medal match. They also intend starting a handicap linger competition in connection with their matches throughout, the season. The ladies’ tournament at Balmacewan last week wound up on Saturday with a mixed foursome for which no less than. 42 pairs entered. The match was played against, bogey and G. L. Cuthbertson and Mrs Orbell (Oamaru) tied with H Brasch and Miss Theomin (Otago), both being ono down. In the play off Cuthbertson, who figured prominently at the Otatara Easter tournament, and his partner won easily. The trophies won at the tournament were presented by Mrs C. W. Rattray, captain of the Otago Ladies Golf Club, the list being as follows;—Champion cup and trophy, Mrs Cook; runner-up, Miss Anderson; Mill Cup and club trophy, medal handicap, Mrs Barron. Medal handicap No. 2, Mrs Barron. Bogey handicap, Mrs Cowie; Eclectic, Mrs Callender and Miss Black (tie). Approaching and putting, Mrs Cook. Driving, Mrs McCarthy. Putting, No. 1 competition, Mrs ■ McCarthy (33), Mixed foursomes, G. L. Cuthbertson and Mrs Orbell (Oamaru); runner-up, H. Brasch and Miss Theomin (Otago).

On the Park course on Monday the Ladies’ Queen’s Park Golf Club played matches for silver and bronze medals donated by the Ladies ’Golf Union. Good scores were returned in both grades. In the silver medal division Mrs Pottinger won easily with 89—16—73, a very good performance. In the bronze division Mrs Mackrell, 111—36—75, was just one stroke better than Mrs Henderson, 104—28—76, these two ladies being first and second with others close up. The golf played on the Park this season has been decidedly the best played by members of the Ladies’ Club, there being now eight players in the senior division.

The season, of big golf is now fairly undeiway at Home and the biggest events of the season are near at hand. On Wednesday next the final of the big Daily Mail tournament w’ill be played on the old course at St. Andrews, and J. H. Kirkwood, if he is playing up to form, should be prominent. On Monday next the big McVitie and Price tournament will begin at Lossiemouth. On the same day the British ladies’ championship will begin at Princes, Sandwich, and on the 22nd the Amateur Championship will begin at Prestwick. The Gleneagles professional tournament will begin on the sth June, and will be followed closely by the qualifying rounds for the Open Championship on June 19 and 20 at Princes, Sandwich. The Open Championship will be

played at Sandwich on June 20 and 23 but on the Royal St. Georges course On 27th June the French Open Championship will be played at La Boulie, and the American Open Championship will begin on July 11. The V\ ynd ham Golf Club held its annual meeting last w-eek, the president, Dr J. H. Baird, in the chair. The annual report stated that the season had been, a satisfactory one, the increase in membership being especially pleasing. The club how had 28 members, and a further increase was expected this season. During the off season the greens were top-dressed and it was anticipated that they would be much improved. It was also hoped that the fairways would be better. The balance sheet showed that the Club’s revenue was £32 6/-, and that the year began with a credit balance of £6 10/-, and closed with a credit of 12/10. Out ot a total income of £32 no less than £2B was spent on the improvement of the greens and fairways. Four ladies and five men were elected members at the annual meeting. Office-bearers were elected as follows: President., Major S. Rice; Vice-Presidents, Dr J. H Baird and Rev. F. V. Fisher; captain, Mr G. H. Gifford; secretary, and treasurer, Mr W. F. Bennetto; general committee, office-bearers and Messrs J. G. Shepherd, C E. Davey, P. B. Courtis, J. F. Pritchard, F. Williams and I. S. Malcolm. A recommendation was made to the new committee to arrange for inter-club matches and it. was resolved to purchase 50 books of rules to be sold to members at 6d per copy. Dr Baird made special reference to the splendid work done for the Club by Mr Raymond as secretary, and his motion that Mr Raymond be accorded a hearty vote of thanks was carried with applause. The new President, Major Rice, hoped that members would go to the committee if they had any grievances. He added that the Club was much indebted to Dr Baird and at his instance a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the retiring President. The New Zealand Golf Council has definitely fixed the championship tournament tor Palmerston North to begin on Monday, 11th September. The number of entries for the Amateur Championship is restricted to 64, and no entry will be received from any player whose medal handicap is more than 8. The four stroke rounds of the Open championship will be played as qualifying rounds for the Amateur Championship. The sixteen highest on the list will qualify, and will play off for the title. Each match in the play off will be over 36 holes. Hitherto the final only has been played over 36 holes, and the earlier rounds have been decided on 18 holes. The objection to a match over 18 holes is that the element of chance enters too largely into it and may be the determining factor. The element of chance can never be eliminated from the game of golf, but in a match over 36 holes the better player will win nine times out of ten. The latest new idea, says an English writer, is a machine which tells the speed of the club-head at the moment of impact.

(By

“Cleek”)

The first match of the Invercargill Club’s reason was played at Otatara on Saturday when 36 players hit off in the monthly medal. It was unfortunate that the bad weather compelled the postponement of the opening of the Queen’s Park Club from the previous Saturday. A good number of players who went over to Otatara would have been glad to take part in the Queen's Park opening, and, on the other hand, a number of Otatara players who took part in the Queen’s Park opening were sorry to miss the first medal match at Otatara. The entry under the circumstances was surprisingly large, and augured well for the success of the season from the competitive point of view. In the A grade the medal was won by A. A. Cramond with a score of 90—14 —76. Cramond is steadily improving in his game, and it will be recollected thrt he was ninth man in the qualifying rounds at the Easter meeting, just failing to get a place. As the result of Saturday’s round his handicap will come down another stroke, but it is certain to come down much lower still. F. A, Barclay 86 —9—77 and W. Stewart 87—10 —77 were equal for second place, while R. J. Gilmour, 83—5 —78, was cloae up. In the B grade the best score was that of A. J. Hawke, 92—16—/6. Hawke is another improving player, and it is certain that he will enter the senior grade before the season is far advanced. J. B Reid was second with 95—18—77, and C. E. Yates, 98—20—78, was third. W. Moir and B. Tangney had nett ecores of 79, and T. W. Vickery was 80 nett. The conditions

“All golfers know the value of speed,” he says, “yet I doubt, if they really appreciate the fact that speed is of far more importance than weight. It is a moot point whether the heavy or the light driver does the best work, and this machine will it is hoped tell ue a lot in that respect.”

An esteemed correspondent in the course of this literary browsing happened upon an interesting reference to golf in Edinburgh m 1771 in Tobias Smollett’s “Expedition of Humphrey Clinker” and very kindly noted it- down. Golfers will read the famous author’s comments on the game with much interest and no little amusement. The extract is as follows:—“Hard by, in the fields called the Links, the citizens of Edinburgh divert themselves at a game called golf, in which they use a curious kind of bats, tipped with horn, and small elastic balls of leather, stuffed with feathers, rather less than, tennis—balls, but of a much harder consistence; they strike with such force and dexterity from one hole to another, that they will fly to an incredible distance. Of this divertion the Scotts are so fond, that, when the weather will permit, you may see a multitude of all ranks, from the senator of justice to the lowest tradesman, mingled together in their shirts, and following the balls with the utmost eagerness. Among others, I was shown one particular set of golfers, the youngest of whom was turned four score; they were all gentlemen of independent fortunes, who had amused themselves with this pastime for the best part of a century, without ever having felt the least alarn} from sickness or disgust; and they never went to bed without having each the best part of a gallon of claret in his belly. Such uninterrupted exercise, cooperating with the keen air from the sea, must, without all doubt, keep the appetite always on edge, and steel the constitution against all the common attacks of distemper.” THE CHOICE OF CLUBS. What the golfer wants (writes Harry Vardon in an article) is a club of the length that will put him well over his work, instead of making him stretch forward towards it. Sometimes you will see a tall man with a short club. Mr R. H. de Montmorency, the well-known amateur player, who must be at least six feet, always presented this picture, and, indeed, he did use a very short cleek when executing his favourite ehot—the “push” against the wind. The tall man with a short club is often j well equipped, because he is at least stand- [ ing over his work instead of reaching out I for it. The really tall player is, I think, lat some disadvantage. As Andrew Kircaldy [ once said .in my hearing to a long-legged J fellow of about six feet four inches: “Your back is too far from the ground; you canna play golf.” All the same, there are some big men—James Braid and Edward Ray, for example—in the front rank of golfers. What is noticeable is that they do not use clubs longer than the normal I have tried 44-inch shafts, and have found that the only way to do any good with them is to hold them two inches down the handle, and thus reduce them to ordinary length. As for the fishing-rod drivers of 45 or 46 inches, I never saw any player who could time a shot properly with them. If you are going to have something out of the ordinary, it is better to err on the side of shortness.

Many people like big heads to their clubs, with big faces. The}’ say that it gives (hem confidence to know that the striking surface is large. Fat heads and big faces to wooden clubs are very popular just now, but I am sure that golfers who have the courage to depend upon small-faced drivers, brassies, and spoons, make by far the fewer mistakes.

A large face accentuates the error. For instance, if you are turning in the toe oi such a club at the instant of impact you will get a much worse pull than with a am all-faced club.

r fin my best days, my driver and brassie had very small faces—in fact, the striking surface was only just about big enough to hit the ball. I like it a little larger now, but certainly not expansive. And I would advise any golfer not to go beyond the medium. The smaller the face of the club —within reason—the greater the concentration it promotes, and the better the chance of securing a straight shot.