GOLF

Southland Times, Issue 20002, 16 October 1926, Page 18 (Supplement)

GOLF

(By

“Cleek.")

Closing day Queen’s Park Ladies’ Club Monday next. Match for the president’s prize at Otatara on Thursday next. Mrs Chartres demonstrated that she had not lost any form since annexing the junior championship of the Queen's Park Ladies’ Club by winning the bogey match on Monday last, finishing all square. Miss Guthrie was runner-up, being 1 down, and Mrs J. Wilson next, 2 down. Th • Queen's Park Ladies’ Club will hold their closing day on Monday next. A medal round will be played in the morning, prizes being provided for the best nett score. Foursomes will be played during the afternoon. With the full day’s golf on Monday next the Queen’s Park Ladies’ Club will bring to a close what piust be termed the most successful season in the history of the club. During the course of the season’s operations no fewer than 27 reductions in handicaps have been made. From the commencement of the season the club has steadily forged ahead and the last day will find the members every bit as keen as on the first. There are many reasons that could be given for this gratifying state of affairs, but two will suffice. In the first place members have caught the spirit of the game and in the second they have been particularly fortunate in their selection of president. The office of president of any of the sports club is not by any means a sinecure and members may be pardoned for showing some reluctance to accept the position. However, Mrs Israel was prevailed upon to act as helmsman and the sureness of her navigation may be gauged by the fact that she ended her voyage in charge of a much sounder ship than the one she took command of earlier in the season. Leaving all metaphorical compliments aside, Mrs Israel must be sincerely complimented upon the manner in w.hich she has conducted her presidential duties. She has ever been ready to offer assistance and advice to beginners and it must be recognised on all sides that it was the assistance given to these players that was responsible for the record number of reductions during the season. Mrs Israel has received loyal support from her executive officers, particularly the secretary. Everybody seems to accept the work .of a golf club secretary as a matter of course, but in most cases the detailed work carried out during the season entitles this officer to a great deal more credit than he or she usually receives. It was stated that the players had caught the spirit of the, game. That, in a golf club, means more than mere cold type can express. It means that a player’s golf does not exist for that player alone, that the winning of prizes is an incidental to the afternoon’s round and, above all, the players are keen. May next season find that spirit unabated. When the last day set aside for the Ayson Shield matches arrived the position of the contest was eisrht all with three matches to be decided. In all of these, however, the men were successful so that the shield will remain in the hands of the men for the season. As usual, the bottom players decided the match, the men receiving a good hammering in the top division. In one match the lady played such solid golf that her competitor, playing second man, won only three holes. Following are the results: — Miss Pilcher and Thom all square. Mrs C. F. A. Jones 7 and 6 beat Masters. Mrs Handyside 4 and 2 beat Semmens. Mrs T. M. Macdonald 3 and 2 beat Mangan. Miss L. Stout 6 and 4 beat Ayson. Mrs Willett lost to Baxter 2 up. Mrs Chartres 3 and 1 beat McCurdy. Mrs Fordyce lost to Fougere 5 and 3. Mrs Tansley lost to Gellatly 7 and 6. Miss L. Henderson 3 and 1 beat Hutton. Mrs Dixon lost to Cruickshank 2 up. Mrs Barclay lost to Brooke 5 and 3. Mrs Georgeson 4 and 2 beat Todd. Miss Hughes lost to Tangney 3 and 1. Miss Guthrie lost to Palmer 4 and 2. Mrs Hoyles lost to French 7 and 6. Mrs Israel lost to Tapper 4 and 2. Mrs T. F. Macdonald lost to Duncan 5 and 3. Twenty-seven reductions among Queen’s Park Ladies’ Club meffibers this season. Ayson Shield remains on men’s side of the pavilion this year. A curious incident occurred in the final of the British boys’ championship at Coombe Hill on 27th August. At the fifteenth hole in the afternoon, when Mcßurie was 3 up and 4 to play, Timmis played his second shot with his opponent’s ball. The mistake was discovered and the referee ordered the ball to be brought back for Mcßurie. The hole was then played out and Timmis won. But the referee was wrong, for the rule says that where a player plays his opponent’s ball he shall lose the hole, unless the opponent then plays the player’s ball, which cancels the penalty. In this case Mcßurie did not play Timmis’s ball, so that Timmis lost the hole and Mcßurie should have won 4 up and 3. As it was he did not win till the last hole was reached. Had he not. won the position might have been awkward. There would almost, certainly have been an appeal to the Rules Committee against tho referee’s dec Irion. At Coombe Hill, Malden, on 27th August, I Eric A. Mcßurie (Leven Thistle) beat Charles W. Timmis (Leasowe) in the final of the boys’ championship. The Scottish boy was one up at the end of the final played over 36 holes. Mcßurie is 16 years j of age and Timmis 17, and both lads played I a game which gave promise of great things in the future. The boys’ championship is an established success. It brings together a fine field of young golfers and produces some fine matches. fte Miramar (Wellington) course was remeasured for the championship tournament which began there yesterday. The outward nine holes measured 3010 yards, and the inward half 3106 yards—a total of 6116 yard.?. The penalty for out, of bounds at Miramar is loss of distance only.

When Dr Sidney Jones (Sydney), captain of the Australian Golf Club, appears at the N.Z. championship tournament at Miramar, dominion golfers who are on the spot will have the opportunity of seeing something quite new in putters. Dr Jones is a specialist in putters and has contrived some wonderful implements. After a series of experiments he worked out a design which satisfied him, submitted it to the committee of the Royal and Ancient Club, who passed it, and had clubs made by Spaldings. His new putter could be mistaken for a boy’s walking stick, or an outsize in cherrywood pipes. It has one good feature, in that the shaft is square handled, which certainly ensures a uniform grip. As the doctor says, with a roundhandled putter you never know how you are gripping the club, and you may never do it twice the same way—there is nothing to tell you with the ordinary roupdhandled grip. Mrs Russell Grace (Wanganui) beat Mrs Weston (Wellington), 5 and 3, in the Wanganui ladies’ championship final. The veteran D. G. Soutar played magnificent golf to win the professional championship of New South Wales from Tommy Howard at Kensington (Sydney) at the end of September. Soutar had headed the qualifying rounds and played brilliantly

through the earlier matches to reach the final. In the other half of the draw Tommy Howard, holder of the title, just back from his trip to the championship meetings in Britain and U.S.A., played equally steadily and was equally successful. In the final Soutar was out in 36 to Howard’s 37, but Howard came in jn 36 to Soutar’s 40, and was 2 up for the first 18 holes. In the second round Soutar played the first nine holes in a brilliant 35, with a 6 at the eighth and was 2 up with 9 to play. He went on with 4,4, 4,5, 4, 4 and won 4 up and 3 to play. Soutar woir the amateur championship of Australia as long ago as 1903, and the open championship of Australia in 1905. He is still in the forefront of the battle when the pro» fessionals take the field. Another veteran of the game who rei cently won a notable success is Sandy Herd, who won the British open championship away back in 1902. He is now 58 years of age, but last month he went through the field to win the “News of the World” £lOOO tournament on the MidSurrey course at Richmond. In the final he defeated C. Bloxham (Coventry) at the 38th hole. Easily the most excited of the spectators was Herd’s grandson. Herd’s wife, two sons and two daughters ; were also in “the gallery.” The match was finished in a torrent of rain and the veteran received a tremendous ovation. A generous act on the part of a good soortsnian is reported from Wellington. A. G. Sime, of Westport, who has consistently done well in N.Z. championship tournaments, wired after entries had closed askihg if the N.Z. Golf Council would accept his entry. The list was full as it happened, but Mr J. B. Mac Ewan, a member of the Council, stood down and so Sime got in. This is just the sort of thing that those who know the genial “J. 8. would expect him to do. He is a fine player and dearly loves a good match, but there is no selfishness in him and to give a younger player a chance he promptly gave un his place in the championship field. R. A. Wilson was well to the fore at Shirley on Saturday. In the Denniston Cup he finished 2 up from the one handicap mark, W. P. Anderson (2) tieing with him. He’ also won the President’s prize for putting. The Christchurch Golf Club is finalising a scheme for building a new club house, caretaker’s cottage and implement shed at Shirley at a cost of somewhere about £lo,ooo'. The South Canterbury Ladies’ open championship was won by Miss Parsons (Amberley) who defeated Miss G. Shand (Christchurch) 6 up and 4 to play in the final. In the earlier matches Miss Shand beat Mrs Cook (Dunedin) and Miss Parsons bf(at Mrs Kerr (Timaru). Then Miss Shand beat Mrs Bannerman (Timaru) and Miss Parsons beat Miss Acheson (Nelson). Miss Pringle, last year’s winner, had to scratch owing to an injury to her foot. One of the surprises of the tournament was the defeat of Mrs Orbell (Oamaru) in the first round by. Miss Gwen Baxter, a young player from the Avonside (Christchurch) Club. The Timaru ladies had bad luck with the weather in the concluding stages, when it turned miserably cold and wet. Miss Gwitha Shand, whose name was not long ago conspicuous as that of a champion swimmer, has made great progress in golf since she took up the game a few seasons ago. In the South Canterbury Ladies’ championship at Timaru last week she was runner up. She had the best gross score in the second qualifying round, she was one of the prize winners for putting, and partnered with E. A. Scott, she won the mixed foursomes with which the tournament concluded. She and her partner had an allowance of 3 strokes and finished 2up on the Colonel. The second pair were 3 down, so that it was a handsome win. Miss Shand appears to have very promising prospects as a golfer.

Famous American swimmer Charles M. Daniels became tired of playing a leisurely 18 holes, and suddenly went into rigorous training for some endurance golf. He selected a nine-hole course, and played 25 rounds, with three holes thrown in for luck—22B holes in all. He made a start at 4 a.m. at his course of Sabatth’s Park, had a twenty minutes breakfast at 8 a.m., a quick lunch at noon, and a three minutes’ rest for a glass of milk at 4 p.m. After that he went on furiously playing golf until 7.30 p.m. Daniels played pretty good golf, too, considering ’the conditions. His average score was only a fraction over 38 strokes per round. He covered 35 miles, and took 15 hours to complete the lot. The following have been selected by an authority as the world’s best 10 golfers:— R. T. Jones (America) (amateur). W. Hagen (America). A. Mitchell (Britain). A. Boomer (Britain). Macdonald Smith (America). George Von Elm (America) (amateur). George Gadd (Britain). George Duncan (Britain). Archie Compston (Britain). Leo Diegel (America). It will be observed that the list includes five Ameriaans, two of whom are amateurs. The picking of a list like this is of interest as an expression of opinion, but no two authorities would agree. The one thing certain is that in any list Jones and Hagen would be at the top. About that there is no dispute, and probably the great majority would give third place to Abe Mitchell. But as to the next seven or eight there is room for controversy as to every position. CORE CLVB CHAMPIONSHIPS With the playing of the finals of the men’s senior and junior grade championships last week the Gore Golf Club’s season was brought to a close so far as competition games were concerned. It is probable. however, that a certain amount of golf will be played for some weeks yet, and a number of members are keen to play throughout the summer months. The proposal to play the whole year round has a great deal to recommend it, and by keeping the cut the club would find that the fairways and greens would be in much better order for winter play.

The final of the senior grade championship in which Scott defeated Young by 5 up and 4 to play, was contested under trying conditions, a strong cross wind affectting both accuracy and distance. Nevertheless the rounds of both players were fairly good. The first two holes were won by Young, but at the fourth the game was all square. Young took the next two, but from that on did not play as steadily as Scott, who was one up at the end of the first 9 holes, and 7 up at the completion of the first two rounds. For the next six holes honours were even, Scott stiU being 7 up with 12 to play. At this stage it appeared as if the game were all over bar shouting, but with the odds against him Young put up a great fight and took five holes in succession, leaving Scott only 2 up. Scoring three three’s on end, however, Scott finished strongly and ran out winner at the thirty-second hole. Scott thoroughly deserved his victory against an opponent who has been playffig consistently well throughout the season. Tlie junior grade championship was remarkable for the evenness qf the amtegt.

and with twenty-four holes played the game was all' square. At the end of the first nine holes Hamilton was one up and at the tenth was two up. At the seventeenth, however, Richards had made up the leeway. By holing a mashie shot for three at the eighteenth Hamilton was again one up. Richards took the next two and led one up, but at the twenty-fourth they were again all square. From that on Richards struck a bad patch and commenced to top his iron shots, while Hamilton playing steady golf secured five successive holes. The next three, however, went to Richards -leaving Hamilton 2 up. Hamilton won the Elbow and the Willows, leaving him the winner 4 up and two to play. Throughout the game Hamilton played very consistently and hie tee and iron shots were always clean and straight. He well deserved his win which formed a satisfactory conclusion to a season in which his game has steadily improved.