On the Links

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 978, 22 May 1930, Page 17

On the Links

c Notes for Golfers

By

Slow-Back

Auckland Golf Heavy rain just before the week-end brought conditions on Auckland courses back to the normal for this time of year, .and conditions all round vere good. On courses which have been undergoing constructional impiLvcments the rain was particularly Welcome, and the more so as it was not followed by frost or cold weather. \t Middlemore the four new greens l ave come on exceptionally well. No. o the farthest advanced, being covered \vith a thick sole of grass which will soon be ready for cutting.^ Boys Tournament This popular event which was inaugurated last year by the Auckland Club was characterised by the extremely high standard of the golf produced. The winner, P. Ilowden. a son of Dr. Howden the Waiuku champion. played very sound golf, and in the final was not ever in danger of defeat. It will be remembered that some three years ago he won the Rotorua handicap tournament, and even then showed considerable promise. Hay, the runner-up. produced the surprise of tha event by defeating Zahara, last year’s champion, in the semi-final. The calibre of the golf throughout protuises well for the future. Several times 80 was broken, and in the tourvome—an unknown form of golf to the j oys —one pair returned a score of 77 Auckland Club The captain’s prize tournament was i.ivanced a stage further on Saturday. and those remaining in are all »\*enly matched off their handicaps. >;&ek-markers should now como into their own after the rain and consequent lessening of the run in the ground, and W. S. Ralph, Plumley and X»t. Abbott should all do well. The c laims of such players as Ross. Martin rad A. L. Steadman cannot, however 1,0 ignored, and we should not be surprised to see one of them contesting the final.

The bogey on Saturday was won by r. K. Wilson, who seems quite, irrepressible. This time, no doubt, his handicap will he reduced until he is ren - tiered comparatively harmless. The 13th hole at Middlemore, which Is 200yds long, had so far resisted all attempts of the holers-in-one, but last r.eek 1 received a severe shock. Firs* Zahara holed his tee shot in the boys’ tournament, and then A. W. Gillies, by way of finishing the 20th and deciding hole in a four-ball, sunk a well placed spoon shot to the confusion (not unmixed with other feelings) of his opponents. Taylor Bowl Competition Titirangi has now commenced its annual handicap match play competJ t!on, and over 80 entries were received With as many as this still in, it is difficult to review the form of any in dividual players, but among those who have graduated into the third round are R. M. George, H. Brinsden, T. Colliding, and R. McCrystal. Were i* a championship event we should selec* these four as probable semi-finalists but in handicap events one never can tell.

English Women's Championship We cannot pass without a word on this event. It must have been with the greatest delight that New Zealand golfers heard that, after England’s hading women had all been defeated and only a 19-year-old girl. Miss Fishwick, was left in to meet the doughty American champion, this one championship which America cannot wrest away, was to remain in England. Miss Fishwick seems to have played perfect golf, and to have simply outplayed her distinguished opponent, to win by 4 up and 3 to play Should she improve as much in the next 12 months as she must have in the last, we look forward to her journeying across the sea and bringing some foreign titles home with her.

Echoes of the Kirk-Windeyer Cup Dr. Sydney Jones was not only a highly efficient captain of the N.S.W team, but a strategist of parts. It is said that he sent down a surveyor to Shirley to measure the distances of the middle of several of the greens from the striking landmarks for the benefit of his team. The interesting part is that after the match many of the members of the club were asked what some of these distances were, and the answers were almost invariably wrong by quite an important percentage. E. M. Macfarlane could have corrected them. The Australians without exception believe in taking turf. Some of the divot holes that they left are very efficient bunkers. Shirley is very dry and thero is usually nothing to replace, ao that the wounds are as naked as ever. They are thought to have lost quite a lot by playing their chips the mashie-niblick. Running them pays best at Shirley under present conditions. A good story comes from Kensington. It had quite a success at the official dinner. A Mr. Hudson, who makes the eumenthol jujubes we know quit© well in New Zealand, is a very bad golfer—so bad that he usually Plays by himself. One day he took a caddio. whq didn’t know him, and went out. After a disastrous display fit the sixth hole he turned to the boy and said: “I am the worst player ln tho club.” “Oh, no. sir,” said the caddie, “all the boys say Jujube Hudson is the worst.”

A Point of Law w^ n^ one tlie matches in the Kirkvvindeyer series Dr. Sydney Jones demanded that the umpire should take no flag. Two points seem to arise. V ne the status of a team captain JV. S u f who is not playing in the “•fitch, and the other is the question to whether taking the flag is part ot an umpire’s duties. On the first JL. have no precedent to guide sL \ on tti° second we have no i j the doctor was wrong. The ‘ f p . re is the sole judge of fair and inn v! play ’ an<l of all matters of fact, u must take up the position w ifi enable him to perform his in l most efficiently. If a player is r .: a bunker near a green and the um- „ * .*® a t the flag, the latter could not c «, see if the player grounded his w?’ ° ne of the caddies is the proper ?* r3on to take the flag. a 9«n and Kirkwood's Last Game in Sydney the , first visit of Hagen and defeat to Kensington they were It la f i k y Spence and Popplewell. dav to s *y that it was on that an burnt his hand with Plav Af , ng match-box. Still the or the two Sydney professionals Won that they might well have i m J nyhow. On the return of the Golf of 15 , 3 to Sydney the Australian for save them an opportunity eluded I tw« e £ enee * A lar &e gallery inold f-i-I j sr’. over nor-Genernl, and our Si r Harry Braddon. As a •

farewell Hagen produced his very finest golf. He went round the long and difficult Kensington course in 67, three better than the record. The golf altogether was of superlative quality. The best-ball of Hagen and Kirkwood was 67 in the morning and 64 in the afternoon. Spence and Popplewell had G 9 in the morning and were 2 down, but could not hold the visitors in the afternoon, being beaten by 4 and 3. Par and Bogey Hagen and Kirkwood, when in Australia, are reported to have recommended that bogey should be abolished and par substituted. It sounds all right, as all aspiring golfers will agree that to aim at a high standard is good for the game. The trouble is that neither bogey nor par are exact enough to be made a standard. In New Zealand—and in Australia —we work on a standard scratch score which can at least be determined scientifically. and which accurately enough describes the value of the various courses. Par is too variable to be of much use. Suppose we decide that on a particular course 230—440 are par 4 holes. What about a hole of 445? And what about the 440yds hole against a high wind or under soft

conditions? Then again my par isn’t your par, and Tuesday’s par isn’t Wednesday’s par. The only two uses that can be made of par. or bogey, or standard scratch score are, first, to provide a standard we may all pit ourselves against whenever we play, and, secondly, to provide scores to play against in bogey (or par)’ competitions. Some rather cold-blooded players play against par—that is, their own par-—instead of against their opponents in match play. “Bobby” Jones himself professes to do so. For this purpose par is useful enough, because it can be varied to suit conditions and individuals. As a substitute for bogey in bogey matches it fails. On a course of class G length of run, 410yds is a full two-shot hole. Against a firm wind it is too long and represents two and a chip. A player who has done it in 5 has done all that could be asked of him, but he loses the hole just as finally as the one who takes 8. One shouldn’t be asked for better than par. Now the standard scratch scoi'e makes the necessary allowances. An Australian writer points out that taking 445yds as a par 4, and 446 as par 5, two courses differing by only 18yds In length might have pars of 72 and 1)0 respectively. On the other hand, two courses might have an equal par and a difference of 3,Gooyds in length.- The allowance made by the S.S. score for length adjustment and additional allowance for difficulties meets the case, and, if the extra strokes are properly allotted, the S.S. score makes a very satisfactory bogey for bogey matches.

DOINGS OF AUCKLAND CLUBS

MAUNGAKIEKIE LADIES’

Following is the result of the president’s match play tournament played by members of the Muungakiekie Ladies’ Golf Club at One Tree Hill: First Round.—Airs. Oxley beat Airs. Baird, 7 and 6: Airs. Rudge and Aliss G. Harrison, all square; Airs. Robinson beat Airs. Ivilner, 6 and 5; Aliss AlcGowan lost by default to Airs. Lovett; Aliss K. Horton beat Airs. Spinley, 5 and 3; Airs. AI. S. Henry beat Mrs. Restall, 5 and 3; Airs. Duncan beat Airs. Goldwater, 1 up; Airs. Alcllwraith lost by default to Airs. Swain; Aliss E. Blackburn beat Aliss AI.- Cooke, 2 and 1; Airs. E. Aliller and Aliss A. Grove, all square; Aliss Williams beat Airs. Grevatt, 1 up; Aliss Ponsford beat Airs. Horton, 4 and 2.

Second Round. —Aliss E. Schnauer beat Aliss O. Rutherford, 7 and 6; Aliss E. D. Henrys beat Airs. O’Leary, 7 and 6; Aliss AI. Robson beat Aliss D. Stewart, 5 and 4; Aliss Haslett beat Aliss 11. Hardley, 7 and 5; Airs. W. Grant lost by default to Aliss J. Easton; Airs. Jerrat beat Aliss P. Lawrence, 3 and 2; Airs. Banister beat Aliss AI. Aliller, 1 up; Airs. Taylor beat Airs. Nicholson, 4 and 3; Airs. Russell lost by default to Airs. G. Hardley; Airs. Wells ted beat Ivliss N. Clark, 6 and 5; Airs. E. Brown beat Aliss K. Churton, 1 up; Aliss Alillington beat Airs. Gyllies, 2 and 1; Airs. Owen beat Aliss A. Hacket, 3 and 1; Airs. Burton beat Airs. C. K. Grierson, 2 up; Aliss I. Walker beat Mrs. Hipkins, 4 and 3; Airs. J. Stewart beat Aliss P. Aloody, 4 and 3; Aliss D. Lamb beat Aliss G. Finnerby, G and 4; Aliss G. Parr beat Aliss Evans, 6 and 4; Airs. Hoskin beat Airs. IT. Johnston, 1 up; Airs. Alalcolm beat Airs. Roberts, 6 and 5; Aliss G. Easton beat Aliss AI. Bailey, 2 . up; Airs. Dawson beat Mrs. Joplin, 2 up: Aliss P. Reid beat Aliss F. Preece, 4 and 2; Airs. Broughton beat Airs. Alison, 1 up; Aliss AI. Harvey lost by default to Airs. H. Walker; Aliss Tiarks lost by default to Airs. Paterson. Arembers are requested to play the succeeding round next Tuesday. A medal handicap match will also be held’ for members not engaged in match play, players to choose partners.

AUCKLAND LADIES’ CLUB Following is the draw for the coronation medal competition to be played on Tuesday next by members of the Auckland Ladies’ Golf Club: Aliss Noakes v. Airs. Hughes; Airs. Green v Aliss Upton; Miss AlacCormick v. Airs. Wilson; Aliss L. Cutfield v. Airs Craven; Airs. Alarshall v. Aliss Hamlin; Airs. Ferguson v. Mrs. Rainger; Aliss Aloginie v. Aliss Culling; Airs. Wright v. Airs. Endean; Aliss Alacfarlano v. Aliss McGovern; Aliss AI. Alacfarlane v. Airs. Rutherford: Aliss Rathbone v. Airs. Buttle; Airs. Robertson v. Aliss Alahoney; Aliss Wilson v. Aliss H. Cutfield; Miss Orr v. Airs. Abbott; Aliss T. Bayly v. another. AKARANA LADIES’ CLUB Following is the draw for the handicap foursome match play event to be played by members of the Akarana Ladies’ Golf Club, the first 14 pairs playing in the first round, the rest drawing byes and playing in the second round: Aliss Todd and Aliss Dalton v Airs. Preston and Airs. Gilmore; Aliss Webber and Miss I. Deacon v. Airs. Nealo and Airs. Bone; Aliss Cousins and Miss AlcAlath v. Airs. Halford and Aliss Young; Aliss Tyler-Davies and Aliss Hickman v. Mrs. England and Miss O’Callighan; Aliss Marshall and Mrs Blakey v. Airs. Grant and Mrs Ross; Airs. Cox and Mrs. Fearnley v. Aliss Clark and Mrs. Ray ward: Miss A Deacon and Miss Joyce v. Airs. Sutton and Aliss Knott; Aliss AlcGee and Miss Smith, a bye: Miss Fearnley and Aliss Griffin v. Aliss Longdill and Miss Wynyard; Aliss Jenks and Aliss Ballantvne v. Miss P. Peet and Miss Tones* Aliss AT Peet and Aliss Connett v. Aliss O’Callighan and Mrs. Rowntree: Aliss T. Cox and Mrs. Hazeldene v. Aliss Darrach and Airs. Brown. The first round must be played by following is the draw for the first round of a medal match to be plajed by C grade players for a trophy presented by Miss Todd: Miss Dawson v.

Miss Barton; Aliss Neville v. Aliss , ; Broadley; Aliss Crabtree v. Aliss BentI iey. OTAHUHU LADIES’ CLUB ; Following is the draw for the L.G.U. monthly medal and C grade match to be played by members of the Otahuhu . Ladies’ Golf Club on Saturday: Aliss i Cutforth v. Miss N. Katz, Aliss O. | Whiteley v. Mrs. Boyce. Aliss Alellsop : v. Airs. Currie. Aliss Wallace v. Aliss ! Lloyd-White, Miss E. Katz v. Mrs. ■ Shaw, Airs. Aloffit v. Miss Denize. Aliss E. Whiteley v. Airs. Chapman, Aliss J A. Whyte v. Airs. Header, Airs. Valen- ! tine v. Aliss Richards, Aliss B. Wyllie ; v. another, Dr. Rowley v. Aliss Leonard, Aliss Smith v. Miss Aluir, Airs. Wallace jv. Aliss Hynes, Airs. Alassey v. Aliss Wills, Airs. Connell, v. Aliss Blakey. ; Aliss Buchanan v. Aliss AI. Clark, Airs. ; Richards v. Aliss Lamb, Aliss Sim- ! monds v. Aliss N. Wyllie. WAITEM AT A CLUB i Following is the draw for the second i round of the 36-hole bogey match for ; the Haycock and AlcCoskrie Bowl to be : played by members of the Waitemata j Golf Club on Saturday: Layzell v,. Porter. Hogan v. Baxter, O’Connor v. j Prime, Graham© v. AlcLeod, Chapman \ v. Jackson. O’Connell v. Taylor, Rae v ; Naismith, Clouston v. Spraggon. I Whitley v. Alclndoe, Duder v. Langbien, Rudge v Aluskett, Bartley v. Hume, Ormsby v. Downer, Walsh v. Weir, AlcGregor v. AlcKenzie, Jones v Robinson, Bailey v. Hunter, Compton v. D AlcLeod, Joughin v. Rowan, Griffiths v. Wilson, Anderson v. Alundy, C. Jackson v. Spence. Burgess v. Brambley, Ash v. Gooding, Alason v. Simmonds.

PAPAKURA CLUB A medal round will be played by members of the Papakuru Golf Club on Saturday. Following is tho draw: E. Bradstreet v. G. A Smith, Simpson v. Olsen. J. Elliott v. C. IT. Knight, A. Pavitt v. W. Bridgman, Hutchinson v. D. McLennan, Alatheson v. T. AlcLennan. Langford v. Brooks, Beams v. Wilson, Tilston v. Widdowson, V. Elliott v. Blair, Wishart v. L. Watson, G. Henderson v. Watts, A. Henderson v. Alclnnes, Pegler v. Prince, Johnstone v. another. GLEN DOW 1 E CLUB Following is the draw for the bogey handicap to be played on Saturday by members of the Glendowie Golf Club: N. A. Forgie v. IT. Goodwin, J. Hall v. F. Russell. Dr. Horton v. R. R. Kissling, H. O. Thomson v. T. Alartin, A. Sloman v. L. Harrison, E. Hutchison v. W. Laxon, F. Hintz v. D. Alorrison, R. Barslow v. G. K. Mathieson, G. Kissling v. N. C. Snedden, C. Biernacki v. A. R. Wilson, N. A. Ching v. O. Wolfgramme, C. S. Woods v. A. C. Johns, H. Jefferson v. F. Lintott, R. Bradley v. L. Keys, R. Edmonds V. J. Stedman, A. Stedman v. A. Duthie, C Allcott v. W Neuson. F. Faram v. H. Wright, N. Harrison v. J. Sheen. Following is the draw for the medal handicap to be played on Saturday: J. R. Rendell v. A. Churchliouse, C. Lovegrove v. A. O. Horspool, G. Warren v. F. Kronfeld, H. G. Thomson v F. Combes, A. G. Graham v. G. Alet•calfe, V. Johns v. AI. Aliller, A. Howey Walker v. K. Brookfield, J. C. Graham v. P. White, C. Rattray v. F, Restall.