GOLF

Taranaki Daily News, 16 May 1930, Page 4

GOLF

FLATTERED GOLFERS. SOFT SPOTS IN HANDICAPPERS. (By Harry Vardon.—Special to. News.) Handicapping m the eternal problem of golf. During recent times- stupendous efforts have been made by the unions of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales to establish it on a national basis by fixing a standard of scratch play which shall apply to every club and course in the British Isles. A good deal .has been achieved, but 1 seem to read and hear almost -as much as ever concerning the flattering character of the handicaps possessed by large numbers of golfers. In numerous instances, they never take part in competitions and, as a consequence, never have their .• handicaps • revised. ' Indeed, once a player gains' a low handicap by a year’s intensive practice, or a certain ’degree of . natural aptitude for the game, or a few flukes, he may retain the distinction '- for life. : ■ . ' It is the principle of many club com* mittees never to increase the anccs on account of persistent failure by members to live up to their, form. Therefore, it it. only improvement that obtains recognition; the tendency is ever towards lower handicaps. So long as the advancing golfers have’ their reward, and the has-beens are allowed to bask in the reflection of their former glories, I suppose the satisfaction is complete. Even is it alleged that some clubs pursue a policy of flattery by allotting to new members lower handicaps than they are. entitled to receive on the basis of their early scores. While these pleasantries prevail, it is hard to ’ see how the national system can be made successful. . CLUB LIFE SUPREME. : - The truth seems to be that, so far as concerns hapdicapping schemes, simplicity is the first essential of acceptance. Complications which are supposed to' help in the quest of thift elusive quality known as perfect equity tend to create factions. It •is .true the diversities of handicaps which one man may possess- when he belongs to several clubs appears, at' first blush, to call for adjustment and the nationalisation of allowances. In a St. Andrews list of handicaps, ■ drawn up for the purpose of resolving who shall be eligible for the amateur championship, the first name is that of L. C. L. Adam (even is Adam the first man in this connection I) arid his record shows he owes eight in the Scottish Equitable Life Assurance Golfing Society, owes two in the Edinburgh Insurance, plays from scratch at Corrennie, receives two at Duddington, and receives three in the Watsonians. This variety in the case of one player certainly has some element of absurdity. A contrast is the fact that R. H. Wethered owes three in all four clubs of which he is member. The fact is, however, that the average male golfer cannot be induced to work up enthusiasm about the idea of including him in a cardindex of national handicaps. Courses, vary so much in character, and a player may. be so much better on one than on another, that he is inclined to regard handicapping as a domestic matter for. each club to manage on behalf of its adherents. It may be that standards differ up and down the country, but this circumstance does not worry him. For the greater part he lives his golfing life as a constituent of a well-defined circle. Throughout the year he plays with much the J same people every week. Experience has taught him (and them) that handicapping is not, after all, such a verry terrible problem. The odds are given and received according to the club committee’s formula, unless the individuals concerned agree to adjust this principle by private arrangement. . Even are there clubs which do not possess 'ririy 'handicap list at all. Among them is Swinley Forest, that very successful institution, which Lord Derby founded at Ascot so as to introduce into golf the spirit of freedom fro/n hidebourid officialdom. The members at Swinley . .Forest ’simply arrange their matches as they please. As there are no prize competitions, there is no need for a table of handicaps. PERFECTION-AND A FLAW. For the greater part the system adopted by the Ladies’ Golf Union, has been regarded as the one solution to a desperate problem. It has been , accepted as such because the ladies themselves have allowed little criticism concerning it to rise from their ranks, some 100,000 strong in Britain. I suppose, however, -that, even the most carefully devised machine that -mortal can produce is liable occasionally to develop a flaw, and doubtless inconsistencies have occurred in connection with the Ladies Golf Union’s system of handicapping. I remember one,of;distinction. It happened four years ago. ' - Whatever may have been the relative' merits of Miss Joyce Wethered and Miss Cecil Leitch at various periods, there can be no question that Miss Wethered had then asserted definite . supremacy by beating Miss Leitch in the three matches which they eon,tested during the season. Yet their official ratings .at the end of the , year were such that Miss Leitch had to give her regular conqueror two strokes in- any handicap tournament. The explanation was sihiply that Miss Leitch had gained a plus-three handicap by accomplishing some very fine scores in medal eompeti-__ tions, Avherefl'S Miss Wethered had taken part in few, if any, such events. INTERNATIONAL FOURSOMES. MITCHELL AND ' COMPSTON! WIN. z j • i I i ’ ■ By Telegraph—Presa Assn. —Copyright. London, May 14. In the International fourspines al North Manchester Mitchell and; Comp" ston (Britain) defeated Diegel arid Hor-ton-Smith (U.S.A.), by 7 up ih- . hole match. :