GOLFERS' DIFFICULTIES

Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 1931, Page 5

GOLFERS' DIFFICULTIES

TARANAKI’S BAD WEATHER

COMPETITIONS AMONG THE CLUBS.

NEWER. PLAYERS SHOWING FORM.

(By “Stance.”)

Once again golfers in Taranaki had to brave the elements in order to get in their weekly game during last weekend. i It is doubtful if they have ever had a worse spin than they are having this year, but they are a hardy race and are bearing up well under the strain.

After having finished all .square on two occasions H. 'Williams and E. Brokenshire again tried conclusions in the second round of the Coltman Cup, and this time the former clinched matters by holing his approach at the sixteenth. The only third round game was that between C. Walker and T. V. Mackay, arid the latter quite failed to reproduce his form of the previous week, Walker securing an easy win. There has been a slight alteration in the programme at Waiwakaiho and tomorrow- a bogey handicap with bisques will take place. Players are particularly requested to study the conditions before starting. The annual match between the teams of the captain and secretary will take place on August 8, and the foursomes with the older players partnered by first or second year players on August 15. An inter-club match with Stratford will take place during the week-end. Opunake experienced very bad weather conditions for their championship qualifying round, and the scores were not what might have been expected. D. Fraser, who has been out of ths game for some time, signalised his return by heading the lists with a well played 83, one stroke ahead of J. N. Stephenson, with the present holder of the title, C. O. Edmonds, a stroke further back. Among the juniors Denis Dudley fairly jan away from the other with a great 88. H. Marcroft, who is doing exceedingly well for a first year player, was next. The match play will commence this week, and some very interesting contests should result. In the final of the Waiau Cup G. Cundy defeated K. Tompkins after a rather remarkable match, in which no holes were halved. Tompkins won the first tw-o, but then lost the next, eight and did well to take the game to the sixteenth green.

Waitara’s two events, the Rattenbury and Joll Cups, are nearing the final stages. W. B. Glasgow is in a very strong position in the former, with a three hole lead from E. George, but the latter has anything but given up hope. In the Joll Cup W. R. Fuller faces A. Foreman and G. P. Fuller faces A. Wells • in the semi-finals. The first named had an easy win in the fourth round, but hewill have to be doing his best to head off Foreman. ’ .

At Stratford Harold Graham kept up his form of the previous week and carried off the bogey match, with the good card of 1 up. This player hits a tremendous tee shot and hits it straight. His handicap is due for a falL L. B. Sandford was next with one down, and K. Neal, T. L. Penn, E. -S. Rutherfurd and J. S. Lyons all returned good cards. The Mangamingi club sent a team to Stratford' during the week-end, but tha locals had too much experience and ran. home easy winners. Nevertheless these matches will benefit the players front the young club. Harold Gibson carried off one of tha Eltham club’s main trophies, the Quin Gup, last week by a two hole margin from that steady player, Herbert Casey, who is nearly always knocking at the door. B. Oldfield and R. Ritter were next on the list.

The newer and lighter ball that was introduced in the United States to keep Bobby Jones, Tommy Armour, Gene Sarazen and company from making y hacks of 6700 yard courses, does not seem to be very popular among the rank and file, and • one well-known monthly has commenced a campaign against the innovation. The opposition claim that in addition to loss of distance and less control in the wind there is a far bigger percentage of rimmed putts, which do not have the effect of improving one’s temper. What the agitation will lead to remains to be seen, but it would certainly seem .that the rank and file are wholeheartedly in favour of repeal. The new bail certainly has not had the desired effect upon the cracks when scores of 282 can be returned for 72 holes. Bobby Jones says ithat the effect as far as he himself was concerned was that where he used to take a number two iron he now takes ,a number one and so on, but this is- small solace to the big majority. At any rate New Zealand golfers will never have to worry, as this ball is never likely to be even mooted here. Playing the game as we do on heavy courses in the winter months what we really want is a ball that will carry further and never bury or bounce back when 1 it lands on the full. A ball of this description would certainly have a very ready sale at Waiwakaiho at times like the present. ' ■ '