SEAFIELD CUP GOLF PLAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 April 1935, Page 9

SEAFIELD CUP GOLF PLAY.

HAWERA CHALLENGE UNSUCCESSFUL NEWS FROM TARANAKI COURSES ■• t ‘

(By

“Stance.”)

the Stratford golf team won the Seafield Cup towards the end of last season its performance was generally regarded in thg light of a flash in the pan. However, with the coveted trophy in the club house it is not going to relinquish it without a fight. Challengers were not long in arriving, and last week-end Hawera sent eight players up in quest of the lost cup. The home team proved equal to the occasion and the challenge was repelled in no uncertain manner. x

When the Stratford golf team won the Seafield Cup towards the end of last season its performance was generally regarded in the light of a flash.in the pan. However, with the coveted trophy in the club house it is not going to relinquish it without a fight. Challengers were not long in arriving, and last week-end Hawera sent eight players up in quest of the lost cup. The home team proved equal to the occasion and the challenge was repelled in no uncertain manner.. N. P. Green has had little golf during the summer but on his own course he is hard to defeat, as Walkley found, the Stratford man winning on . the last green. Anderson and Neal did Well to hold two formidable opponents in O’Callaghan and Whitehead, and Rutherfurd created a surprise when he accounted, for the solid match player J. J. Pease. Sturrock gave Hawera its only win when he defeated McGuire. Morris' was too solid for J. Tarrant and Strachan more than held R. Ward. Wills completed the day by routing McDonald in decisive fashion. Tire victory will give Stratford additional confidence when it is opposed to the strong challenges that are sure to come from Eltham and New Plymouth. Good Scores at Waiwakaiho.

17th but put his tee shot into the trees at the last. K. F. Walker has proved himself to be probably the club’s most consistent scorer' and may lower his handicap to a single figure shortly. Conway, Chong and T. A. Thomson all returned cards that showed, they will be in form for Easter. Among the juniors B. H. Gray came to light with the great . card of 5 up, which will doubtless bring'', him under the notice of the club’s handicapper. Entries for the annual Easter tournament and the Taranaki amateur championship will close on Tuesday. Play at Fitzroy. Fitzroy’s first medal round was pro-; ductive of good scoring. J. W. Logan, who displayed promise towards the endof last season, showed that he is going A to be even better this year by returning .y the great card of 93—25—68. S. Holden did best among the seniors, his gross 88 being a fine effort. This young player is one of the very 1 few natural lefthanders that the writer has seen inv - He made a bold showing in the : Labour week-end tournament last October and he should be scoring in. the seventies before the season is much, c? . He is one of the most promts- •» ing in the province. The recent wet weather has worked a marked improvement in the course and a further scheme of development is likely to be put in hand shortly. The problem of a suitable grass for the greens has been difficult in the past but there is every reason to believe the question has been solved and that by June the course will have putting surfaces equal id the best in the province. *'

Scoring at Waiwakaiho on Saturday showed a big improvement upon that of the previous week. The fairways were in wonderful condition, but several of the greens left something to be desired. The greens proper will probably be in use next week-end, 1 as they Will need playing over to be in proper order for Easter: ■ The greens are presenting the committee with a problem, and the only solution appears to be a top-dressing with ironsand. That at least would ensure a smooth surface, which is the chief consideration. This treatment has been carried out with marked success on several Taranaki bowling greens this season.

The feats of Strength displayed ' by. • ■' modern “all-in” wrestling champions of < to-day pale to insignificance when compared with the feats of Thomas Topham, z once landlord of an inn near Islington Green, who .in 1741 fitted a stout band of leather'across his shoulders and lifted . three hogsheads of water weighing 5| tons. He once threw his own horse over h a turnpike gate, and with one hand .tossed'a stout clergyman weighing 27 stope over his head.

Among the seniors R. A. Boon and u,F. Walker tied with cards of all square. Boon commenced with a great burst, reaching the turn in 36 to stand three up. He increased this to four with a five at the 10th. Disaster overtook - him at the next and he lost it and two more. He was one up after playing the