OTAGO’S COMPLAINT

Taranaki Daily News, 17 October 1935, Page 9

OTAGO’S COMPLAINT

DOMINION GOLF TOURNAMENT.

CLAIMS OF BALMACEWAN LINKS.

By Telegraph—Press Association.

Christchurch, October 15.

By 68 votes to 63 delegates to the annual meeting of the New Zealand Golf Association defeated a motion from the Otago club to make an amendment to the rules designed to give wider representation to clubs on the golf council. During the debate an Otago delegate, Mr. A. N. Haggit, keenly criticised the council for allotting this year’s championship tournament to ( Shirley after the last annual meeting at Wanganui had decided almost unanimously that it should be held at Balmacewan.

Mr. Haggitt alleged that the replies of the council to letters from Otago about the position had been uninformative and discourteous, but this was denied by the chairman of the council, Sir Alexander Roberts, who said he himself dictated the letters and no discourtesy was intended. Sir Alexander also denied the suggestion made by Mr. Haggitt that there had been a pre-determined resolution of the council to hold the tournament at Shirley, and said that at the time of the conference at Wanganui it had not been certain that Shirley would be available. A resolution to hold the tournament at Shirley had not been passed until some time after the meeting at Wanganui. Support for the Otago proposal came principally from clubs in the southern portion of the South Island and some North Island clubs.

Dr. K, Ross, supporting Mr. Haggitt, claimed that there had been a feeling for some time in the southern part of the island that golfers there were being neglected by the council. All the present members of the council were re-elected, no other nominations having been received. It was left to the council to decide where the championships will be held next season.

The association adopted a suggestion of the council to inaugurate an interIsland match to be played at the same time as the open and amateur tournament and to hold in both Islands'interarea matches, which will provide play for teams representative of all clubs.