Golf Gossip.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13355, 3 August 1907, Page 1 (Supplement)

Golf Gossip.

(Home Paper.) Ever since the rubber-cored, ball came in, it has been apparent that the importance of good putting has been increased, and it has also been realised that the ihort putts are mora difficult things to manage than they used to be, and are much more liable to bo missed. 'llie "giving" of putts is therefore falling off. Two great players the other d'ay made each other hole-out everything over six or nine inches. There is nothing to say against this principle, fas short putts in an important match are a chief test to the nerve of the player. With the little putts not being given, some of the players became desperately frightened of them. A thing very much noticed at tr-t- Andrews was the success of men of very small sizw Ihey weiv. always doing great things, and nearly nlwnvs beating very tall men. A GOLF POSER. Socrates was going back from the ohampioixhips when he encountered Glauco and Cephalus, who besought him to return with them for some supper and some friendly talk concerning the stirring evtnbi that they had witnessed. " And now, Cephalus," said Socrates some time later, " I would ask you whether it is just that in the game of golf if a man comes by an accident as of .staking his ball unintentionally, ho shall be punished for it." "It is certainly proper and just that a stroke should be counted against him, for stroke it was," "said Cephalus. "Exactly so, and' we shall »v.:'nt it lie same stroke agaiixt him even though his position in the play is made more difficult through the moving of his ball, for which ho is punished besides, and all an accident ?" ! '" We must keep to the rules." " You speak most handsomely, Cephalus. And whsn the man accidentally hits his ball nearer to the hole, he i : ti!l pays a, stroke, but gains some advantage?" " You say true," replied Cephalue. " BuC if he is a man of high honour and conscience it is possible that lie would prefer that the just punishment for hi:s offence should not be mitigated by any advantage, and in (his spin, of self-dis-cipline he might pay his penalty of > stroke to his opponent, but at the same time bring back his ball to where it was and have all the initial difficulties to overcome?" "He would be a fine golfer." "And whle he would respect tin law hi-', standard of honour and justice in gamwi would be the highest, and his appreciation of spirit of golf would In the more perfect ?" " It is true," said Cephalus. "But a man. must play hii ball from wh-eie it lies?" " Decidedly." " And if he does not lie must lose tho hole?" " Yes." " Therefore, shall this golfer of the highest honour and sense of justice, of the most perfect appreciation of the 'spirit of the game, who in his self-discipline acceph; tho legal punishment for an accident lie commits, but refuses to profit by it, insisting that things shall bs exact.lv as iliey were, save that he. is penalised—shall a. greater punishment not be inflicted upon him by his losing the hole, though he was only four yards from it, and his opponent had played four more, so that he could have won it, as /Esehylus might have said, standing on his head?" Of course. Socrates was correct. It is clear from tin rulm that while a player loses only a stroke for accidentally hitting his ball in tho manner indicated he must, lose th<- hole if he does not play the ball from where it lie.", hut wilfully removes it to another place, even though the removal may make hi* next shot a'i ,v .' liifri.""!'-. It may seem like an anomaly that in this case, whsre a player ii; doing his bent- to be strictly fair and in acting against his own inler'ots; he should he so scvieiy pen-I-isvd. but it- is of the utmost importance that Rule 7 should b? thoroughly respected. GREEN MAKING. Golf Clubs at home are coming more and more to see that if they want good green', they must employ a professional-—gardener, not' golfer. The best green-keeper in Scotland. Hugh Hamilton, was not a. golfer, and took no interest in the game, but eventually he was led to pay some attention to the .principles-underlying the upkeep of golf courses from the fact that he wa.M gardener at Skibo Castle for a. long period, during the latter pari of which when '•lining under Mr Carnegie, he had a small course to look after. Then he b.-cav in-en-keepsr at North Berwick, and it was there that he devoted so much stud' to the invention of his; special mixtures of artificial manures for putting greens, which have been such a, great succos. He was always experimenting and cludying the theory of th? treatment of tmf and grasses under different conditions, so that it often came, about, that his methods were of the most revolutionary character, but they were always justified by (heir He has practically never made a, failure. Hamilton is a- man of gieat ideas and determination. If he were put to it he io;i 1 make a .putting given in the middle of the. Strand before the end of the present year, and it would b ■ a, very good putting green too. It- is not fair of committees to expect, professional golfers to perform.- miracles of an agricultural and hoiticultural character, and that they should really give some consideration to the ciuestion as to what they want must, a good golfer or a good greenkeeper.