TIMARU GOLF CLUB.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18502, 25 February 1930, Page 12

TIMARU GOLF CLUB.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Timaru Golfc Club was held last night, a good attendance of members being present. Mr W. H. Walton was in the chair. The president said that most of the financial workings of thfe Club for the past year were set down in the report and balance sheet. It was gratifying to find that the year had finished with a profit of £244/16/9. This was accounted for by increased subscriptions | and savings in wages, salaries and advertising and printing. Repair and maintenance work during the past year had cost £4O more than in the previous year. The Ground Committee had spent all the available money on seeds and manure for the greens and fairways, but taking the financial position as a whole, it was much sounder than last year. The Club had a credit balance at the bank of £ll7/7/1. The committee’s attention during the year had been devoted chiefly to the reestablishment of the financial position, which had become unfavourable last year. Messrs Wilson and Ritchie had prepared a scheme for bunkering the course, and this had been found most satisfactory. The thanks of the committee were due to these two gentle-' men for all the trouble that they had taken. The committee suggested that the work should be carried out in the new year until the whole of the course had been completed. A certain amount of tree-planting had been done in various parts of the course. The speaker said that after the bunkering of the course had been completed, it was, in his opinion, the duty of the Club as a whole, to endeavour to reduce the J mortgage on the Club’s property. The « proximity of the course to Timaru was a great asset to members and every effort should be made to avoid the loss of their course in any way. The committee had been making inquiries as to the cost of keeping the course in order with a tractor and special machine. Mr Walton said that he was doubtful if the purchase of a special implement of this description would pay the Club, as he had heard that other clubs who were using a similar machine were still forced to keep a horse for cartage and general work. The matter could, however, be discussed by the incoming committee. Continuing, the speaker said that great progress had been made during the past year by the younger players. It was gratifying to hear of the success of Mr B. V. Wright in the championships at Christchurch and at Timaru. An annual trophy of £2/2/had been donated by Mr Frank Barker to the Club for the most improved senior player during the season, and this should prove a big incentive to players to. excel at their game. This year there would be a number of resignations from the Club, chiefly owing to members leaving the district, or for other reasons. Club members should make a big effort to enrol new members in an endeavour to bring the roll number up to what it should be in a club, in a town of the size of Timaru. Annual Report. The Committee’s report stated that the working for the year showed a profit of £244/16/9 after providing for interest accrued and depreciation, a very satisfactory result due largely to the increased subscription, green fees, and a notable reduction in the amount paid for wages and salaries. A certain amount of work, including the painting of the golf house, laying water to greens, and bunkering of the course, had been deferred until the finances of the Club had improved. The Committee recommend the appropriation of a further £SO to the Implement Replacement Fund, and that £SO be set aside for repainting and renovating the golf house. The course had been kept in splendid order throughout the year, the work of cutting the grass in the bunkers having been greatly facilitated owing to the regrading done in previous years. The Club was indebted to the ground keeper and ground committee for the good work done by them during the year. Trees had been planted on part of the northern boundary end on certain fairways, which added to the appearance of the course. Water had been laid on at the Knob, Seaview and Ladies’ Terrace greens, and bunkers had been made at the Dive,. Bumpy, Lindsay’s, Midway and Home greens. The Club wished to thank Messrs Ritchie, Robt. Wilson and W. H. Walton for donations covering the cost of bunkers and Messrs Wilson and Ritchie for preparing the bunkering scheme. Twentynine new members were elected, and 35 resignations received. The number on the roll was 227 made up as follows: —17 life, 147 playing, 24 country, 16 honorary, 6 junior and 17 schoolboy members. Fifteen matches were played during the season, and resulted as follows:—Timaru won 8: v. Ashburton (2), Waimate (1), North Otago (2), Temuka (1), Fairlie (1), Geraldine (1); lost 5: v. Temuka (1), Fairlie (1), Pleasant Point (2), Gleniti (1); and drew 2: v. Waimate and North Otago Juniors. The fourteenth annual championship took place on 3rd. June for which 120 entries were received. The championship was won by B. V. Wright, with C. B.- Wight runner-up. The handicap matches were won by A. J. Allport, L. Busbridge, and T. W. Lynch. The thanks of the Club were due to the Ladies’ Club for a donation of £SO, and for assistance at matches, etc., to Major S. Walter for donations for bridges and for collecting for steps, to the contributors to cost of steps, to Mr D. S. Kemshed for trees at Dive; to Mr Knubley for donation; to Mr Revell for bridge; [ to donors of prizes, Messrs Walton, Cockroft and Fair; to Mr Webber for collecting money for new bunkers; to Mr Wardell for championship board; to Messrs Torlesse, Wright and Crawshaw for weeding greens; to the Timaru Bowling Club for use of room; and the Press for assistance during the year. Election of Officers. The election of officers resulted as follows: —President, Mr W. H. Walton; vice-president, Mr J. W. Fair; captain, Mr E. Ziesler; committee, Messrs F. E. Duncan, D. S. Kemshed, S. G. McClelland and Robert Wilson; hon. auditor, Mr A. C. Martin; secretary and treasurer, Mr W. J. Cotterill. General. The chairman said that they were in danger of losing the facilities for obtaining afternoon-tea on Saturday afternoons at the club house owing to an insufficient number of players patronising the arrangements, to enable the caterer to make it play. The speaker said that he was not making an appeal on behalf of the caterer, bue merely wished to show members that they would lose these facilities if the ydid not take advantage of what was offered in greater numbers. Mr Walton stated that he wished to pass a vote of thanks to the Grounds Committee, for the excellent work that they had done during the year. They had always worked in perfect harmony with the ground keeper and their efforts largely accounted for the saving in wages and salaries. Members expressed, in complimentary terms, their gratification of the • work done by both the Grounds Committee and the General Committee. The position of the Club had been improved financially, and the grounds were in splendid condition, reflecting great credit on those responsible for this state of affairs.

The secretary stated that the Committee had great difficulty in obtaining

teams for outside club matches, and he would ask members to assist the Match Committee as much as possible in this matter. Mr C. E. Torlesse suggested that the Club should run a larger tournament at Easter, if they could obtain the permission of the Golf Council to do so. The chairman said that the matter had been considered by the Committee, but that the Kirk-Windeyer championships weer held at Christchurch at that time. The Committee had thought of other dates but it was a difficult matter to fix on one, on which the Saturday and the holiday followed one another and still avoid clashing with some other fixture. It could, however, be discussed by the new Committee at an early date. The opening day for the Club was fixed for March 22. Several members spoke in appreciation of the work of the president, Mr W. H. Walton, who had been untiring in his efforts to keep the Club in the high position that it held among golf clubs in New Zealand. A vote of thanks to Mr Walton was carried with musical honours. In replying, the chairman said that he had the welfare of the Club at heart, and he wished to thank personally the members of the Club, the Committee, and especially the secretary, for the help and assistance that they had given him during the past year. i