ON THE LINKS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18653, 23 August 1930, Page 16

ON THE LINKS

By “DRIVER." (“Driver” will be pleased to receive notes of interest, local or otherwise, from the golfers of South Canterbury).

Last Saturday’s medal match at Highfield resulted in a win for L. H. Marshall 78—8—70, who just beat J. G. Niccol 776 —71.

Nervous Lady Golfer (to gentleman friend standing by): ‘‘Would not looking at me when I drive* you wouldn’t believe what silly little things put me off!”

Mrs Kingston and Kingston had a decisive win over Miss V. Campbell and Cameron in the play-off for the Bowe Cup. The winners conceded three strokes.

The Highfield team which journeyed to Ashburton last Saturday thoroughly enjoyed the outing but were defeated by 12* games to 82.

The final of the Timaru Ladies Club championship will be contested between the holder, Miss M. Tizard and a previous holder Miss F. Pringle.

In the semi-final of the ladies junior championship at Highfield Miss Bowie plays Mrs Scanned and Miss Cotterill plays Miss Holdgate.

During last week-end A. L. Marshall and G. R. Kingston earned the right to meet D. J. Mcßeath and J. Moyes in the final of the fourball knockout by beating F. L. Baxter and B. Baxter on the last green.

P. B. Foote had won his way into the final of the knock-out singles at Highfield by defeating E. Ziesler on the last green. He will meet the winner of B. V. Wright and J. W. Fair.

The Highfield Committee has of late been considering proposals for altering the order of holes as played at present. The main arguments submitted are that at present there is too much congestion on certain fairways, the course has insufficient starting places, and the bogeys of the first and second nine are too many strokes apart. Next Saturday a match will be played which will enable members to decide for themselves if the proposals will benefit the course.

I “Jock" Menzles has been playing fairly consistently at Glenitl lately and headed the list in Saturday's bogey match, all square. Menzies’ card showed a gross round of 81, one stroke over the club record, and contained five 3’s.

Youngest of all the professional golfers of New Zealand is A. H. Dyke, one of the professionals to the Hutt Club, Wellington. He is only 20 years old, but is one of the finest players in the Dominion. He learned how to make and swing clubs under the tuition of A. J. Moss, probably the most efficient professional in New Zealand.

Having made a regular pyramid with a handful of sand, the pseudo-golfer placed his ball on the top and, turning round to his caddie, asked, “How long’s this hole, my boy?” “One hundred and seventy yards, sir,” came the reply. “Then what ought I to take—a i spoon or an iron. i “Neither,” sniggered the caddie as ihe handed over the niblick. “You’re 'bunkered.”

Play in the bogey match at Gleniti last Saturday was of a fairly indifferent standard, the only card worthy of mention being that of J. Menzies, jnr., who returned ail square from a handicap of six strokes. The greens were particularly tricky, and this may have accounted in a measure for the poor scores by the remainder of the field. L. Busbridge was all square with three to play, but crashed badly and finished 3 down.

America having definitely adopted the larger and lighter golf ball, it remains to be seen whether the rest of the golfing world will fall into line. The chief objection hitherto has come from the noble army of rabbits, who have taken fright at the idea that it has been designed to make the game harder. It certainly will be harder to control in a wind, on account of its larger size and lightness, than the present pill, but it has advantages, even for the dud player. It will be easier to hit through the green, for one thing, and as it is less lively than the ball in use should be easier to stop in pitching up to the green.

Golf course architects are in a quandary to-day as to ways and means of making links longer. The tremendous length from the tee and through the green which has resulted from the evolution of the modern golf ball makes something of a sort imperative, unless the American idea of a larger and lighter ball with less “carry” is generally adopted. Few golf courses, even in New Zealand, have enough land adjacent for purposes of extension, apart from the question of additional cost, and there is a limit to the most ingenious faking of holes.