GOLF

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19801, 17 May 1934, Page 14

GOLF

NOTES AND COMMENTS The week-end was kind to golfers, and conditions were ideal. The team representing the Timaru Club which travelled to Oamaru had a day out in more senses than one, and appreciated the conditions to the full, returning to Timaru with a good balance of victories to their credit. The Oamaru links were in good order, and the improvement of the fairways was noticeable. The final result was Timaru 21, Oamaru 19. $ L. Sumpter, of Oamaru, was in good form in the fourball game in the afternoon, and rattled the ball in the tin to some tune, to the consternation of the visitors’ leading pair. Had Sarazen, the protagonist of a larger hole, been a witness of some of the putts which were negotiated during the matches played, he would probably have been a convert to the idea of a still smaller tin than the present standard. Timaru also visited Waimate on Thursday last, and fully avenged their debacle of last season, finishing up with 12 h games to s?<. The Waimate course was in excellent order and has been greatly improved by the addition of a number of sand traps which add interesting definition and variety to the shots to the greens. The May bogey match of the Timaru Women’s Club found Mrs Hawkes leading the senior division with 3 down, Miss Horwell being second with 6 down. In the juniors, Mrs J. A. Scott and Mrs O’Leary tied with scores of 7 down. In connection with the Melbourne Centenary meeting in November, the U.S.A. Professional Golfers’ Association are arranging for a team of Americans to tour Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the Philippines, the team leaving about the middle of October. The American golfers carried everything before them in the contest with the British team for the Walker Cup, and the majority of the games saw them win by convincing margins. Wethered and Tolley put up a wretched opposition all round, and were trounced 8 up and 6 to play. Putting seems to have been a strong feature of the Americans’ game, aided by pitching right up. Crawley and Scott of the home side both helped the visitors by knocking their ball into the hole. The only members of the British team to shine were the veteran Torrance and young Mcßuvie, the latter being the only one to finish undefeated in both singles and foursomes. The all-round supremacy of the American team was fully established. Writing of golf courses in America, R. Hunter says: “Americans are given to standardisation, but golf courses cannot be turned out of one mould.” On the other hand the charm of the seaside courses of Great Britain lies in their multiformity, their unconven- | tionality, their infinite variety. There are, to be sure, eighteen holes, and the yardage is up to standard, but comparison largely ends there. The terrain itself has an individuality all its own. In its uneven diversity, its tumbling irregularity, its unrivalled originality, links land bears no resemblance to any other territory. It is cast in a different mould from that used in any other landscape, and even the moulds out of which it came were used to model only a few hundred yards and then destroyed. Although Prince’s, Sandwich and Deal lie along the same coast and their borders touch each other, they are as unlike in terrain as if they were comities apart. Except superficially there is little resemblance between the various championship courses of Great Britain, and no two holes and no two greens have much in common except their turf. Even the shots required vary materially. Some of the champions are found wanting when they are playing on unfamiliar ground, or on a course which requires some slight modification m their customary game. It is interesting to recall that Harry Vardon, although six times open champion of Great Britain, never won at St. Andrews; and that J. H. Taylor, five times open champion, never won at Prestwick. James Braid, also five times open champion, never won at Deal, Hoylake or Sandwich. Mr John Ball has, perhaps, the most remarkable record of any golfer of this or any other day. He has won the amateur championship eight times: twice at Prestwick, thrice at Hoylake, and once at Westward Ho, St. Andrews and Sandwich.

He also won the open at Prestwick In 1890, and in the same year he won the amateur championship at Hoylake.

According to P. A. Vaile, the wellknown writer on the mechanics and ballistics of golf, there is one portion, and one portion only, of the body that should be absolutely stationary right through the golf stroke. It is the “ball” of the left foot, right across in a line running through the ball of the big toe, and just back of where the other toes join the foot. This is the anchor of the golf stroke, and not one golfer, or would-be golfer, in a hundred knows it or has it. It is the great stabiliser of the swing, and neglecting to use it causes more ruined shots than almost anything else in the game, for, in a stroke that makes such a supreme demand for mechanical accuracy, it follows naturally that an unstable base means an inaccurate shot. After one has settled into one’s place hi the address and is quite ready to start the drive, one should, for all purposes of scientific golf, consider that a threeinch nail has been driven through every joint of every left toe right into the ground, so that the portion of the left foot, commonly called “the ball of the foot,” and all the toes are quite stationary during the stroke. This is probably the greatest and soundest “tip” in correct driving that can be given to anyone. Vaile says this “tip” of the anchor of golf as he terms it, was given to him by James Sherlock, who got the idea from careful observation of the “Prince of Stroke Players,” Harry Vardon.

The second qualifying round at Gleniti found J. C. Kay winning the senior medal with 95-20-75 nett, and J. Satterthwaite lead the juniors with 100-23-77.

The first qualifying round at North End saw R. Moyes return the best gross score with 83, and also finish at the head of the medal division with 67 nett. In the ladies’ section, Mrs J. Barnard, with 110-32-78 nett, won the medal round, and Miss Sullivan, with 105, had the best gross score, 105.

It is not surprising, seeing that even an Englishman finds so much difficulty in describing the game, that, when the foreigner attempts it, the result is often ludicrous. Here is the effort of a Frenchman who had taken great trouble to master the essential principles. "You take a small boy—zey call 'im a little cad—wiz a bundle of sticks and a ball; you go into a large prairie; ze cad put ze ball on ze earth; you ’it ’im wiz your stick—ze ball, not ze cad—as far as you are able; zen you bofe run after ’im, and eef you find ’im in ze same day, you ’ave won ze game.” The version of the Jap who was deputed by a paternal government to study games in Western countries, was rather different from the foregoing, but that is another story.

The play in the British women’s championships at Porthcawl saw three New Zealand competitors qualify for the match play, in Miss O. Kay, Miss B. Gaisford and Mrs Jacobsen. The leading score was that of Miss M. Gourlay with 152. Misses Kay and Gaisford both had '■ 169 and Mrs Jacobsen 172, the lowest score to qualify being 173. Mrs Jacobsen was drawn to play Miss Gourlay in the first round and sprang a great surprise by putting paid to the aspirations of her redoubtable opponent, finishing 1 up. The scoring was by no means good, but Mrs Jacobsen is to be congratulated upon her victory, especially as she entered in the pure spirit of adventure whilst on a holiday trip. As Miss V. Upham she was a prominent golfer in the North Island some years ago. Miss Kay had the misfortune to strike her opponent, Mrs Holm, in the best of putting form, and was eliminated by 6 and 5. Miss Gaisford played well to win 1 up from Mrs Garon, who has many successes to her credit both in England and on the Continent. The weather would appear to have been very stormy and the course wind swept, conditions which on British seaside courses are very testing for golfers. Mrs Jacobsen’s experience in Wellington would prove helpful on such a day. In the etiquette of golf we have, “Players should see that their caddies do notjjinjures the holes by standing close to them when the ground is soft.” This also applies to players when holding the pin. The flagstick should be held at arm’s length, as tramping round the hole is so very liable to damage that area which is so vital to the results of even the shortest of putts. There is no penalty attached to breaches of etiquette, hence the greater need for all players to prove their sportsmanship by rigidly adhering to the conditions laid down. One competitor in the women’s championship, Miss Barron, caused a flutter by appearing in trousers. The Ladies' Golf Union, unlike that of New South Wales and a club in Wellington, decided to put no bar against the innovation. One begins to wonder what action would be taken if a team of Scotsmen appeared on the links in kilts. TIMARU CLUB. The following is the draw for the medal handicap (qualifying round for Perry Cup), to be played at Hlghfield on Saturday:— Morning—Gee v. R. Allan, Thomas v. Hawkes, Mills v. Ledingham, Sutherland v. Duncan, Ritchie a bye. Afternoon, North East, 12.30 p.m.— N. C. Martin, Baker, Holmes, Torlesse, Purdom, Houlihan, A. C. Martin, Holdgate, Cameron, Baird, Johnston, Fairbrother, Bridges, Mcßeath, J. A. Marshall, H. R. Scott, Mackay, Mitchell, M. A. Raymond, Bruce, Irvine, Skinner, Cunningham, Hunter, E. Kerr, D. Sutherland, Gamble, McClelland, Jones, Crawshaw, Tonkin, G. Ussher, Dobie, Coxhead, Ireland, Lawson, G. H. Ussher, C. W. Wood Jr., J. K. Martin, Sullivan, Nicoi, W. I. Tait, Grant, Forbes, Creemer, J. G. .Jancan, Parker, Hassell, Boyle, G. W. Morrison. Booth, Davies, Webster, A. L. Marshall, B. W. Moody, Horwell, Mcßae, Berry, W. Allport, May. Port Arthur, 12.45 p.m.—Monaghan, F. E. Duncan, S. A. Shrimpton, Harris, F. G. Raymond, Walton, Harold, Fair, Wilson, Smith, Kingston, Abernethy, Baxter, E. G. Kerr, W. A. Scott, W. J. Foote, E. A. Scott, J. Kerr, Millar, Greenfield, Beswick, Mullan, D. Moyes, Mullins, J. A. Scott, A. J. Allport, Sinclair, Fox, Young. Lynch, Cave. Robertson, Nicholas, Hedges, Reid, Hastwell, Ward, D. Y. Allan, Newton, J. F. Morrison, Fox Jr„ Hayman, Isaac, Meehan, Lister, J. Moyes. GLENITI CLUB. The following are the partners for Saturday’s fourball bogey match;— Gleniti —Slade and Todd, Collins and J. Menzies, Robertson and Paine, Slade and Crosbie, Young and Todd, Joseph and Bedford, Mantell and McDougall, Clark and Mclntosh, Kay and Ward, Davies and Cole, Mitchell and J. Warsaw. Seaview —Jones and Johnson, Hobin and Lewis, Thompson and Stafford, Steele and Eaton, Lawrence and Milliken, Carmichael and Baigent, Healey and Lamb, Wain and Wraight, Laithness and Dale, Satterthwaite and H. L. Warsaw. The following will represent Gleniti against Highfield to-day:— Mi's Robert-

son, Mrs Mantell, Mrs Thompson, Mrs Steele, Mrs Russell, Miss Islip, Miss Macaulay, Miss C. Beck, Miss Faulkner, Miss Morgan, Mrs Caithness, Mrs Joseph, Mrs Young, Miss Bradley, Miss Miller, Miss D. Beck, Miss Reeves, Miss Gabites, Miss Stewart. EmergencyMiss Lillie o. NORTH-END CLUB. The following will represent NorthEnd against Temuka at Temuka on Saturday:—Mrs Arnold, Mrs Washer, Mrs F Cox, Miss Todd, Miss Grant, Mrs Kellett, Mrs Stevens, Miss Pryor, Mrs Barnard, Miss C. Wilson; Mason, Ayres, Washer, Edyvean, Barnard, Moyes, Clark, A. Provan, O’Meeghan, Ross, Arnold, Tozer; emergencies; Malcolm, Reid. A Bogey match will be played at North-End on Saturday. TASMAN CUP CONTEST. Efforts are being made to see that the women goffers of Australia are represented by a strong team in the Tasman Cup, now neld by New Zealand. Leading associates have been approached and from these a strong team should be chosen. Among the Victorians who have signified their willingness to make the trip are Mrs Sioan Morpeth (Miss Susie Toihurst). Mrs Alec Russell, Miss Betty Nankwell, and Miss Kathleen Donaldson. The Australian L.G.U. secretary, Miss Rene Austin, has requested the clubs to which these players belong to give them every opportunity of match play against leading amateurs, professionals, and other strong women players. Likely candidates among the New South Wales players are Miss Odette Lefebvre, Miss Joan Hood Hammond, Miss Betty Gowing, Mrs A. Goodall, Miss L. Wray, Miss V. Ebert, Mrs O. H. O’Brien, and Mrs W. Bowie. Mrs Britten Jones and Miss Kathleen Rymill, together with Mrs G. Turner, Miss D. Hood, and Miss J. Gardiner, are likely to be the South Australian'* and Queensland candidates.