GOLF

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19873, 9 August 1934, Page 6

GOLF

NOTES AND COMMENTS After a week of fine sunny weather the local golf courses showed marked improvement in playing conditions last week-end and Highfield in particular was more like what players enjoy than has been the case for some weeks. A secret partner stroke handicap produced some good scoring and the winning pair were Rex Jones and G. C. Reid with 71 and 73—144 nett. Three pairs were close on their heels with 145. It was rather a remarkable coincidence that the winners should be drawn together as they were the finalists in the singles knock-out competition. This final saw Rex Jones the winner by 3 and 2 and he should soon be in the single figure handicap list. The Timaru Women’s Club staged the first round of an Eclectic handicap last Friday and the best scores were those of Miss O’Callaghen 105-32—73 nett and Miss G. Campbell 91-17—74 and Mrs J. C. Johnston 92-18—74 nett. At North End the Cox Cup for mixed foursomes against bogey was played and the result found two pairs tieing for the lead, in: Mrs F. Cox and Moyes and Miss Grant and N. R. Grant, both of whom returned cards of 6 down. The match between Timaru and Ashburton which was to have been played at Ashburton on Saturday has been postponed until later in the month. The Geraldine Club adopted a proposal to vacate their present links and to make a new course in the Orari district. There is a proposal on foot to send young Ferrier, the New South Wales’ star player, to compete in the next English championships but it is thought that a good prior test for him would be to put him against the visiting English team that is to attend the Melbourne Centenary event. Tommy Armour was the winner of the Canadian Open Championship with a total of 287. He also won it in 1927 and 1930, so that the passage of years does not seem to be reflected in his game as yet. Nearly all indifferent golf swings are marked by a lift of the club as it is taken back. This is a most reprehensible practice because any sort of a lift means a crooked arm, and a crooked arm in golf is the very devil, and almost to a certainty will wreck a majority of shots. It is therefore most important to make sure that the club-head is carried back smoothly along the true line of the proposed shot to the full extent of the left arm. Then the club vtfll have a fair opportunity of coming back to the ball, even though slightly mistimed, with an excellent chance of the resultant hit being a success. But the left arm and shoulder must do their duty. To make reasonably sure of this vital detail being attended to that arm must take charge of the shot from the very start and continue in charge until after—this is of the utmost importance—the ball is struck. The action of the right arm and shoulder may be altogether neglected because usually their activity

o matter what happens or fails to happen can be depended upon to the fullest extent. This is where the real golfer has an immense advantage. His left arm, shoulder and side generally are as active, nimble and willing as those on his right side and will act with 100 per cent automotive power. (Australasian.) It frequently happens that birds are struck and killed by golf balls in their flight, while there have been Instances of other animals and even players who have been killed by golf balls, but the record kill seems to be that recorded a few weeks ago In England when W. J. Robinson, the professional at St. Margaret’s Bay Golf Club, near Dover, killed a cow with his tee shot at the 18th hole while playing in a four-ball match over the course. The 18th is a short hole, and Robinson drove with a No. 2 iron. The cow was standing in the fairway about 100 yards from the tee, and the ball struck It on the back of the head. It fell like a log but staggered to its feet and walked about 50 yards before dropping again. When the players reached it the animal was dead.

In the fifth round of the Parliamentary golf handicap played at Sunningdale recently .there was a remarkable coincidence. The Earl of Carrick beat the Earl of Carrick at the 19th green. The loser was the Prince of Wales, one of whose titles is the Earl of Carrick, a Scottish peerage, and the winner was the Irish peer, who sits in the House of Lords as Baron Butler. The Prince, playing from a handicap of 11, had to concede three strokes to his opponent. He had to concede one of these strokes at the 19th and lost the hole through his opponent holing out a chip shot.

Query: A and B were playing off a tie in a stroke competition. At several holes A’s caddie Indicated the line of putt with a elub and held the club in this position while A putted. The club did not touch the ground. Did A incur any penalty? Answer: It is only allowable to point out a direction for putting "before the stroke is made.” See Rule 29 (1). The penalty for a breach of this rule is the loss of the hole: in score play the penalty is two strokes.

Query: (1) It it permissible to touch the ground behind the hole in order to point out the line of a putt? (2) Is the hole lost because the player’s partner or caddie holds a club behind the hole to indicate the line of putt, while the putt is being played? Answer: (1) No. (2) Yes. No mark may be placed. The correct way to indicate the hole Is by means of the flagstick held in the hole but a club may be used provided it is removed before the stroke is made. The feet are not permitted as indicators either, though many players adopt that method presumably In ignorance of the rules.

Accidents on the golf course are luckily few and far between though quite a number have had a fatal termination. In 1927 however, a most curious accident befell a member of the audience at the Vaudeville Theatre, London. Mr Norman Griffin was swinging a golf club in his sketch, "I do look a lad in plus fours,” the iron head flew into the auditorium. It struck the circle and fell upon the head of an Eton schoolboy named Tate, who was one of a party of four, including his father, mother, and brother. Tate received a cut on the forehead, and had to be taken to Charing Cross Hospital for the wound to be dressed. He re-

turned in about twenty minutes, and expressed sorrow that he had lost a part of the performance.

The outcome of this accident was more fortunate than that reported of another trick shot expert who, as a tour de force in his show included a drive of a ball teed on his assistant’s nose, the assistant lying prone on the stage. By an error of calculation one night the drive unfortunately sliced off a goodly piece of the assistant’s nose into the orchestral stalls, and the turn came to a sudden end.

"How many did you take?" asked the golfer from London. “Eight,” replied his Scottish opponent. “I took only seven so it is my hole,” exclaimed the Londoner triumphantly. When faced with the same question again at the end of the second hole the Scotsman smiled knowingly, “Na, Na,” he said, “it is ma turn tae ask first.”

Answers to correspondents by “Palgolf ” of “Western Mail.” (a) Certainly if the club rules say that you should not tip the stewards, but we have noticed that an occasional sixpence left In casual water on the tray may be lifted by the steward without penalty. (b) Pressing the head of the club down behind the ball on the fairway to improve your He is illegal, still you are allowed to press the club head down with sufficient pressure to kill a red back spider lurking behind the ball and if that accidentally improves your lie, they cannot touch you for. that.