CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20042, 3 September 1920, Page 3

CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF.

PREPARATIONS FOR THE MEETING. 'flic Xow Zealand golf championships will lie played at St Andrew’s links, Hamilton, from September 13 to IS. A great deal of expense has been incurred in preparing the. course for the meeting. At most of the holes new tees have been, made., with the result (hat the round has been lengthened to 6107 yards, or 106 yards more than the Austral iou championship course at Kensington, New South Wales. The longest holes arc the fourth (440 yds) and seventh (521 yds), and the eighteenth has been considerably lengthened to 438 yds. The shortest are the first' o.B4yds), tenth (191 yds). and fourteenth (116 yds). Bogey is 41 out and 42 in. tscveral new bunkers have been put in, while old ones have been cleaned. Tho most difficult bunker now is that at tho short hole—the fourteenth- the siunl iu tho sleep hank now being very loose and requiring -a very good shot in order to get clear. .Special care has boon taken with the greens, weeding having been clone in such a systematic manner that it is anticipated they will be iu perfect order for tho meeting. Tho clubhouse has been extended to provide locker room for nearly 200 players, while tho dining-room will accommodate a similar number. By last (Saturday there wore sixty-eight entries, (iliy-eight being from amateurs and ten from professionals. Mntries bad still to come in from Cambridge, Maungakiokie, Hamilton, and other clubs, and it -is expected there will ho about ninety competitors. Kirkwood, Australian professional, has entered, while other entries are ex ’ pccted from Australia by next mail, Cither prominent prpfemjonalK who luvn i

signifieed their intention of competing are Douglas j (Miramar), the present open champion, lies (Christchurch), Martin (Auckland), M’Ewnn (Wolling- ,^ oss (Middlemoro), M’Cormaclc (\\aihi), Butters (Christchurch)/, Clements (Palmerston (Worth), and Brookes (Dower Hutt). The prominent amateurs include H. E. Cross (Napier), present amateur champion; A. Duncan, runner-up in the amateur championship, and several times winner of the event; Rh Rosb Pnnedin), Sloan Morpeth (Waihi), last year’s runner-up for tho open championship, who is in good form, and whoso knowledge of the focal, course is likely to stand him in good stead; H. B. Lusk (Auckland, late of Christchurch), a player who can always bo relied upon to play a good gome upon tho Hamilton course and who at one time played a 73 there. Other players on the scratch mark who have entered are J. Goss (Wanganui), AEkstedt (Palmerston North), T. H. Horton (.Master ton), and Hex George (Maungakiekie). Hamilton players are in exceptionally good form this season, and are expected to carry off tho honours in the inter-club match.