GOLF.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16530, 14 September 1921, Page 6

GOLF.

AT HOME AND ABROAD, (By “THE CADDIE.”) HAGLEY CLUB. A 4-ball bogey match will bo played next Saturday. This is th€> last match of the season. Friday and Saturday, September 23 and 24, are the closing days of the season. On Friday tho ladies will hold competitions, including driving, for Miss Gerard’s prize; approaching (Mr A. Fairbairn’s prize; second prize offered by Mason Struthers); putting (Miss Preston’s prize;. On the following day the men’s competitions will be held, which will include driving, for Mr A. Boulnois’s prize; approaching (Mr A. Reeve’s prize; second prize donated by Mason Strutliers); putting (Mr W. D. Andrew’s’ prize : mixed putting (Mr A. E. Boss’s prizes). All members of the club arc cordially invited to tho closing day’s competitions. The prizes will be presented by tho president of the club, Lady Denniston. The opeq golf championship of Tasmania, two rounds of 18 holes, was won by T. C. Archer, junr., an amateur, whose card Tor tho first round was 77 and for the second round 80, total 157. A strange figure in the French Open Championship was that of Y. Botcazon, the one-armed professional of La Boulie. He came well down the list with a score of 333 for the four rounds, compared ivith the leading one of 281, yet it says much for his grit, determination and accuracy that a onearmed man could enter for such a championship and return such a score. This is the holiday period of sport and yet we are all wishing for rain, says the special London correspondent of the “Star” under date July 21. Tho sun haw burnt up outdoor life and made the ground as hard as a turnpike road. Golfers are alarmed about the state of their courses. M ill the burntup turf ever recover? It is as, brown as mown hay and in some cases heather and gorse have blazed so furiously that none remain. These conditions obtain from one end of the country to/ the other. The other day on the south coast I went out to play and had but hit the first tec shot when the call came for assistance to put out flames that threatened to eat their way right across the links. So I turned fireman, holding the hose of the village brigade and making myself generally useful. This was indeed a new oxcitement, at any rat© here, where often in the summer time we wait the pleasure of the rain to cease. But under the prevailing conditions golf is a poor game. It ig glorious to see th© ball bounding along from the tee as if it would never atop. In the matter of length we have all suddenly become Mitchells and Rays, but the reckoning time comes when we get near the hole. How are we to stop the ball? Bert take an iron club and run up. To pitch is truly a fearsome business. The ball takcvs a mighty bound and oarecrß many 3’ards into the rough beyond tho green. Then the putting! The yellow turf shines like glass and the ball glides about as if it were on ice. One is thankful to hear the sound when it safely rattles the bottom of the tin. There can be no really serious golf until the rain comes.