YOUNG GOLFERS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20485, 11 December 1934, Page 8

YOUNG GOLFERS.

Must Be Encouraged More in N.Z. COMMENT BY PLAYERS. Serious criticism of the standard of play among members of the Christchurch Golf Club was voiced at the annual meeting of the club last evening by Mr W. T. Harman. Mr Harman said that the standard was not as good as it should be and he would like to see the young players encouraged. To this end he proposed that the qualifying rounds of the club championship should be done away with. When the championship was first instituted, the conditions laid down that it should be decided by hole play, and he did not think that it was possible successfully to mix hole and medal play. Mr Harman moved that it be recommended to the incoming committee that the qualifying rounds of the club championship should be done away ■with in order to encourage young players to improve their game. Too Many Interests. Mr R. T. Toss will replied that in his opinion the trouble was that the young men were failing to get down to hard work. In daVs gone by one might have seen many men practising in an effort to improve their shots, but the present day youth had too much to occupy his leisure, and did not take as much trouble and interest in the game as his father and grandfather had taken. After further discussion, the matter was left in the hands of the committee. Mr A. L. Cropp then remarked that the small attendance might be taken to mean that, members were well satisfied with the manner in which the club’s affairs were run, but this desirable state of affairs was due to the great services rendered to the club by members who served on the committee. He saw a danger, in that it was not reasonable to expect that this would be the case from year to year, and the sacrifice necessitated by this service detracted from the pleasure of playing. Manager-Secretary. At present there was an excellent president, captain and secretary, but there was no assurance that this state of affairs would always continue. He considered that the time had come when the duties of secretary and treasurer should be brought together in the office of secretary-manager in the manner employed by many great golf clubs all over the world. The manager could use the old club house as his residence, and by being always on the spot more efficent management would be assured. He proposed that the matter should be referred to the committee for consideration. Mr R. T. Tosswill endorsed what Mr Cropp had said. Many active members of the club had been deterred from standing for the committee because the duties were so extensive that they interfered with one’s business. After one term on the committee he had refused to be nominated again on these grounds. All over the world major clubs had been appointing secretarymanagers in order that the clubs might be run as economically as possible. He considered that the Christchurch Club was now big enough to warrant the emplo\ r ment of a manager and, in addition such an officer would add considerably to the prestige of the club.

After considerable discussion the matter was referred to the committee for consideration.