AMERICAN GOLFERS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 63, 14 March 1936, Page 4

AMERICAN GOLFERS

WHY THEY ARE BETTER AN AUSTRALIAN’S VIEWI have been asked by numerous per sons why it is that when the American players come out bore they can step right off the boat and go round any of our courses in par, whereas, when we went over there, it took us a long time to get into form: writes Mr. J,. Kelly in the Australian Referee. In my opinion the main reasons are, firstly, that they are better golfers, and,! secondly, that it is much easier to get; used to the small ball after playing the large one than it is to play the large one after being used to the small one. And la*t, but most important, they are used to travelling. The big majority of players in America haven’t got a home. They just keep following rhe matches round, year in and year out, and travel thou >an«ls of miles each year, whereas we may make one trip of 500 miles in 12 months. One other question a number of people ask you is: “Who is lhe best player in the States?’’ Well. I found it very hard Io find who was the best, so I put the question to Horton Smith, and his answer was that there were 25 players that it would be impossible to separate. I However. I have my own opinion, and II would place Henry Picard No. J, with modest Horton Smith, No. 2. After that I would agree with Horton that |you couldn’t place them. Biggest Drawcard. | The Australian people will probably | be interested to know that the one and • only Walter Hagen is still the biggest drawcard in the game. I Speaking of Walter; he is louking ! forward to visiting \ustralia with Jo»I Kirkwood. Jde wanted to come this year after the British Open, but, Hagen lis under contract to play in the British I :Open and then return t" America to ad-I ivertise the new Hagen ball, so you lean see that wc will have to wait an | ■ other xear until we see this popular I golfer, and as Kirkwood’s next trip out will be with Hagen, ami we will not see ! either of them until next year. j The American team who were out I here last year, together with Jimmy [Thomson, asked me to give their kindbest regards to all the friends they made 'out here during their visit. Courses Disappointing. ; After playing at the Waialae Country Ciub at Honolulu, we were looking j forward to seeing sonic wonderful j courses on the main'and, as we were [given to understand that they were ’much better than this one. ' In this we were disappointed, as with the exception of the Los Angeles Country Club, Pebble Beach Club at Del Monte, and the Lakewood Club, at i Long Beach, the courses were not up j [to the standard of our own Sydney courses. | The Pebble Beach course, in my i [opinion, is the best course 1 have ever ; played un. In the whole IS holes they ' have not one weak hole. All the short holes are very difficult and some of the! t part 4 dog-leg holes would be as good as any you could possibly get anywhere in the world. j For instance, the Sth. hole is 425vds. •in length, doglegging to the right, | [across a mouth from the sea. If you I : did not hit your drive you would have Ito either play out t<» the left, or ]»lay ! J‘ hon } ot n at ur al and fascinating I The other hole i> the 9th., which is , 45t»yds. in length. To be in position to • play your second. ;ou have to hug the [sea with your drive. The more cautious ones who play out to the left would be wise if they played their sec|on«ls short of the green, as if they Imissed their shot, they would be in n creek, and, on the other hand, if they went ove r the green p’aying from the left, they would find the-.- would be in I the sea. ’ All the holes on this course arc verv well laid out, but the two holes I have | told you about will live in my memory a* long as I swing a golf club. ' 1