Bobby Jones’ Golf

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXIV, Issue 127, 31 October 1930, Page 7

Bobby Jones’ Golf

MONOTONOUS IN PERFECTION

IMPRESSIONS OF A NEW ZEALANDER

(Per Press Association) AUCKLAND, Last Night. “Neither the condition of the links nor the standard of play in New Zealand would be disgraced by a comparison with the courses or the players in England,’’ said Mr. A. E. M. Rhind, secretary of the Auckland Golf Club, who returned to Auckland by the Rangitane yesterday. Mr. Rhind has been on a holiday and he took the opportunity to visit and to play on as many of the betterknown English links, as he could, including St. Andrew’s and Gleneagles, states a special message to the Manawatu “Times.’’ “When I say the standard of play would compare favourably, I do not mean that the average New Zealand golfer is as good as the English player,’’ he said. “That is not so. Only the best in Ne*w Zealand would

serve as a basis of comparison and then there are very many in England who would be as good as one or two of the best out here. What I meant rather was that the handicapping would be about correct.” He was judging by his own handicap which he found about right. The layout of the best New Zeal land links was quite as modern as those at Home, particularly in the bunkering. In fact, he thought that the bunkering on some of the English links was antiquated. When the courses were at their best out here he thought they were up to the standard of those at Home. “One must also take into consideration the fact that we play all the year round on the same sort of course,.a thing they would not dream of doing in England,” added Mr. Rhind. “If their grass links had the all-the-year play which ours do they would be sloughs of mud. They have recourse to sand courses in the winter and that of course saves their grass. Again they employ far more labour on their courses than we do.” Golf was far more expensive there than here, especially in caddying fees and meals. Mr. Rhind was present at the open championship at Hoylake, where he saw Bobby Jones play. “In England he is taken for the perfect type of sportsman,” affirmed Mr. Rhind, '’“but as far as golf is concerned, the man is like a machine. He seems incapable of going wrong. He is monotonous in his perfection. There does not seem to be any fire in his play, but he serves as an ideal and 1 feasted my eyes.”