GOLF.

Waikato Times, Volume 96, Issue 15016, 12 August 1922, Page 16 (Supplement)

GOLF.

(By “Niblick.”) t The qualifying round for ihe club championship at St. Andrew’s produced much interesting and some good play last Saturday. The intervening games lo the final are also expected lo increase that interest. An astronomer was entertaining a Scotch friend. He showed his visitor the moon through a telescope, and asked him what lie thought of the satellite. “It’s a’ rielii," replied tlie Scot, who was an enthusiastic golfer, "hut it’s awl'u’ iu’ o’ bunkers.”

Tlie South Auckland tournament will be ilcld at Hie end of tlie month. 11 is expected that there will he a good entry of local and district players, and also a strong contingent from Auckland clubs. Irate Golfer: "You must take your children away from here madam — this is no place for them.” Mother: “Now, don’t you worry—they can’t ’ear nothin’ new—their father was a sergeant-major, ’e was.” "I do not think the game will improve here until you make it a summer game. I consider New Zealand courses are at their worst in Hie winter time. The younger players should practise more, too, instead of playing round so much," remarked E. S. Douglas, open champion of New Zealand, to a Dominion writer. “I consider young Horton, of Masterton, will ta_ke a lot of beating in the amateur championship this year," was the opinion expressed by E. S. Douglas, open champion of New Zealand in a chat “Niblick,” of the Dominion had with him on Monday. “He is a very much improved player since I saw him play at Shirley last year. I consider tie plays his iron clubs better than any amateur in tlie counIry. He was tlie leading amateur in Hie open last year at Shirley. He has improved wonderfully, and if he had a better course to practise on Ilian (ho one at Maslcrlon lie would improve a great deal more.” F. S. Douglas, open champion or : New Zealand, ]cf| Wellington on Wed- | nesday for Edinburgh, with the object of carrying out a long cherished desire to have a till at the world honours. Douglas was four times champion of New Zealand, and prior to coming to this country had played much golf of the prominent order in Scotland, at the age of 20, finishing among the first twenty players in the Scottish professional championsnip at Cardrass. At the age nf 22 Douglas visited America where lie remained for five years. Douglas did well in professional tournaments in America, finishing lliird in the professional championship of California at. Del Monte, and fourlh at Ingleside. He never once failed to lie amongst Ihe prize money in America, nor, indeed, has he once failed in this ren sped, in any professional diampionsliip for which lie has entered since leaving' Scotland. Douglas informed “Niblick” of Ihe Dominion that it has been a long-cherished dream of his I lo seek world honours, lie intends I lo go Home to Edinburgh, and devote ! six months to steady practice, and ! I he n will have a lilt nf all t lie big championship loiirnamenls in Great Brituin, commencing next spring. "1

have been so busy coaching and clubmaking in New Zealand that 1 have never oeen able Lo gel into anything like trite form, and was never In sufficiently good condition to last out a week’s play. Now, 1 intend to get Into form, and it will afford me gTOUt pleasure to go Home and rub shoulders with the woi.us best players, and in this way tind out just exactly whore 1 do stand,” the champion said.

'Ml' a member of a ciub accepts for services in connection with green-keeping, dues he thereby lose Ins amateur status'.'" was a question pul by an affiliated elun o._> u.-. Appeal Council of liic New Zealand Golf Association at its last mealing. The council’s decision was that lie does not lose ids amateur stains. Decision No. 227 says: "A green-keepo-r is not ipso facto a professional.” Also at a conference wnh overseas delegates in lin'd a clear definition of "professional” was given. In this connection the definition of a professional golfer lias been given as follows: — A professional golfer is one who, after attaining I lie age of 16 years, has—(a) Carried clubs for hire, (b) Received any consideration, either directly of indirectly, for playing or for teaching the game, or for playing in a match or tournament, (c) Played for a money prize in any competition. Note.—file Championship Committee of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews shall have the right of declaring ineligible to compete in the open tournament under its jurisdiction anyone who in its opinion lias acted in a manner detrimental to the best interests or to the spirit of the game. Most golfers laugh right out loud when anyone suggests that So-and-so tried to make a hole in one and succeeded. • It is generally conceded that the feat is a fluke, and that the man who does it carries the left hind foot of a rabbit or a horseshoe. Ted Ray has pointed out that the hole in one is more often accomplished by the

average and high handicap golfer than by tile scratch man. Harry Vardon and other famous golfers have never accomplished the feat. The golfer who makes a hole in one doesn’t hesitate to accept congratulation for his lluke, and lie shouldn’t be blamed for that. It is dot'e in ail games. The great charm of games like golf is the element of chance which makes these remarkable shots possible. There must have been an unusually dramatic struggle in the iinal of the amateur golf championship at Preswick (England). Near the sixtli green en elderly man dropped dead, and a young man who wanted to see the finish, and who had climbed on to Hie roof of the “pro’s” hut, fell off on some spiked railings. One doesn’t know what happened at Hie i'Jlh!