GOLF.

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17502, 8 September 1928, Page 20 (Supplement)

GOLF.

A WEEKLY BUDGET. NOTES FROM VARIOUS ' SOURCES. (By “Niblick.”) Hamilton Club Championships. A not infrequent occurrence in club championships is that some wh-o have finished well up in the qualifying list are defeated in the first round by players who qualified with considerably worse scores. There .were several instances of this in connection with the first round of the Hamilton 'Club’s three grade championships played at St. Andrews last Saturday. In the seniors M. W. Horton, who qualified with 91, beat J. Horton, whose qualifying card was 80, five up and four. In the Intermediates L. Day, whose 8G on the preceding Saturday gave him first place in that division’s qualifiers, went down 5 and 3 to A. F. Cole, who had just got into the event with a 98. In the juniors L. Hogben, the top qualifier, beat E. A. Cox 3 and 2, but W. Cann, whose 93 had given him second post of honour, fell before F. Booth, who had remained in with 104, to the tune of G and 4. Cann seemed unable to get going on the outward journey and was eight down at the turn. In the senior game between "Young Bill” Horton and John Horton (referred to previously) the winner’s golf was good. The round was continued after the match ended, and on the 18th tee M. W. Horton required a four for a 79. Two others joined in here and a chance remark inadvertently made whilst “Bill” was driving caused him lo duff the shot. He drove another ball, and duly got the required four with it. Obviously there was nothing much wrong with his game that day. There was one six on his card, and he was laid one stymie which he failed to negotiate. An Amazing Homo Journey. It was rather unfortunate in some ways that the incidence of the draw should have set two of the club’s strongest players, M. Macbeth and L. V. Bellingham, to meet each other in the first round of the senior championship. This match was played the day following the majority of the contests, and resulted in both participants producing golf of a higli order of merit. The honours went to 'Macbeth, 2 and 1, but as Bellingham was round in 80 there was little the matter with his game. Macbeth's second nine holes, however, was something quite out of the ordinary, for after taking 43 out he came home in 33, giving him a round of 7.6. His figures for the last three holes were 3,4, 2 (and he just lipped the tin for a three at the 17th). So far as anyone can remember a two at the 18LIl (438 yards) has not previously been recorded since play began at St. Andrews. Bogey Savagely Trounced. Playing in a four-bail game against Gillies and Worley at the week-end, the best hail of an R.Guv —J. Horton combination gave a card of 09, which represented 14 up on bogey on their handicaps. This was also considered a course record until it was recalled that six or seven seasons ago Sloan and “Tad" Morpeth' in combination won a trophy with a similar margin to the good over the Colonel. Visiting Players. J. L. Black and a friend motored up from Utorohanga at the week-end for a couple of rounds at St. Andrews, and In the morning took part in a fourball game which included the locals, 11. W. Fisher and C. Sutcliffe, whilst in the afternoon W. D. Ross and M. W. Horton represented St. Andrews in the party. Black’s morning round was 77. “J.L." intends competing in the New Zealand championships at Balmacewan, but prior to that hopes to participate in the South Auckland tournament here early in October, and others further south. Precaution Against -Drought. An American syndicate recently bought 900 acres in Vermont for a new golf course. Part of this area is over tlie U.S.A. border in Canada, and the clubhouse, including -“the nineteenth hole,” will he in that particular corner. Backspin. A misconception concerning backspinßs that, we must hit down on the ball to get it, says the “Golfers’ Maga'‘zine.’’ This idea, no doubt, has become prevalent because of the fact that all first-class players are continually beating the ball down, and as the ball frequently drops dead, the natural inference is that the very apparent backspin was got by hitting downward on the balL But the fact

remains that the greatest backspin is got with the driver, and usually this club is moving parallel with the ground at impact. By teeing up the ball sufficiently, we can get backspin by means of an ascending blow- provided we don’t lift or “scoop with the club-head. There are severs good reasons for hitting down. It prevents the “scooping” curse, and greatly lessens the chances of topping the ball. One’s balance seems to be better, and the swing more compact, and one can hit harder and truer. But it isn’t necessary to do this to get backspin. Keep the face of your club open, and strike the ball hard with a horizontal, or slightly descending blow, and you will get ample backspin. The Ideal Qolfer. The “American Golfer” has an excellent definition of an ideal golfer. “The ideal golfer doesn't necessarily go round in the 70’s. But he doesn t waste time around the delaying following players. He doesn’t waLk up the sides of bunkers helping to tear them down. He replaces the divots, or has his caddie to do it. lie doesn’t blame the caddie because he used the wrong club. lie doesn't have an alibi for every- missed stroke. He accepts the cuppy lie in the fairway and a heel print in the bunker as part of the game. He doesn’t let a whisper wreck his nervous system.” Divots. While playing in the Metropolitan Women’s Championship on the Ballusrol course, New York, Miss Helen Seitz got what was probably the oddest hole-in-one ever scored. The famous fourth hole is 120 yards in length and lias absolutely no fairway, just water from tec to -green, with the green only slightly above the water level. Miss Seitz, playing in the championship, topped her ball and it skipped along the surface of the water, struck the edge of the green, hopped up and then dribbled into the hole. An eighteen-hole putting course will be one of the attractions in a new 44-story club which is being erected in the financial district of New York. One of the most wonderful performances ever put up on a golf course (in Australia at any rate) thrilled a big crowd at Rose Bay recently (says ail exchange). The deluge had made the course almost unplayable. Water was running in cascades over the 18th green. Rain was falling heavily, and there was a strong and blustery \xind during the play for the A.I.F. Cup, a trophy competed for by golfers who served with the Australian Forces in the Great Gar. A. G. Hill, who has a wooden leg. went round in 8o strokes, net 75, and won the prize for the best gross score, and also the cup. Eighty-five for anyone on the day would have been excellent going.