GOLF NOTES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIV, Issue XXIV, 16 June 1900, Page 1118

GOLF NOTES.

(By

Bogey.)

The links at Green Lane are now very soft, and the worm casts are a great nuisance, on several of the greens. It is a great pity that during the whole of the winter months, which is the time when most of the members of the club are playing, the course should be in its worst order. What with soft ground, long grass, and the various hoof marks which are inseparable from cattle grazing, the game is robbed of a large part of its interest at the particular time of year when members have no other distractions, and devote the whole of their leisure time to golf. The course should be in its best order from May to November. instead of from January to May. It is proposed to play one of the usual handicap matches next Saturday. and in view of this there will have to be very considerable alterations of the present club handicaps. Many of the rising players of the club have improved so much in the game of late as to make their present handicaps ridiculous, especially as the scratch men arc more handicapped by the state of the links than men who receive long handicaps. Very few players really know how to use that most useful of all clubs, the iron, with effect. Young players especially are very prone to use the masliie for long strokes, for which the iron is undoubtedly a far superior club. As a matter of personal experience, which I may say is borne out by the play of most of the leading professionals, I have a distrust of the mashie when it has to be swung over the shoulder. The mashie is a club which has to be kept well under control and the dangerous three-quarter stroke is more apt to go wrong with the mashie shot than with any other. Players of experience seldom know how to run a ball up to the hole from 30 to 40 yards with the iron and yet so great an authority as Vardon says be never lofts a ball from such a dis-

tance if the ground is at all favourable for "running; up." This shot, however is not to be confused with the half smothered bumpy "run up” of the tyro. It is a distinct stroke of a very deadly nature from the hands of a good player, but may be learnt with much less trouble than the high pitch of the inashie. 1 would advise young players to play less with the mashie and more with the iron, especially for the shots of over sixty yards, or thereabou ts. A general meeting of the Golf Club is called for Wednesday, 13th inst., and as very important, business is to be laid before the club members should do their utmost to attend this meeting. The question of the sale of the golf links is the subject for consideration.

WANGANUI. ’The chief event of local interest has been the tournament, which was plaved here on Mav 23rd, 24th. and 25th. Ou the 23rd the ladies’ matches were played in wind and rain. This did not deter them, however, for there were good entries for all the events. Among the players were several Palmerston ladies, including Mrs Still, from whose style many of our men players might take a lesson. Wednesday is a busy day, but it was not very creditable that there were but two or three men on the links on the Ladies’ Day. Mr Harold judged the driving matches, and Mr Watson the putting, besides doing the secretarial work connected with the different events. The men’s entries for the combined Bogey Foursome were so few that the match was abandoned, and was replaced by a nine-hole Bogey handicap. The bad weather was no doubt responsible for the poor scores, but the elose results show that there was not much fault with the handicapping. Ladies’ 9-hole Stroke Match was won by Miss Stewart, 76 —9 —67; Mrs Monro (Palmerston) was second in 69, and the next ten were close up. The Bogey 9-hole Handicap fell to Miss Moore, who was one up; Mrs Still (Palmerston) and Miss Cave were all square. Both the Putting and the Driving Matches were won ■by Mrs Still. , The Queen's Birthday was a perfect golfing day. and play went on from eight till dark. Four of the holes had been lengthened —a much needed improvement; the greens were in capital order, thanks to the attention of Greenkeeper Murchison. There were excellent entries in all events, the largest being tor the 18hole stroke match. The enjoyment of the meeting was largely increased by the kindness of the Ladies’ Club, whose members provided lunch and afternoon tea all three days from twelve to five. Most of the trouble connected with this fell on the shoulders of Mrs Greig and Mrs Gifford Marshall, but they had plenty of assistants, too numerous to mention. The 36-hole Championship fell to J. Harold, in 185; Allan Strang (Palmerston) was second in 200. Harold’s first round was 88, but he fell off to 97 in the afternoon. The Driving and Approaching Match fell to J. D. Greig, who got in his shots within 6 yards of the hole. The 18-hole Stroke Match was keenly contested: it resulted in a tie between ,1. C. Greenwood (22) and W. D’Arcy (20). and J. D. Greig (10), whose net score was 94. The tie has not yet been played off. On Friday the Putting Competition was won by C. Monro (Palmerston), who putts between his legs with ms back to the hole. A competitor, who putted with a self-invented club like a croquet mallet, failed to do anything. The Bogey Handicap orought out a large field, but the score of 88 was too stiff for all the players, and the nearest player, J. C. Greenwood (10) was three down; J. Harold (owe 4) was 4 down. On the whole the tournament was n great success. There were entries from the Palmerston and Maroro Clubs, and one fom a travelling enthusiast from Melbourne; but we were disappointed in seeing nobody from Auckland or New Plymouth. The scoring, on the whole, was poor, as the course was in good order, and the weather perfect. His Excellency, Lord Kanfurly, played over the links during the month, and was kind enough to express his delight at their sporting character, and their dryness in bad weather.

The play-off of the tie between Messrs Greig. D’Arcy, and Greenwood iu die IS-hoie Stroke Competition of May 24 th. took place on Saturday, and excited considerable interest. The result was: —

Mr Greig- thus won by two strokes. He is now one of the most consistent players in the club, and is rapidly improving. It was only bad luck at the 12th hole that robbed Mr D’Arcy of the match.

Score. Udep. Net. J. D. G reig . 106 10 96 \v. A. D'Arcy 1 1 s 20 98 J. Greenwood . 133 22 111