Athletic Sports.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVII, Issue VII, 17 August 1901, Page 304

Athletic Sports.

GOLF NOTES. (Ry ‘•Stymie.”) Golfers have certainly had bad luck in the matter of wet Saturday-, lately. Last Saturday was practically impossible from a goliing point of view, and the projected excursion to Cornwall did not eventuate. At Green Lane proceedings developed into an approaching competition from the club house verandah to the home green. It will be han] to work these competitions from the verandah of the new club house, but there are compensations for this disadvantage. Entries for all events at the championship meeting to l>e held from September ;:oth to October .'.th (inclusive) must made .nd fees paid on or before September 25>h. The ladies' championship of Australia was won by Miss Guthrie, with a total of 199 for the thirty-six holes. The best scores were: —

For the fourth rounds of the Taranaki Golf ( Sub’s tournament, which closes on 17th August. the following are the handicaps:—ln the Ladies' Tournament the only alterations are: Miss G. Stanford owes Hi; Miss Sheet owes 2; Miss O. Stanford, ser.: Miss Read, 2; Miss Standish, 5; Miss Dalziell, 5; Miss Tuke. 10. For the Men’s Tournament: Hr. Walker owes 9; Wright owes f>; A. Stanford owes 4; C. H. Weston, ser.; Speneer. 1; Ward. 5; F. Cornwall, fi; Elliott and T. S. Weston, 7; Pollen, Fraser. Johnston. Burgess, 8: 11. Bariev, W. C. Weston, 10; R. W. I>. Robert-mn. Clarke. Morrison, Paton. Medley, Hadfield, 12; A. R. Standish, F. W. Robertson. Stuart, Dr. Leatham. Gray. Govetr, Holdsworth; J. Wilson, J. E. Wilson. Dr. George, F. E. Wilson. Hutchen, Dempsey, N. K. Mae Diarmid, S. Teed. Lennon. Collins. W. Bayley, juu.. Griffiths, Laing, Strouts. Sheffield, Tabor, 15; R. L. Stanford. Rennell. Whitcombe, IS; A. Standish. Townshend, Hall, Bedford. H. Bailey. Miller. Kirkb;.. Rev. Evans, 20. The usual monthly competition of the Otago Golf Club for St. Andrew's crosses was held at the Links, Batmacewan, on Saturday, July 20, the match having been postponed for two Saturdays on account of the inclemency of the weather and the snow lying on the course. There were twenty-seven entries —ten for the silver cross and seventeen for the gold cross. Messrs C. Turnbull and C. E. Bowden tied for the gold cross with the score of vs. The match was played off on July 22. Mr Turnbull winning. The silver cross was won by Mr C. D. S. -Moore with I d net. The following were the principal scores;

A special meeting of the Taranaki Golf Club •• .- io .. been h d on Friday last to discu-s the ru'es drawn

up and adopted by the Committee, also to consider the recommendation of the Committee, “that Mr A. Standish's offer of the gratuitous use of his grounds as links be accepted.” A full attendance of members was anticipated as much interest has of late been taken in the game iu the land of milk and butter. The Cornwall links have evidently charmed one golfer, and this is how he winds up a description of them in the Canterbury “Times" of 31st lilt.: “I do not think 1 am predicting too much when I say that the Auckland golf links will be one of the greatest advertisements for Auckland that she i'.as ever had. and will draw visitors from Australia and other places to revel in the luxury of good and comforlable golf. May the Auckland Golf Club have every success with the New Zealand Championship, which is to be heid there in September next, is the wish of a charmed visitor.” A special general meeting of the Wellington Golf Club will be held in the Academy of Arts building on Monday evening, the 19th, to consider important amendments of the rules. I he Club has been so successful during reeent years and has grown to siu-h an extent that some improvement in the rules under which it originally started has become uecessa ry.

Mr and Mrs Buchanan have presented a prize to be played for by the members of the Wellington Club shortly. The prize fans been allotted by the committee for a mixed foursome. to be played for after the Championship has been decided. The first round of the Championship of the Wellington Golf Club was played at Miramar last Saturday weak. The following are the best scores handed iu:—-A. JMincan 90. G. Todd 93, D. I’rvde 95. F. S. Hodson 95, K. Dunean 99. E. Jackson 103, W. B. Lees 102. A. J. Abbott 103, F. <l. Dalziell 104. Gore 104. Professor Brown 100. D. Itiichiv 108, M. Ross 108, E. S. Pearce 109. A. Buchanan 111, P. C. Freeth 112. J. H. N. A. Burns 120. C. Richardson 120. After the second round, which ,vas to have been played on Saturday, the best eight players in the aggregate will play a final round to decide the championship. The following is the draw, and the order of play for the second round:—-P. C. Freeth will play D. Ritchie, A. J. Abbott will play i'_ S. Hodson, F. G. Dalziell will play \. Buchanan. Malcolm Hoss will play J. if. Burns, C. Richardson will play E. S. Pearce, K. Dunean will play W. 11. l.i vs. E. Jackson will play Professor Brown, A. Duncan will play G. Todd. ( . Gore will play D. Clyde. The \ug;is-t competition of the Hutt Golf Club for the St. Andrew's Cross resulted in a win for E. V. Hiddiford, who had a big handicap. The best scores handed in were: —E. V. Riddiford 110, handicap 27. 83; O. 8. Watkins in! (13). 88: G. Pearce 100 (10), !<6; 11. Fitzheriiert 93 (ser.), 93. The programme of the New Zealand AinaG-nr Golf Championship Meeting, to be held at the Cornwall links, under tiie management of the Auckland Golf < iu*o, from Monday to Saturday, September to October 5 (inclusive), is now out. The amateur championship of New Zealand is naturally the i-’iicf event. It is to be played over 18 holes, final. :5 holes, the game to be scored by holes. The winner and runner-up will each receive a trophy, and the winner of the big event will also take the challenge cup. Bc-I les i ie championship there are plenty of events for those who do not aspire to the highest honours, as the following list will show:—'Handicap 18 ■ iv. Bogey Match (48 bio ’s). Ju|.. r-el.ib Challenge Vase. Dri ’ ig Competition amd Foursome Bogei Match. 'lhe trophy for the Driving < oinpi’i ition is presented by Mr J. Kiri,<-r, v. ho has I>een very good to golfers in many ways. The compe-

tition is to take place at the amphitheatre, and it should be a sight worth seeing. The ball has a very great fall from the tee before it reaches mother earth again, and the effect of a good drive right down the middle of this romantic hole is very fine.

The Inter-club Challenge Vase will l»e contested by teams of four players ■from each club, the best aggregate score winning. The prize is presented •by Mr E. I). O’Rorke. and will be held by the winning club until the next championship meeting.

I am glad to see the championship is to be decided by holes. To me there is always something more of the element of sport in a contest when one has his rival to himself and is worrying out the question as to who is the better man, than is tne case when one is simply doing the course with the object of putting up good figures, which may. or may not. be good enough. When it is man against man, as I think all championships should be. one knows exactly where he is, and is not fighting imaginary figures. His whole efforts are concentrated on defeating his opponent, and this method of play, it seems to me. gives the advantage to the man who deserves it. The steel-nerved golfer who plays the same game “way down" as he does when he has a substantial lead, has the- advantage over his opponent who does not love the tight pinch, but who possibly on another green, with a weak companion, and away from the harassing knowledge that he must go down in one to win, would probably do so with ease instead of taking two or three.

A golfer during the week was endeavouring to prove to me that a man could not “break up'' on the green for want of nerve during medal play, and that it was quite another thing if it were match play. It is simply a question of degree, and the man who lacks nerve on the putting green in medal play will lack it more still when it comes to close match play. I will go further, and say that I believe we all, to a verygreat extent, lack nerve on the green. If we do not, why are about ninety per cent, of our putts short? Is it not as well to lie three feet beyond the ■hole as three feet short, with all the chances there are in the middle of the extra six-foot run. If we could onlyscrew up our courage to be strong, instead of weak, on the putt, it would take off a vast number of strokes from our score, and I believe it is simply want of confidence which is not far removed from nerve.

1 st R’nd 2nd . ITud. Total Miss Guthrie J 03 199 Mrs G. E. Fairfax 105 101 206 Mrs Douglas 107 104 *?H Miss Caid.-r 101 li>S •» j •» Miss Gillies 104 120 224

t.< M D 11:< H-lep. Net. C. Turnbull.... ;>-*r ♦ » b C. E. Howden.. 10 M. Gilray 106 J > 90 A. M. Hogg.... •.»S u 92 A. Tapper ... ’•*> 6 F. J. Stilling.. 99 C» 93 H. Price 101 s 9'» II. 1). Stronach 99 97 F. Leitch 103 9» 1). Stewart .... 111 12 A. H. Fisher.... jOO — ion A. Scott 1)2 100 Sll.\ hi: < . OSS. C. D. S. Moore 121 101 S. K. Sleigh .. 114 12 102 Dr. Barnett . .. 123 16 107 C. Holdsworth 123 16 1 ’ I? ■ ■. m .i