GOLF NOTES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVII, Issue IX, 31 August 1901, Page 398

GOLF NOTES.

(By “Stymie.”) A numlnr of players went out to Cornwall on Saturday and put in the afternoon over the new course. Some of them are not much impressed with it in its present condition. One of them told me of his and his partner's experience. “We spent an hour and a - half. and six balls to do six holes.” was his announcement. I wish him better luck later on.

I am seriously afraid the course on Cornwall will not be too good by the time the championship comes to be played on it. Some of the greens will require a lot of attention and favourable weather to be fit for play by the time they will be wanted. Wandering round the lovely slopes of the hill lately I came across some toy rollers. One might almost as well pat the greens with the palm of one's hand as to hope to get them playable such trities. The grass is very long, and tussock is very obtrusive. Indeed, I am inelined to think that before it is all over many will regret that the championship was not held at Green Lane. I shall be delighted if my forebodings prove unfounded, but if they do I shall be the first to extend to the energetic committee all the praise they will have well earned, for the merest tyro in such matters can see that they have a stiff contract before them to get the course into ‘"championship form” in five weeks. The club house at Cornwall is rapidly approaching completion, and when finished will have a most picturesque appearance. Already from the road it looks very well. The lovely view from it is, 1 should think, easily first amongst golf club house views in the Southern Hemisphere. The following are the results of the fourth round of the Men's Tournament of the Taranaki Golf Club. Mr Pollen qualifies for the final. Messrs Morrison and Medley, who have tied for second place, have to play off:— Pollen. 102, 8, 94; A. Stanford. 93, owes 4. 97; Morrison, 110. 12, 9S; Medley. 110. 12, 98; Dr. Walker. 94. owes 9. 103; ‘Wright, 98, owes 6. 104; Bayley. 115. 10, 105; ‘Fraser. 114. 8, 100; ‘Johnston, 117, 8, 109; ‘Paton, 123. 12. Ill; R. W. D. Robertson, 125. 12. 113; Elliott, 122, 7, 115; W. C. Weston. 129. 10. 119. ‘Have previously qualified. Mr A. Stanford, who returned the good score of 93. unfortunately put in an irregular card and was disqualified. This should be a warning to those who are inclined to be careless in this respect. For the Ladies’ Tournament Miss O. Stanford and Miss McKellar qualify for the final. The scores are as follows: — ‘Miss Read. 85. 2. 83; Miss O. Stanford. 89. scr., 89; ‘Miss Skeet. 89, owes 2, 91; ‘Miss Standish. 9T. 5. 92; ‘Miss G. Stanford. 90. owes 10, 100; Miss McKellar. 110, 9, 101; Miss Dalziell. 107, 5, 102; ‘Miss Tuke. 115. 10, 105. ‘Have previously qualified. For the aggregate prizes presented by Mr R. 1.. Stanford. Mr Fraser is the winner with the low st aggregate for any two games with 94. Mr Morrison being runner up with 97. Two amusing incidents occurred during the invitation tournament of the Oakley (U.S.) Golf Club. A. K. Chadwick. of the Country Club. Lowell, sliced his ball from the 11th tee. and landed on the roof of a barn near by. The hole is the longest on the course, being 515 yards. Chadwick. with the assistance of a ladder, climbed to the roof of the barn, and found his ball lying in the gutter. From this position he made a remarkable brnssie shot, making the hole in 5. and beating the bogey score by 1 stroke. On the fifth hole Arthur G. Lockwood sliced his brassie shot, his ball entering the stable and landing

in a stall. He had to play out through a narrow doorway, but had the misfortune to hit a fir tree and bounced back. He finally succeeded in holing out in 10.

“Lofter” writes me from Napier as follows: Saturday (17th) was an ideal golfing day, the first for many weeks. The 10th was very wet, but notwithstanding three or four players faced the rain, and say they enjoyed it. On Saturday last the men’s foursomes made a fine game, and were keenly played. The scores were;

Gross. Hep. Net.

The Ladies’ Club has been very fortunate this season in having something to play for almost every Saturday. This week the contest was for a gold bangle, which was won by Mrs. H. I. Smith, with a net score of 64. After her came three 72's. Altogether about twenty entered. Great interest is being taken in the forthcoming tournament, and the committee are gradually getting the ground into first-class order. The Metropolitan Championship, the most important event next to the Amateur Championship, was this year decided on the links of the Apawamis Golf Club at Rye. U.S. The semi-final round was productive of some very fine golf, and the defeat of the champion. Walter J. Travis, by Seeley, furnished a big surprise. Seeley, who is only twenty years of age, is of remarkably fine physique, and puts a tremendous amount of muscle into his swing, driving a very long ball, both with his wooden clubs and his cleek; his chief weakness heretofore has been on the short game, more especially on the putting greens, but in his match with Travis his putting was quite as goed as that of his illustrious opponent. Travis. I notice, has decided to visit England. The editor of “Golf Illustrated" is evidently very much opposed to the playing of golf in shirt sleeves, if we may judge from the following note, which appears in that paper: “Man's Attire”: I devoutly hope that the American custom of playing golf in shirt sleeves will never obtain in this country.' If the weather is too hot for a flannel jacket or a thin tweed coat, it is too hot for golf. It is absurd, one may argue, to drag your perspiring limbs round an undulating course on an August day in a coat, when by taking it off you may play in comparative comfort. Not at all. The absurdity lies in playing the game at all under unsuitable conditions. There are always certain days in the cricket season when the players stand shivering in striped blazers or white sweaters, appropriate but ineffectual cricketing attire. Why not apply the shirt-sleeve argument to them and say that they would look more .sensible in great coats and furlined be ots. There is an appropriate season and an appropriate costume for every game; and when a spell of weather comes along which is too hot to play golf in without undressing. the man who has due regard for the fitness of things lays aside his driver and takes up his bat or his racquet, if he be a youngster, and his bicycle or fishing rod if he be of maturer age. \ good deal of discussion is going on at Howe as to the merits and demerits of a full swing. Some players drop their club so that they nearly injure their left knee. 'There is a good deal of affectation and ignorance in the exaggerated swing. Most players recognise that anything be-

yond the horizontal Is unnecessary. I will go much further and say that I believe it is quite unnecessary to go beyond the perpendicular to get as good results in many cases as the horizontal or beyond. Hooper, for instance, has a very short swing, yet few local players, if any. get a longer ball. Dr. Coates probably has the shortest swing of any member of the A.G.C., yet at times he gets an astonishing long ball with it. The follow-through, in my opinion, is of much greater importance than the length of the swing. I shall have more to say on this subject later on.

I*. S. McLean and J. McLean 109 26 S3 Cat? and Cato 115 21 m K. Ta reha and Kawhi 96 scr. 96 Kennedy and J. Tareha 111 13 98 trO'c and Crowley 123 100 Jardine and Weniey .. 129 2S 101 Peacock and Peacock.. 113 10 103 Antili and Tabuteau... 126 23 103 Smith and Cotteriil .. 126 21 105 Morris and Mathias .. 117 12 105 Herrold and Goudy .. 142 32 110