GOLF NOTES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVII, Issue XV, 12 October 1901, Page 684

GOLF NOTES.

(By

"Stymie.")

THE NEW ZEALAND AMATEI R GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING. (For introduction see page 695.) can, 1 am satisfied that our representative would have made him go for it ail the way. The other matches were not of exceptional interest. Mr A. Duncan played Pare Keiha, and worn by 6 up and 5 to play. Mi- G. T. Bull (Poverty Bay) beat Mr Wilder (( hristchureh) on the 17th green by 2 up. Mr w'. B. Colbeck (Auckland) beat K. Tareha, who did not sustain his previous day s form, by 4 up ami 3 to play. On Wednesday proceedings started with the approaching ami putting competition, for which there were 22 entries. The competitors were required to hole a ball from each of three distances, 20 yards, SO yards, and 120 yards. Four players were equal for first place, with the gOO(l score of 9 each, viz., J. L. R. Bloomfield and ( . E. S. (ollies (Auckland), and F. S. Hodson and A. Duncan (Wellington). Air Bloomfield won rhe play-off with the fine score of S. a performance of which he may he justly proud. He did the short distance in 2 and The others in 3 each. Gillies and Hodson again ti> d with 9. and Gillies won lhe play-off in 9, and took second prize. Three. 9’s is very consistent play, and Gillies clearly showed his ability on the green.

The driving competition took place down the amphitheatre, and was won by G. E. S. Gillies with a grand bn 1 ! which went into the plantation. He had the longest ball before this, and lashed out. \ igorously at his other shot. The distances of his shots were 2Go yards and 256 yards. K. Duncan (Wellington) took second prize with a fine drive of 253 yards.

On Thursday morning the Bogey foursomes were played. Messrs 11. ami C. Gilljes (.Auckland), handicap 1. and Messrs A. and K. Duncan (Wellington). handicap 3. tying with 1 up. Higginson and Hodson (7), of Wellington, came second, all square. In the play oft the Auckland pair won by 2 up. The Bogey Handicap of 18 holes ended in a tie between A. Duncan (ser.) and Keiha (4). E. C. S'. Gillies (scr.). A. Scott (7). K. Duncan (7), and Kyd (8) were each 3 down. The tie was played off. Duncan winning. The match between Messrs Colbeck and 11. Gillies caused a 10l of interest, and was well contested from first last. They were all square as they came up to the sth green, which Colbeck had nearly reached with a grand 2nd. He played a perfect approach shot from about 35 yards and holed out in 3, leaving him one up. Colbeck won the 91 h hole in 5. Gillies having the bad luck' tn hit a cabbage tree in the plantation. He was now two up as Ihe\ turned for home. His tee shot, did iu»i Hear the ladder, and Gillies went out in 4 to his 6. leaving him one up. They halved the next hole. Gillie- won the 12th in four, all squat r. (olbeek pulled his drive into lonp gra<s behind the bank in the amphitheatre, and losing it lost the hole. Gillies went down in 5 and stood one up. lhe first time he had been in front. At the fourteenth hole Colin i k bad a nice pull for 4, but Gillie-• lai I him a stymie, and jt looked like a half in five, but with a putt of p : f< ct !y - judged strength and direct ion he just zjossed, the other ball hovered for a moment on the upper side of the hole, and then, assisted b\ i hr slope and wind, roller! slowly in. 'lhis was one of the prettiest and mo I skilful shots of the meeting. All M>ii;*rp and four to go. 'lhe nr.xl Loir was haired with a poor 6. but ( olbcfk won the next in 5 amt stood one np ami two to play. It

looked as though the 17111 hole was to be halved, bnt Colbeck went out with a well-judged putt in 4 ami won by 2 up and 1 to play. Colbeck’s driving was very good. He played his approach shots with great confidence, and in many cases extremely well, while on the greens he showed great nerve, and putted splendidly. Duncan beat Bull by 6 up and 4 to play. The final for the Championship was played on Friday, when W. B. Colbeck met Arthur Duncan (of Wellington). Colbeck won the first two holes with perfect fours. The third was halved in 5. At the Ringrox both were well up to the green in 3, but Dunean’s approach was the better, and he won in 5, Colbeck doing- the bogey score, 6. Duncan drove well for the sth green, but Colbeck got away to the left in a bad lie. Dunean’s second was weak, and Colbeck might have halved had not Dunean with his third stvmied him. This cost Colbeck a stroke and the hole, which Duncan won in 4 to Colbeck’s 5, the game now standing all square. The Elbow was halved in 5. Flaying to the Cave Duncan was the stronger through the green, and finished a line hole in 5 with a long- putt, Colbeck taking 6, anl leaving Duncan for -the first time one up. The Bth was halved in 5, Colbeck just failing- to hole a good putt for 4. Both played well for the 9th hole, and lay dead in 3, but Colbeck .failingbadly on his putt, Duncan went out. in 4, starting- for home two up. Duncan failed to climb Jacob’s Ladder with his tee shot and landed in a most awkward position. lie failed to get up with his 2nd and third, and gave the hole to Colbeck, who had not quite reached the green. Duncan one up. At the Pah both had good tee shots. Colbeck played a weak second and it looked like Duncan’s hole, but Colbeck, holing- a splendid putt, halved in four. At the 12th hole Duncan, with a grand drive, landed on the green, ('olbeek got equal length, but not quite such good direction, and lay on the plateau below the green. He played his mashie shot too hard, but the caddy holding the flag was not quick enough ill moving, and the ball striking- the staff lay within about four feet of the hole, but Colbeck failed to get down with his next, and Duncan annexed the hole with a perfect 3 and stood 2 up. Both had good tee shots at the Amphitheatre, but Colbeck overran the hole with his second and was short with his third, and Duncan, going down in a good four, was three up. The fourteenth hole was halved in four, Duncan cannoning- off Colbeck’s ball into the hole. Duncan won the 15th in 5 to Colbeck’s 6. and was 4 up. Both were on the 16th green in three, but Dunean was short, with his putt, and Colbeck had a chance of winning but took three for it. and a half in 6 resulted. The 17th was halved in four. Going for the last hole Dunean got into long grass, and taking his brassey foozled the shot. Colbeck here looked to have a good chance for the hole but played a bad third. Dunean was on the green with his third and holed out in 5 to his opponent’s G. and thus at the luncheon adjournment stood 5 up on his opponent.

After luncheon the players started out for the final round. Duncan started with a fine drive, but Colbeck foozled into the long grass, and instead of taking- an iron tried to recover with a driver, and visited the plantation twice. lie then played into the open, but. finding the plantation again abandoned the hole, Dunean going out in a perfect four. The second hole was splendidly halved in four. At Hie third green Colbeck was short with his putt, and Duncan won in 4 and stood 7 up. Duncan won the Ringrox in 5, beating Colbeck on the green. The fifth hole was halved in a perfect 3, both players lying- on the green with their tee shots. At the Elbow, Dunean got well away, but Colbeck pulled into the rocks, mid Duncan won in 5 to his opponent's 6. At the Cave Duncan got in two fine shots, leaving him a nice distance from the wall, and with a

beautifully plyed iron shot he was on the green in 3. Colbeck’s third was just over the wall, and he lost the hole, Duncan going down in a perfect 5 to his G, and standing in the comfortable position of 10 up and 11 to play. Colbeck won the next hole with a perfect four. Dunean’s second was a bad eleek shot, the only really bad shot he played on the round, and it cost him the hole, as he took 5 to go down. This was the first hole Colbeck had won on the round. At the eighth hole Duncan drove too far to the right. Colbeck’s tee shot was a good, drive. Dunean/' landed, on the ledge above the green with his second, and Colbeck, making a fine approach shot, went out in four, but it cost Duncan 5, and the players turned homewards, Duncan 8 up. At Jacob’s Ladder both players were on the green with their tee shots. Colbeck was on the outer edge; Duncan within IS inches of the hole. Colbeck, putting perfectly, took 3 to hole out, and the match was apparently all ■ over, but to the surprise of everyone, Duncan missed the easiest of putts, and the hole was halved in 3, Duncan being dormy 8. At the Pah Colbeck played his second too strong, and Duncan, who had made a good approach. holed out in a splendid 3, Colbeck taking 4. This left Duncan the Champion of New Zealand by' 9 up and 7 to play. Play was continued to the club house, both holes being halved in four. Duncan afterwards completed the course in his match against Keiha, in the play off of the tie in the Bogey Handicap, and put up the brilliant score of 76 for the 18 holes. His figures for the final round read: Out: 4. 4, 4. 5, 3. 5,5, 5, 5—40 In: 3, 3. 4,4, 4,4, G, 3, 5—36 76 It wHI be seen from these figures that rhe round was well worthy of the final for the championship, and Colbeck may be congratulated on playing I hc game he did against his formidable rival. Duncan’s driving was perfect, long, low and straight, and be made no mistakes. Laurence, of Auckland, who always plays a steady game, won the handicap with the good score of 90 —10 —80, and he also pulled the Auckland team through the Inter-club Bowl event, in which he finished 15 up on his opponent.

Neither C. Gillies nor Duncan played well in this event. Duncan finishing 3 up, while K. Duncan was 2 up on 11. Gillies. C. Gillies was again weak on the green, in fact neither he nor Duncan played up to championship form in this event. Colbeck beat Higginson by 3 up. The prizes were presented to the winners, with a few appropriate remarks by Mr J. Klrker, who referred in eulogistic terms to Mr C. E. S. Gillies’ services to the club, and during the tournament. Three cheers were given for the visitors, and Mr Wilder suitably responded. Cheers were also given for Messrs Gillies and O’Rorke: and Mr O’Rorke in response to repeated recalls, and "after having been carefully carried on to the verandah of the club house by Mr Colbeck, presented his prize, the InterClub Challenge Bowl, to the winningteam.

Of the Auckland players, there is no doubt C. E. S. Gillies showed fine form, if we exclude the championship event. He did a good performance in the approaching and putting competition, won the driving competition, finished only one hole down io Duncan in the Bogey Handicap, three strokes down in the inter-club bowl to the same player, and wiUi I>i : s brother, 11. T. Gillies, after tying in the foursomes with the Messrs Duncan, ended up by winning that event. Truly a good record, and I regret that he was put out of the championship so early, as I looked forward with a deal of pleasure to seeing his battle with Duncan. However, lie has done well, and 1 hope to see him next year settling the question of the championship under more favourable conditions.

The meeting was a pronounced success, and the visitors, many of whom have seen the best courses ui the world, consider that in a year or so the Cornwall Park course will be second to none. The committee of the Auckland Golf Club, may well feel

pleased at the result of the meeting, whch should have a most beneficial effect on golf in Auckland.

With the Tournament golf in Napier is practically done for the season. The grass is coming on very rapidly, and only a few enthusiasts are now playing.

In the final for the Taranaki Golf Club’s Mixed Foursomes for prizes presented by Mr A. Standish, Miss G. Stanford and Mr Paton (2) beat Mrs Morrison and Mr Pollen (7) by 7 up and 5 to play, the winners playing a particularly steady' game.

For the final of the Men’s Handicap for Dr. Walker's challenge trophy between Mr Johnston (21) and Mr Wright (scr.) Mr Johnston was the ■winner by 6 up and 4 to play. As the semi-finals had all been decided at the last hole it was expected the final would have been an exciting game in spite of Johnston’s liberal handicap. However, Johnston, playing with two iron clubs, played a very steady game, never making- a mistake. The first three holes he won. With 4 up and 7 to play he won the 12th. At the 13 th with 5 up and 6 to play it was felt Wright had still a chance to pull the match off, knowing what uphill fights his previous wins had been. Johnston received two strokes at this hole, and both players putting down long putts the hole was halved. The 14th, a short hole, Johnston won, thus beating last year’s holder of the trophy by 6 up and 4 to play.

Mr H. T. Gillies played a most determined game against his brother, and it was not until he was 4 up and 6 to go that Mr C. E. S. Gillies really “came at him.” Then he cut down his lead in fine style, and it really looked as though he would win, but on the 17th green he missed an easy putt for a half, and his brother won. 1 have always had a higher opinion than most people of Mr H. Gillies’ game, and, although he played a good game against his brother, I believe he is capable of playing a still better one. On the other hand, there can, I think, be little doubt that on present form Mr C. E. S. Gillies should have won. If there were any bad luck about he found it. This was particularly so in his match with Peel, who made such a good fight for his match.

Mr W. B. Colbeck won many congratulations on his play during the Tournament. He plays a rattling good game, and has a fine stock of that fundamental requisite of a good golfer—equanimity—and this in one match at least stood him in good stead.

The last silver putter competition of the Wellington Golf Club for 1901 resulted in a win for Miss Harcourt, handicap 13, 1 up on bogey. The following are the other best cards handed in: —

Hdep. Miss A. Johnston.. 9 All Square Miss Izard........ . . 13 5 down Miss F. Brandon.. .. 13 5 down Miss 10 Mrs Turnbull .... 5 down Miss Bell 2 6 down