GOLF NOTES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXI, Issue XVIII, 31 October 1903, Page 21

GOLF NOTES.

1 By Stoney Dead > Some months ago I wrote on the subject of the perfect scenery and views that one enjoys when playing at One Tree Hill. At the same time I promised to write at some future dat-e- ftbruc the course as a golf course. That* time has now arrived. I am Ah aid my remarks will not be pa la sable- to Those who had most to do with the of the course. But as I think. *eo I write. The first point is that on earth, even the expenditure- of thousands of pounds, eould ever have tnsde One Tree Hill anything -tike a “wood golf course. And this is So by reason of the soil end the grass that grows on it. Disguise it as you idte, there is only one term to apply to sueh a course, and that is that it is a mud course pure and simple. It is a rich voleanie soil, through which undoubtedly rain Water percolates quicker then through spare clay, but just quicker and no more. If there has been very wet weather One Tree Hill is just as spongy and impossible (from a golfing point of view) as Green Lane was. It has the advantage of drying itself quicker. Then as this soil is so rich it consequently grows grass luxuriantly, and no amount of cutting v.-fil keep the grass within bounds in the spring-time. The only time of the year when the lies are anytliing like in proper condition is in the autumn, when the rain has forced up a sward of green grass. In winter-time, when most of our play is done, the grass is so weak that the ball lies right into the ground, and a clean lie is almost unknown. In the spring-time the ball is certainly kept off the ground, but so reposes that-only one-half is above the surrounding grass, however close it may be cut. In sum-mer-time the lie is better, but then again, the ball lies right into the ground, with the disadvantage- of verr hard ground. It is a maxim that a lie is all right however hard the ground may be, provided the ball lies clean. A golf-course made of Xeuehatel aspbalte would be a better course than One Tree Hill under any conditions; in fact, one has the condition of asphalt when playing on a frozen seaside course. Again it is a golf lie to play out of cups, but never out of slinging grass. An Eitgii-h amateur or professional -championship would never be played at One Tree Hill even if the course were properly laid out. The second point is that the course has not been properly laid out. Before analysing our own course it is necessary to establish what a finst-elass course-is. There are two sine qua nons of a championship course, and they are that there must be at least 10 two full shots holes, and that the total length of the course is over 6000 yards. A two full shots hole is one that is slightly under the distance of two full shots" for a powerful player, and just what an average player can comfortably reach in two. , If it were taken as the full length of the two shots of the big driver the hole would eease to be a good one even for him when there was any wind against. He gets his advantage when the wind is against at a properly-laid-out hole, for his weaker opponent cannot quite reach the green with his second. Of the remaining 8 holes, 3 at least should be reachable in ou«, three holes should be nearly three full shots, and only two a drive and a pitch. As I have already said. 10 is a minimum for two full shots holes, and consequently if there are more (as most good courses have) the other holes are varied. When a hole is a drive and a pitch there should be peculiar difficulties in the drive and in the pitch, such as to make the pitch a reasonably difficult one if the tee shot has been good, and almost in>n**es»lda if V l*»s no* beer* good. ' .. a

Now to analyse our course. Let us count, as broadly as we can. the two full-shot holes. There is the Ist, 2nd, 6th, Sth, 15th. By no possible means can one count more. To go over the course from Ist to ISth, it reads: Ist, two full shots; 2nd, two full shots; 3id, drive and pitch; 4th, two and a pitch; sth, one shot; 6th, two full shots; 7th, two and a pitch; Bth, two full shots; 9th. drive and pitch; 10th, one shot; 11th, one shot; 12th, drive and pitch; 13th, one shot; 14th. drive and pitch; 15th. two full shots; 16th. two and a pitch; 17th, one and a pitch; 18th. two and a pitch. Perhaps the 4th. 16th and 18th ought to be called three-shot holes, but they are very bare ones. So one finds there are five two full-shot holes, six holes drives and a pitch, four holes cue-shot holes and three three-shot holes. Thus we liave only five two full-shot holes, whereas we ought to have 10: we have six of the variety that ought only to sport two, or at the outside 3, in the 18: four short holes and three long ones. The six drives and pitches are the blemishes of the course. The third, for instance, is an absolute]-.- bad hole in itself. To a Vardon it would lie a matter of absolute indifference when his fee-shot lay, for he would just bang his second on the hillside behind the hole. A Taylor would not even attempt to pitch his mashie-shot for a three. He would do the banging. This is not golf. tA uat special feature of difficulty is there in the approaches at the 7th. the 9th. the 14th and the 17th? An iron, a cleek or a brassie shot may just lie as well as the perfect played pitch. Where p--ople get wrong about this subject of two full-shot holes is this—they say why so exclude the mashie? But a round of 18 two full-shot hole.-, does not exclude the mashie, except to an absolute automaton. Let them think how often they use their mashies at our five lull-shot holes. If they are playing well enough to be on the green each time in two they don't use the mashie; but how often does it happen? The whole point in laying out a green is a true appreciation of what is true golf—which is that if cue player plays a shot below par against his opponent, who plays absolute par. the former must lose that hole unless he plays a shot above par (i.e.. getting down in two from off the green). The total length of the course is some 5700 yards, as a liberal estimate, and. as I have already said, no course is fiistelass unless 6100 yards. The ladies had quite a tournament week of it last week. Three Xew Plymouth ladies have been up trying their strength against our ladies. The first match was played on Wednesday, when a teams’ match was played. The Auckland Club did not put into the field it< best team, but played players of equal handicaps to the Xew Phiuouth ladies. A very good game resulted in a win for Auckland by 10 up. Miss Stevenson, the Xew Plymouth lady champion, played very well agaiust Miss Lewis. She was only 3 down, and this, too, when -he could not leave known the course. Miss J. Draper beat Mrs Edwards by 5 holes, and Miss J. Richmond beat Miss Hawkins by 2 holes. On Thursday Mrs W. R. Bloomfield presented a prize for competition among all-comers. It was played against lasgey. 13 holes, and Miss Lewis won with 5 down. The returns

were nut good, the next to Lewis l«*ing 7 down. Thi* is pretty bed in )3 hol**s. On Friday the New llymcuth ladies very gracefully presented a prize. This was 14 holes medal play. Mise Ethna Pierce won with the good return of 59—14—75. Miss Stevenson (New Plymouth) did the best, scratch, with In the afternoon an approaching and putting (comhined) competition took pS.ee for ?. prize presente*! ly Mrs Lewis. The distances Mere 80, 50 and 25 yarde. In the first round Miss Stevenson. Mf» Bloomfield and Miss Lewiw tied with 9. In the second round Miss Stevenson went out, and the other two again halved at 9. A third time they halved, and at the fourth Miss Lewis won I \ her la»«t putt. Nothing could be closer. Mi<s Stevenson’s approaching was much admired, and if she had putted as well a« the others she would have won.