GOLF

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVI, Issue 12, 22 March 1911, Page 11

GOLF

This paper has been appointed the official organ of the Ladies' Golf Vision, Zealand branch. ■ Secretaries of ladies’ golf clubs are invited to forward official notices, handicaps and alterations, results of competitions, and other matters of interest, to reach the publishing office not later than the Saturday prior to date of publication.

AUCKLAND. The above club held their annual general meeting on Saturday night, the 18th. There was a large attendance of members, and the meeting was presided over by Mr. H. Horton (viee-president). The report and balance-sheet, which have already appeared in print, were adopted. Mr, Col beck proposed a number of rules in regard to entrance and subscription fees, and supported them with convincing facts. The motions were carried with some slight alterations. Dr. Bamford proposed an important motion, to the effect that the time had now come when the services of a paid secretary should be procured, as no man could be expected to give tihe time needful to fill the position properly. The ■motion was carried. Dr. Purchas proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Bruce, which- was carried amid cheers. The officers for the year were then elected. President, Sir John Logan Campbell; vicepresidents, the Hon. Seymour Thorne George and Messrs. Kirker, and H. Horton. Chptain. Mr. H. C. Clark; ihon. treasurer. Mr. W. W. Bruce; committee, Dr. Bamford, Messrs. W. B; Colbeek, J. B. Dusk, J. B. Macfarlane and- D. McCormick. A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the meeting.

The Maungakiehie Golf Club. Saturday was a perfect day, though hot, for the opening of the above club’s season. There were a number of interested spectators, who, after wandering around the beautiful domain, watching the various games, were entertained .'with the ever-welcome cup of tea. Mixed foursomes were played for prizes presented by Mr. Kingswell. Mrs. -Hardy and P. T. Upton retained the lowest net score for the 10 holes, being- 48 (winners). Other scores were: Miss Maelow and J. C. Burns, 50; Miss -Souter and Ferguson 50; Miss Cumming and Corr, 50; Miss Pierce and Kelly, 52; Mrs. and Mr. .McCormick, 54; Mr. Ferguson and Dr. Dudley, 60 GISBORNE. A committee meeting of the Poverty Bay Golf Club was held last week, when preliminary arrangements for putting the links in order and getting matters in train for the approaching season were gone into. A number of sub-committees were appointed. The official opening of the season was fixed for Saturday, April 22. Messrs. G. Willcoek; G. M. Dodgshun and J. Howie were appointed a match committee for the season. The following new members were elected: Plessis W. Hamilton Irvine’, Thorne George, and Murray. The captain, with Messrs Morgan and Nolan, were appointed a committee to consider, with the ladies, the question of afternoon teas. WELLINGTON. Annual meetings are now the order of the day, and players who have been indulging in other sports and pastimes during the hot summer months are busy overhauling their clubs with a view to having further arguments with the mythical and redoubtable colonel.

The annual meeting of the Miramar Golf Club 'has been held, and the report and balance-sheet, which disclosed a very satisfactory position of affairs, has been adopted. The officers elected for the Coming season were as follows:—Captain, Mr J. P. Firth; secretary and treasurer, Mr G. O. Sutton; committee; Messrs T. Ward, M. W. Horton, C. Hay Mackenzie, and F. Stevenson. A special meeting of the members of the Miramar Golf Clnb and other people interested was held the other evening when the proposals to ipurehase about 100 acres of land, being part of,

and adjoining the present links, was discussed at length. The -feeling of the meeting appeared to be that the price asked was too high in view of the nature of the country. The price was somewhere in the neighbourhood of £17,000 and .the enormous difficulties in financing this huge sum were made apparent to the meeting which negatived the proposal. The first annual meeting of the Waiwetu Golf Club was held recently, the President, Mr R. C. Kirk, being in the chair. Mr Kirk in his speech made special reference to the good work done by the secretary (Mr W. J. Gardiner) and prophesied a very promising future for the new club. The officers elected for the present year were: President, Mr R. C. Kirk (re-elected); captain, Mr J. M. Dawson; hon. secretary and treasurer, Mr W. J. Gardiner (reflected); general committee, Messrs Macaskill, Casey, Pringle, Fraser; hon. auditor, Mr Seymour. The Waiwetu Club have decided to open their season on 25th March, ami the Miramar Club on Bth April.

CAMBRIDGE. The annual meeting of the Golf Club ■was held last week. Mr. W. R. C. Walker was in the chair. The total membership last season was 65, being six more tfian the previous year. The following officers were appointed: President, Mr. C. C. Buckland; vicepresidents, Dr. Roberts and Mr. W. R. C. Walker; secretary and treasurer, Mr. A. H. Nieoll; committee, Mrs. Bunyard, Misses H. Wells and Richardson, Mr. R. J. Roberts, and Father Murphy; captain, Mr. C. W. Mcßride; green superintendent, Mr. M, Wells. ft was decided to have the official opening on April 26th, and to alter the course, so as to make it include two long holes and a short one. LADIES’ GOLF. E.G.U. Official. Miss Pearson in setting the pars for some of our chibs this year makes one or two remarks that are of general interest. Apropos of a hole of 550 yards she says that it is a pity the ladies do not play from a shortened tee. She gives the par as 6, saying that there is no such thing as a hole with par 7 in England, and it is seriously questioned whether any hole should be of such length that it cannot be reached by two full wooden shots (with the wind), and two wooden and one iron shot against the wind. In the case of holes of 150 to 180 yards, which are meant to be ,3’s for men, they make very poor holes for ladies, as they are very stiff 3’s for them. With shortened tees these holes could be made really sporting holes for ladies. Holes of 400 yards are also bad lengths for ladies. With any run on the ground 400 yards is to easy for 6, but it is difficult as a 5, except on very good ground, or on a downhill grade.

Au Important Point. At the recent annual Council meeting of the Ladies’ Golf Union (says the “Ladies’ Field” of December 10th): “It was decided that players with -handicaps of over 25 might take out cards any day in order to get L.G.U. handicaps. This is a step in the right direction, but with the limitation we have already deprecated. Why should not the concession include players of all handicaps. If there .must be some limitation, let it be with regard, say, to match days, and Saturdays,” not to players below a certain handicap. If the objection to ‘scoring any day’ is that many edurses, would be ' congested by players holing out everything arid marking their cards, surely some such limitation as the one we have suggested would

gneet this objection. In any ease, one day a week for returns is absurd and unjust, as most' placers' will surely agree.” Of course one of -the greatest objections to "scoring any day” has been the large amount of work the continual change of handicaps would make, but surely in clubs with such large membership that this would be the ease, eould havo*two handicap managers. In any ease, though these restrictions may have been warranted in the Old Country, here in New Zealand such has never been the ease, and we all know the feeling of starting out on a round with the “must get my handicap down idea” is fatal. I maintain that any card signed by a member of the Club on any or every day of the week should hold good for handicapping from, if not, the best objects of the L.G.U. system are frustrated, and. gives ample opportunity for abuses. j, ...

Clnb Colours. As it is the beginning of the season, and some clubs are asking about colours, the following list of colours already taken by ladies’ clubs may be of interest:— Auckland —-White blouse, green tie, navy skirt. Ashburton—Red. Dannevirke —Navy and gold. Greymouth—Red coat, black monogram. Hokitika —Dark blue and white. Hagley.—Red and green. Hutt—'Brown and green. Hawera—Green and gold. Hastings—Green coat, red monogram. Invercargill—Dark and IQrht blue. Manawatu—Scarlet coat, white facings and monogram. Masterton—Navy and pale blue. Miramar—Dark green, dark and light blue. Napier.—Dark blue coat, green facings, monogram. Nelson—Dark green, claret and black. Nga Motu —Red and Black. North Otago—Red coat and tie. Otago—Navy coat, red monogram. Paeroa—Navy and pale blue. Poverty Bay—Royal blue and gold. St. Clair—Navy and pale blue. Timarii—Black and red. •• Wanganui—Red coat, black facings. Westport—Navy, with gold facings. Waitemata—Green and' red. The Christchurch ladies hold their Easter tournament on the 20th and 21st April. The events are an open championship (36 holes medal play), 2 handicap medal rounds of 18 holes each, a bogey match, and ladies’ bogey foursomes. Entries close with the secretary Christchurch Golf Club on Saturday, Bth April.

CHRISTCHURCH. The opening of the Christchurch Ladies’ Golf Club (Shirley) took place on Wednesday afternoon in glorious weather, a large number of people being present. A twelve-hole match was played for prizes presented by Mrs. A. Boyle and Mr's. Wigram, and was won by Mrs. H. Wood ami Miss Symonds. Miscellaneous. It is estimated that the number of lady golfers in the British Isles does not fall very -far short of 100,000. • Already the clubs affiliated to the Ladies’ Golf Union embraces a membership of about 40,000, a number which is fast increasing. There is no doubt that a considerable impetus was given to tire ladies golf by Miss Leitch’s victory over Mr. Hilton. Hundreds of new recruits- have been add ed to the game since, and many manufacturers and retailers of golf clubs have been besieged by purchasers in a manner very unusual considering the time of year. Mr. Henry Leach, writing in the “Standard” after the match between Miss Cecil Leitch and Mr. Hilton, says, “As a variation this fest between the sexes is excellent, but I think it may be said that it is the general feeling that we do not want any more of it, for, after all, there is something just a little out of harmony with the proper spirit of the game in matches of this kind. Golf is not like tennis and croquet, and the sexes cannot meet at it on the same equal basis of proprietorship in the game as they do in those others. Also, do let it be remembered that whatever

the result of the mats'll is, it will pro nothings whatever. -One match at golf, even a long one of seventy-two hole*, never could prove anything, ami there is nothing to prove when a half is being given by one side to the other.” After reading this one is apt to wonder if all this would have “proved” anything if the result of this match had been reversed. I fancy it would. To begin with this extract contains first of all an error in fact. - The’sexes do not meet on equal terms at tennis. The male tennis cfiainpipn of the year would give the lady tennis champion a “half,” or, in tennis terms, “30,” which is half a game. And why. in Heaven’s name, is such a match “out of harmony with the proper spirit of the game?” The very genius of golf, and incidentally the big pull it enjoys over most other games is, that two players, no matter how wide apart they may be in skill, can have as good a match as two players of equal skill. The handicap adjusts the balance, while the play of his weak opponent does not hurt the game of the good player, or his enjoyment as is so often the ease in other games. How can the fact of two -players being of opposite sexes possibly affect the “spirit” of the game—perhaps it may affect the "language” of the game.