On the Golf Links

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVII, Issue 26, 26 June 1912, Page 8

On the Golf Links

This paper has been appointed the official organ of the Ladies 9 Golf Union, Netr Zealand branch. Secretaries of ladies 9 gulf clubs are invited to fortcard 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 the date of publication.

AUCKLAND, Out of respect to the memory of tne late Sir John Logan Cempbetl, al! golf was >ostporerl on Saturday. Bogey Competitian. IT will be of interest to local players to know that the Rules of Golf Committee are to consider the advisability of embodying the Rules ’or Bogey Matches in the Rules of Golf. Owing to the great popularity of bogey matches in recent years pressure has been' brought to bear on the committee with this end in view. It now remains to be seen what the committee will do in the matter. In view of the fact that nearb every club that holds a competition of any sort provides rules for ”bogey play," it seems probable that a set of rules will be adopted. Rules. While on the subject of rules. I would like to offer a suggestion to the Auckland Golf C’ jb. A sub-committee of the Golf Council has been, appointed to go into the question of alterations to certain rules of the council. Would it not be a good time to have the rule fixing the date oi championship meetuigs at iny time in August or September, alters.l to a fixed day, say, first or second Monday in Septembe 7 I feel sure a rule making the day a ’xed one would meet with general su. port for several reasons. In the first place, players would not have to wait till well on in the year before definitely fixing the time of their holiday. Then there would be no need for the vigorous protest as to late dates that was necessary this year. If the time was fixed is suggested then no club whose course was likely to be unplayable owing to lack of grass or superabundance of mud would be invited to hold the meeting. Mud Courses. Local golfers in fact, almo-t all New Zealand golfers—are at a great disadvantage in being condemned to play on nothing but mud courses. Here in Auckland we are in a very bad position. On Thursday last the course wa> in such bad condition after the heavj rain on Wednesday night that the course had to.be closed for play. This v is hard on the ladies, especially as th ir championship meeting is only a few weeks off. Of course, a great improvement will be seen when the draining is completed, but it is slow work, and in the meantime players suffer. I have heard it mentioned several times lately that the committee would have the support of the whole club, and also the Ladies* Club, if they decided to put on a large staff of men, and have these permanent works done straight away. There is a good deal to be said in favour of this scheme, but I would go further, and add to the draining and cleaning the making of permanent tees and bunkers. I understand a number of the holes have been measured, and the balance could be quickly done, and the course committee would not take long to fix on the correct distances and positions for the tees. 1 should think that vigorous prosecution of the work with an increased staff would see all the tees and drains, and perhaps some of the bunkers done in the course of two months. An endless supply of magnificent turf is available for making tecs, which would be in nse in a very short time. I understand that trees are to he planted at once at several points, principally as backgrounds, and to define the fairways between several holes, notab’y the fifth and sixth. This will be hn improvement, and if the background at the and seventeenth are the first treated a great many players will be very thankful. Handicaps. Now that the Auckland Golf Club has adopted the system of printing on the face of the acore card the hole* at

which strokes are to be taken, I would like to see them go a step further and bring themselves into line with the other metropolitan clubs in New Zealand in regard to handicaps. The Auckland Club has always given two-thirds of the medal handicap in match and bogey play, while the other New Zealand clubs give three-quarters. Three-quar-ters seems to be the general rule in English clubs, judging from a number of English cards which I have just seen. It is not a very great alteration to make, but I think a desirable one, as uniformity in these matters is a help to players when travelling. English Open Cliampionsliips. Before these notes are published, the open championship to be played this 3 ear at Muirfield will have been decided. Each year when the convincing day arrives players all over the world wonder if the days of the-great players, Xardon, Braid, and Taylor, are numbered, and if one of the young generation will come out on fop. Such great players as Dunean, Sherlock, Ray, and Avion, who have been so near the top of late must soon come into their own, and attain t.’ie highest pinnacle in their profession. In last year's contest Dunean made a. wonderful start, 73 and 71 being !>is opening performance. Then he met trouble, S 3 and 79, making his total 306, only three behind the winner. It seems he only wants a little steadiness to join the great leaders.

CHRISTCHUECH.

(From Our Special Correspondent.) The Championship. The weather on Saturday was all that, could be desired, and in marked contrast to that of the previous Saturday. There was a touch of north-west in the air, and some players actually complained of the beat. The course was, generally speaking, in good order, although it is still necessary to tee up on the top-dressed areas. The temporary green at the 18th is terribly soft, but fortunately no match finished there. B. B. Wood and Dr. Gossett met in the semi-final of the Club Championship, and, as anticipated, the former was far too strong. The doctor’s short play was weak, and Wood won by Bup and 6 to play. H. E. Wright and E. I’. Shores had a closer game, but Wright won by 3up and 2 to play. Notiiing remarkable occurred in either game, though the play of the winners was up to a satisfactory standard. The final between Wood and Wright will consist of 3(5 holes, and will be played next Saturday. I shall be surprised if the game is not well contested, as both players are in good form, and well matched. Some very good golf should be shown, though disappointment in this respect is not uncommon in finals. Borthwick Vase.

After hanging on for several weeks, the Borthwick Vase match is settled. Ewan McFarlane beat L. K. Sleigh in the final by 2 up. The winner is one of our most promising young players, and is fortunately able to devote a considerable amounft of time to the game. 1 think he will in all probability find his way down to the scratch mark before long. Sleigh is rather unfortunate in being runner-up so often. He is one of the most reliable of players, and though he rarely does anything of great brillialice, he is very consistent. He has been playing well this season, and has worthily represented the club in the interclub matches.

The New Zealand Championships. The meeting ot the council called to consider the date of the championship meeting at Wellington this year, took place in Wellington last week. The meeting, after discussion, decided to fix September I<J as the opening date, instead of September 23. as desired by the

Wellington Golf Club. This is certainly an improvement, as it will enable several players to take part who would have been barred by the later date. Notably, the bank people should now in most cases be able to atteud. It is rather unfortunate that men employed in secondary schools will find the date too late for them, but apparently it cannot be helped. These men are in the unfortunate position of being unable to get away in term time, the nature of their occupation making it practically impossible. There seems from what I can gather, to have been some feeling on the part of the Wellington committee, because the Golf Council did not accept their proposed date as a matter of course, but if the Golf Council is not to have the decision of such matters I fail to see what it is for. The decision of place and date of the New Zealand meeting should certainly, I think, be their’s as well as alt matters of policy connected with it. Sydney Golf. Those of us who met D. G. Soutar when he was in New Zealand, are delighted at his substantial win in the New South Wales professional championships. He has won several professional and open events this season, and must be in excellent form. His chief characteristic seems to be his steadiness. He plays a very low swing, which would hardly be expected to give him great length, but his 15 stone all goes into the shot, and he really is a long player. One of his drives in Christchurch is still remembered. At the 10th hole (lupins) he drove some 40 yards past the far bunker, the shot being at least 320 yards. The New Putting Course. The green for a new putting-course, the cost of which is defrayed by Mr. Peter Wood, is now in process of formation. It will occupy the site of the old home green in front of the clubhouse, and will be on -two levels- When completed, it should be of great use to members, and it will certainly enhance the appearance of the clubhouse. The new 18th has now been laid down on the eastern side of the clubhouse, and the approach has been levelled and sodded. The green was made of the turf from the old home green. A very useful asset to a club is a turf nursery from which supplies of good turf can be taken when wanted. The excellent paddock in which the first tee is at Auckland has already been of great use to them. We must prepare some land at Shirley for the same purpose. One-shot Holes.

The Ailsa hole at Troon was described to me the other day, and it opened a train of thought, the results of which I shall try to put down. The Ailsa hole is a mashie-shot of about 130 yards, downhill, on to a long and narrow green. For the first 90 yards from the tee there is heather; on the right is continuous sand (the green is raised some 6ft), on the left is a conical hill, such that a ball hitting it will certainly run across the green into the sand on the right; and at the back is comparatively gentle rough. All that is asked is straightness and correct strength—it doesn’t sound much. One’s thoughts naturally turn to any specially good one-shot holes in New

Zealand. At Dunedin they have was, I consider an excellent one-shot hole, but they use it only in winter. It is a mashie shot on to a green some 80 yards away, surrounded by the fearsome rushes which abound there. I like this hole better than the “Gorge,” which it rcplaces. A new hole in preparation at Shirley will be an excellent one. It is just inside the new paddock, and is 130 yards, against the prevailing east wind. The tee is on a rise in the corner, and the green on another hill some 60ft high, with a rough valley between. It has been liberally pot-bunkered, and should be a fine hole. Old Nick, the 17th at Shirley, would be a fine hole but for a small hill which blocks the green. It will probably be removed. The essence of the hole is the tee-shot 120yds over a deadly hollow. At Wellington, the 3rd and 15th stand out as intrinsically interesting one-shot holes. Both are played over streams, but the 3rd green is among trees and the 15th on the hill on which the elub-house stands. The Napier one-shot holes are less interesting than the two and three-shot holes, but Bellamy’s, the 17th, requires judgment and accuracy, being guarded by a ditch to the left and rough ground to the right. The shot is played some 140 yards over the big sand bunker, but the green is blind. Two of the holes at Auckland should be very fine, the 7th and 10th. The former, an iron shot over two gullies on to a point, is full of possibilities; and the latter, a mashie shot out of the trees, is of a most unusual kind. I have not seen anywhere, however, a hole that appealed more to me than the old Jacob’s Ladder at Onetree Hill. There is a great deck-shot hole at Kensington (Sydney). The green is the whole of the top of a conical hill some 100 ft high and the tee is on the flat below. The sides of the hill are covered with low scrub. It struck me that most of the one-shot holes at Rose Bay and Kensington were rather artificial, though very good artificial ones. The Championship Final.

In the Championship final, Wright beat Wood, two up and one to play. Wright led by four up on the morning round, and though Wood made a good attempt to recover, he could not make up the deficit.

CAMBRIDGE.

The following are the best C..r3s returned for the monthly medal competition at Cambridge for the month of June: —S. Dunbar, gross 102, handicap 16, net 86; T. Middleton, 100 —14 —86; K. J. Wilkinson, 99—12—87; Father Murphy, 110—22—88; M. Wells, 98— 10—88; R. Muir, 102—11—91. Messrs. Dunbar and Middleton will play off to decide who wins.

THAMES.

The bogey handicap for men for the captaiu’s second trophy resulted as under: C. Montgomerie, winner, being 2 up; J. Metson 1 up, *E. J. Clendon 1 up, Dr. Rogers all square, A. Gillespie R. E. Rudman, G. L. Shaw, H. A. Joyce each 3 down, Bagnall 4 down, W. Baker 5 down, and F. McCullough, 11. G. Gillespie, R. Abbott, R. MaeMorran each 6 down. The tie for the captain’s first trophy was re played, resulting- in Joyce beating MaeMorran by 2 strokes on the medal round of 12 holes. The Thames Golf Club's medal round of nine holes for mixed foursomes was played on Saturday in unfavourable weather. The winners were Mrs. Pickering and Joyce, with a net score of 45. The best of the other Scores handed in were: Miss Gillespie . d Sfiaw, 46: Miss Hunter and Rudman, 4-S; Miss MeCulhnigh and Stewaid. 51: Mrs. Raker and Montgomerie, 54; Miss Wilkes and I>r. Rogers, SS; Miss Steward ami Baker, 59. The three competitions for captain's trophies have now been completed, Miss Stewart winning the ladies* section, amt Joyce and Montgomerie respectively winning in the men's section.

Herd, the golf professional, has been engaged for the coming week, starting on Tuesday next. An improvement in play should be noticeable if members take full advantage of his services.

NEW PLYMOUTH.

A pairs best ball bogey handicap for prize presented by Mr. D. K. Morrison was played at Nga. Motu last week. The winners proved to be Messrs. Ward and Glasgow, who returned the good score of 3 up on the Colonel. The best scores out of the entry of 26 players were: — Ward 2, Glasgow 5, 3 up; Bary 2, W. >S. G. Pa-ton 7,2 up; Honan 15, Anderson 15, 1 up; Morrison 8, Kebbell 15, all square; Johns 1, A. Bewley ser., all square.

POVERTY BAY.

The first round in the handicap tournament in connection with the Poverty Bay Golf Club was commenced last week. The following are the results of the afternoon’s operations:—

A Grade: F. W. Nolan (13) beat W. P. J. Anderson, 7 up and 6; F. 11. W. Traill (ser.) beat J. H. Bull (3), 1 up at the 20th; N. Bull (ser.) won by default from J. Barnes-Graham (ser.); G. M. Dodgshun (ser.) beat R. Willoek, 5 up and 4; W. B. Willoek (13) beat C. A. Fenwick (5), 6 up and 5; A. Paku (ser.) beat J. Howie, 1 up at the 19th; P. H. Hamilton (12) beat W. R. Barker (4), 1 up; B. C. Jeffreys (12) won by default from G. B. Smith (12); L. T. Brown (8) won by default from E. W. Johnson (3); P. Keiha (ser.) beat G. W. Millock (scr.), 3 up and 2; R. U. Burke (10) beat E. Adair IS), 1 up at the 19th. This pair met in the second round, as both drew a bye in the first round.

B Grade: G. Kells (4) beat A. R. Watson (10), 5 up and 4; Spillsbury (10) teat C. Morgan (3), 2 up and 1; 11. Bennett (scr.) beat A. D. Murray (ser.), 3 up; C. de Lautour (10) beat 11. Rees (10), 1 up; Balfour (10) beat I. B. Smith (10), 2 up and 1; P. G. Andrew (2) beat Moore (scr.), 8 up and 6.

MANAWATU.

The following were the best cards handed in for the bogey competition played last week:— SENIOR. C. A. Poulsen, handicap 8, 1 up; P. L. Sim, handicap 9, 1 down; B. P. Abraham, handicap 7,2 down; A. Seifert, handicap 2, 3 down; J. black, handicap 8, 3 down; Is Seifert, handicap 2, 4 down; 11. Cooper, handi'■‘P 7, 4 down; W- Bendall, handicap 10, 4 down; A. Barra nd, scratch, 5 down; St. C. Jounneaux, handicap 8, 5 down; B. A. Abraham, handicap 8, 5 down; J. Strang, handicap 2, 6 down; W. Strang, handicap 2, 7 down; J. R. MacLennau, handicap 11, down; P. McHardy, handicap 0, 8 dowu; R. Moore, handicap

9, 8 down; A. Stedman, handicap 5, 8 down; C. Louisson, handicap 11, 8 downJUNIOR. In the juniors A. Morgau, a new player with a 12 handicap, returned a good card of 2 up, G. Slack with a 2 handicap, returning a card of all square for second place. A. 11. Pavitt, handicap 7, came third with 1 down, and O. H. Porritt, handicap 5, fourth with 2 down. A. Morgan, handicap 12, two up; G. Slack, handicap 2, all square; A. H. Pavitt, handicap 7, I down; O. IL Porritt, handicap 5,2 down; J. Beale, handicap 6, 6 down; P. Williamson, handicap 11, 7 down.

HAWKE'S BAY.

Waipukuian v. Takapau. The Waipukurau Golf Club played a match against the local club on the Takapau links last week. Takapau managed to secure a win by a narrow margin. The following are the results, Waipukurau players being mentioned first:—Richardson lost to Ropata; Peacock beat Panapaj Reid lost to Heperi; Edwards halved with Dr. Carter; Carroll lost to Russell; White lost to To Whetu; T. Harper lost to Scott; H. Harper beat Woods; Moss beat Caugbey.

lADIES’ GOLF.

The Ladies’ Championship.

The programme for the New Zealand Ladies’ Golf Championship meeting has now been issued by the Nelson Ladies’ Golf Club. The meeting begins on the 29th August, and ends on the 4th September.

For the championship propel' entries are limited to players having handicaps of 15 or under, the entry fee being 5/ to members of L.G.U. clubs, and a guinea for members of non-affiliated clubs.

There are three medal competitions, one of these being for the Donnelly Cup, and one for the Coronation Medal. The other is an ordinary handicap medal competition, played on the first day to enable players to get accustomed to the course.

In addition to the usual trophies, the player making the best gross aggregate in these three rounds will hold for the year the Mellsop Gold Cup. Three bogey rounds appear on the programme, the last being a consolation match for players who have not won prizes in any of the other events. Teams matches of four, and an interisland stroke match (the best six scores out of eight) are to be played in conjunction with the Donnelly Cup and Coronation Medal rounds. Miss Elsie Booth, Union Bank, is tha tournament secretary. The South Auckland Meeting. Great was the disappointment felt by numbers of lady golfers when it became known that there were to be no ladies’ events in the programme of this meeting. It came as a great surprise, for it was thought that as the last meeting had been sueh a success it would become a yearly fixture. Two years ago a mixed meeting was held, and the matches were played together, but this was found far from satisfactory as the links became so congested that everyone’s patience was strained to breaking point. Last year the ladies’ programme was got through on the Monday and Tuesday. The men’s ran from the Wednesday till Friday, and this arrangement proved a complete success. «-o delighted was everyone who made the trip that it is safe to say that about thirty players from the Auckland clubs alone would have made the trip this year. Last year Mr. Muir successfully managed the ladies’ meeting, and we are sorry that ths same arrangement cannot be made this year.

AUCKLAND.

The tie for the June Medal between Miss Milly Colter an 1 Miss Muriel Alison was won by the former with a net score of 87 to 96.

The firtst round was played on Monday, 17, of the eclectic match, for which Mrs. Carr (president) is presenting prizes. Heavy ehowers fell during the afternoon, and this was not conducive to low scoring. The best round was that of Miss Gwen Corrie, whose 97 was good considering the conditions.

The match for the Hope Lewis Cup could not be played on Thursday owing to the wet weather, the links being closed for play on that day. The Auckland Ladies’ Golf Club arranged their Provincial Championship meeting so as to get in with the Cambridge meeting. In the programme of this meeting given last week a m stake was made. The foursomes are to t» played on the Monday, and the approac'iing and putting and driving competitions on the Tuesday. The second round of the eleetic match, for which Mrs R. A. Carr (president) presented trophies, wsa played at Middlemore on Monday. The weather was fine, but a strong cold wind made it very unpleasant. The course was heavy in places, but, considering the heavy rains that had fallen, was in fair condition, Miss Milly Cotter was the winner in the senior division with a best card of 78. Miss Nellie Upton was close up with a 79. Miss Mab Riee was the winner in the junior division with 79.

THAMES.

The ladies’ handicap bogey competition for the captain’s trophy resulted in -Miss A. Steward winning with 2 up, Miss Lily Price and Miss Hunter wire each 1 up, Mrs. Rudman and Mrs. Clendon, and Miss I. Read 1 down, Mrs. Pickering, Miss 'Wilkes, and Miss Price 2 down, Mrs Baker 5 down, Mrs Bagnall and Mrs Dunlop 3 down.

HAMILTON.

Hie medal competition last week resulted as follows: Ladies (9 holes) —■ Miss Cussen Ist, 42 net, the next best cards being Mrs Stewart 46, Mrs Douglas 47, Miss Tui Ring 53. Gentlemen (18 holes): Shand Ist, 77 net, other cards being Wilson 79, Anderson 80, McLeod SO, Shepherd 81, Winter 81, Westoby 81, H. Dodson 82.

NAPIER.

A handicap bogey match was played on the ladies’ nine hole course at the AVaiohiki golf links last week. The following were the best cards handed in:—-

"A” Class.—Miss C. Hindmarsh (handicap 8), all square; Miss M. Hindmarsh (5), 1 down; Miss I. Balfour (11), I down); Miss Dean (6), 2 down; Miss J. Crosse (5), 4 down. “B” Cjjjss.—Miss L. Snodgrass (15), 1 down; Miss D. Bernair (15), 1 down; Mrs Mannering (12), 2 down; Miss Miller (12), 3 down; Mrs Aspinall (15), 3 down; Mrs Kelly (14). 4 down; Mrs Moore (12), 5 down; Mrs Gould fls}, 5 down; Miss Murdoch (15), 6 down.

HASTINGS.

Tiie Hastings Golf Club played a mixed foursome last week. The best cards handed in were as follows: E. Waddington and Miss R. Wellwood (handicap 11), 74; N. Beatson and Mrs Woodward (13), 74; M. Fcnwicke and Miss Williams (14), 78; E. Nuttall and Mrs Symonds (18), 80; S. Baird and Miss D. Wellwood (19), 85; W. A. Kiely and Mrs Kiely (14), 89; J. Beatson and Miss S. Wellwood (17), 86.

DANNEVIRKE.

The best cards in the Junior Stroke Handicap were: —Miss G. Irvine, 107 —30 —77; Mrs. Roake, 99—15 —84; Miss Lawford and Miss McDermott, 125—30—95. The first round for the captain’s medal and Stroke Handicap resulted as follows:—Miss Tansley, 94—-6 —88; Miss Hartgill, 97—9—88; Mrs. Lawford, 123 } —35—88; Mrs. Nymand, 121—24—97; Mrs. Baddeley, 121 —24 —97.

TARAHUA.

The following arc the four best cards handed in for the Ladies’ Medal Handicap for the club button played last week:—Miss Collins, gross 103, handicap 25, net 78 Miss E. C. Putt. 93, O 93; Miss A. Putt, 98, 0—98; Miss F. Putt, 90, 0—99.

MANAWATU.

The June bogey matches resulted as follows: — Senior A.—Mrs. A. Seifert, handicap

13, 4 down; Miss Sybil Abraham, 8, 5 down. Senior B.—Mrs. Tripe, handicap 26, 6 down; Mrs. Whitmore. 30 7 down. Juniors.—Miss Porter, handicap 24, 10 down.

WANGANUI.

The fust bogey match of the seaso_ was played in perfect weather. The following were the best scores handed in:-— Class A.—Miss Montgomery Moo-re, handicap 21, 2 down; Miss Harper, 21, 4 down; Mrs. Armstrong, 22, 5 down. Class B.—Miss Lambert, handicap 23, 6 up; Miss Greaves, 19, 2 down; Miss C. Nixon, 25, 3 dewon. The links are getting into very good order, so it is to Be hoped that there will he a large nutVr of entries for the annual tournament, which eventuates on the vtn and 10th July.

OTAGO.

The following were the best scores th the monthly bogey competition, held last week:—Miss K. Rattray, handicap 4, 3 down; Mrs. Mackie, 9, 7 down; Miss D. Williams, 8, 8 down.

CHRISTCHURCH.

The first round of the handicap toan nament for Mrs Wigram’s prize was played at Shirley last week. Most of t'he matches in this round were won easily, the only close one being that of Mrs Symons and Miss Cowlishaw, who tied, but when playing it over again Miss Cowlishaw had an easy win. In the other games Miss Campbell beat Mrs. H. Wood 7 up and 5; Mrs Godby won from Miss Ogle by default; Miss Wood won easily from Mrs Day; Miss Trolove beat Miss D. Anderson; Miss Fisher beat Miss G. Holmes; and Miss Craeroft Milson beat Miss N. Holmes 7 up and 5. In the second round the matches played so far arc: Miss Cowlishaw beat Miss Campbell; Miss Wood beat Miss Trolove; Mrs Godby after a close match beat Mrs Donald 2 up and 1; Miss Fisher won from Miss Craeroft Wilson, who had to scratch owing to having sprained her ankle; Mrs Vernon beat Mrs Hill 6 up and 5. Three other matches have yet to be played in this round: Mrs. Campbell plays Mrs Cripps; Miss Harlev plays Miss I’. Anderson and Miss Wilkin plays Mrs Loughnan.

Water Hazard Play.

(By ROBERT IL K. BROWNING.)

"Ariston men ud-or” as the poet Pind:-? sang in a sober moment- the which, being interpreted, means there is nothing like water. When hazards are being considered it is certainly so, for there is nothing which so completely takes the heart out of a player as a lair carry over a decently wide brook or lake—whether it be that the golfer is troubled with some sort of moral and mental hydrophobia, or whether he is merely oppressed with the consciousness that while from any other hazard it is possible to recover with greater or less success, out of water it is usually the -.implcst —and driest —plan to lift under lb- one stroke penalty. There have been one or two famous occasions, however, when the advantage of learning how to play the stroke when required his appeared clearly enough, in spite of Mr. George Glennie’s famous dictum that «u<-h a stroke was “no golf at all. only monkey's tricks.’* A Championship Final The water hazard episodes of the British Championships are pretty well confined to St. Andrews and Preswiek, but by far the most famous of them occurred where there was not, property speaking, a water-hazard at all. Thi- was in the Amateur Championship at Prestwick in 1899, when the two finest match players who ever took part in that event —Mr. John Ball and the late Lieutenant F. G. Tait—met in the final round, and the. English player won by getting the thirty-seventh hole in a splendid 3. Unit particular final produced what was, perhaps, the most exciting tussle in the whole thirty years of the tournament, but the full history of it cannot be given here. Sullice it to say that going to tho seventeenth, the Alps. Mr. Ball was ono up, and both players hit good seconds into the big bunker on the further aide of that famous hazard.

The bunker was well nigh full of casual water, and lieutenant Tait’s ball was floating placidly in the middle of it. Mr. Ball, one degree less unfortunate, found hi's near the sleepers, but lying well on the damp sand. The soldier’s only chance *f saving the match was to play his ball from the water, and he proceeded to wade in to where the bill was rocking gently on the surface of the water. And then a mighty cheer from the watching crowd greeted a splendid and plucky shot, which laid the ball fairly on the green. Mr. Ball also recovered beautifully, and the hole was halved in 5. but Ideutenant Tait squared with a long putt for a 3 on the home green, and the match went to the thirty-seventh, wher? the soldier lost what was to prove his last chance oi winning a third Championship; he was killed at Koodoosberg in the beginning of the following year.

Since the rules on the matter are not so generally known as they ought to be, it may be well to mention them here.

A ball in a recognised water-hazard may, of course, be lifted and dropped under a penalty of one stroke, either behind the hazard, or in the hazard behind the part of the waler in which it lay. Obviously there may be occasions when the player cannot afford to submit, to the loss of the penalty stroke, and must perforce try to win clear as best he can. /Similarly, although he may lift from casual water without penalty, this docs not apply ip the case of casual water in a hazard, and here, again, it may often be worth while to make an attempt to play the ball rather than incur the penalty. The Water Stroke.

How is it to be done? When, in my hot * youth. I pretended to solve this difficult problem, 1 suggested that all that was necessary for the negotiation of the water-hazard was confidence, a firm wrist, and a towel. But it is scarcely so simple as all that. The great thing to remember is that you must not allow' your attention to concentrate upon that small spot of the cover which is bobbing dubiously above the surface of the water, nor even upon the dim globe discernable beneath it. Remember that you have to get your club down to the ball no less completely than if it were perched high and dry. and to this end you mqst not be airaid to drive the clubhead into the water some inches behind the ball.

In short, plhy the shot much in the same fashion as you would were the ball lying completely buried in loose sand. Voui\aim must be not to get the club on to the ball, but rather to drive it well down into the water behind it, and leave a*t to the force of the displaced water to throw the ball out.

Another hint that I might give is. not to .-hut your eyes too soon, and also, for vour own comfort, not to shut them too la tv.

The Base Uses of Bogey.

The feature of Colonel Bogey, which make- many otherwise placid citizens aagv with impotent fury, is the base use to which his score i-< pul by some of his devotees. They regulate their entire idea- of any particular hole, its merits or demerits, ami the way in which it should be played not (says the “Times”) by such intelligence as they chancd to possess, but merely by the number of strokes assigned to the hole in an imaginary score, that score being frankly and obviously the merest compromise made between the unattainable good and tEe moderately bad. A “Bogey 5” may mean a hole of such a length that it can be reached with a drive and an iron shot, or it may demand two drives and a pitch. Yet there are hundreds of golfers gifted with intellects so curious that they deem the doing of a 4 at the one a a achievement exactly as meritorious as it would be at the other. When one of tlo*-i* singularly-i'vn.stituted individuals, liaving played a hole by means of live most indifferent strokes, pats himself metaphori<*ally on the back because the holey is a Bogey 5, the irritation produced is but -light ; il is possible to say to oneself that if this rather fatuous person is pleased there is no real reason for anyone else to be otherwise. Patience, however, has its limits, ami 'if the golfer who ha- played (ho indifferent -live strokes R one-»4f, ami (his idiotic form of wnisolation is administered by an opponent, (hen anger is apt to bo I over. A discussion once look place as (o (he proposed pulling forward of a certain ter by a roniparatwrly small number ol

yards. Il agreed on all hands that the. hole would be improved out of all knowledge, since two good and difficult strokes would be re.quired 'to reach Hie green instead of three dull and featureless ones; but. this objection was gravely raised by one party, “Would it .not make it rather a short hole, for a Bogey 6?" Comment is superfluous, but it is observations of this sort rather than the nature of the competition itself that have fostered in many breasts such an implacable hatred to Bogey and Bogey worship. As regards the competition itself, ’ the wisest and most peaceable course for the. Royal and Ancient Club would be to make the rules and be done with it.

Brassie and Cleek Hints.

Here are some hints, collected from wise and successful men of the links. One-club practice is of use. (io wandering over the links playing the ball from wherever it may lie with either a cleek or a brassie. The latter is good, because it demands most accuracy of hitting, and as full swinging as the goTTer ever does. Cleek practice, in the sama way (it is the “Wandering Player” in the “Daily Mail” who speaks), is particularly good, not only because the cleek in itself is a i!!ost valuable instrument, and seldom well understood, but that practice with it at this stage of reeov ery from neglect induced the man to follow through well with it, and he may l>e led by this means to following through properly With his driver in a way that he might not otherwise have done. A tendency is created, and this stage of slow' recuperation is a most valuable one for creating good tendencies in the golfing system. By practice of this kind he gains the necessary intervals for rest, but it is permissible, and even advisable, to play over again with another ball from the same place t-very shot that was not quite satisfactory. This may be instructfive and beneficial; trying to repeat the good shots is often disappointing. If tee shots must be practised from the tee let not more, than three at a June be. done; the mental and physical systems will riot stand more. The great mistake that Adolphus makes in his practising of tee. shots is his slashing out in endeavouring to get length, and when he fails he becomes annoyed and slashes out the more. Given that the movements are right and the general system good, length will come of itself; it certainly cannot lie forced. Therefore. above everything, the man*f>ractising with wooden clulis must concentrate on accuracy and think not of length, for by doing the former he ensures correctness of manner, and that will make for length of itself. So let him, if he has a clear course, as he should have, make two marks on the fairway, about fifteen yards apart and at such a distance from his striking-point as to be easily within his compass—say, if he is a moderate driver, a hundred and eighty or ninety yards—and let his utmost effort be. directed to driving the ball through the passage indicated by those two marks, tie may make a similar passage at the place where he drives from, and then, going forward to pick up the balls that he has driven, may drive them back, having thus had his time for recuperation, or he may piny the returns with his brassie or cleek.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The futt to Practice. (t you really must putt solus, then I think that the most useful form of practice is simply holing out from a distance at which it is not satisfactory merely to get dead —say anything up to 7ft.—ami the best distance of all to practise at is 4ft. or sft., because the ability to hole putts of that length in real golf is exceedingly remunerative. —A Wanderfhg Player in the “Daily Mail.” Down With the Stymie! In !K)9 instances out of IMO a stymie means an advantage accidentally gained; it is nothing creditable to the culprit, and, unless the stymied person places himself or herself in the position, there is no common-sense sporting reason why this annoyingly ungotfinglike phase of the game should remain.—“ Daily Chronicle.'' • . The Unalterable Law, The saying that it is on the greens that matches iuo won and lost will remain

true for all time, whether the ball be standardized or improved so that a five hundreds yards hole will be a one-shot-ter. —“Manchester Pity News. The Eternal Feminine.

A charming instance of the ingenuousness of the feminine nature was narrated to me (says Mr. H. G. Hutchinson) this week by one who saw the thing happen. A bogey competition was going on, and one competitor’s ball hit the caddie of “the other lady.” “Ah,” said the one whose ball had hit the caddie, “that must be my hole as against bogey. You see, it I were playing against you 1 should win the hole from you, so, of course, as we're playing against bogey I must win it. from him.” And the one whose caddie had been hit quite saw that the logic was irresistible and agreed, and so the hole was scored. The Nineteenth Hole.

The player who lets a long lead slip away from him is always in a more or less nervous, miserable, and peevish condition; he who has snatched a match apparently lost out of the fire is, on the other hand, confident and triumphant. It would seem that thegierve-racking experience of a 19th hole should only accentuate the difference between these two opposite frames of mind.—“l he Times.”

Anything for Length. A sick man can hardly be blamed if. in his eagerness to regain health, lie seizes upon any so-called remedy' which has been proclaimed widely. And so it is with the golfer, fie will buy any ball which promises him length.—Mr. C. J. Wilson in the “Court Journal.” Fully Provided For.

Of all golfing absurdities there is nothink like so original, or thoughtful, as the man mentioned by Mr. M. \V. Mossop, who, in a heat of the Championship, walked on to the tee at. the first hole with a bottle of whisky sticking out of his pocket, and when asked what in the world he was going to do with it, said: “Oh, it’s only in case I do a hole in one!"