On the Golf Links

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVIII, Issue 1, 3 July 1912, Page 9

On the Golf Links

This paper has been appointed the o ffieial organ of the Ladies’ Golf Union, Keio Zealand branch.

Secretaries of ladies’ golf clubs are incited 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 the date of publication.

AUCKLAND. (From Our Special Correspondent.) THE weather is treating locrl golfers very badly just now, rain and wind being the order of the day. Notwithstanding the continual rain, ATiddlcmore is in good condition and playing well. The made greens are standing the condition splendidly, and make players look rorward to the. time, not far off, I hope, when the temporary givens will Ire a thing of the past. Now that the weather has set in so wet. 1 am afraid that the committee will tind it impossible to push on with the drainage work as fast as was hoped for. It is almost impossible to get material, scoria and pipes carted to the drains without doing a great deal of damage. The fifth and sixth holes, where the work was most needed, arc the ones hardest to get at. It looks as if this work will have to be put off till the spring. South Auckland Tournament. This very popular fixture is once more drawing near, August 14, 15, and 16 being the dates selected for this year’s meeting. A big field is promised, quite a large party of Auckland players having arranged to go. I understand that the programme is substantially the' same as last year’s. One or two junior alterations may be made before the card is sent out. I would advise intending competitors to make early application for accommodation, as there is a chance that there will Ire only two hotels available. I had the pleasure of playing at Cambridge recently after very heavy rain, and found the course in good order. Cambridge players told me that the then condition of the course was nothing to go by, as they reckoned to improve 1 kings fifty per cent in the two months before the tournament. If they manage this then I envy the I'ueky ones who are privileged to be there. Players who can spare the time are promised quite a feast of golf in August and September. Cambridge, Palmerston, Napier, and the New Zealand Championship meeting at Wellington are all to be crowded into a monthly holiday. The Palmerston and Napier meetings are very popular, and deservedly so, as both courses provide quite good golf, and visitors are always splendidly treated. I hoar that the Napier course is once more in splendid order, the drought being a thing of the past. The greens are as good as ever. The N.Z. Championship Meeting. Things look very promisng for a very successful meeting at Wellington in September. A number of the leading players are already showing good form, notably, \\ right, Wood, and Lusk, of Christchurch ; R. Smith and Dr. Ross, of Dunedin; and Kapi Tarelra, of Napier, while the present open and amateur champion, A. Duncan, is as brilliant as ever. It will be a very dfficult task to move Arthur Dunean from his present position as champion, as he knows every inch of 1 rentham, and local know ledge added 1 to his great skill should make him invincible. The English Open Championship. This year’s open championship has brought forth a new champion in Ed. Hay, who succeeded in putting up the splendid score of 295, beating last year’s champion, Vardon, by four strokes, while Braid, who was third, was four strokes further off. The cable told us that Ball led at the end of the qualifying rounds, with a score of 144, including one round °f <JS, and as he is not mentioned in the final result, we can only think that he railed badly on the concluding day. Ed. "JF* the new holder of the title, finished fifth fast year, two strokes behind Varden and Massey, who tied with 303, so

his success this year should not have been altogether a surprise to followers of the game. Vardon and Braid are apparently still too good for most of their fellow players, and I feel confident that when full particulars are available, Taylor will be found very close up to the leaders. Hints to Beginners. Quite recently I was shown a little book published in England, which I can recommend to golfers from scratch men to men on the limit. It is called ’‘Golfing Illustrated,’’ and consists of sixty splendid photographs by G. W. Et-ldam, and some notes by John L. Low. The leading professionals and amateurs are shown making the strokes, and all the shots are covered from the tee till the ball is safely holed; even bunker play

is not missed. Two fine pictures are given, showing Taylor and Vardon getting out of very trying positions in the sand. A close study of this little hand book will prove of great assistance to players who are keen to make progress. I often hear players scoffing at the idea that it is impossible to learn anything in the golf line from a book, but I always assure them that they are mistaken. I think they would be surprised 1 if they asked the leading players in New Zealand what they thought about it. Waitemata Auckland. The Auckland Club sent a team of ten to pay a return visit to the Waitemata Club on Saturday last. Waitemata proved a bit too good, and won by six matches to four. The rain of the past few days had left the course in bad order, some of the greens being in a dreadful condition. Notwithstanding the bad conditions, some good golf was played, Penman, of Waitemata, especially distinguishing himself by holing the course in 80. iMacCormiek, who was Penman’s opponent, put up a good fight, being 5 down at one stage. He took the game to the 17th green. Clouston and Lusk had a desperate struggle. The Waitemata man started off well, getting the first four holes straight and playing th? first nine holes in 39, turned three up. Lusk managed to wipe off the deficit, and when the last tee waa reached the game was square. A bad drive by Lusk was bis downfall, and Waitemata got

their second win. Johns and Bamford also went to the 18th green. Bamford started well, getting the first eight in 35, but meeting trouble, he failed to continue quite so brilliantly. Johns finished well and just snatched a win. Hanson and L’pton was another close game. The match fluctuated all the way, neither player getting much of a lead at any time, Hansen managed to conic at the right time, and won at the 18th. For a change, Auckland managed a 1 up victory in the next match, Sharland beating Balgamie. The conditions seemed to worry this pair, their golf not being up to form. Horton had a fairly easy win from Philson, the result being 3 up and 2. ■Horton is playing a useful game just now, and managed the greens well. Sutton’s victory over Laurence, 3 and 1, ■came as a surprise to the Aucklanders. All the team expected him to win, as he has been playing a solid game on his home course lately. His round on Saturday was 87,. with one or two bad holes; so it is evident Sutton must have been right on his game. Kelly beat Norton ■on the last green after an interesting game. I would look to Kelly 'to win more easily at Middlemore, but local knowledge enabled Norton to hold him most of the way on Saturday. Captain Meikle and Stringer provided the sixth game, to finish on the 18th green. It was rather extraordinary for six games ■out of ten to be carried to 'the last hole. Hanna had an easy victory over Jeffries, 5 and 4. Hanna’s approaching was very good, and gave his opponent very little

chance. Most of the Auckland team were strangers 'to the course, and performed very creditably under the strange conditions. CHRISTCHURCH. (Fr om Our Special Correspondent) The Club Championship. H. E. Wright has again won the club championship. On his way to the final he disposed of Ij. Harley, 6 5; J. Forbes, 1 up at the 1 fith; E. T. Shores, 3-2. B. B. Wood’s victories were all well marked. He beat W. Harman, 4-2; R. Brittan, 8-7; (t. Gossett, 8-6. The match was Well fought out, but Wright took full advantage of a temporary lapse on Wood's part in the second half of the first round, and so stood 4 up when the last round began. Wood made a good fight, and at one time looked like wiping off the deficit; but Wright rose to the occasion and held enough to win by 2 up and 1 to play. The winner’s rounds were approximately 76 and 78, an excellent performance at any time; but the more meritorious in a championship final. His putting, always sound, was brilliant.. He rarely failed to hole them up to Bft. r and this neutralised Wood’s superior accuracy in approaching. On the whole the standard of play was highly satisfactory. Inter-Club Match. On Saturday a team of nine men from Rangiora journeyed to New Brighton to play a match with the local club. Many

of -the games were well contested, but the local team, perhaps partly by virtue of local knowledge, were victorious by six games to three. Messrs. Hewlitt, Blakley, WilHams, Rpeirs, Clark and Humphries won their matches for New Brighton, and Messrs G. Mavfarlane, H. Mavfarlane and Grossweil were the winning members for Rangiora. Rangiora is the home club of McEwan Maefarlane, who won the Borthwick Vase at Shirley the other day, but he plays most of his golf on the metropolitan course. Local Knowledge. It is a much discussed question as th whether local knowledge does give any considerable advantage to a home team. If strangers have an opportunity of playing over a course ome or twice, thereby getting the main features fixed in the mind, I imline to the opinion that it does not. It depend*, too. on the courses. If a course has many blind shots, or has marked peculiarities of its own, local knowledge is a distinct advantage. At Dunedin, for instance, the peculiar up-and-down nature of many of the holes has the stranger at a disadvantage. Several holes occur to me as being so radically altered by different wind conditions as to make them very puzzling to one who does not know them well. The run of the slopes, too, at Eiehopscourt, and the first hole, may easily get one into trouble. At Wellington, the question of the distances is perhaps the chief difficulty. In many cases the greens are so like the surrounding country that one has to judge by the flag alone which is admittedly misleading. The foreshortening caused by the surrounding hills is also an element making for uncertainty. 1 have seen Dunean take a brassie when 1 should have thought a long iron would do. and he hasn't gone too far. either. Napier and Palmerston cause less difficulty to the stranger than most links. since tho greens stand out well and there is no foreshortening influence. In England they are, in many cases, constructing green banks behind greens on fla t country, to give some guidance to the players. It has been suggested that such a bank be erected behind the new 18th green at Shirley. One thing favours the stranger: he .is not nervous about troubles he has not had experience of. Shirley Notes. iWe are having a succession of very sharp frosts just now, which has finally stopped the growth of grass for the present. The turf, however, is holding out well, and the newly-dressed ground gives promise of good results in the spring. The greens are rather muddy, as a r'esult of the frost, but that is always the case at this time of year. They were, fortunately, very good on Saturday, when the championship final took place, and Wright's excellent putting was what won him the match. Mr Gardiner, of Auckland Golf Club, passed through last week ami played a. round or two at Shirley. He seemed to appreciate the greens, which were in good order before Monday’s frost. Two-shot Holes. On every links the majority of the holes must necessarily be of the twoBhot variety. Four one-shot holes, two, or at the most three, three-shot holes (for more are a weariness to the flesh)', end the rest two-shot, is the usual arrangement. I heard a complaint some time ago that no less than ten of the holes on Soutar’s plan for Shirley were between 360 and 420 yard*. On tho whole I think it was an unconscious appreciation of the merits of the plan. The drive and pitch-hole is admittedly a bad one unless there is some peculiarity about the approach to redeem it. A bad drive should, as a rule, lose a stroke for tho player, and, unless the bunkering is perfect, good distances alone will effect this. The advent of improved balls Huis mad<l it difficult to lay down exactly- the ideal length of a two-shot hole; but having regard to the nature of our soil and t*> the time of year when the most important play takes place, we at Shirley consider that from 390 yards to 410 is amply long enough. If the smiter can do it) with a drive and eleek, the others have the consolation of knowing that a brassie is easier to use than a deck. Our present fifth hole, Farthest North, is probably our 'best two-shot hole, being about 400 yards in length and guarded all live way on the right by a creek. OC tho best two-shot holes of other links, one thinks first of the "Ledge” at Napier. Tho drive ia along a narrowing plateau sotw 50 yards across where the drive should, land. On the right is a hollow from which the green in invisible, and ou

the left is the river. .The second shot, a deck or iron, must Ibe straight, and must also carry some hummocky ground short of the green. The intimidating effect of the narrow ridge is a marked feature of the hole. Their ■'Bunker" hole, too, is an excellent one. The drive is across a road on to a narrow patch of grass, and 'the second a fairly full shot over the enormous sand bunker. The 17-t'h at Dunedin is one of the best two-shot holes in New Zealand. The first must be straight, but the second must carry a rush-hidden ditch and must also avoid Tushes on the left and a dense hedge on the right. Other excellent holes of this nature that occur to' me are the sth and 17th at Auckland and the 4th at Wellington. At this last the Hutt river, waiting for a pull, tends to. have a paralysing effect on the nervous player. GOLF AT ROTORUA. (By a Recent Visitor.) The Rotorua Golf Club has just moved on to the new links near Whakarewarewa. The links are at present in a rather raw state, but in time should provide a very good course, as they are decidedly sporting, and well provided with natural hazards. I consider the second hole at Rotorua as nearly perfection for a "one shot hole." It is LlOyds, over a creek and cliff on to a bluff about as high as the roof of a two'storey house, which has just enough slope to leave the green in full view. Five yards short and you are in the side of the cliff; ten yards short -and you arc an the. creek. The fifth bole is. I should say, unique, the. tee shot having to carry over about 150yds of extinct sulphur bed, from which pungent odours still exhale. There is a hot spring on the course, also a stream of alum water which is crossed four times. There are natural pot hole bunkers in several places, and the beauty of the course is enhanced by a small lake, which,' being a sanctuary for game, abounds with wild duck, teal, etc. I understand that the Tourist Department has contributed something towards the cost of laying down the course, and T should think it would lie justified in giving still further assistance, as there is no doubt that a decent golf course would greatly-enhance the attractions of Rotorua, especially as the local club is very hospitable to visiting golfers on either side of (he club. 'I he ladies’ side has just joined the Tardies’ Golf I nion, and the consequent standardising of -their handicaps should have a beneficial effect by showing them exactly where they stand in the world of ladies' golf, and stimulating them to improve their status. As they have plenty of promising material they arc certain to do this as soon as the course is in anything like good order. The club possesses a great advantage in the climate of Rotorua, which would permit of golf all the year round, and also in the fact that the poor though dry soil on the course is not likely to promote a growth of grass which will ever interfere with summer play. I understand that the various holes have not yet been named,, and suggest to the club that, rather than repeat the names, of holes which are found on .numerous other courses, they should .select names which will .identify their course the world over, that is to tourists who, having visited the thermal springs district, will ever remember its weirdness and beauty. For instance, why not call some of the holes after the "great players of the district, such as I olrutu, \\ aik-ite and "Waimunga," and vary matters by honouring “llumurana, "Tikitere." "Ohinemutu," “Okere," or other-places which suggest themselves as appropriate. Score cards with the holes so named would doubtless be varied away by visiti!lg goiters as mementoes. MASTERTON. Die best cards handed in last week for the Bogey Competition were as folJows: — A GRADE. 1-. 11. Eleoate hep. scr., net score 1 A - H - l-awrence scr.. 3 down; A. *'• Salanders scr., 4 down; N. .lames 2 2 down; ('. Perry, scr.. 8 down. B GRAPH. A. D. Gillies. 10; 2 down; J. Milne, 14, 2 down; T. Evans, 18, U down; G. It. TFynnc, IS, 4 down.

WANGANUI. The visit of a Palmerston North team to Wanganui proved an exceedingly pleasant one, although disastrous to the Palmerston players so far as the match was concerned. The Wanganui men easily avenged their recent defeat at Palmerston North, and won by thirteen games to four, the only members of the visiting team to win being O. Druce, H. G. F. Levin, W. Seifert, and P. McHardy. Details are as follows: — A. Barra nd lost to Harold: A. Seifert lost to Butterwortho. Druce beat G. Saunders; L. Seifert lost to I. Saunders: J. Strang lost to J. Goss; W. Strang lost t-o D. Meldrum: H. G. Moore lost' to AH. Lewis; D. G. Moore lost to F. H. Latham; R. P. Abraham lost to M. Earle; C. A. Poulsen lost to W- D’Arcy: If. Ct. F. Lovin beat J. S. Harrison; G. W. Harden lost to Howarth: W. Seifert beat J- Cameron; J. Slack lost to H. Payne; P. McHardy beat D. Ritchie; R. Moore lost to J. Paterson; G. Lyons lost to 11. Bayly. CAMBRIDGE. The first round of the Captain’s Tourney resulted as follows: —Father Murphy Treat M. Wells; E. J. Wilkinson beat J. Hiudmarsh; J. Bryce beat A Willis. J. Banks (challenger) lost to M. Wells in the Ladder competition, after a close gameThe Ladies’ June Medal was won by Miss Luiidon, with 102—20—82 net. Other cards were: Mrs. McDermott, 126—40—86; Miss Pickering, 130 —35—95; Mrs. 11. L. Nixon, 142—40 —102; Miss Brooks, 133—28—105. The tie for the Men’s Juno Medal resulted in S. Dunbar's favour, with 100—16—84 net. ST. CLAIR. I The first round for the championship of the St. Clair Club was played last week. The following are. the results:—R. Forsyth beat J- Drake. 1 up at 19th; A. J. Sisc beat G. Ast-ill, 4 up, 3 t< play; T. H. Glendinning beat Dr. Hunter, 6 up, 5 to play: L. Jardine beat J. IL C. Bond, 6 up, 5 to play: D. M. Irvine beat J. >S. Monroe, 8 up, 7 to play; E. J. Hocking beat A. Barron, 5 up, 3 to play; W. S, Ferguson won by default from P- Fordham.; W. D. McCarthy beat G. Gallaway. 1 up at 19th. FEILDING. At Kiinl>olto,n Mrs. Bartlett, with a score of 68—12—56, won the ladies' monthly medal competition, whilst Mr. Cr. Mcßeth, with a score of 93—plus 2—■ 95, won the men’s prize. OTAGO. The contest for the Otago Club championship was decided last week between B. J. Smith and Dr. Ross. They had already played 37 holes indecisively, and it had been arranged that they should play another round in order to decide, the event- Smith won by 2 up, and gained the club championship for the fourth time —for the third year in succession. THE RUBBER-CORED BALL. (By a Wandering Player, in the •Daily Mail.") Tn the early Victorian days,- when all life was placid, men played the game of golf with balls that were made of feathers stuffed tight in little leather cases, and the making of these, peculiar balls was .quite an industry at St. Andrews, the ancient capital of the game, and appreciated as such. Just about the middle of the nineteenth century balls of solid gutta pcrcha were tried, and were rather liked; but the old men of the game frowned upon them, and those two great worthies, Tom Morris and Allan Robertson, master and assistant as they were then, and'famous as they will always be for their prowess, had u violent quarrel, leading to a separation. because Tom discovered young Allan golfing one night with one of these new playthings of the devil that were going to spoil the game and ruin the industry of Kt. Andrews. \ .Yet the gutty ball soon ousted the

feathery, and it reigned undisturbed right through the Victorian era for fifty easy-going years. Then golf, like other things, began to move - more quickly, and the upshot is that a small number of presumably pious golfers are now understood to be praying that the .dear gutty shall be restoed to the game and placed in full command of it. to the exclusion of all other balls, failing which they plead that it, or a ball with some of its properties, shall at least be played with in the championships of the game, the thin edge of a wedge being thus inserted which might lead to the thick end following it afterwards. A great and momentous decision has to be made, and the character of the game in the future must depend upon it. 1 sometimes wonder what would have happened if the gutty had not killed the feathery in 1848, but the fact remains that it did kill it, and the whole scheme of golf was changed. Yet finely was the feathery avenged. Its murderer rose to high power; it was the sole, the omnipotent ball in the beginning of the “boom" days of the game; it had the greatest, most extensive, most universal of all games to itself completely—and then the rubber-cored ball came and slew it and took the game to itself.

The whole affair is quite interesting. The seeds of a very great revolution were planted one night out in Cleveland, Ohio, when two keen golfers. Americans both of them. lingered at the dinner table and talked golf most intensely over their coffee and eigarei Like most golfers they were restless in their desire for greater skill; like most Americans, they were ingenious, inventive, and wanted to improve things mechanically and with patents. One of them was the leading spirit in a great india-rubber manufacturing firm; Cuburn Haskell was the other. Haskell said to his that he thought the trick might be done, and told him haw ; and the next day the rubber man had a new kind of ball made in his factory, consisting of rubber thread wound under tension—by hand on this occasion—and then covered up with a gutta composition. When the put the local professional to try that ball, he hit it over a distant bunker that had never been overcome in one stroke before. Then they knew that they had got it.

Further tests sealed their convictions. A long time was spent in perfecting machinery to wind the. rubber thread; then the gutty balls in Britain were bought up extensively to make the covers for balls that were going to be made by the million. And they had to be made by the million when the public found out about them, when Alexander Herd, using the ball in defiance of all others at the open championship at Hoylake, won for himself the crown of the game; when the few that were to be had in this country were so much coveted that we gave anything from 10/ to £ 1 each for them. I paid gold for mv first Haskell, and, like

others, 1 made an awful gash in it verysoon, for they were marvellously delicate things, and at eventide, as was the custom, patched the cover up again somehow by heating it with a lighted match.

And how the new ball did “boom" when it really made a start! It killed the bld gutty in a few weeks. Very soon the Haskell ball company were making 12,600 balls a day, and they had to keep that up for a long time. Then enterprising British manufacturers contested the validity of the Haskell patents, and a great law ease was carried through to the House of Lords, Haskell balls losing. Now there are over seven million of these balls made in Britain every year and used up by our British players, who, it is estimated, spend £600,600 in purchasing them. Here, is an industry surely. Last ■.'September one single manufacturing company received an order for 360,000 'balls of one brand. Tais is the ball that killed the gutty, that killed the feathery, that built the game. And now they want to kill the rubber core, or modify it until it is not at all the same as it is now. The old monarchists of the gutty kingdom declare that the new ball lias spoiled the game. It became popular in the first instance because it was more responsive to the efforts of the player and more sympathetic towards him. It seemed to try to help him to play better and did not mock at his efforts and use him harshly as the old gutty did.' To the touch when struck the Haskell was softer, smoother, • sweeter; and it ilew farther, ran more, gave greater distance, and, oh, it seemed just lovely then! When the gutty was cupped in a bad lie we groaned; when its successor lay in the same place wo just took a brassey and sent it along as usual. Golfers gen-

erally were happier, because the game was made easier for them. But the verysuperior players did not gain to a corresponding extent, could not do so, ami so there was a general levelling up of play, and it has been urged that there has been a steady deterioration in the quality of the game, since the ball does not test the skill as the old and difficult gutty did. But that is not all. After the new ball had been with us four or five years, it had been improved byBritish manufacturers to such an extent that it flew much farther, and it camo about that holes were too short and courses too short also. So the clubs bought more land and they lengthened out their courses. But now they have become too short again, or it is said that, they have. Now, while the average golfer is crying for more length and intimating his willingness to -pay well for it—the joy of long driving is really such a glorious thing!—the political pessimists are screaming that the game is going to ruin, and they have been asking for the reinstatement of the old gutty. Failing that, they wish for a little clipping of the wings of the far-flying rubber-cored ball to be done. They want its distancemaking properties to be curtailed. They have been getting up petitions to send to high authorities with that object in view.