CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4, 24 July 1912, Page 8

CHRISTCHURCH.

(From Our Special Correspondency Shirley. On Saturday the qualifying round for the Denniston Cup was played conjointly with bogey handicaps. The conditions of this match, which is for a challenge cup presented by Mr. Justice Denniston, are as follows: —One qualifying round, bogey play, the best eight to be drawn and play under match-play condition?. The weather was fine—in the sense that there was no rain—but an easterly mistj

cf tie kind that comes off wet on fie clothes, prevailed throughout the day, and became fairly thick towards evening. At four o’clock one eould hardly see whether a green was clear for a full approach. This easterly mist is most, unpleasant, tut it is Httle hindrance to golf. The links were wet —wetter than I have seen them for years. It was necessary to use two more temporary greens, CRorke's Drift and Cox's being dooded. The trouble is not so much the amount of rain as the saturated state of the ground. Casual water was lying in a few places, but the sandy nature of the soil confined this to the hollow. The greens —excepting the temporary ones—were surprisingly good, although late starters had their troubles in the form of the heel-marks of the inconsiderate. The best returns were as follow: — H. K. Wright, plus 3. 1 up: A. E. Carter. 8, 1 up; B. B. Wood, plus 3, all sq.; P. Wood, 16, 1 down; H. R. Brittan. 2, 1 down: D. Darby, 9, 1 down; G. E. Rhodes. 9, 1 down; J. D. Marks. 10. 1 down; J. C. Templer, 4. 1 down; H. B. Lush, plus 2, 2 down; S. W. Harley, 8. 2 down; J. Guthrie, 11, 2 down: K. T. Shores. 3, 2 down; T. W. Cane. 10. 3 down; G. G. Cripps, 11. 3 down.

The six who came in 1 down will have to play off to provide five to qualify with the first three for the play off. There should he some good matches tn the play-off—let us hope they will nod; drag on for a month or more. Wright and flood both-put up very meritor ; ous performances. Considering that there were 4 -temporary greens, and that little run eould -be got on the ball, good golf was needed to successfully give bogey three strokes. Each had a medal round of 78. Lusk, who was two down, took SI. but failed l~ very little from Laving a good return. Rutherford is out of town, but the other back-markers are all in good form. Wood is re adjusting his iron play, and so has days off. but is otherwise all right. He drives some magnificent balls from the tee. Wright is in excellent form and very consistent. The other day, playing two rounds tn private matches, he did 75 and 76. He must have a chance in Wellington on this form. Lusk-, last week, put up two rounds under eighty on this same day, and, in an informal 9-hole four-ball, holed no less than three twos, two of them being dead from the tee-stroke. Brittan, Eorbes. and Templer are also playing well, and Sams is rapidly getting back his form, Tuson Cap. It has been suggested that the return inter-club match against Wellington for the Tuson Cup be played at championship time. If this can be arranged, it will be most convenient for us. as several of our men will hardly be able to get away in October, after being away in September. Hagley. The Hagley links are very wet just now, the greens especially being very soft. Nevertheless, the second qualifying round of the club championship was played on Saturday, a medal handicap being decided at the same time. The medal was won by H. G. Helmore. 96, 16—SO. with H. G. N. Helmore runner-up with 96, 12—84. The best gross score was that of J. D. Boys, scratch, who did an 85. The play-off for the club championship, for v hi. h 16 have qualified, begins next Saturday. Inter-club Match. .A team from Geraldine played a match against Ri-bmun I Hill at Sumner on Saturday. Richmond Hill having a very easy win. The visitors lost ail their singles, anj the foursomes except one, which they halved:—S. O’Callagh.m (G.) 0 v.» J. D. Lawrence (R.) 1; G. Broadhea I iG.) 0 v. G. K. Webber (R.) 1; G. Sher- ■ att (G.) 0 v. W. De Thier (R.) 1; M. I’. S. Cameron (G.) 0 v. J. R. Cunningham (R.) 1; A. A. Reddie (G.) 0 v. H. J. Eliott (R.) 1. O’Callaghan and Broadhrad 0 v. Lawrence and Webber 1; Cameron and Sberratt v. De Thier and Cunningham I; Reddie and Fisher 0 v. Eliott and Hargreaves, 1; totals, G. J, Richmond 11.11, New Brighton. They had a bogey handicap at New Brighton on Saturday, ami the scores in-d-eate considerable liberal: y, either in the handicaps or in the bogey. The winner turned up in C. Bcr ban n. 6 np, and others who b«at bogey were P. E. Cleary 4 up, A. I* Cropp 3 up, A. E. Prin e 3 up, E. V. Spear, 2 up, and C. T. G. Hiun-

pbrics, 2 up. The nature of the country at New Brighton is such that rain in auy quantity merely provides a fewpools of casual water in the hollows. After the wet winter they should get a fine growth of grass in the spring. With a sufficient area and fair expenditure the New Brighton links eould be made the best in New Zealand—Sou tar says is Australasia.

Continued Wet Weather. Sunday last was fine enough, but on Sunday night the clouds banked up again in the south-west, and it has been raining ever since. On Monday night it was found advisable to close the links for play to give the greens a chance. The course, generally, is all right, but the greens get badly knocked about in this weather, and 1 th’uk the committee is wise. A couple of fine days or even one day of a north-wester would make the greens all right again. Richmond Hill has also closed down until Saturday. Notes. There are not many games at which father and son compete. H. G. Helmore. who won the medal at Hagley on Satuidav. is at Christ’s College, and G. H. N. Helmore. who was runner-up, is his father. It is a tribute to the wet winter that Shirley has been closed. In- many years I cannot remember its being done before.