CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7, 14 August 1912, Page 8

CHRISTCHURCH.

(From Our Special Correspondent.) The Weather. Early last week the weather took a turn for the better, and, with three fine days in succession, one began again to have thoughts of Shirley. Bitt on Saurday morning the place was as wet as ever, and, to make things more uncomfortable still, snow began to fall fairly heavily about mid-day. The links were whitened by early afternoon, and all

matches had again to be postponed. One or two faced the weather, but the difficulty of finding balls in the snow would, soon discourage the most enthusiastic. I remember that the advent of the daisies on other links was usually the warning sign to take to some other amusement. The effect of the snow is the same as that of the daisies, only much more Intensified. A ball may be lying within a yard, quite clear, and no snow within a foot of it, and yet you cannot see it. I remember some years ago, after a snowstorm Harman and I played a round. The snow had melted wherever

the sun eouM get at it, but there was plenty left. He lost six balls and I lost four. The links were quite whitened by more snow on Saturday night, and on Bunday were a beautiful sight to Uw appreciative person—but I fear a golfer is not appreciative in such cases. Nearly all the snow had gone by Monday. Wq Rope here that Mie weather has now done its worst, and that a fine spring and summer will reward us to some ex lent for the exceedingly unpleasant winter. It is high time practise began for the big meetings in September, and the golf has been so broken of late that regular practise has been an impossibility. Shirley is looking very welt, the grass being very promising. Given a good spring the course will be by many degrees better next season than ever before. The new course will be in use before the end of the year, and there is no doubt it will be a great improvement on the old one. No further progress has been made with the Denniston Cup, the Saturdays having been such as to render matches out of the question. The Eadies. The Christchurch Ladies’ Golf Club is getting off its championship between the showers. Already the competition has been reduced to four, which will again be reduced to two before this appears in print. Mrs. Godby, Miss Wilson, Miss Fisher, and Miss Campbell are left in, and it is very doubtful who will ultimately win. It is very gratifying to note a steady improvement in the standard of our ladies’ play. One cannot deny that formerly the Wellington and Otago ladies were too strong and perhaps are still so. But the time is coming, I believe, when our ladies wilt hold their own even with such formid able opponents. The most promising sign is the rapidly increasing efficiency of several of the younger players, who give promise of being very formidable opponents of the more experienced players, and that soon. Other Links. " i The llagley championship is progressing very slowly. A few games have been got off during the week, but they

•will still require some weeks to finish. The very wet condition of tbo green* makes putting a very doubtful operation. Timaru have been able to get off their regular fixtures, besides playing an Interclub mateh with Fairlie. It is true that rain rather spoiled the latter, but the hospitality of the Timaru ladies went far towards counterbalancing that inconvenience. Timaru won the niatvh by 8J games to 2J. Cox (Timaru) 1, v. McCaskill (Fairlie) 0; Raudrup 0, v. Trotter, jun., 1; 'Baxter 1, v. Trotter, sen., O; Braid 1, v. Hay ter 0; Alien 1, v. Richards 0; Kerr I, v. A. Gillingham J; Macdonald 1, v. Fraser 0; Cotterill 1, v. Wilson ft; Reid 0, v. O'Dowd 1; Gurin 1, v. F. Gillingham 0: Hicks-Ross 1, v. Clarke 0. The July Bogey was won by Dr. N. K. Cox (4), with a score of 1 down. He was followed by C. A. Seymour (1), 3 down; P. C. Wright (1), 3 down; C. H. Gresson (9), 3 down; R. L. Fisher (4), 4 down; G. A. Simmers (14), 4 down; and J. S. Hicks Ross (19), 4 down. The vice-president’s trophy for the best aggregate in the three rounds of the bogey handicaps has been won by Dr. Cox. Richmond Hill are going to make another attempt to get off the Rawnsley Cup match next Saturday. The excellent weather we have experienced sineo' Sunday has had a very good effect on all the links. Casual Water. They have, apparently, been getting a, share of the rain in Sydney. 1 see by the “Referee"’ that they have had two fine days oi’yt of 15, and that Kensington is tiie only course in Sydney fit for match play. The writer also makes, curiously enough. practically the same comments as appear in my notes of last week converning water on the links. I can understand Kensington being dry. When 1 played there last there had been about 6 inches of rain in three days, and the links were lovely. Water was lying in the bottom of a few bunkers, and in the swamps, but the fairway and greens were perfect. Such are the advantages of a pure sand course.