GOLF.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VI, Issue 310, 2 July 1896, Page 3

GOLF.

Last Saturday was an open day, no matches being played. There was a big muster on the links nevertheless, and some very interesting friendly matches took place. The membership of the local club is increasing so fast that after the July ballot for new members is taken the entrance fee to the club is to be increased from one guinea to three guineas. The links are already too small for the number of members, and an effort will shortly be made (so it is reported) to get an 18-hole qourse instead of the present 9-hole course. We hear that the new Ladies’ Golf Club has secured a large membership, no less than 84 members having already joined the club. There is very little doubt that golf has “ caught on ” in Auckland. We wish the Ladies’ Golf Club every success. They have been fortunate in getting Mrs Skeet as president of the club. A contributor to the English Sporting and Dramatic Nezes, commenting on the play of the Tooting Bee Club, remarks : — “ The ‘ bogey ’ competition of this club once demonstrated ‘bogey's’ wonderful powers, and in spite of the constantly improving form of golfers the ‘ colonel ’ more than holds his own, not only here but in other parts of the country. lam rather in favour of some sliding scale in regard to ‘ bogey’s ’ score, to be determined by the state of the weather. It seems very hard on golfers to have to contend against the same score whether the weather be good or bad. Of course I know the contention that all men are on an equal footing holds good to some extent, but I fancy there are very few golfers indeed who would not, even when winning, prefer to be ‘up ’ rather than ‘ down ’ to their ever-steady opponent. I recognise that there is some difficulty in the matter, as the attendance of at least two members of the committee would be necessary on all ‘bogey’ competition days, but it seems to me rather ridiculous to (at times) see a man who winds up his day’s work four or even five ‘ down,’ finishing at the head of the list. I think also it can hardly be disputed that the sting is taken out of many men’s game by the knowledge that he is starting off on an impossible task, which is reallv what fighting ‘ bogey ’ on a bad day means. It is here also, I fancy, that the ‘ as fair : : or one as the other ’ theory breaks down, for the golfer with the highly-strung nervous organisation seems to me to be at a distinct disadvantage.”