GOLF.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 693, 18 June 1903, Page 9

GOLF.

The latest improvement in the putter line comes from America. It is an aluminium club, somewhat oval in shape, with the shaft inserted into the top of the head. The Club is now very popular in America and the old country. Both Travis and Douglas, the two champion amateur players in United States of America, use it, and claim that it has greatly improved their putting. The patentee is Findley S. Douglas, one time amateur champion. He has given it the name of the Schenectaddy putter.

Messrs John Ball, H. H. Hilton, Graham, and some other Liverpool golfers have had a trip to Cannes, at the invitation of H.I.H. the Grand Duke Michael of Russia. They enjoyed it very much. H. L. Doherty, the tennis champion, was playing for Cannes, and beat his opponent, W. Ryder Richardson. H. I. Whigham, ex-amateur champion of America, also played for Cannes. A. H. Crosfield, in responding for the visitors, said, amongst other things' :—“ Mr Whigham, as as they all knew, had spread the game north, south, east, and west, and not long since he had been playing over links in Persia, where the hazards were chiefly

formed out of the ruins of Nebuchadnezzar’s palace. One member of his own team had even carried the game further afield, for when formerly occupying an important diplomatic position as Consul for the Sandwich Islands, he introduced the game there, and the Queen of Honolulu was so interested that he understood she and the Consul had a game together, which she greatly enjoyed.

The May meeting of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrew’s was to to be held on May 6. At this meeting it was to be decided whether the Haskell ball was to be barred or not, so we will have the result in a fortnight. Concerning this ball, “ Golf Illustrated ” says :—“ A, feature of the hold which the rubber-cored ball has taken at St. Andrew’s is the great number of players there now using hom-faces in their wooden clubs. It is claimed for this idea that it adds still more distance to the drive when used in conjunction with the rubber-cored balls.”

Alec. Herd, the open champion, gives some useful hints on iron play, finishing with : —“ I always play my iron and mashie shots with rigid arms*, letting the wrists work slightly as I swing up and down. I keep my body steady, making the arms do the turning of the body, and following well through. I push my right arm straight after the ball.”

There was a large number of players in evidence on the Cornwall links on Saturday. The constant wet weather experienced during the week did not appear to have affected the ground in any way, the porous nature of the soil allowing the water to get away quickly. A foursomes handicap was played, Messrs. C. Rhodes and R. H. Carr proving the winners with a gross score of 101, their handicaps of 14 leaving them the nett total of 87. Messrs. R. Horton and D. McCormick, with a handicap of 21, W. Colbeck and H. Pelli, handicap 2, and C. Heather and W. Heather, handicap 17, tied for second place with a nett score of 93 strokes. Next in Order came Messrs. J. W. Hull and J. R. Sykes, 95 ; E. Horton and E. Anderson, 95; J. R. Reed and Dr. Coates, 97 ; J. Burns and E. Dargaville, 97 ; E. Turner and C. Pollen, 97 ; J. R. Hooper and Dr. Gordon, 97 ; C. Gillies and A. Aitkin, 99 ; Rev. McWilliam and L. E. Mair, 102 ; Rev. C. Tisdall and W. Bruce, 105 ; P. Upton and R. Horton, 109 ;