LADIES' GOLF

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1262, 25 June 1914, Page 22

LADIES' GOLF

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE NEW ZEALAND LADIES’ GOLF UNION.

NOTICE TO CORBESFONDENTS. Match reports and news items for insertion in the Golf page must reach this Office not later than Thursday of each week. LADIES' GOLF TOURNAMENT FIXTURES. Aug. 3 to 7 (inclusive) —Auckland. Sept. 23, 24, 25 —Napier. Sept. 24. 25 —Wanganui. Sept. 28 to Oct. 1 (inclusive) —Manawatu. Auckland. The final round of the eclectic match of the Auckland Ladies’ Golf Club was played at Middlemore links last week. A trophy was presented by Mrs. John Reid (vice-president). The scores are as follows: —Miss M. Alison, 88—14 —74; Miss M. Cooper, 100 —23—77; Miss S. Payton, 94 —17 —77; Miss R. Greig, 109 —32—77; Miss C. Hull, 99—21—78; Miss F. Foote, 102 —24—78; Miss M. Frater, 109—31 —78; Miss V. Duthie, 102—23 —79; Miss M. Payton, 103—24 —79. A match was played at Alaungakiekie links on June 15th between teams of nine from the Maungakiekie and Waitemata Ladies’ Golf Clubs. The former won by eight games to one. The results are as follows, the Waitemata players being mentioned first: — Mrs. Atkinson beat Miss Young, Miss Goudie lost to Miss Macklow, Miss Newell lost to Miss Bayly, Miss Bray lost to Miss K. MacCormick, Mrs. Prime lost to Miss N. MacCormick, Miss Duder lost to Miss Ridings, Miss Jennings lost to Miss Steele, Miss Alison lost to Mrs. Hardy, Mrs. O’Donnell lost to Miss M. McCormick.

Miss Muriel Alison, who won the eclectic ’match of the Ladies’ Golf Club, played at Middlemore, with a handicap of 14, has already won three trophies this season. Miss Alison is one of the few players in the Club who is playing up to her handicap, and if she keeps her present form will give Miss Gwen porrie a close run for the Auckland, championship, which is to be decided during the week starting from August 3rd to 7th. On June 30th and July 3rd foursomes are to be played. The conditions are: A grade players with handicaps up to 26 play B grade players with handicaps up to 40. The captain, Mrs. Hope Lewis, is presenting prizes. Hamilton. The ladies’ medal competition played at Hamilton on June 13 th resulted as follows:—Miss J. Furze, 120— 40—80; Mrs. Millar, 111—27—84; Mrs. King, 130 —40—90; Mrs. Hume, 125 — 34—91. * » * ■* . Cambridge. The Cambridge competitions of mixed foursome over nine holes were played on June 17th, the winners being Mr. and Mrs. Nicoll, whose card read 52 —12 —40. The next best cards returned were: Miss B. Taylor and J. Banks, 49—7%— 41 % ; Mrs. Nelson and H. P. Nelson, 58—14—44; Miss Ferguson and E. J. Wilkinson, 59— 12 —47; Miss Lundon and D. J. Lundon, 60 —12 —48; Miss Caldrell and B. S. Couper, 63—14—49; Mrs. Nixon and S. Dunbar, 56 —6% —49%. * * » * Thames. The ladies’ match played at the Thames on June 10th (being a bogey match) for trophy presented by the captain (Mr. Chalmers) was won by Miss L. Price, who was 3 down. Other cards handed in were: Miss B. Baker 4 down, Miss McCullough 4 down, Miss Wilkes 5 down, Mrs. Baker 6 down, Miss I. Read 6 down, and Misses Rhodes, Smith, Price and Mrs. Metson all 8 down.

Wellington. The lady members of the Waiwetu Club played a stroke competition on June 6th, which was won by Miss E. Gaynor with a net score of 87. The next best card was handed in by Miss Davie, with a net score of 88.

Miss Effie Stafford, who has been secretary to the Ladies’ Heretunga Golf Club for the past two years, has received a presentation from the

members for her energetic services to th Club.

Comptitions at Miramar are drawing large entries this year, and recently the dub’s record for a match was easily broken, 36 couples taking part. With so many playing and the light limited, players were apt to hurry and naturally the scores were big. The winning score was a tie with 1 down.

Mrs. Lees won in the tie for the bogey match with Miss N. Brandon at Heretaunga.

A special golf committee of the Wellington City Council met the golf representatives in regard to the proposed municipal links on the Town Belt. The golf representatives put forward a scheme, which was favourably viewed by the members of the committee, and arrangements are now in hand for the City Engineer to view

the course and make a report as to the actual cost of formation. It has been pointed out to the committee that golf has become immensely popular of late, and every club in and around Wellington has practically its full complement of members, * * * • Manawatu. The monthly medal matches played on the Hokowhitu links on June 9th were as follows: —A grade: Miss Moore, 101—16 —85; Mrs. Innes, 109 — 22—87; Mrs. Mellsop, 114—20—94; Miss G. Moore, 124 —30 —94. B grade: Mrs. Fitzherbert, 11.8 : —32 —86; Mrs. Bendall, 135 —40 —95. Juniors: Miss E. Porter, 140 —32 —108; Mrs. Holmes, 121—2—119.

A team of four ladies from the Pahiatua Club played a match on the Manawatu links on the 13th of June. The visitors won the match by two to one. . Mrs. Steel beat Miss Watson, Miss R. Hughes beat Miss Coombs, Miss M. Hughes halved with Mrs. Cohen, and Miss Wexted lost to Mrs. Bendall.

Wanganui. The monthly medal match (bogey) was played on June 10th on the local links. The day was fine and a large number of players took part. Afternoon tea was provided by Mrs. and the Misses Mcßeth. The winners were:—Class A: Miss Hogg (22), 5

down; Miss Christie (18), 7 down, Class B: Mrs. Glasgow (17), 1 down; Miss M. Anderson (22), 1 down; Mrs. Seaward (26), 4 down; Miss P. Hadfield (23), 4 down. The first round for the Alexander Rose Bowl was played off on June 12th, and the second round is to be finished by Wednesday, June 24th. The annual open tournament of the Wanganui Ladies’ Golf Club is to be held on the 24th and 25th September, 1914. as * * * Gisborne. Play on the Gisborne links, states our correspondent, has been greatly retarded of late, owing to the flood and to several of the greens being under water. One of the first matches of the season was played on June 9th. The winner of the A grade proved to be Miss D. Keiha, whose card read: Total score 102, handicap 21, net 81.

Miss Nolan came second with 106— 19—87, and Mrs. O’Meara third with 111—20—91. The winner of the B grade was Mrs. King, whose card figured: 111 —25 —86; Miss M. Rees was second, her card showing 117 — 25—92.

New Plymouth. The competition for the Weston Cup was played in ideal weather. The following are the results of the first round: —Mrs. Glenn (11) won from Miss Kohn (30), 3 up and 2; Miss Bewley (13) won from Miss Hall (22), 8 up and 7; Miss Ryan (27) won from Mrs. Paton (11), 3 up and 2; Mrs. Hutton won from Mrs. Kebbell by default; Miss Brewster (8-). won from Mrs. Birch-Johnston (30), 10 and 8.

The second round was played on June 16th and resulted as follows: — Miss McKellar beat Miss Read, 1 up; Mrs. Walker beat Miss Foote, 4 up and 3; Mrs. Weston beat Mrs. Glenn, 3 up and 2; Miss Ryan won from Miss Bewley by default; Mrs. Hutton beat Miss Brewster, 6 up and 4: Miss Blundell beat Mrs. Johns, 2up and 1; Mrs. Penn beat Miss Stephenson by default; Mrs. McQuade beat Miss Rundle, 3 up and 2.

The ideal handicap is one which leaves every competitor just a little disappointed.

Christchurch. The New Brighton Ladies’ Club played a medal match on the New Brighton links on June 13th. The following were the best six scores handed in:—Miss Hopkins, 96 —14—82; Miss Rowe, 105 —22 —83; Miss Bennington, 104 —20 —84; Miss E. Knight, 117-—28—89; Mrs. Blakeley, 103 —12 —9l; Miss de Veaux, 119—28 —91. A four-ball bogey handicap was played at Shirley on June 10th by the Christchurch Ladies’ Club for prizes presented by Mrs. A. E. G. Rhodes. The winners were Mrs. Freeth and Miss P. Anderson, with a score of 1 up. The lady members of the Richmond Hill Club played a medal match on June 11. Among the best cads returned were the following:—Miss Pratt, 101 —30—71 ; Miss Gibson, 112 —38—74; Mrs. Stevens, 118—42—76; Mrs. McClatchie, 106 —28—78. Nomenclature. A rather curious corruption of a Maori name, says a correspondent, has come under my notice. Dwellers in the North Island are generally familiar with the native flowering tree called the kowhai, with its profuse golden bloom. The same tree is frequently seen on the Akaroa Peninsula, where the pakeha inhabitants call it the “gowhai.” A golf club further South than Akaroa has among the names of the holes on their course one which is called “goai.” We have not visited the course in question, but can picture a clump of the golden-blossomed trees in the vicinity of the curiously-named hole.

The Question of Handicaps. The honorary secretary of the Golf Union (Mrs. C. E. M. Mellsop) often receives letters from secretaries of clubs enquiring whether, as the course has been altered, all the handicaps will have to be altered also. This shows that the writers have not fully grasped the fundamental principle upon which L.G.U. handicaps are fixed. Briefly, the principle is as follows: —All courses are standardised as nearly as is possible, on the basis of the probable number of strokes which would be required by the scratch players of the world — such as Miss Cecil Leitch (open champion of Great Britain), Miss Dodd, Miss Ravenscroft, Miss Grant Suttie (all ex-champions). The standard thus assessed is the par of the green, and is the basis from which handicaps are deduced. Then each player’s three best scores under certain conditions, are taken and averaged, the difference between the par and the average thus obtained gives a player’s handicap. If the par of, say, the Auckland course, is 80, and a player establishes an average of 90, then her handicap would be ten. The same player might go to Christchurch and find a course with the par at 75. She should, if consistent in her game, be able to establish an average of 85 on such a course, which would still leave her with a handicap of ten. If a course is altered so that two strokes are added to the par, handicaps would not be affected, the player who formerly went round in an average of 90 as against an 80 par should require 92 to go round the 82 course. If the par of a course is found to be incorrect, and is restandardised, the case would be different. For example, if 80 strokes was set as the part, and it was found too easy and reduced to 75, then all handicaps established on the “too easy” par would go up 5 strokes, the player who had a 10 handicap as against an 80 par receiving 15 when the par was corrected. It should be noted that this would only affect the ■established on the “too easy” par.

Between July 189 7 and the present date over 1,500,000 players have made use of the Braid’s Hill municipal golf course. These are wonderful figures, and the present yearly average of 110,000, equal to one in every three of Edinburgh's population, is equally so.