GOLF.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20493, 11 March 1932, Page 8

GOLF.

FIXTURES. Christchurch Club —March 12th: A. E. G. Rhodes Challenge Bowl (mixed four-ball bogey, arrange own opponents). Richmond Hill Club—March 13th: Working Bee, 10 a.m. Russley Ladies' Club —March 17th: F!a{ match. Russley Club—March 19 th: Opening day, mixed four-ball bogey handicap (18 holes), arrange own opponents. March 20th: Open day; four-ball bogey handicap a.m., foursome stroke handicap p.m. Comprehensive entry 2s 6d. NOTES OF THE DAY. [By Flagstick ] Club secretaries in districts where The Pjiess is delivered daily are requested to assist in making the fixtures list complete and accurate by forwarding to Flagsticli, care of The Press, a copy of their club's programme for the season, and by giving timely notice of any alterations may be necessary. On the Waimairi Beach Club's links at North Brighton the fairways have now been cleared, and the work of development is sufficiently advanced to allow the club to hold its opening day before Easter. At present the holes laid out .on the southern portion of the Templetron Country Club are not in. use, but topdressing of the greens is now in progress, and the whole course should be ready for the opening day, April 9th. The greater part of Templeton Domain, o£ which the club has secured the lease, is well covered with permanent grasses; indeed, on one fairway the ground had to be cleared by burning off the heavy overioad. With such a good basis to work upon, the club has been able to avoid the expense of breaking up and rcsowing its greens. To judge from the results obtained by similar treatment at Hagley, and on the temporary eighteenth green at Shirley, the Templeton Club should have no cause to regret its decision. In its present layout the length of the course is over 6000 yards, three holes being one-shot-ters of varying lengths, while no fewer than eight are long enough to merit a, scratch score of five. The fine shelterbelts surrounding and intersecting tho area give admirable shelter in rough weather, and minimise the inconvenience felt on fairways facing the westering sun. In a recent issue of "Golf Illustrated" (British), Henry Cotton contributes the first of a series of articles on what he calls "tabloid remedies" for common golfing faults. He explains that in doing so he is acting against his convictions—"if there is anything fundamentally wrong with one's game faults keep on appearing"—but yields to numerous requests from those who have been playing too long to make any radical change in their style possible. His first hint is given to a player who finds himself pulling all his iron and mashie shots. "Let him in the address sec that the heel of tfie club is firmly situated on the ground. Then let him open the face slightly. He is obviously shutting down the face of the club too quickly. This is probably dne to his right hand taking charge of affairs too strenuously." In the second place Cotto>i treats the case/ of a player suffering the torments of an attack of "socketing." "Let him .fold his handkerchief and place it in his right armpit. Let him keep it there throughout the playing of his stroke. Let him also make very sure that he is well down on his heels during the shot." The left heel should meanwhile be kept on the ground, though there should be a slight give" at the ankle. Cotton's diagnosis of the trouble is that it is probably due either to falling on to the ball or to letting the right arm stray too far from the right side in making the stroke. His "tabloid" should work a cure m either case. Third, a remedy 13 offered for a much more prevalent and almost equally distressing malady—pullmg the putt. For this Cotton prescribes a . °f the ieft arm and left side, the left arm at the same time being l B ° that the left elbow points tou0lG; If the left arm » too Sm? th6 A ead of the P utter to hS Tr toW * lda tbe left as the right hand delivers the blow. Over-swinging is often a contributory cause: "Excessive swinging is inclined to get th 3 a ?_ d ] eft arm slack. Whilst the putt should be a smooth blow, it is nevertheless a definite blow." A tem K ' elief > W Cotton, is often ob. UwpJtl •' ■ traM - £ T ber °J " Go " Illl «- tratea, Bobby Jones shows himself in agreement with Cotton as to the benefit obtained by bending the left elbow towards the hole, but attributes the difficulty of making the putter'head- follow through in a direct line for the hole rather to over-action by the left hand than to inertness of the fore-arm-he observes "a tendency on the part of the left hand to take hold of the club a fraction a second before impact and to turn it over, an action which pulls the ball off line to the left." He also expresses himself on several occasions as opposed to any stiffened or strained position: "Belaxation is juet as important here as in hitting a lone drive from the tee." "A short putt, even as a long one, must be struck with a smooth, unhurried, and confident stroke." "There is only one more thing to guard against. That happens when the left forearm stiffens and refuses to give way to the stroke, forcing the left wrist to break abruptly." When two such exeperts disagree one can feel that there is comfort to be derived from another of Jones's directions: "Hit the putt as well as you can, and do not allow worry over the outconje to spoil the stroke." After a week of brilliant play, T. P. Perkins, British amateur champion in 1928, repeated his success of last year by winning, the championship of club champions at St. Augustine, Florida. In the qualifying round he tied for the medal with J. Toomer, the State champion, each taking 70 strokes, two under par, for the course. In the final (36 holes), Perkins lost two of the first three holes to his opponent, C. Bayard Mitchell, of Woodbury, N.J., and was still two down after six holes had been played. From that point the excellence of Perkins's long game which was backed up by consistently good putting gradually wore down. Mitchell though the latter made a fine uphill struggle, and was the winner's equal arountf the greens. Perkins was two up on the morning round, having toured the course in 71 strokes, one under par, and he won eventually 4 and 3. The cards read:— Morning Sound. Perkins—Out: 544434343—34 Mitchell—Out: 443024553—35 Perkins—ln 444355354—37—71 | Mitchell—ln: 455345355—39—74 Afternoon Sound. Perkins—Out: 44.4535444—37 Mitchell—Out: 454435463—3S Perkins—ln: 454334 Mitchell—ln: 554344 Perkins has made notable progress in his golf since taking up his resid-:

ence in America; he has won several important tournaments in the Metropolitan area, and was prominent in the Open Championship in both 1930 and ID3I. He is a regular contributor to "Golf Illustrated" (monthly) and presumably finds his game benefited by ais being obliged to give much thought to the mechanics of the golf swing. His article in the February issue of "Golf Illustrated "~ is styled "Keeping on Line"—as evidently he was able to do at Ste Augustine. The Christchurch Club's Easter tournament (Canterbury amateur championship) is one of the chief open events of the year, and "will be carried out this year on the same lines as usual. The ladids, however, are postponing their usual Easter fixture to a date just prior to the New Zealand Ladieß' Championship. In its place they are holding an open handicap foursome tourney beginning on Thursday, March 31st, all the matches being over eighteen holes. It is now announced that the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, of St. Andrews have accepted the invitation of the United States Golf Association, to send a team to the States to compete for the Walker Cup. The selection of the team will be proceeded with immediately, and the Americans have already chosen the veteran Francis Ouiinet, am ateur champion of the United States in 1914 and 1931, as captain of their side. Ouimet has played in every Walker Cup match since it was first promoted, and whether, as a player or a non-playing captain, should be a great asset to his side, the present holders of the troDhy.

The New Zealand ladies' golf chkm- • pionship meetiftg will be held "this year in Timaru, from October 6th to October 13th inclusive. The Canterbury provincial championship meeting,, which formerly has been held at the Shirley , links during Easter, has been postponed until the week preceding the New> Zea- ' land championship meeting. It will be- • gin on Wednesday, September 28th, and be continued on the two following days. A foursome tournament, on the lines of ' the autumn foursomes, will be played at Shirlev on -the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of Easter Week. The Wellington provincial championship meet- • ing. generally held early in October, i will be played this year on April sth, ; 6th, and Tfh. ; meeting of golf COUNCIL. ) * ; kirk-windeyer team. I Ten names were mentioned in coni jj ex ion with the Kirk-Windeyer Cup con--1 test at the monthly meeting of the Coun- I ! c il of the New Zealand Golf Assoeia- ! tion at Wellington on Tuesday. It was resolved that enquiry bo made ' from eight to ten representative players as to their ability to get away to Aus- , tra ii a for the Kirk-Windeyer Cup con- • test and, provided five men who are considered suitable are available, a team • consisting of that number be selected i a ud went to Australia. A sub-commit- ; teo , vas appointed for final selection, i an( j was resolved to write to the following to ascertain whether tfcejr would

bo available: —Messrs Rana Wagg, H. A. Black, T. H, Horton, J. L. Black, B. M. Silk, Dr. K. Koss, B. V. Wright, J. P. Mortland, A. D. S. Duncan, and B„ J. Smith, jun. The proposed conditions for playing future Kirk-Windeyer Cup matches as drafted by the chairman and Mr J. Crombie were adopted and ordered to be sent to 4 us tralia for confirmation. The following new clubs, which had duly made application, were elected members of the Association:—Peel Forest Homestead Golf Club, Bangitata, Canterbury; Manukau Golf Club, Papakura, Auckland. No decision wat> arrived at as to the method of playing the 1932 open and amateur championships, and_ the matter was left over until the April meeting. Forthcoming tournaments advised to the Association are as under:—Maungakiekie Golf Club, Easter handicap tournament, March 26th, 28th, and 29th; Auckland provincial championship tournament (Titirangi Golf Club's links, New Lynn, Auckland), March 26th, 28th, and 29th; Hamilton Golf Club, Easter handicap tournament, March 26th, 28th, and 29th; Manawatu Golf Club, Easter tournament, March 26th, 28th, and 29th; I Shandon Golf Club, Easter tournament, March 26th and 28th; Wellington Golf Club, Easter tournament, March 26th, 28th, and 29th; Nelson Golf Club, Easter tournament, March 26th, 28th, and 29th; Poverty Bay Golf Club, Easter handicap tournament, March 26th, 28th, and 29th.