Golf SLOW PLAY PROBLEM

Press, Volume C, Issue 29508, 9 May 1961, Page 17

Golf SLOW PLAY PROBLEM

“No Solution Yet Found”

Slow play on golf courses was a delicate situation and the real answer to it had yet to be found, said Mr J. F. Churstain, chairman of the

management committee of the Canterbury Provincial Golf Association, at a meeting of the committee last night. The association could not, at the moment, lay down any hard and fast rule on slow play, he said. Mr Churstain’s comments were made during a long discussion on the topic after a suggestion put forward by Mr R. Challis (Waimairi). The latter claimed that Woodward Cup players took more time over their shots than those in the other two grades and said that next season those competitors should be started at the tail of the field. There would be no harm in trying Mr Challis's suggestion, said Mr C. M. Turner (Rangiora). Other players did not like playing behind Woodward Cup men he said. Mr Churstain said the idea was sound but all that could be done at present was for club starters to impress on players the desirability of not holding up the progress of the following four. Mr A. D. Russell (Amberley) said younger players were among those who Wok too much time over a shot. Mr A. C. Barr (Avondale) said the greatest amount of time lost was in getting to the ball, and Mr C. J. Ward (Christchurch) said a bad aspect was a player waiting until the green was clear before he weighed up a shot. Slow play should be tackled at club level and thus a solution could be found to the problem as it affected the inter-club competition, said Mr I. A. W. Munro (Windsor) If there was slow play in the clubs, the same tempo would be carried into the competition matches, said Mr Churstain. Mr J. Casserley (Kaiapoi) said the first day of competition golf had been most successful, only one case of slow play being apparent.