OTAKI GOLF CLUB

Chronicle (Levin), 7 June 1946, Page 2

OTAKI GOLF CLUB

KING'S BIRTHDAY TOURNEY j 1 * { The Otaki Golf. Club held its i annual Kmg s Birthday tournament over the week-end and in changeable weather. The .fairway and greens were in excellent oraer, the greens being swept for a ,distance of 15 feet round the pin, with heavy dew remaining on the outer-green creating a good effect. in each morning's eariy sun. The attendances were quite good, uhough with so many other clubs hoiding tournaments as well the number of ! visitors was not great. Several of Levin's leading players' were among the visitors and our local "tops" were hard put to keep .he championship cup at home. Qualifying Round Sunday morning's bright sunJiine, wuH a snght breeze irom thc >ouih-west, made- conditions idea. xor the qualifying round. W. D. D'Ath headed tne field with a finc. jard of 73 gross, closeiy roilowed Dj r. Gray (7D and E. Clark (75). Foiiowing are tne resuico, the irst eignt qualilying for the cham jionship flignt, the second eight toi he first tngnt and the third eignc ^or the second flignt: W. D'Ath 7 o. £ Gray 74, E. Clark 75, J. Winternirn 78, Z. Gray 7b, T. Webster 7s. N. Clark 80 and J. Sams 82. First iight: E. Watts 82, Jfl. Anderson bii. Knight 83, A. Saunders 84, F. Jiliott H. Derham 86, P. Ahern .8 and S. Elliott 88. Second flight: 3. Sutherland 88, W. Jepson .90, R. .Slackourne 92, W. Rzoska 93, Alex vVilson 94, C. Melville 94, C. Enoka 94 and B. Rhodes 101. A medal competition was run in conjunction with this round, A. jaunders being the winner with a 38 nett.

First Round Sunday afternoon brought a sharp change in the weather for the first round o£ the flights. A qually south-westeriy changed to driving rain for the latter nine holes, but this did not prevent players carrying on their matches ana rounds to the end, only then ;oniing into the clubhouse in wet fiothes and squelching shoes. The results of the first round were; — Championship flight: W. D'Ath beat J. Sams, E. Clark beat T. Webster, Z. Gray beat J. WinterDurn, T. Gray beat W. Clark. First flight: S. Elliott beat E. Watts, H. Derham beat R. Knight, E\ Efiiott beat A. Saunders, P. Ahern beat E. Anderson. 'Second flight: B. Rhodes beat G. Sutherland, C. Melville beat R. Blackburne, W. Rzoska beat A. Wilson, C. Enoka beat W. Jepson. A bogey competition was played ilong with this round, C. Enoka winning with a score of 3-up. Second Round Monday morning saw all players arriving with. their rain jackets, umbrelias and goloshes and a .nange of clouiing, but by the timc ,he first four were on tfieir way a flne day was so much in evidenct liat all the paraphernalia pre.pared .vas left behind. The rouna wa. jiayed under ideal conditions, the greens being a 'little slower but niore true for putting. The results of the second round j Were : — Championship flight : W . 1 D'Ath beat E. Clark after a flne igame, both men playing good goif j till the putting on the final green. T. Gray beat his brother, Z". Gray, also in a very good game. First ..giiu. D. Dernam beat S. Elliott, P. Ahern beat F. Elliott. Second flight: C. Melville beat B. Rhodes W Rzo-ka beat C. Enoka. ; E. B. Anderson won the Stabi^ ' ford bogey championship run in j conjunction with the morning's I play. Final Rounds ,

The weather again turned foul for the Monday afternoon's fina: rounds. A high southerly wind carrying showers and sleet, wa. , very coid, making club handles anc ! players' hands wet and slippery. i Results were: — First flight: I j Ahern beat H. Derham 4 — 3. Sec- j ond flight: C. Melville (Levin) bea j W. Rzoska after a hard game. Open Championship The final round for the opei "hampionships between W. D'Atl , and T. Gray did not draw its usua i foiiowing on account of the weaher. Both men handfed the' j •lubs well, hitting long irons am ; woods into the driving rain. D'Ath ! did not play so well to start off and Gray's long shots and short work ! olaced him 4-up after the eighon j green. At the ninth 'Gray missed ' an easy putt for a half in bogey v-e, g nun 3-up at the tur' ' The rain eased at this stage, and j D'Ath came right on to his game, . ! his drives going straight down tnjfairways, with no mistakes in hi^ | i approaching and putting. Gray | j after missing his putt on the ninth | ibegan to miss some easy ones and Iwith D'Ath's renewed game thc I match was all square at the 12th i green. D'Ath did not let up and the match came to an end on the 16th green with W. M." D'Ath the opsn champion, defeating T. Gray three and two. The champion had been playing excellent golf throughout ttu tournament and thoroughly deserv ed his win. J. Winterburn and Z. Gray won the best ball bogey competition . that afternoon with a card of 5-up. an excellent effort under the condi5

tions, their combined card having 4 birdies, 12 bogies and two oue, overs. The week-end's activities were drawn to a close with a speech by the president, Mr. S. A. EiiiOo.., t while the president's wife handed | out the prizes and congratulated 1 the winners. Mr. Elliott in his iremarks, thanked the visiting ' players from Levin and Hokowhitu i for their patronage, and also i the local members who had tuinju ! out under adverse conditions to 1 rnake the tournament a success. j These were the players, said the ' president, who were golfers, and | who fostered the spirit that is so ! necessary to keep any sport alivc. ! A special vote of thanks w^s passed to the ladies who had worked so well to provide the men-folk .with luncheon and nice afternoon teas over the week-end. The attention of members is drawn to the Otaki Golf Club's dance to be held in the Te Horo Hall. Larkins' orchestra will supply • the music.