GOLF.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2156, 23 May 1914, Page 12

GOLF.

U3i Green - ,]

CENERAL NOTES AND NEWS. Heavy rains made most of the local links unplayable last Saturday, but five members of the Hutt Club ventured out late in tho afternoon, wallowing over 13 holes with one club. Wellington players would be very envious of members of the Otaki Club under such circumstances. Notwithstanding torrents of rain on night and again on Saturday morning, only one of tho greens on tire Otaki course was wet. All tho others were in good order, the going throughout being of tho best description. A largo number of men and ladies played round the links, tho men taking part in a bogy competition for a medal presented by Mr. Byron Brown. R. 0. Kirk, who' was last to come in, returned the best card, with 3 down, the next best being Tonihi and Podovin, each 4 down. ~ Tho winner was rather amazed to hear of tho result in view of tho fact that, although ho had played scratch golf on to all greens but one, he had on ten greens lost a stroke through execrable putting.

As was remarked in last week's notes, putting deserves more attention at. the hands of players than it; receives. In a good player's score, with an overage of 2 putts to each green, it will be found that half the score is taken up in putts and yet probably hiss practice and study is given to putting than any other department of the game. The cold wind blowing on Saturday last made it difficult for any player to putt well, if ho depended upon a sense of touch to guide his putt with the requisite strength and direction. Under such circumstances it will be found best to adopt tho more mechanical method and putt with both hands firmly grasping tho grip of the club, Hints on Driving.

When Mr. Jg.hu L. Low's took "Concerning Golf" made its appearance soino .years age,, not the least isileresting feature of it was the chapter on driving by Mr. Harold H. Hilton, who may be regarded as still the greatest amateur exponent of the game. ■ Thefollowing extract from this chapter will be of particular' interest to new players:—"l hare observed a. largo number of particular phenomena in the matter of driven balls, and from them have deduced the following laws. First, that straightucss is seenwd by the avoidance of any change in tho position of tlio centre of the circle, tiia circumference of which is described by' the. clubhead. Secondly, that the club-head will on tho down swmg pass over tlio sarao path which it . took on Use upswing. Thirdly, that the. paco at which the club-head reaches the ball will be greatly diminished unless the segment of the- circle described after the moment of impact'be at least as long as the segment described before it. These three laws have thoit corresponding rules. First,, stand firm, and don't sway or look up. Second, in addressing tho ba.ll, assume, such a position that tho hack swing is not damned, and keep the back-swing; under control. Third, let there be no 'bending of the arms after the. ball lias boen' el'uek until tho circk is completed." '

The Statesman am the Cathiy. It was on the links at Lessiem-outh, last summer, -where one of tho greatest living British statesmen was anxiously inspecting his ball as it lay in the rough about thirty yards to tlio right of tho' eleventh hole. Uncertain as to which club to select for so important an approach shot, he turner} for counsel to his caddy, a small Scottish lad of some, ten summers. The pair fanned one of the prettiest pictypes imaginable; on the ono hand, the "gfoy-httadeel lint perplexed statesman, gravely, urging the advisability of taking a- tnashic: on tho other, the ragged, towsolheaded urchin, insisting upon tho use. of a niblick. From tho serious expression upon 1:1 m eminent politician's face ho might well have Iwen consulting a. Cabinet colleague upon some nur-stion of vital import to the Empire, and I watcl'i.od with interest to see the upshot of their deliberations. It was all in vain that the hard-headed Minister of State, the man. in whoso hands lay .the destinies of a ftre.it people, pleaded for his mashio: tho barefooted urchin stubbornly shook his head, and with an imperious gesture tlmisfc&tho niblick into his employer's hand. Shrugging his shoulders in that resigned, fashion thnt tho House of Commons knows so well, the statesman took the proffered club, and in anotite-r moment had laid his ball within sis inches of the hole. Do you wonder, dear reader, that as t turned away from this moving scenewith a lump in nay throat and the tears starting to my eyes. I should have fait .that I had at last- learnt something of tlie qualities that render constitutional party government possible, that I hail ; discovered perhaps somo inkling of what it is that mokes us Britons what, we are.? ra.Hior, No.—Harrv Graham, in "The Pall Mali Magazine." Send for tfee Gel? Specialist, In a cleverly written article in an English ' paper, Jamas Douglas waxes sarcastic at the expense of those players, who are incapable of Making any appreciable ndvawo in the game of goif. Inter alia, ho .says:—"lt seems to mo that a vast- amount of human suffering would he iivcHcd if it were established once for all that there aro many persons who are naturally incapable of playing golf, and who aro proof against all the a<l"iee, counsel, and instruction of text-books and professional golf-doc-tors. There is a well-defined malady which I may call galf-biindness, and it is as hopeless to struggle against it as it is to struggle against colourblindness. The golf-Mind person is incurable. Ho is horn golf-blind, and nothing can alleviate his infirmity. Therefore before any sana human, being should bo allowed to take up golf, 'heshould be sent to a golf-specialist whose dutv it would be to examine him as nn

oculist examines your eyes. An oculist can toll whether a man is fit to he a navigator or an engines-driver or a signalman. The golf-spceialist in Hws same way ottjjlit to bo able to tell whether a man is fit to play cjolf. This pestilent sport abounds in masims which oujrlit to pat its martyrs on their guard. The most famous as .well as the most odious ,?>f those maxiftis is the lotlisome inhiftctioi;, 'Keep your oyo on the ball.' I make bold to assort thatfor nine persons out of ten this dotes tablo edict is absolutely derisory. It is contrary_ to their character to obey it. There is an overwhelming impulse in tlio very depths of their Soul til disobey it. Here then is the first tost which everybody who is in danger oi" bei'sin; captured by tlte imps of golf Audit, to apply himself. If he rannnt koe» his eye on ball, let him immediately smash alt his clubs and proceed to pick oakum, or break stones, or make woolly mats, or play patience, or join an Antarctic expedition." Jottings. Judge Hamilton, who has just been permanently' appointed to the District Court in New "South Wales, was a famous all-round athlete in his young 'lavs. In Sydney, his game has been principally golf, but he has net i'ecu able to play 'much lately. Me was one. of the original founders of the "ot»l Sydney Golf Clttii.

Francis Onmict. the brilliant yoiuig American, who burst into notoriety thraugli winuius the American Open Championship after badly healing Vardon and Hay, failed to survive the third round.'of \ he English Amateur Championship. It appears that Oinniet's grip ot' the. club is not the usual overlapping grip, first brought into general uso by Vardon'a example, but

is what is known as the inter-locking grip. That is to Bay tho little finger of tho right hand, instead of renting on tho knuckles of the first finger of the left Laud, is'slipped in between the first and second fingers of that hand, tho first finger of tiio left hand pressing down between the knuckles of the third and fourth fingers of the right hand. The lucid interval in tho continuous southerly weather, which occurod Inst Wednesday, allowed the Hatt ladies to get off their Golf Union Modal rounds The score of tho winner (Mrs. J. 1\ Murphy), gross 86,' handicap 9, net 77, was the exact par of tho course fixed by the Golf Union. It was a very good performance considering tho going was so holding. The enterprise of E, W.. Mills and Co., in fitting up two nets on which inside golf practice can bo obtained in town, is being much appreciated. Many beginners at the game aro taking advantage of the opportunities the nets offer.