GOLF

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 94, 15 January 1935, Page 6

GOLF

The Game In New Zealand AN IMPORTANT YEAR Cause for Satisfaction (By ‘'Niblick.”) Viewing 1034 in retrospect, the golfers of the Dominion have good cause to he well satisfied with the year which has just goue. It was, perhaps, the mo> ; important year which the game in this country has enjoyed. First of all came the Australian team to contest the Kirk-Windeyer Cup contest at Auckland, and in thia the Dominion quartet was successful in regaining the coveted trophy from Australia. Then, in December, came that master of the game, Gene Sarazen. to help by precept and example. No player who has ever visited this country has done more to improve the standard of play than Sarazen, who. won both the British and American open championships m iJoz. The displays and lectures he gave attu his matches were of incalculable lalue, and on all sides golfers willingly admit that from him. they learnt many things which have improved their play. Sarazen not only gave sound advice to coffers, but he also gave advice to clubs and to the Golf Council, which, if acted upon, will do much to improve further the standard of play in this country. advocacy of the American policy oi Pjuying zone tournaments in order to nnu the open and amateur champions was sound. There has been too much congestion at New Zealand championship tournaments in the past, with consequent waste of time. His advice that New Zealand should.follow the American system of playing all championship matches over 36 holes would be heartily endorsed by the majority of players m the Dominion. Sarazen even went so far ns to attribute America’s superiority over Great Britain in recent years largely to this fact. The British Team. Hard upon the heels of Gene Sarazen came the team from the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, which was the first team of amateur players, apart from the visits of our Australian cousins, ever to visit these shores. The visit from. the British amateurs served as a searching test of the standard of play in New Zealand, and it must be said that the result was most creditable. As the captain of the British team, Hou. Michael Scott, said, at the close of the tour, all New Zealand players required to bring them upsides with the best amateurs in older countries was more frequent matches with the best players, from overseas. No doubt the council of the New Zealand Golf Association has in mind a scheme to send a team of Dominion amateurs to compete at the British open and amateur championship tournaments when times are better. The trip which Miss Oliver Kay and Miss Bessie Gaisford paid to Britain last year.will do much to ripen their experience,- and improve the standard of women’s griffin the Dominion. Better Greens. It is not surprising that Gene Sarazen and the British amateurs were not enamoured of New Zealand links. They visited this country at a time when it was experiencing an abnormal drought, and consequently fairways were burnt biscuit colour, and greens were as hard as. brick. Sarazen stated that in America fairways and greens were kept well watered in the summer time, with the result that it was possible to stop the ball after pitching boldly to the green. It has- to be remembered, however, that greens in America, Great Britain, and the Continent have a mat of several inches of grass, and it is this fact that enables players to stop the Ball. New Zealand clubs are not as wealthy as many of those in older and more populous countries, but links, in the Dominion are being gradually improved, and water has been laid on to every green on most of the leading courses. What committees should aim at is obtaining a thicker carpet of grass on the greens, in order that they may be able to stand up to drought, conditions better. Minor Clubs Advancing. It is pleasing to see that the minor clubs of Wellington are producing players of class. This was forcibly demonstrated at the Miramar club’s New Year open tournament; when three representatives from minor clubs came through to the semi-finals, and two of them, W. J. Davidge (Shandon) and Harold Boon (Titahi) fought out the final, which ended in Davidge taking his first open title by 7 and 5. Davidge showed that he is a player to be reckoned with by defeating Harold Black (Miramar), who had headed the list of qualifiers with rounds of 72 and 75, by 1 up in the second round. He then put F. W. Page (Manor Park) out in the semi-final by 3 and 1. Davidge used to hit a very long ball, but this season he has concentrated on control of the ball, and his direction with wood and irons was excellent throughout the tournament. To show the quality of the golf he played, it is only necessSry to state that in the final he was one under 4’s for the 13 holes played. Harold Boon proved that lie is coming into the front rank of players by his performances in this tournament. In the second round he beat that sound player W. T. Kuru, of Waipukurau, and in the semi-final he outplayed Jack Black by 2 and 1. . ? The hardest tussle of the whole tournament was between the two Hutt players. Jack’Black and Guy Horne, in the second round. This argument was not decided until tiie twenty-third hole was reached, where Black won. Garnett’s Long Driving. “Nemo” writes: “I notice in your reports on the golf match between the British team and the New Zealand representatives that you refer to Garnett’s long driving, particularly his drive at the eighteenth hole on Monday. You say that it finished about 20 yajds from the green. I saw the drive myself, and took special note of where it came to rest. This morning I paced the distance to the green and found that it was (roughly) 70 yards io the edge of the green and 94 yards to the flag. This would mean a drive of 320 to 330 yards, whereas your statement would infer a drive of about 380 yards,-and I doubt whether the longest driver could hit a ball 380 yards on the Heretaunga links.” Golfers will thank “Nemo” for so accurately measuring the length of this drive, and it will be interesting to see whether any other player will lie canable of landing his ball off the eighteenth tee at Heretaunga where the Englishman placed his in the-foursomes against New Zealand. Garnett will be for ever remembered by golfers in New Zealand for his mighty driving. Even the hard-hitting Harry Hatterslcy. of Sydney, could, not get the length off the lee Ihat Garnett showed here. A Hard Fight. The final for the junior championship of the Wellington club at the week-end saw a great fight between D. Brown and W. 11. Simpson. The match was over 36 holes, and Brown did the morning, round tn 83 to go in to lunch 6 up. Simpson put up a spirited tight in the afternoon, and played so well that the match was all square at the thirty-sixth. An exciting finish saw Brown take the title at the thirty-seventh. Simpson covered the course in 82 in the afternoon.