PUBLICANS AT GOLF

Evening Star, Issue 22444, 15 September 1936, Page 4

PUBLICANS AT GOLF

DUNEDIN PLAYERS SUCCESSFUL ANNUAL TOURNAMENT AND DINNER Dunedin members won the principal prizes at the South Island Licensed Victuallers’ Association’s annual golf tournament on the fe. Clair links yeserday. The tournament was a pronounced success, the weather, which was so unpleasant in the morning, clearing later in the day. Under the rules no player is permitted to win more than two fcrst prizes and one runner-up prize. The association can boast the possession of perhaps the finest collection of trophies offered for competition by any sporting body, and practically a clean sweep in the retailers’ section would have been made by Robert Aitchison, of the Bay View Hotel, had the association not wisely brought in the rule limiting the number of prizes to be won by any competitor. The allocation of the other prizes was dependent mainly on adjudication. The best rounds of the day were returned by Leo T. M'Cormack, of the City Hotel, who competed in the wholesalers’ classes. The cup for the best retailers’ rounds was won by Aitchison, with 98—92 190, the runner-up being John Richardson, of the Carlton Hotel, with 94—97 —l9l. Their respective handicaps were 18 and 16. Aitchison, who is a member of the Macandrew Bay Club, where he holed in one last season, played excellent golf for a player who has little practice, although his morning score suffered through a heavy fall on a greasy hillside and a penalty of two strokes for grounding in a bunker. With a net 74 in the afternoon, he also won the medal round, but, by adjudication, the prize went to Richardson, with a card of 97—16—81, three strokes worse than returned under ihuch more difficult conditions in the morning. With a score of 4 down, Aitchison also won the bogey match, but again the prize went to Richardson, who, under the rules, also took the net 36 holes prize with 159, five more than Aitchison. The morning medal round was won by Alf Barrett, of the New Zealander Hotel, Christchurch, his score reading 99 —24—75. He also won the morning bogey, being 8 down on the Colonel. L. T. M'Cormack was the outstanding golfer among the wholesalers. Handicapped on 6, he is a prominent member of the St. Clair Club, and previously won the wholesalers’ championship when it was held at Timaru. He took the gross score cup with two rounds .each of 85, and returned the best net score with 79—79—158, the cup, by adjudication, going to V. J. Cornago, the New Zealand representative for Dewars. The runner-up of the wholesalers’ championship was Frank Sherriff, of Dunedin. M'Cormack also won the morning medal round prize, the bogey event being won by George Forbes (Dunedin), who was 7 down. The afternoon medal round was won by A. 0. Keel, with 84 —8 —76, and he also took the prize for the bogey competition over 36 holes, and for the best gross score. Many friends of the licensed victuallers participated in matches throughout the day, and the handicap round prize was won by A. B. Watt. The competition for non-golfers, in which the standard of play was divertingly poor, was won by Arthur W. Clapp. H. E. Hastie was the winner of the friends’ bogey handicap. In the teams’ match an easy win was secured by the wholesalers, the team and the scores being:—L. T. M'Cormack 158, V. J. Cornago 161, A. C. Keel 163, F. Sherriff 163 —a total of 645. After the matches several competitions were held. The longest drive was made by B. J. Wilkes (Christchurch), and the best putter was Frank Sherriff. A silver tankard was presented to Len Hudson, who returned the biggest score of the two rounds. He took -254. A splendid day’s sport was capped with a presentation dinner at the Carlton Hotel, when a long toast list was honoured. The speeches were commendably short. Mr J. W. Young presided, and, as president of the association for the past year, he was congratulated by the visitors on the pronounced success of the tourn'ament. Mr Young presented the prizes, and, when the toast of the donors was proposed, Mr D. C. Jolly said the association could claim the finest collection of trophies he had ever seen. The secretary (Mr J. M. C. M'Leod) urged licensed victuallers to take up the game of golf, which they would find beneficial in “ reducing their girths and improving their tempers.” It was decided to hold the 1937 tournament at Timaru. Officers were elected as follows: Patron, Mr A. S. Duncan; vice-patron, Mr H, T. Speight; president, Mr G. T. Warded (Timaru) ; vice-presidents, Messrs W. Tait and A. Barrett; committee—Messrs Frank Drewitt, jun., Bex Brvam, C. M. Lagan, and W. Quirk; lion, secretary, Mr J. M. C. M'Leod.