Golf. SHORT GAME WINS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 24, 21 October 1937, Page 9

Golf. SHORT GAME WINS

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Lessons Learnt at Recent Tournaments CLUB ACTIVITIES

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Eeports of recent tournaments, especially the New Zealand championship for men at Hamilton and * the ladies at Waiohiki, emphasise the value of the short game, for it was the winners' accuracy in approaching and putting that won both and gained the titles .for B. M. Silk at Hamilton and Mrs. G-. - Hollis at Waiohiki. Siik's putting especially was brilliant as the reports state he was sinking' putts up to all distances 20, 30, and 40 f2et being apparentiy simple. He also sank several approaches, and when he did not do this he was so- .well . placed on the green that he generally required but one putfc to finish off the hoie. Mrs. Hollis was also very sure of her. short >vork and her putting was good, while. m# several instances slxe' holled out from off the green. From the tees and through the fairways, their work was of necedsity accurate in the main, but so were the: other players. The finishing touches wore around the green and up to the pin, where their eonsistent • accuracy wore d°wn their opponents. Yet how many piayerg do we see practising at their short game? One can always see players practising with their drivers, but it is hard to recall the sight of a player, either male or t'emale, with a dozen balls around a green practising approacjh shots, or even run-up putts. Of course,. a number of players can alw;ays be seen on a clubhouse putting green, trying hole after hole, with Oue ball, but that is not real practice. . A player should get out with at least a dozen balls if he is going to practice with any club. He then has a chance to correct his .errors, and by trying the same shot over land over again, obtain that. touch that gives him a mastery of his stroke and enables him .to weair down his opponent. " . _ " It is by the errors of his opponent tliat one golfer triumphs over another. A soratch player makes .fewer mistakes -than a ten-handicap man, and the latjber fewer than' a fifteen-handipap'man. It is the superior accuracy of the scratch man that enables him to score consistently around the par of the course and likewise with the. other graded handicap men. We werq taught at school and had to write that exoellent precept ''Practice makes perrect,1' and for golt nothing better has " eyer been printed, . but how many ever put it into practice? • " Hastings Club. A medal match was the* fixture for last Thursday when three long-handi-cap men headed the list D. F. McLeod (24) and L. Fisher (22) returned cards pf 70 nett, the former winning the event after ft count-back. G. Evans (24) took 'third p-ace with- a nett return of 72. J. L. Paterson (8) and D. M. Mclntosh (16) were the' next with 74 nett ' each. A four-ball best ball bogey match was staged on Saturday afternoon and the leading -division returned good scores. T. Garrod and O. L. Vidal headed the list with a. return of 8 up. They combined very well and played good golf. H; Hamilton and J. McDonald also played well to take second place with 6 up/ Next came. C. Campbell and G. Murfitt, with 4 up, and O. T. Taaffe and D. H. Grieve, 2 up. Caddies* Tournamept. A one-round tournament for the caddies who officiate at the Hastings linka is staged for Saturday next. The'club's professicnal, J. Lambie, has organised this event on, the same lines as last year's tournament with pfizes fo'r the best gross- and best nett scores. The caddies have been divided into two divisions, senior and junior, and play will commence at"8.30 a.m. A lunchedn will b© provided for the boys ,at the clubhouse after the event by seveyal, interested club members. . Trophies have been donated by Mrs. D. H. Newbigin, Messrs. J. B. Fletcher, J. F.. Jones, H. E. Simmons and J. Lambie. Last "year's event created considerable interest and the winner was only determined after a play-off between two of them. Judgrag by the occasional glimpses of their play this season the boys will again astonishi some of their employera with their prowess. V End of tho Season The conclusion of this season's official programme of matchcs by the Hastings Club will be celebrated on Labour Day, Monday, October 25, with ft field day. In the morning the annual family foursome, open to partners "who are members of the same family, as, father and son, or daughter; mother and son or daughter ; husband and wife, will be played. For these not eilgible for the family foursome a fourball bogey match will be staged for men and a separate match for the ladies. In the afternoon a mixed Canadian foursome will be the event fcx decision. A dance will be held in the clubhouse in the evening, during whicli the presentation of trophies wor throughout the season will be made. Although this marks the close of the f season for competition play, the course will, as in former years, be open foi ) friendly games for some time, probablj 3 throughout the summer if conditions ' will allow. f -