How to play GOOD GOLF

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 214, 4 May 1932, Page 6

How to play GOOD GOLF

j J.

McCORMICK

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j SPECI.LLLY ^VRXTTEN FOK THE « MORXING POST » j "BY J. MCCORMICIC, j OEEICIAL COACH TO TJIE IiOTORHA GOLE ClAJB : ; (All Rig-hts Reservecl) i I. Golf is a game which has fascinated me from my earliest j \ years. Almopt as soon as i was able to handle a stick I handled I j a golf club, and at the age of ten years I was on the scratch i j mark in boys' competitions. At fifteen I eompeted in the New j j Zealand championship, and at sixteen I eompeted in the New ; | Zealand open and professional championship. Since then I have j j devoted my time to coaching and, when circumstances permit, j | which is only too rare, to playin'g. Golf has an absorbing interest ■! j for me, and therefor my chosen profession of coaching is really j j a labour of love. I like to see my pupils progress, and I try to ! j instil into every one the desire to improve and get the full enjoy- j j ment of excelling at this, the grandest of all games. j j I have had the satisfaction of coaching many ehampions j j and in making a good golfer from a raw beginner I take a real j j pride. Coaching comes natural to me, and while I feel that any \ j ordinarily athletic person is a potential champion in the hands of j j the right coach, the real coaches are not easily found. In other j j words, the forte of a coach is in not merely knowing his golf, but \ j in being able to impart his knowledge. to others. Thus a good ! j player is not necessarily a good coach. \ It is not always hard to see the main faults in a swing, but j j there are many fine faults which play a tremendous part in the j ; game that are extremely difficult to detect, and by the same j ; token even harder to correct. I can justifiably ' claim that in j ; these departments .of the game I have exeelled in my coachipg j j and now, having set myself to write a series of articles on the ; ; game, I hope that my readers will be able to follow my reasoning | carefully and when the last column is written, if I have added '■ j to the pleasure or ability of jfiayers, or their knowledge of the I j game, then my effort will not have been wasted. ! I propose to deal with the game from the first tee back • ; to the clubhouse, and I will explain the use of every necessary • club. In doing this I will endeavour to write exactly as I coach. j ARTICLE I. j THE ETIQUETTE OF GOLF j I \ It is really surprising as well as painful to see how many j points in this important department of the game are neglected j by players who should really know better. j To start with the tee. It is important to stand facing i the player who is addressing the ball. Never stand at the side j or back of your opponent when he is taking his stroke. This E also applies equally when you are together on the fairway. On : the putting green keep well away from the line of putt to the j hole. It is essential in the interests of fair play and sportsman- \ ship to allow an opponent to concentrate on his game without \ in any way distrac'ting him by getting in his line of vision. j The player who wins the previous hole has the honour at E the next and it is bad form to tee your ball before he has driven. = Similarly, when others are aheaj of you, never play your stroke = until they are out of reach and do not play on to the green until j they have holed out. , l For their part, players who have holed .out should not try = missed putts over agaiu, jot down scores when standing on the j green or engage in arguments about the score to the annoyance E of players coming up behind t.iem, but should retire from the E green as quickly as possible. j When hunting for a ball, the right thing is to signal follow- j ing players to come on, but onca you have done that the passing j player must be given plenty of time to get .out of reach. i Cutting in is a very pernicious custom anA is the height j of bad form. Players who do this have no standing on the course. j Of course it is not always posfible to play a full round when jj time or the light does not perm.t, but parties who are playing a jj full round must be given preftrence when they come in range, jj otherwise they would be quite within their rights in "playing jj through" without apology. = A point which cannot emphasised too much is the l necessity of replacing all cut turf at once. The replacement e should be firmly pressed down with the foot so that the next E golfer coming along will not he i.ifuriated by finding his ball lying j in a hole in what should be a pcrfect fairway. jj Failure to replace turf marks the golfeV as selfish and l shows a lack of regard for the feelings of fellow members, the E committee and the greenkeepe.-s. The spectacle is frequently E seen of greens brought to perfect order at great expense only = to be scarred by some careless individual either too selfish or = too ignorant to carry out the elementary rule of turf replacing. j What applies to greenrs and fairways also applies to = bunkers. Treat them as they should be treated and- as golf j etiquette demands. Never by any chance walk in or out over j the front of the bunker, but always via the back. Any holes you 1 may make take only a moment or two to smooth out. § When you engage a caddie, teach him to stand by the i hole, but always to the side, holding the flag at ann's length so jj as to avoid throwing a shadow in the line of your own or your E opponent's putt, This point ohould also be borne in mind if you = are holding the flag yourself for an opponent. = If you have incurred a penalty of any sort, tell your jj opponent about it immediately. Ej Treat your course with respect by trying to keep it clean jj and beautiful. Cigarette cards and packets, torn score cards and | chocolate wrappers are not aits to beauty, and should not be jj thrown down indiscriAinately. = Don't inflict your tiouLles and private woes on your i opponent during the round, — or after it for that matter. Remem- i ber, he may have just as many of his own and is playing golf jj as a recreational means of forgetting them. jj Don't try to tell your opponent where he is wrong; he jj probably lcnows more about that than you do. In any case con- jj centrate on eliminating your own faults and let your opponent j= look after his. = Keep your place in thc round, if possible, by playing your = shots with a minimum wast 3 of time and by walking briskly = between shots. If you are pressed by faster players, let them | through. ■ | Play the Royal and Ancisnt Game as it should be played, _ | and in the true sporting spirit. It is not in the spirit of the game | to try and work points on your opponent by putting down a § stroke less, making remarks about various shots or taking an | unnecessarily long time to play your own shots, etc. This sort f of thing only serves to get you marlced on the course and event- = ually you will find that others wish to be excused from playing = with you. § Correct Dress. — This may seem a very personal matter to § touch on in an article of this nature, but I intend only to indicate jj the broad requirements. | Men I advise to wear plus fours and a belt. You may not jj , fancy getting into plus fours at first, but once you do you will = • have no regrets. They give you ease, power and freedom, with- = out any dragging impediment around the feet. The belt is an | adjunct to free action also and does away with the pulling effect jj that braces have on the shoulders. Plus fours are decidedly the jj most suitable golfing apparel. With them you may have the jj choice of a leather jacket, a pull-over, a weather-proof lumber jj jacket or, if the weather is propitious, a soft shirt. | Ladies should study ease and freedom when choosing their | golfing apparel. Unnecessary clothes hamper the swing and | should be avoided. Neatness and comfort are the first consid- jj erations. / 5 My next article will appear in Saturday's issue of the jj "Morning Post," and will deal with "Clubs and Gear; How to jj Choose and Care for Them." * Ej iimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiuiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiniiiiimiiniiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiif: