GOLF TEAM RETURNS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 265, 2 July 1932, Page 6

GOLF TEAM RETURNS

(Special to the "Post.")

gain in experience MANAGER CONSIDERS PLAYERS FULLY JUSTIFIED SELECTION. FAST GREENS A ' DIFFICULTY.

WELLINGTON, Thursday, That Messrs, B. Silk, J. P. Hornabrook, H. A. Black and R. Wagg, the New Zealand members of the KirkWindeyer Cup team fully justified their selection was the opinion expressed by the manager, Mr. G. 0. Sutton, in the course of an interview upon the return of the members to Wellington by the Marama from Australia on Tuesday. "Longer courses and handicapping to par instead of the standard scratch score, made Australian scores represent rather better golf than the same figures on New Zealand courses, but the fast greens were the greatest difficulty met by the New Zealanders, who, says Mr. Sutton, were the equal of their opponents in the long game. "There is not a shadow of doubt that the team justified their selection," said Mr. Sutton, "and, although we only won two matches against four, that is really hardly a clear indication of the diffefence in the standard of play between the two sides. On the Gneens. Off the tees and through the fairways the members of our team generally were equal to their opponents, despite the fact that two particularly of the New South Wales team were specially long drivers. It was really on the greens that the New Zealand side experienced most difficulty at Rose Bay, their main trouble in this respect being that the greens there are always kept very closely cut, and this, added to the fact that very drying winds were prevalent, made the greens exceedingly fast. In spite of this, however, the members of the team have nothing but admiration for the Rose Bay course, and for the kind way in which members and officials looked after them during their visits to the various golf clubs. Australian Handicapping. "Courses that were visited by members of the team included Kensington, Eleanora, Manly, and La Perouse. They all gave ample evidence to our players of the splendid courses and putting greens in Australia, that provided in every instance very fine tests of golf. All members of the team are fairly convinced that the method of handicapping in New South Wales against the absolute par of the course instead of the standard scratch score is one of the things that improves their players' games. As an instance, a hole of 430 yards would be down on the eard as a 4, when in New Zealand it would almost invariably be a 5, and the New Zealand player would be more or less satisfied if he secured it in that score. Naturally, with this system of handicapping, they have no scratch players in Australia, and such men as Dr. Bettington and W. Dobson, who played off in the final of the State championship last Saturday, are both on the handicap of 4. "All the courses that were visited by our members were longer than the majority of courses in New Zealand, yet the members played against pars of 71 or 72 in most cases. I am perfectly sure that each member of the team will find that he has benefited his game very considerably through the visit to Australia, and all the party came away with the happiest recollections of the friendships made on the golf links in and round Sydney."