GENERAL GOSSIP

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 60, 2 June 1927, Page 11

GENERAL GOSSIP

A PRETTY QUIP

A well-known member of Kensington, Sydney, Golf Club, who unaccountably walked into the harbour in his dress clothes the other evening, says an Australian exchange, has received the following letter from a city firm: Dear sir, some two weeks back, through a sling breaking on one of our inter-State ships, we lost two cases of Johnston’s wax. These are now lying at the bottom of the harbour. It has come to our knowledge that you handle this class of work, and we would be obliged for a quote.”

WELLINGTON NOTES

Superiority over their opponents was displayed in no uncertain manner by the Aliramar Golf Club a week ago, when they had a decisive win in a teams’ match played against the Hutt Club. Strange to say, the Hutt Club won all their teams’ matches last year, whereas, in the only two they have taken part in so far this season, they have lost, and lost very badly at that. It may be that the Miramar players have kept themselves at a fair standard of form during the summer months, they possessing advantages for play in that direction. Twenty-four games were played all told, Aliramar winning 16, the Hutt six, with two games squared. The A teams played at Aliramar, and the B teams at the Hutt. The Hutt representative, J. L. Black his U £am P a p . a^ icular ly sood card in tns game against J. H. Drake at Mirarnar wmnmg G and 4. His cards for 4«443 54 i «f S read as follows:—Out, *44443044, 36; m, 44342543, 34. At nnd n f ßla + k WaS 3 up while the twelfth spect^e , iy eenth S " hlm 5 and 6ap The only other game won by the Hutt among the A teams went to Rana UIU U° defeated A - E - Conway, 2 u l ea J? e Was Sf l uare at the ninth, but on the homeward journey owr? S WaS able to more than hold his The most outstanding feature of the only squared game at Aliramar between FI. A. Black and J. L. Petley, was the splendid recovery of the latter after the turn, where he was 5 down. Black’s card for the first nine holes was 35, whereas on the homeward journey Petley took the tenth, eleventh, thirteenth, fourteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth, while the twelfth, fifteenth and eighteenth were squared.

OTAGO CHAMPIONSHIP

• In the semi-finals of the Otago Golf Club’s championship, Dr. Kenneth Ross beat Butchers 5 up and 4 to play, and G. F. Barnett heat E. J. Hocking 2 up and 1.

The Otago provincial champion made no race of the final. He was out in 37 and returned in the same number, being 6 up at the conclusion of the first round. Barnett played steadier golf after lunch, but he could not overtake the big lead established by his opponent, who ran out a winner to the tune of 7 up and 6 to play. This was Ross’s eighth victory in the event, which he has won on every occasion on which he started.

HOW MANY CLUBS?

Lieutenant-Colonel J. Symons, honorary secretary of the Exeter Golf Club, in an attempt to answer the oft-re-peated question, “What number of clubs should make up the golfer’s oLitfit ?” sends me particulars of a nine holes score competition in which competitors were allowed the use of only one club, the selection to be left to the individual, says an English writer. It was won by Alajor A. Dering, who, using a mashie, went round in 38, as against a bogey of 36. The nine holes measured 22,681 yards, and at no hole did Major Dering take more than 5. He beat bogey once, and was one stroke too many on three occasions. I know of no instance where a competition of this nature has been won by a lower score than that compiled by Major Dering. The significant feature of it was that the best gross score for nine- holes in any of the other stroke competitions during the same meeting and in which competitors had the use of all their clubs, was 41.

ENGLISH LADIES

BEATEN BY OUTSIDER Allle. de la Chaume won the British ladies’ open championship at Newcastle, County Dqwn, a week ago. She came into prominence in British ladies’ golf circles in 1924 when she won the British girls’ championship. In 1925 she was runner-up to Aliss Glenna Collett, the brilliant American player, in the French ladies’ open championship and last year she won this event, defeating Aliss Cecil Leitch, 3 and 2 in the final. Last year Allle. de la Chaume reached the semi-final of the British ladies’ championship. When the details are available it will be interesting to see how Allle. de la Chaume got through the draw and how she won her matches. There is no doLibt about her skill. She is a real champion, and as she is very young, will be hard to beat in any event for which she enters. With her victory another British golf title goes out of its own country, and this particular title, the ladies’ open championship, goes out of Britain for the first time in its history of 33 years. SERIOUS? It has been said that the Englishman takes his games seriously. The American is showing that he can far outdo him in that respect. Recently two Americans while playing had an argument as to the tally of their strokes, which developed into a stand-up fight. Evidently their skill in fisticuffs was no better than it had proved in hitting a golf ball, for they appeared to be unable to hurt enough with their hands. So they eventually agreed to stand off 50 paces and blaze away two dozen balls at one another, using their play clubs for the purpose. At the drop of a hat, therefore, firing began, and this time some real damage was done, and more threatened until a policeman, happening along, put an end to hostilities. All the same, 50 yards was a respectable •distance, and seems to imply that the bad counters were not quite so bloodthirsty as they pretended to be. The incident recalls the reply of the bishop when his reverence was asked if he approved of prize-fighting. "Indubitably I do,” he replied, “for there is always a certainty of two rascals getting a good hiding.”

Abe Mitchell won the “Daily Alail” tOLirnament with a score of 294. Other scores were: Robson 297, A. Compston 302, Davies 303, Williamson 305. J. Taylor, C. Ockenden. R. A. Whitcombe 307, A. G. Havers 30S.

THE REASON WHY

KIRK-WINDEYER MATCHES “VICTORIA IGNORED” Even up to the present time, in view of different accounts, it does not seem to be certain that Victoria will take part in the Kirk - Windeyer Cup matches in Sydney. One report says they will, and the next disputes it. The trouble seems to have occurred because of New South Wales proceeding to make the arrangements without consulting others. The “Australasian,” commenting on the position, states: "The visit to Sj’dney in June of a full-strength New Zealand amateur team of four deserves to be and ought to be one of the great events of the Australian season. However, through some bungling in the arrangements, whereby Victoria has not only been ignored in the negotiations, but left without even the baldest advice in the matter, a prospect exists that Victoria' may not take part in the tournament. “The absence of the strongest playing State from the lists would practically amount to the defeat of the main purpose of the enterprising New Zealanders’ invasion. In view of that possible and most regrettable contingency it is hoped that, despite the want of forethought displayed by the originators of the idea—of course it was nothing else than pure thoughtlessness—it is hoped the executive of the \ ictorian Golf Association can see its way to take immediate steps toward rectifying matters, so that this State may be represented in the tournament, and the visitors consequently paid the compliment they deserve of the best men on this side meeting them. “It is the more desirable that the V.G.A. do this, as the leading players here are anxious to measure their strength with Die champions from the Dominion. The names of these have only to be mentioned for their quality to be realised.”

HAMILTON COURSE

SUBJECTED TO CRITICISM WHICH IS NOT JUSTIFIABLE

Hamilton golfers are rather perturbed because their course—due for the New Zealand championships in September—has come under criticism. The comments that have caused hurt are that the carries reqtiired from the tees are too long, and the greens “are frequently marred by coarse foreign growths.” Only a few of the carries are in question and measurements have been taken to see just how far the carries are. Some. of the figures obtained were: No. 2.—Rough, 100 yards. Bunker 167 yards from tee. No. r 4.—Rough, 152 yards, reducible to 125 in case of head wind. No. 8. —Rough, 149 yards (or 134). Fairway only 40 yards wide. No. 11.—Rough, 163 to 170 yards (or 150). Wide fairway. And so they go on. No. 11 may cause trouble for a wide ball, and the last fairway is fairly narrow, with a 148 to 158 carry necessary. On these figures players of championship standard should have no difficulty and the course does not call for adverse comment on them. The “coarse foreign growth” is t paspal ujn grass, which becomes stalky in the summer, but causes no inconvenience in winter and early spring conditions.

THE DRIVE COUNTS

One hears remarks in the pavillion and elsewhere about the relative unimportance of the drive as a scoring factor. Golfers should make no mistake about this matter. A good drive is of immense importance to the successful round, and that, apart altogether from the feeling of elation it gives one, which in itself is by no means a negligible help towards success.

A striking case can be cited to prove the truth of this contention —if indeed a thing so obvious requires proof. Two players, one a champion and the other a long marker, were in the habit of playing together a good deal. The title-holder conceded liis friend a stroke a hole. Their respective stroke rounds ranged respectively from 70 (or sometmies a 60-odd) to 75 and 85 to 95.

The poor player maintained that almost the whole of the difference between their games was represented by the immense disparity there existed between their drives. In fact, he offered to back himself to defeat the champion if the champion would use his drives and if he were permitted to use those of the champion. The bet was taken, it being, of course, understood that each would do his best off the tee. They both drove about their average balls, and the result was that the champion was round in 78 and his opponent in 79. So the swapped drives meant an increase of 7 or 8 strokes to the round of the champion, and a reduction of 10 or 11 to that of the duffer. This was as near bearing out the contention of the receiver of the odds as could well be—7S to 79.

MORE THAN ONE DAY OF THANKSGIVING Pro; My wife likes to play with me. but she tires so quickly. Duffer: Always something to be thankful for, ain’t there?