Concerning Putting

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 144, 8 September 1927, Page 9

Concerning Putting

. f NOTHING SHOULD BE DONE TO MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT

TOO MUCH SHAVING Putting, the trundling of the ball along the ground over a carefully prepared surface, is the one department of golf which has never been conquered and never will be, even by Americans. The first-class player who goes round in 75, is not generally dissatisfied if he takes. 35 putts, leaving but 40 others to be divided between the remaining clubs in his bag—perhaps ten or a dozen. If the course be 6,200 yards, it means in other words, that 6,000 yards of that distance have been covered in 40 strokes, and the remaining 200 yards, probably fewer than more, in 35 strokes.

PUTTING OUT OF PROPORTION It is obvious that putting plays a part in the game out of all proportion to the other departments, and there is surely justification for an assertion that nothing whatever shall be done to make putting more difficult; that, if possible, the proportion of putts to drives, iron shots, mashies and so on, should be reduced. The craze for ’umps and ’ollows on the greens of a very pronounced character had a very short life, and there is a distinct tendency in these days to come round to the point of view that all the necessary difficulties should be created off the greens; the work when they are reached to be made as easy as possible. A SHEER IMPOSSIBILITY To-day the chief enemies of this theory are the greens committees of clubs, not to mention greenkeepers. For the most part they suffer in an acute degree from a confusion of thought. They rightly recognise the greens should be as perfect as circumstances will permit, but they think that what is required is perfection to the eye regardless of what may be practical perfection. The ambition, generally, is to secure putting surfaces which look like billiard tables with superfine cloths. These look lovely, but they are emphatically not ideal for the player with very few exceptions. In the summer months —when we get any—in particular, we get on most well-kept courses, greens which are ridiculously fast, greens on which it is impossible to hit the ball firmly, greens on which putts of even an appreciable length must, almost literally, be “trickled.”

I refuse to call this good putting. The whole foundation of good putting, as with every shot in the game, is the firm and true hitting of the ball, and that is often a sheer impossibility upon modern greens in the summer-time. LESS SHAVIING I am satisfied that much greater satisfaction would be afforded the vast majority of golfers—or, I should say, much less dissatisfaction, for golfers will never be satisfied with greens—woLild be miserable if they could not blame these for their poor scores. Greater satisfaction would exist if greens were not shaved so close, and thus made so fast. They would not “look” so nice, but they would play far .better—in the view of the great majority. Nor should we hear so many sad tales on those occasions when we get a dry spell of bilrned-up greens. But it is very difficult to convince greens committees and green-keepers.

RECORD MATCHES A year ago when Macdonald Smith and Gene Sarazen pushed each other 54 extra holes for a decision in the Metropolitan open championship at Salisbury, they equalled the record of Miss Fanny Osgood and the late Mrs. E. C. Wheeler, both of Boston, who travelled the same extra distance to decide the women’s eastern at Atlantic City, more than 20 years ago. ’ Since a couple of other instances have bobbed up that not only equal but break that Miss Boyce and Mrs. Goodale, of the Royston Club, .England, recently went 60 holes to settle a challenge cup competition. Douglas Nelles and Jack AlcKlee in playing for the Adams Cup lately at the Norfolk Club, Ontario, Canada, went 106 holes before Nelles prevailed.

CANADIAN AMATEUR For the second time Dan Carrick, a youngster who hails from Toronto, Canada, has won the Canadian amateur golf championship. He defeated Frank Thompson, of Chicago, at Ancaster, Ontario, 7 up and 6 to play in a 36hole final match. Carrick also won the championship in 1925. Carrick had a lead of five holes in the afternoon match and Thompson made futile efforts to overcome it. Carrick, however, was playing a sensational game. He steadily increased his gains and was 6 up on Thompson at the threequarter mark.

OLD FRIENDS ARE. BEST Young Jock saw a lassie; A strange blue-eyed lassie; As fair as a sunbeam, an’ bonnie, ye ken. But she was just pretty; Nae lovin’ or witty—■ Sae Jock hurried back to his old love again. Young Jock saw a brassie; A new, temptin’ brassie; He hoarded, and bought it, and tried it, ye ken. But looks are deceivin’ ”Twas past a’ believin’ — Sae Jock started in wi’ his auld yin again. AlacPherson AlcNiblick says: “If a cup is the same as a mug and that is the same as a face, my girl has the prettiest loving cup I ever saw.” Until we rubber-necked at a recent women’s one-day tournament we had no idea the girls were wearing their legs so much longer than last season. Did You Know That.-—lf golf holes were made as big as circus rings, some clowns in baggy trousers would still fool around the edges.