GOLF CLUBS PREPARE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 297, 7 March 1928, Page 7

GOLF CLUBS PREPARE

ANNUAL MEETINGS HELD N.Z. COUNCIL DECISIONS The Auckland golfing season will open on March 17, when the Auckland Club will play the usual mixed foursome at its Middlemore links. The Titirangi date has not yet been decided. The annual meeting will be held on March 23, and opening day will be late in the month or early next month. The Auckland Club’s annual meeting will be on March 31. The report shows that the membership increased from 405 to 412, the playing members decreasing from 231 to 227. The new mowers have proved entirely satisfactory, and have benefited the course. The bunkering scheme is being steadily proceeded with. Drainage work has also been r-eported on and commenced, the sth and 6th fairways having been completed, while the swampy area at the back of the second and fourth is being dealt with. On office has been provided for the secretary, and the club house has been made the official and only address of the club. In spite of heavy expenditure on machinery and improvements, the revenue exceeded the expenditure, though the disputed £ 300 for rates is still outstanding. During the ensuing year the New Zealand ladies’ championships will be held on the links at M iddlemore. The winners of the principal events last year were:—Club championship, H. B. Lusk; runner-up, H. Tidmarsh; junior championship, B. C. Hart; run-ner-up, A. G. Poison; J. C. Burns Memorial Cup, H. B. Lusk; captain’s prize tourney, A. J. Friedlander; run-ner-up, R. O. Gardner; E. R. Bloomfield Bowl, D. Robertson; George Cup medal, H. B. Lloyd; George Cup bogey, V. W. Wilson. The club has issued its season programme, and also the programme for the Easter championship on April 7, 9 and 10, when the Auckland Provincial Championship will be decided. N.Z. GOLF COUNCIL The principal decision of the New Zealand Golf Council, at a meeting on Monday, was to proceed with standardisation of golf courses all over the Dominion by fixing standard scratch scores. Information to enable this to be done is now being obtained from the clubs. It was recorded that the association's professional, John Lambie, will commence his tour for this season at Bulls on March 19, and that other requests for his services are coming in freely. It was also decided to engage James Watt on the same terms as Lambie to do a tour of the clubs in the far north. The Hawera, Poverty Bay and Oamaru Clubs are all endeavouring to secure the services of permanent professionals for the season, so that it would look as though there are openings for a few more professionals. The following; clubs have notified the secretary that they are holding Easter tournaments this year: Otago, Auckland, Wellington, Manawatu, New Plymouth, Nelson and Christchurch. Otahuhu Club There was an attendance of about 40 members at the annual general meeting of the Otahuhu Golf Club. The committee’s report on the proposed new course for 1929 was presented and duly adopted, and it was decided to engage Mr. C. H. Redhead, golf architect, to lay out the course, he having previously inspected the property and reported satisfactorily. In order to provide sufficient funds to make an early start with the work, the subscriptions were raised to £3 10s for men and £2 for ladies. As an inducement to attract new members, the entrance fee for the coming season will be the same as charged previously. Opening day was fixed for April 14. The following officers were elected: —Patron, Mr. H. R. McKenzie; president, Mr. S. W. House; vice-president, Mr. R. G. Moffitt; club captain, Mr. B. H. Menzies; vice-captain, Mr. R. L. Brown; secretary, Mr. C. R. Reader; committee, Messrs. W. B. Eustace, R. Hipkins, F. Macdonald; ladies’ captain, Miss M. Cutfortli; ladies’ secretary, Miss N. Mellsop.