On the Links

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 458, 13 September 1928, Page 11

On the Links

(By

Earl Robieson)

COMING EVENTS September 27.—New Zealand ladies’ championships at Middlemore. October 12 to 20.—New Zealand championships, at Balmacewan, Dunedin. SUBS. GO UP MAUNGAKIEKIE INCREASES EXPENDITURE NEARLY £6,000 Next season Maungakiekie Club members will face an increased subscription. This probability was forecasted in this column some months ago, and has now been agreed to at a general meetmg.of members. If you hear someone call for a ballot at One Tree Hill or Titirangi now, you will know that he is referring to a de mand for a ballot at the special meeting of the club to pass the new’ subscriptions. One member, in a minority of about seven to 120, persisted in having a ballot. Entrance fees have also been increased. and the scale of charges will he as follow: entrance fees

In the case of full playing members , both or either links, a rebate of £2 r 3 will be allowed if the subscription is paid before Mav 31. For others, the rebate will be £1 Is. * n a fi na ncial report submitted to ne meeting, it was stated that the

estimated income for this year was £ 5,630, and the expenditure £5,572, the former including EfifiS for entrance s, and the latter £686 for depreciation. The expenditure also included the writing off of portion of principal, being paid off a bank mortgage, but did’ not include expenditure on the new lay-out at Titirangi or greens at One Tree Hill. The auditor remarked: "It appears evident that the financial difficulties of the club are brought about by an endeavour to maintain two links on virtually one subscription. The present arrangement, however, has the double advantage that while Hill players are able to assist Titirangi financially, they have the satisfaction of knowing that another course is available in the event of the lease of the Hill being terminated.” NEW ZEALAND COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT ISSUED The annual report of the New Zealand Golf Council has now been issued in preparation for the conference at the Dominion championships at Dunedin on October 17. The report shows that 15 new clubs joined the association during the year, and one resigned owing to disbandment. The number of affiliated clubs at the end of the year was 148. The total revenue for the year was £1,11'2 17s 7d, and the expenditure £1 OSO 9s Id, including £3B 5s 8d in connection with the Kirk-Windeyer Cup matches, and £24 18s 7d for inspection of championship courses. Surplus revenue over expenditure was £32 8s 6d, and the total surplus of assets over liabilities as disclosed by the balance sheet was £286 2s sd. The' largest items of expenditure were: Professionals’ prize money, at two tournaments. £350: secretary’s salary and expenses. £277: professionals’ retainers, £IOO 12s 6d; general office expenses, £62 17s lid: KirkWindeyer tournament cups and dinner, £3B 5s Bd. MISS GAMBRILL WINS WELLINGTON OPEN TITLE MISS UPHAM OFF .GAME The Miramar ladies’ open championship tournament last week was one of the most successful yet held by the club. Miss Gambrill had rather a walkover in the championship, and it was regrettable that Miss Upham failed to maintain the improved form she has acquired during the last season or two. remarks the writer for the “Evening Post.” She would in any case have had her work cut out to hold Miss Gambrill, who plays a firm and masterly game with all her clubs, and gets length with her.wood which many men envy. Miss Gambrill is particularly good with"' her brassie. though her iron shots are also to be envied. As Miss gambriU was also putting

well, Miss Upham’s uncertain play through the fairways and several misshit shots from the tees gave her no chance, though she had shown the finished golf she is capable of, and which gained her the Miramar open ladies’ championship last year, and the club championship, a keen contest would have been witnessed. : Though not so powerful a hitter, Miss Upham gets a wonderful length for her 1 light weight, and usually, makes very 1 few mistakes, especially round the greens. Miss M. Ward, Wellington Club, put up a splendid fight against the Dominion open ladies’ champion, Mrs. Collinson, Palmerston North, taking her to the 20th green. • STEEL-SHAFTED CLUBS USED IN AUCKLAND TITLE FINAL POINTS ON CONSTRUCTION When the ladies’ championship had been decided at one of the Auckland clubs a couple of weeks ago, it was reported to the committee that the winner of the event had played with steel-shafted clubs. No protest having been made the 1 committee merely decided to point out to the member the error of her ways, This, however, introduces quite an : interesting subject. The Royal and Ancient does not permit steel-shafted clubs, but the United States Golf Association does, and the Royal Canadian Golf Association follows suit. As far as I know these are the only two countries that do. Unfortunately, the New Zealand Golf Council, which gives interpretations occasionally, has never issued a list of them, but we can assume that so far it does not approve of steel shafts. In time it may have to. The quality of hickory that reaches New Zealand ( is, unfortunately, often very poor. { In inquiring for the details of the \ Auckland incident, I heard a suggestion 2 that wooden putters were not allowed, ’ but this contention is certainly not ] borne out by the R. and A. rules and ■ interpretations. The restrictions placed on clubs are three, (1) the length of the head must be greater 1 than the width, .(2) the shaft must be 1 affixed in such a position that, if continued through the head, it would prptrude at the heel of the club, and (3) there must be no mechanical contrivance in the head. ~ , The only present difficulty concerns < No. 3. The interpretation states that < there shall be no mechanical eontriv- 1 such as springs in the head of the \ club. At various times in golf’s his- j tory there have been clubs with ad- < justable heads. The adjustment con- j sisted of a screw or other device which 3 allowed the loft of the club to be al- < tered. Many of them have been very [ clumsy, but a recent American produc- " tion provides an excellently-designed : iron club, steel-shafted, which can be used as anything from a No. 1 iron to a mashie niblick. This club has been allowed in America, and has be* n 1 used in open and championship events. ? It is, in fact, capable of replacing the ] whole kit-full of clubs carried by - players. c Possibly this club would not infringe ] the “mechanical device” provisions. j WALLACE CUP ] c AKARANA CLUB 1 - - ■ £ The third ana final round of the Wallace Cup will be played at Akarana on t also an 18-hole medal. s

LINKS ACCIDENTS LEADING PLAYERS’ FEATS “Even Bobby Jones can occasionally hit a stray shot,” remarks an English writer commenting on several lots of damages awarded for accidents on golf courses. “In the championship at St. Andrews, while driving to the fifth hole, I saw him strike a man full in the chest and knock him down. Where did the negligence lie, if any? Surely, both Bobby and the injured spectator were, in the words of the British judge, “conducting themselves as reasonable people .in the circumstances in which they found themselves”; consequently, the accident could not be attributed to negligence on anyone’s part. “And the same may be said of Hagen’s drive to the sixth hole at Troon, which struck a man on the point of the jaw and broke it. Hagen could not be held responsible, because he happened to pull his drive and strike a spectator walking down the course. “I suppose a Court of Justice would say in the case of the spectator at a Glasgow tournament who popped his head out of a .row of people as a professional was driving, and received the ball, going at full speed, on the side of the nose, smashing it to pulp, that he acted unreasonably and carelessly and, therefore, was ntft entitled to compensation. Naturally, if spectators stick out tlieir heads in order to get a better view they have only themselves to blame, if, .as in this particular case, they are injured by reason of the ciub slipping in the placer’s hands, and the ball flying off in an unexpected direction.” TOURNAMENT SURPRISES CLUB TEAMS CHOSEN Press Association HASTINGS, Wednesday. There were several Surprises in the first round of the Hawke’s Bay golf championships at Waiohiki links today. The local champion, Kapi Tarelia, was beaten bj' - S. Powdrell (Wanganui). Donald Grant (Christchurch), who represented New Zealand in the Kirk-Windeyer Cup match last season, went nder to W. O’Callaghan (Hawera), while Gonville Saunders, the winner of many championships, was beaten by B. M. Silk, a schoolboy from Wanganui. MANAWATU LADIES Press Association PALMERSTON N., Wednesday. At the Manawatu ladies’ golf tourney to-day the following qualified for the open championship: Mrs. H. Collinson (Manawatu), 86; Miss D. Chrystall (Christchurch). 88; Miss S. Acheson (Nelson), 90; Mrs* G. Trevor (Manawatu), 90; Miss G. Gaisford* (Marton), 91; Miss E. McMillan (Manawatu), 92; Mrs. G. Clarke (Levin), 93; Mrs. Foreman (Wellington), 93; Miss Harkness (Nelson), 93; Miss A. Ormond (Napier), 93; Miss E. Culling (Auckland), 93; Miss M. Moore (Manawatu), 93; Mrs. G. Dixon (Manawatu). 93; Miss M. Guy (Manawatu), 93; Mrs. Val* Duff (New Plymouth), 94; Mrs. H. G. Davies (Napier), 94. CLUB TEAMS The following teams have been chosen for week-end matches this week:— Titirangi, v. Hamilton, at Titirangi: S. Morpeth. R. M. George, J. Hockin, W. L. Robinson T. A. Goulding, R. McCrystall. A. E. Robinson, H. A. Randrup, H. Brinsden, R. L. Wilson, I. B. Stewart, A. V. Pearce. Everslie. v. Papakura. at Papakura: Dykes, Hogan, R. O’Neill, Wardell, Ag-men-Smith, J. O’Neill, Beechey, Rhind, Lovegrove, Goddard, Rice, Lever, Hobson McDonald, T. G. Smith, Richardson, G. F. Page, Parker, Widdowson. Everslie, v. Maungakiekle, at Everslie: Dykes. Hogan. Warded, Agmen-Smith, J. O'Neill, Beechey, Lever, Rice. Emergencies: Lovegrove, .Hobson, Richardson, T. G. Smith. Any player unable to participate in this event 'must notify the secretary.

•Men. 20 years and under .. ., £ . 5 5 d. 0 . 7 7 0 Over 25 years 'Vomen, 20 years and under .. .. . 3 3 0 SUBSCRIPTIONS ■Men. both links £ d. One Tree Hill only . 11 11 0 Country .. . 3 3 0 "•“men, both links Titiranfti ; One Tree Hill Limited .. Oountrv . <> 2 0 J>i„£° n '5 Iayinfr 1 11 6 0 under 20 . . 2 2 0