On the Links

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 712, 11 July 1929, Page 14

On the Links

Notes For GolFers

By

SLOW BACK

Auckland Golf The weather at the week-end was of a distinctly mixed variety. The i Three or four fine, frosty days had, J with the aid of a drying southerly, i cleared up the muddy conditions of j the local courses, and good conditions j prevailed. But on Saturday morning the wind went to the north-east and blew with steadily increasing violence all day. As most of our courses have been laid out for the prevailing westerly and south-westerly winds, special difficulties were encountered. It is not surprising, therefore, that scores tended to be on the large side, with very few exceptions. During Satur-. day night the usual result of a northeaster arrived in the form of heavy i-ain, which continued until early on Saturday afternoon. A few players got round dry in the afternoon, but very few risked it. Saturday’s two most interesting events were inter-club matches. Akarana entertained Otahuhu on the Mount Roskill course, and as usual gave a good account of itself. Of 13 matches Akarana won nine, Otahuliu two. and the other two were halved. L. J. Croxson gave B. J. Smith a better run than usual, being beaten only l 1 up, and B. H. Menzies held C. Bailey to the 17th hole. H. .1. Levy and C. T. Jones were, the only winners for Otahuhu. This Akarana team is very useful, and no doubt both Titirangi and Middlemore will play their full strength against them next time. It will be remembered that they beat Middlemore easily, and gave a strong Titirangi team a severe fright. Tht Auckland Club sent a team to Hamilton, but again the selection was not strong, enough. Xeither of the Auckland plus men. H. B. Lusk and K. D. Wright, could get away, arid W. S. Ralph led against J. L. Black. Black went round in a fine J 72, and accounted for Ralph by 6 and 5. The course was at full length, and anything under 75 is a fine performance. We hope Black's form will continue on the Australian trip. H. Plurnley beat the steady Bellingham by 2 and 1, but T. G. Kissling and C. Jacobsen were the only other successful Aucklanders. Hamilton’s win by 9 to 3 was decisive enough to rub in the necessity of sending full-strength teams to play inter-club matches. A team of 11 juniors came down to Middlemore and were beaten 'by the narrow margin of one match. The strong northerly made Hamilton more difficult than usual, besides rendering the greens very slippery. The fairways, too, though good, do not carry a sole of grass like that at Middlemore, and the strange conditions had several of the team at sea. At. Titirangi the qualifying round for the Ballin Cup was played, and the strength of the wind can be gauged by the scores. L. Williamson’s handicap of 25 must be a bit of a joke, as he did a 91. 25—66. which is nine strokes better than the scratch score. I gather he is much too good for such a handicap, a.nd no doubt he will be attended to in no uncertain manner. R. M. George did the best gross score, an 83, which, under the conditions, was pretty good. At Glendowie the semi-finals of the captain’s pri2e were played, and C. Allcott and A. C. Johns qualified for tli© final. Allcott has done very well at the game, and is another proof that a cricketer can make a golfer. The net scores in the medal handicap would seem to indicate that the handles ppers should get moving. At present the scratch score of all our courses —except Middlemore. which has some temporary holes —should be increased by two to make up for the lack of run. Bupuke, Waitemata and Akarana also put on handicaps and again the scores seem to indicate that there is some absurdity in the handicapping. Saturday was a very difficult day, and net 66 and 67 and such, are quite ridiculous.

The Handicapping Scheme The ridiculous net scores that are being returned in some of our club competitions would seem to indicate that it is high time the handicappers woke up to a sense of their responsibilities. When the council suggested raising all handicaps to compensate a lowering of bogey to a proper scratch score, it no doubt thought that handicappers would speedily get to work and adjust things. But they haven’t. Perhaps they do not know exactly how. Well, here it is. First, fix your scratch score for the particular day. The standai*d scratch score is based on moderate run as in spring and autumn, and in winter it needs pushing up on© or two strokes to make up for loss of run. The same result can bo obtained by shortening the tees at the longer holes. Having fixed your' scor\ without delay, fear, or favour, bring down the handicap of anyone who has beaten it by even one stroke, and follow the instructions in the scheme. And further, keep an eye on the players who don’t return cards, and attend to them on general principles whenever you think fit. It is far better tor the cunning ones to he handicapped too low than too high. Periodically the handicaps should be gone over with a view to raising, but don’t raise anyone who hasn’t returned cards. At Shirley. the handicapper will lower a handicap until cards are put in—not necessarily in competitions. The idea is good. The position in Auckland at present is that practically all the clubs except Mtddlemore have their handicaps from two to five strokes too high—of course, with individual exceptions. Kirk-Windeyer Cup Teams Livoly interest is being taken in Australia in the personnel of the teams competing the Kirk-Windeyer Cup. One paper describes it as the most important golfing event in the Southern Hemisphere, and after all it is hard to think of one which could fairly be called its rival. Both New South Wales and Victoria have made tentative selections, but will defer the final decision until after the Victorian championships, which are to be held just before. Xew South Wales announces that its team will be selected from E. L. Apperly. C. H. Fawcett, I. K. Harrison. S. A. Keane, H. Morrison and W. It. Smith. Besides these, Xigel Smith is going down, and will be available for selection. W. R. Smith, it will be remembered, was the youngest member of the Xew South Wales team that beat us for the cup at Miramar, and Xigel Smith was played second in that team. E. L. Apperly. on his day. is a great player. I had the pleasure of a game with him at Kensington several years ago and was amazed at his ill. and even temerity, in hooking and slicing over the fearsome rough. C. H. Fawcett, a Victorian. recently settled in Sydney, has been the most successful player in Xew < South Wales for the last year or two. Harrison and Morrison are both tried players and I. A. Keane has had great | success—just missing the highest—during the last three seasons, and that in spite of playing on an exceedingly , inadequate home course.

1 The Victorian team starts with those giants of Australian amateur golf, Ivo j Whitton and A. Russell. Wliitton is i probably the best stroke player in Aus- | tralia, and has gained distinction also iin match play. He has just won the | Xew South Wales amateur champion- | ship. Russell has held most of the j championships in Victoria and Xew i South Wales, and is a finished player of known excellence. A. W. Jackson ] is another fine player who used to he j particularly deadly at Fishermen’s Bond before the Victoria Club moved, jOf the others, W. Edgar is a young player who has held the Victorian amateur, and W. J. Fowler is also not i unknown to fame. Altogether, remem- ; bering the curiosities of golf, the Victorian team loks to be our most formidable opponent, and we will indeed j do well if we can beat them. Still More Fallacies ! It is often stoutly argued that the provisions of rule 22 can be adopted in ! the case of a water-hazard. In case [ some of us have forgotten what rule i. 22 says. I will explain. Rule 22 provides a general penalty of stroke and distance (practically two strokes) in | the cases of lost ball and unplayable ball. If the rule is read carefully it j will be seen that a special exception is I made of water-hazards, and water genj orally. Water is covered by rule 27 l which allows the ball to be dropped beI hind the hazard for a penalty of one i stroke. The Rules of Golf Committee

has decided that the provisions of rule 22 do not apply to water, and that rule 27 must govern. The seventh at Middlemore and the 13th and 3 6th at Rotorua are holes which have given rise to much argument. I once lost a shilling over the rule governing casual water in a hazard, which may account for the fact that I know it now. Three people out of four will tell you that the ball can be dropped In the bunker without penalty, or behind the bunker with a penalty of one. Rule 27 is again the authority. The ball may be dropped either in or behind the bunker with a penalty of one. N’-ote that in both cases there is a penalty of one. Some clubs whose bunkers get more or less filled with water in bad weather have a local rule on the subject, but failing the local rule, the rule of golf is stated. Dr. Ken Ross Xo one talking to Dr. Ross would have any difficulty in guessing that he was from Scotland. He learned his golf in that dour and hard country, close to our friend Donald Grant, who has just left us. He has some of the more characteristic marks of the Scottish school, notably his powerful, rather fiat swing. Though Dr. Ross lias never held the open or amateur championship, he has been terribly close. He might well have won the open at Miramar but for his putting going from him over the last nine holes, and he has been in the final of the amateur. Minor championships he has held in considerable numbers, and at Balmacewan be is popularly supposed to be invincible. I was much impressed by the excellent determination of his match play when the Kirk-Win-dever match was played at Miramar. He has had experience of Australian courses and should represent us with credit. FRANKLIN CHAMPIONSHIPS i Following is the draw for the Franklin I Golf Club's championships to be held on j the Rosemont links, Pukekohe, on SaturI day next. Play will coivimeee at 5.45 I a.m., the other players following at inI tervals of three minutes: —Kissling v. E. ' .T. O’XeUl, A. G. Smith v. Anderson, Rice v. Schlietfer, Lawson v. Christenson, Howden'V. Coyle, Hogan v. Forbes. 1. S. CXeill v. Bloomfield, Brosnahan v. Ohlson, Olbrecht v McWhirter. HerrOod v. Madison, Rhind v. Short. Roulston, jun., v G. A. Smith, Stellor v. Munro, ; Lacv v. Busing, Eyre v. D. F. MacDonald, D. Cameron v. T. G. Smith, Matheson v. r. G. O’Xeill, P. Taylor v. H. j 1 Latin. E. Cameron v. I. E. Allen. AKARANA CLUB The competition for members of the Akarana Golf Club on Saturday will be the monthly medal match, players to choose their own partners. MAUNGAKIEKIE LADIES’ CLUB | Following is the result of the third; round of the president’s match play tour- j nan*?nt. played by the members of the ; Maungakiekie Ladies’ Golf Club:—Mrs. C. f J. Schnaucr beat Mrs. I. R. Roberts. 3 and 1: Mrs. C. Robinson beat Miss A. j Never neglect a cold. “XAZOL” j will bring you quick relief. Try It. 60 doses for Is 6d. IS j

Grove, 6 and 5; Mrs. Joplin won by default from Mrs. Gold water; Mrs. Hosking beat Miss I-laslett, 3 and 1; Miss A. Hall beat Mrs. Johnston, 3 and 1; Miss Lawrence beat Miss Schnauer, S and 7; Mrs. I. B. Stewart beat Mrs. Henry, 1 up; Mrs. Paterson beat Mrs. Spinlev, 5 and 4; Mrs. Taylor beat Mrs. Saxton, 2 and 1; Mrs. Ward beat Miss Blackburn. 3 and 1; Mrs. Owen beat Miss Lamb, 5 and 4; Mrs. Beattie beat Miss Churton, 5 and 4; Miss M. Miller beat Miss Carnachan, 1 up; Mrs. Norton beat Miss Ponsford. 4 and 2; Miss K. Horton beat Miss S. Johnston, 2 and 1; Mrs. Broughton beat Miss Gallagher, 2 and 1. The fourth round must be completed by AVednesday next. TE AWAMUTU LADIES’ CLUB The Te Awamutu Ladies’ Golf Club has made the following draw for its LJU.U. medal competition for July:—Seniors: Mrs. Teasdale v. Miss M. Quin. Mrs. Blundell v. Miss Focke. Miss K. Wallace v. Miss Clifford, .Miss K. Woollv v. Mrs. It. McDonald. Juniors: Mrs. A. F. Walker v. Mrs. Hope, Miss A. Lees v. Mrs. L. S. Chamberlain, Mrs. Whyte v Miss A. Montefiore, Miss M. Clark v. Mrs: E. Brj-ant. Mrs. J. Oliphant v. Miss M. Kay, Mrs. J. P. O’Sullivan v. Mrs. A. Bond, Miss W. Manson v. Miss Irwin, Mrs. H. L. Peake v. Mrs. M. Barnett, Miss H. Civil v. Mrs. Housten. AKARANA LADIES' CLUB A field hole competition will be played by the members of the Akarana Ladies’ Golf Club tomorrow and on Saturday. The C grade players will also commence the first round of the eclectic competition for a trophy presented by Mrs. Basil Schmidt, players to choose their own partners. TE AROHA V. WAiITI The Te Aroha Golf Club will be. represented at Waihi on Saturday by the following:—Messrs. J. Kenny, H. Laver, J. Somers, S. Wyllie, E. Wright, S. Currie, F. W. Bliss, A. Kenrick, F. Wild, R. L. Connolly, R. D. Johnston, C. Adams and G. Gilchrist, and Mesdames W. Hanger, F. W. Bliss, J. Kenny, A. J. Clarke, Meikle, Dempster, R. C. Willis. B’rear. F. Wild and Misses M. Frear and K. Hedge. THAMES CLUB’S DRAW The Thames Golf Club has posted the following draw for the first round of the President’s Club Handicap, to be played on Saturday:—F. S. Miller v. J. Masefield; W. H. I-loult v. K. Hetherington, V, Boles v. W. Price: V. Liggins v. C. A. Berry; E. B. Clendon v. A. Fisher; K. A. Mahoney v. H. Purnell; C. .Retford v. K. Zohrab; L. Griffin v. W. B. Teasdale; H. Harden v. A. E. Palmer; W. Scrimgeonr v. R. Mellsop; G. A. Jorgensen v. IT. Meade; R. Kirk v. A. G. Price; E. J. Clendon v. A. S. Gray: W. H. Baker v. C. R. Cooke.