On the Links Notes for Golfers

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1080, 18 September 1930, Page 13

On the Links Notes for Golfers

By

Auckland Golf The weather during the week-end was quite satisfactory for golf, but the frequent rains of the last fortnight have kept the ground rattier heavy. In fact, parts pf Middlemore are wetter now than they have been during the winter. Tho Auckland Golf Club sent n team to Hamilton a couple of months ago, and a fairly strong team too. The result showed that it was far from bemg strong enough. On Saturday the Hamilton Club returned the visit, and the Auckland players seized the opportunity of showing what they could do on their own course. Of the 12 singles, Hamilton succeeded in winning only two, and Auckland won all 6 four-balls. It was a landslide. H. Plumley, ’ who is wel u t heavy conditions, defeated J. L. Black by 4 and 3 in the top match, and w S. Ralph was 5 and 4 on W. C. Wynne. It. Guy put up a fine performance by defeating It. D. Wright by 1 up, a result one would hardly have expected. Dr. Blundell secured Hamilton’s other win by defeating P. Western by 3 and 2. The qualifying rounds lor the club championship will be played next Saturday at Middlemore. The best gross score decides the Burns Memorial Cup, after the championship the most important of the club events. Glendowie played a 12 a-side match at Titirangi against a strong Maungakiekie team, though not their strongest. The result was very close, the home side vanning by 6 to 5, one match being

halved. In the top match, C. Allcott took T. A. Goulding to the last green before succumbing by 1 up. R Kissling showed excellent form to beat R. Me Crystal by sto 4. Kissling might well tm tar ln the same. Titiranpi was the scene also of an inter-club match with Hamilton. Here again Hamilton met disaster, the home side winning the singles by S matches to 4, and the four-balls by 4to 1. J. L Black defeated T. A. Goulding In the by 2 and 1. It is the irony pf Fate that R. Guy, after defeating R. D. W right, should be beaten by H. A Randrup by 5 and 4. The only match played in the club championship was between R. M. George and F. Trice, and steady as the latter is, he would hardly expect to beat George. played very sound golf to win by 6 and 5. Though Akarana defeated Otahuhu at Akarana by 9J to 2i. Otahuhu had the satisfaction of winning the two leading matches. L. J. Croxson and R. H. Menzies defeated G. M. Brown and J. Coltman respectively. Croxson and Menzies are both excellent golfers who wou ddo well in any company. The Otahuhu Club championship has again been won by L. J. Croxson, who, representing Otahuhu, won the champion of champions match last year. His opponent in the final was H. J. Le\*y. and Croxson had to produce his best to win by 4 and 3. Tho winner’s" length was most striking. At the second hole of 335 yards, he was only 20 yards short from the tee.

The Pupukc Club championships have now reached the final stage. In the semi-finals M. E. Thompson defeated 1. J. McKenzie at the 19th. and L. J. Minogue had to go to tho last green to defeat B. E. Goldwater by 2 up. It was a good performance of Thompson’s especially, as McKenzie is extremely formidable at Pupuke. Hawke’s Bay Tournament Tho Hawke’s Bay Provincial Championship was played last week at Waiohiki, the course of the Napier Golf Club. The attendance was not so representative as it has sometimes been, few players who have earned distinction at open meetings being present. The picturesque figure of Kapi Tareha was missing, as he is taking a year off the game, but Kurupo was following the final. It is most unlucky that a rheumatic affection pf the hands prevents his gripping a club. There were some eighty entries—a very good field indeed—but. the number of players with handicaps below 4 was very limited. The fine weather for which Napier is famous rather failed this time. The few days before the meeting were perfect, but a strong wind with cold rain made things very unpleasant on the Tuesday and Wednesday. There was snow on all the hills, and the wind seemed to have touched it in passing. The course had recovered to q, great degree from the lack of winter growth, and the fairways and greens were, with one or two exceptions, quite good. Doubtless owing to tho difficult conditions, the play in the ( qualifying rounds was not inspiring. A. I>. Morris with two rounds of 77, did exceedingly well. Morris added yet another to the growing list of qualifying round leaders who are defeated in the first round of match play. Whereas at Rotorua it took 357 to qualify, at Napier 172 got in, but Napier is about 4 strokes longer and conditions were not so good. The two semi-finals were very close. M. It. I\L Turnbull and C. S. Geddis had to go to the 19th hole, where the latter, after being saved bv the branch of a tree, took 3 putts. H. B. Lusk and 11. G. Davies had a very close game throughout, and the former, after being dormy 2. won only by 1 up on the last green. The final was an exceedingly close game, each player leading in turn. The golf was quite good, but Lusk had an attack of socketing, which only his accurate long play and putting compensated for. All square in the morning and again at the 27th, neither could get an advantage until Lusk won the 15th and 1151 hto be dormy 2. Turnbull won the 17th. The last hole was rather dramatic. Lusk had a considerable advantage off the tee, and Turnbull put a spoon shot into tho bunker to the right of the green, a fate his opponent just escaped. Lusk had to chip over the bunker, and Turnbull’s one hope was that the shot should be fluffed into the bunker. So far from

SLOW-BACK

this was it, that the chip, beautifully struck, actually holed out. R. C. Somerville, whom some of us remember as a representative cricketer, won the Waiohiki Handicap for the next 16, and tho veteran G. Kelly, won the Tareha Handicap. The best score of the meeting was returned by H. B. Lusk in a bogey handicap. The card was 72, and was 4 up on * bogey. The teams' match for the Williams Cup was won by the Napier A team. Spring Tournaments Though the poets seem to be agreed that spring is the time for lovers, it seems aiso to be the time that thoughts of golfing trips are most urgent. There is to most of us an attraction in playing on strange courses, and, though it is the last thing we think of, it is probably very good for our games. When to the natural urgings of the season is added the excellent golf to be obtained at Rotorua, it is not surprising that more players want to enter than can be accommodated. This year, in spite of a handicap restriction, the list was full well before the closing date. Spring is probably the most attractive season at Rotorua, for then not only is the course at its best, but Nature has spread the glory of the wattles on every side. It is little wonder that so many spend the last week in August at Rotorua. And, if one belong to the veteran class there is the veterans’ tournament in the week that follows. But there is a very attractive alternative. If a fortnight can be spared, go on to Napier for the Hawke’s Bay meeting.. It is intended to meet the

convenience of Northern golfers in future by holding the Napier tournament in the week following that at Rotorua. This year circumstances forced the dates apart by a week, with the result that very few attended both meetings. The two tournaments make a splendid fortnight’s holiday, and more Aucklanders should go to them. First there is a most interesting drive across, with possible stops at Wairakei and elsewhere for sight-seeing. The 70 miles over the hills is a sheer delight, if not taken too fast, and the road surface is practically perfect. Then the course itself has a real golfing atmosphere. A few of the fairways are not quite perfect, but the golf is really good, and some of the holes are hardly excelled in New Zealand. And not the least of the attractions is the open-hearted hospitality of the members. They are so unaffectedly glad to see one, that one is at home from the beginning. I should like to see a party of at least 12 make the trip and do both tournaments next year.

Is It Worth It? G. W. Greenwood, in a description of the British Open in an American paper, writes Interestingly of “Bobby” Jones. He says that he doubts if the champion will be seen in Britain again in quest of championships, for he has begun to ask himself the question, “Is it worth it?” The picture he gives of Jones is a striking one. “If you had seen him, as I have seen him, after the last round at Hoylake, and waiting in agony of mind the outcome of the championship (Compston and Diegel were still out) you would have said most emphatically that it was not worth it. Flopped in a chair, with his face as grey as stone and cheeks fallen in, 1 never saw a man closer to the point of collapse than was ‘Bobby’ Jones.”

WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT

RESULTS FROM HAMILTON j From Our Oxen Correspondent HAMILTON, Wednesday. The Hamilton Ladies’ Golf Club’s open tournament was continued today. Two more rounds of the j£llts Cup competition were played, with the following results:— Second Round.—Mrs. S, W. Hosking (Titirangi) beat Mrs. Marshall (Middlemore), 1 up; Mrs. J. Wilson (Middlemore) beat Mrs. H. McDonald (Te Awamutu), 2 up; Mrs. F. Mander (Hamilton) beat Mrs. C. O Bennett (Hamilton), 1 up at the 19th; Miss V. Upham (Miramar) beat Mrs. G. N. Gower (Hamilton), 1 up. Third Round.—Mrs. S. W. Hosking (Titirangi) beat Mrs. J. M. Wilson (Middlemore), 4 and 3; Miss V. Upham (Miramar) beat Mrs. F. Mander (Hamilton). 1 up at the 21st. The second medal handicap played this morning resulted as follows:—Seniors: Miss E. Wilson (Middlemore), 86, 12—74. Juniors: Miss Brookfield (Glendowie), 95, 10—76. The second bogey handicap played this afternoon ' resulted:—Seniors: Mrs. F. Mander (Hamilton), 2 down. Juniors: Miss C. Rainger (Middlemore), 6 down. A best last nine holes bogey match resulted in Miss J. Thompson (Cambridge), Miss Clark (Te Awamutu) and Miss Brookfield (Glendowie) all tieing with 6 down. PUPUKE CLUB Members of the Pupuke Golf Club played a four-ball best-ball match for a trophy presented by Mr. Fotheringham. The best cards returned were as follow: — H. T. Gould and W. I. Stemson, 3 up; M. F. Thompson and E. W. Mills, 1 up; J. L. Foster and G. I). Hunt, all square; J. E, Close and G. IT. Matthews, all square; R. N. Chisholm and S. W. Chambers, 1 down; F. C. Buddie and T. G. de Clive Lowe, 1 down. The results in the semi-finals of the championships were as' follow: Seniors. —M. E. Thompson beat I. G. Mackenzie, 1 up at the 19th; L. J. Minogue beat B. E. Goldwater, 2 up. Juniors.—L. G. Ansell beat S. R. Norris, 3 and 2; W. C. Taylor beat C. P. Hopkins, 2 up. A four-ball best-ball bogey match will be played on Saturday for a trophy presented by Mr. E. W. Mills, players to choose own partners and opponents. EVERSLIE CLUB The Everslie Golf Club’s championships have been decided. In the semi-finals of the senior championship Dykes beat Hogan, 1 up; Wardell beat Beechey, 1 up. Tn the final over 36 holes Dykes beat Wardell by 3 and 2. This is the third time Wardell has been the runner-up in the championship. \ The apmi-finals of the junior championship resulted in McDonald beating Wilson, 1 up, and Noel Johnson beating Leitch, 2 up. Noel Johnson beat McDonald, 9 and 7, in the final. The following team will represent the Everslie Club against the Otahuhu Club at Otahuhu on Saturday:—Dykes, Hogan, Wardell, Rhind, Brewer, A. G, Smith, Beechey, Rice, Hobson, Busing, I. O’Neill, Goddard, Ferguson, T. G. Smith, Leitch, Johnson, Wilson, Sear ell, Widdowson. AKARANA LADIES’ CLUB Following is the draw for the flag match and L.G.U. medal, to be played by members of the Akarana Ladies’ Golf Club on Saturday:—Miss A. Deacon v. Miss I. Deacon, Miss Joyce v. Miss Cousins, Miss McGee v. Miss Fernley, Miss TylerDavies v. Miss Knott, Miss McMath v. Miss K. Dowling, Miss Hickman v. Miss Longdill. The following are requested to commence play before 12 o’clock:—Miss Smith v. Miss Wynyard, Miss Hoe v. Miss Parkinson, Miss J. Connett v. Miss Roberts, Miss Webber v. Miss H. Jenks. The draw for the second round of the C grade stroke competition for Miss Todd’s trophy is as follows:—Miss P. Simons v. Miss Barton, Miss Connell v. Miss Neville, Miss Parvin v. Miss Broadley, Miss Tracey v. Miss Farrow, Miss Walmsley v. Miss Crabtree.