GOLF.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 307, 5 June 1915, Page 7

GOLF.

NEW PLYMOUTH CLUB. A medal handicap in aid of the Red Cross Fund was played by the ladies of the New Plymouth Clu'.i yesterday afternoon. The best scores returned were:— Mrs. 1?. Gray 120—38—!)1 Mrs. Ilutton 117—25—!12 Miss Blundell 117—24—!13 Mrs. Whetter 122—21)—!Ki Miss L. Thomson 12-I—31 —!)4 Miss C. Leatham 137 —-40—07 ITEMS FROM NEAR AND FAR. A match between the New Plymouth Club and the Witiora Club will be played at the Witiora links next Saturday ' Teams from Waverley and Patea met at Patea the other day, and"an interesting match ended all square. A "Why Not" golf ball, recently sold by auction at Harrogate, England, in aid of the Belgian Fund, realised no less j than £l<l lis Gd.

Locke, the Taranaki professional, wi4l be at the New Plymouth Club's links until next Thursday, alter which lie will be employed for a time by the Witiora Club.

Playing on the ITawcra links on Thursday, F. J. Ritchie, the Taranaki champion, did the eighteen holes in 82, which is a particularly good round in the present condition of the links. This score stands as the record for the Hawera course.

The latest inland course in England, situated at Woodcote Park, is stated to have cost £IOOO per hole (there are 18 of them) in laying out. This, however, is tut a small amount compared with what our American cousins spend in making links. The new links that arc being laid out in a fashionable part of New York will run into several hundred thousand dollars.

A ladies' tournament was held at Inglewood on Thursday, when visitors competed from New Plymouth, Witior.i, and .Stratford Clubs. In the morning an 18-holo medal match was played, and won by Mrs. H. Thomson (Inglewood), 112—25—87. A 9-hole bogey match in the afternoon was won by Mrs. Buxton (Witiora). Mrs. Abraham (Stratford) won the driving competition with a dri/e of lDOyds., and in ail approaching and putting competition Mrs. Thomson, Miss L. Lang (both of Inglewood), and Mrs. Kirby (Witiora) tied. * * * A golf match, which gives promise of being one of the most interesting ever played in Wellington, has been arranged to take place on the Miramar links to-day. lArthur Duncan (arpatcur champion) and J. Watt (professional to Wellington flolf Club) E. S. Douglas (open champion) and J. McCormick (professional to Hutt and Karori). These players should provide the best exhibition of the game it is possible to see in New Zealand. The match has been arranged for the benefit of the patriotic funds, and the charge for admission will be 2s Gd.

A medal round was the programme at the Witiora links on Thursday morning, when the best'cards returned were:—J. S. Paton, 00—8—82. V. 11. Beal, 100— 17—S3. T. Furlong, 103—20—53. W. 11. Broome, 97—12—85. J. D. Sole, 103 ' —ls—Bß. In the afternoon a pairs best ball competition was held, with the following results:—Smith and Coxhead, 3 up; Paton and Sole, 1 up; Beal and Johnson, 1 up; Broome and H'aslam, all

square; Corney and Ixtftus, all squai"; Hasell and Medley, 1 down; 1!. Smith and Stohr, 1 down. The entrance for both matches were donated to the National Fund. This afternoon (he second round for the Medley Cup will !,e played.

Ihe Iriglewood Club visited Stritforil on Thursday, and sullered defeat b, (he , Stratiord Club. Results were as follows, Stratford being mentioned first: C. W. Wright (4 and If) 1, 11. ,1. M. Thomson 0; Stanford (li and 5) J, Brown 0; Abraham (4 and 3) 1, N. Sutherland 0; Fossell (5 and ,'i) 1, Surrey 0; S. Spence (7 and (i) ), J. Sutherland (l; Uniacke (2 and 1) 1, O'Carroll 0; Dunlop 0, Darlow (5 and 4) 1; Aobinson 0, <! Sutherland (7 and li) 1; totals: Stratford 7, Inglewood 2. C. Wright and I'osscll (fl and 4) 1, Thomson and Brown 0; Stanford and Abraham (3 and 2) ], Surrey and N. Sutherland 0; Spence and Uniacke 0, Bullard and ,1. Sutherland (2 and 1) 1; Dunlop and Robinson 0, O'Carroll and Darlow (2 and 1) 1; totals: Stratford 2, Inglewood 2.

The new 18-hole course at Ilawera was played on for the first time on Thursday, when the New Plymouth team went t® Ilawera. The new nine holes are provided on a belt of tussock country which separated the old course and the sea, and this country, though still in a somewhat rough state, shows that it is particularly suitable for golf, and in a year or two will be equal to the best golfing country found in New Zealand. Straight play is essential to avoid difficulties, and while the fairway is still too rough to provide good lies throughout, the nature of the turf is easy and comes away cleanly with the mashio. The greens are good, remembering their youth, and when time and work make their influence felt the Ilawera links will be of a very high standard Some of the holes which now exist are to bo altered during the season, but as the course stands at present the distances are as follows:—No. 1, 344 yds; 2. 304 yds; 3, 370 yds; 4, 108 yds; 5 520 yds; 8, 350 yds; 7, lCOvds; B,' 300 yds; 0,'480 yds; 10, 180 yds; 11, 300 yds; *l2, 100 yds; 13, 400 yds; 14, 220 yds;' 15. 345 yds; 10, 357vds; 17, 360 yds; 18, 485 yds; total, 5803vds.

I Slern-visaged Scottish enthusiasts have been heard to declare that humor is utterly foreign to the spirit of golf, and should never be permitted to enter into the game (writes Tt. E, Howard in the Sportsman). So far as I have been able to observe, Americans take their golf just about as seriously as any race on earth, but apparently they have not been able to resist the inclination to indict a very substantial joljce 011 an ambitious player who belongs to the Chicago Board of Trade. They have presented him with a club which, according to the description, does everything but carry itself round the course. Inside it is alive with electricity; outside it bristles with switches and other devices. Its head is seven feet long, and has three dearly-defined places from which a drive may he made, one being , for a slice, another for a pull, and the third for a straight Bhot. A compass and a spirit level on top of the head help the reformer* in his preparations, and a little way up the shaft is a fishing reel, the string of which is attached to the hall so lhat this latter object cannot be lost. Presumably the plavei winds up the reel as he walk's along until he conies to the ball. Electric light fittings mitigate the terrors of sudden darkness, and a motor horn which is also affixed to the sfiaft averts the necessity of shouting "Fore!" , A musicial box in the bend of the club can be played during waits between the shots.

Try this experiment. There arc various Challenger Golf Balls: The licht, the medium small, and the heavy. Buy the three balls and test them against any other make. Your dealer will exchange any that don't suit you. You'll buy Challengers by the box after.