GOLF.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 March 1920, Page 7

GOLF.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. The New Plymouth Club will open the season with a medal round this afternoon. Post entries will be received. All players are asked to return cards for. handicapping purposes. V The course at Walwakaiho Is in capital order, and several Improvements have been made since last season. There is the artificial bunker at the third, and in order to obtain full benefit from it the Club should adopt the suggestion to retain the temporary tee In the corner as the permanent tee. The green on top of tho hill at the fifth Is now In use. The cutting of a tree which obscured a view of the sixteenth green is another improvement, The popular Easter tournament opens at New Plymouth next Saturday, and a successful gathering Is promised. All the Taranakl clubs will be well represented, and players are coming from Wellington, Manawatu, and Wanganui. Entries close on Wednesday. The qualifying round of the Taranakl championship will be played over 36 holes on Saturday, and a teams' match will be played In conjunction with this. The championship will bs continued each day, and the final will be played on the Tuesday afternoon. An Interesting programme of other matches, including two for Indies, is provided for the Monday and Tuesday. Previous winners of tho Taranakl chaw pionshlp are: 1906, J. C. Burns (Auckland); 1907, A. Duncan (Wellington); 1908, R. G. Scott (New Plymouth); 1909, G Saunders (Wanfeanul); 19J0, ,T. Harold (Wanganui) ; 1911, G. Beunder3 (Wanganui); 1912, W. B. Colbeek (Auckland); 1913, H. L. Taylor (Manawatu); 1914, L. Selfert (Manawatu) ; 1915, J. F. Ritchie (Stratford); 1916, L. Cllmle (Lower Hutt); 1918, F. S. Johns (New Plymouth) j 1918, H. L. Young (Palmerston North). A cable from London says the Indies' Golf Union has decided that payment of expenses to players In country or territorial matches is permissible without Involving loss of amateur status. The decision solves a knotty and long-deferred problem. A good deal has been written of holing out In one, and the event always excites Interest (says the Sydney Referee). The most "oneshot hole" appears to be the 15th Eastbourne, which is 190 yds In length, with cross bunkers to prevent running on to the green, and guarded by seven sand bunkers. The green Is very fair-sized, with a drop across the green, and the prevailing wind Is across It. 0| October 1 it was holed In 1; within 24 h')urs—on the morning of October 2—the performance was repeated. On November 19 a player placed his tee shot safely In the cup, and ngnln within 24 hours, on the following imorning, Mr. K. G. Fraser followed suit, repeating the performance In the afternoon, which made him hole In 1 in two successive rounds, which surely must be a unique record. Subscriptions are being made to send an Australian team to compete In the Olympic Games nt Antwerp The Antwerp course Is in excellent condition, and will be, early In the summer, as good as when the wnr Broke out and . when the Belgian open championship was held there In July, 1914. This satisfactory state of affairs is entirely owing to the efforts of a few members, who spent the period of the war in Antwerp Many of the German military and civil officials made regular use of the links, and It Is undoubtedly owing to this fact that the course still exists to-dav. The, course was started in 1888 by 10 Britishers. In 1910 the present ground, consisting of 110 acres of pine forest, was bought, and in 1912 the j full 18 holes were opened. The course itself Is very beautiful, surrounded as it Is liy pine woods, with clumps dotted about the court?. Of a gently undulating nature the liukr, are 5800 yards, and I during tho round every kind of hole Is met with. > i The royal and ancient club have decided not to support the Olympic tournament. They have been approached by a committee formed by representatives of Bclglnn clubs, asking for advice as to what competitions should be held nnd the conditions that should govern play, nnd Mr. C. S. Grace, hon. secretary of the St. Androvrs Green Committee, replied that the green commltteo regret that they are unable to assist in tho matter as the general meeting of the club has unanimously resolved "to decline to have anything to do with the Inclusion of golf in the programme of the Olympic. Games " The proposals of tho Belgian Committee are: Each country to be represented by eight players. Contests to be by match play, 30 holes singles and 18 holes foursomes. The tournament to be held In the first fortnight in August.