DOMINION GOLFERS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 256, 27 September 1929, Page 2

DOMINION GOLFERS

CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING. Per Press Association. WANGANUI, Sept. 26. The 1929 New Zealand golf championship meeting will open on the Belmont course to-morrow. After a spell of fine weather, there was heavy rain this afternoon. If this ceases to-night, the course will be benefitted by the rain and should be in firsLclass order. All the competitors have arrived and there will be a very classy field engaged. The usual practice rounds have been indulged in and good form has been shown by many of the competitors. The open championship is considered to be very open and there is no pronounced favourite.

BELMONT COURSE DESCRIBED.

NEED FOR STRAIGHT HITTING

In order that i-eaders may be able to follow the descriptions of the various contests that will be taking place during the next fortnight in connection with the New Zealand championship tourney, a short description of the fine links of the Wanganui Club at Belmont will doubtless not be out of place. Holes 1,2, 3, 14, 15, 16. 17 and 18 are on the flat, and tho remainder are in the hill country. This latter is just the sort for golf, but the holes on the flat are also quite good. The longest hole 13 the eleventh (Long Tom, about 480 yds), but tho long hitters can get homo in two here. All the others under ordinary conditions are readily reached in two shots:—

Hole No. 1 (about 410vds). —The tee is just in front of the clubhouse. This is a good two-shotter, though a badlysliced drive may end up on a road or a pulled one in a big bunker. No 2 (about 350vds). —A good drive puts a player within mashie distance of the green, but the second shot is nearly always a blind one over a ridge. There will be more fives than fours here. No. 3 (about 270yds—the “Dress Circle”). —This is a drive and a pitcli into a green in a hollow on the ridge; quite all right if the drive is a good one.

No. 4 (about 370yds.).—A pulled drive gets into a lot of trouble here in bracken and tussock; an accurate second is required, as there is an out-of-bounds area to the right, and a deep drop on the left.

No. 5 (about 160yds.).—A good shot with a No. 3 iron, but it is fatal to be short or to the left.

No. 6 (about 400yds.).—The drive is over a ridge, and a pulled shot will find no end of trouble in the marrom grass; the land slopes down to the green, and an iron can easily get home with the second.

No. 7 (about 430yds.).—This calls for a very accurate second, and there is plenty of marrom on the left of the green and the fairway. No. 8 (about 370yds.)—the “Quarries”). —A very fine hole. The tee shot is over an old quarry on to a flat below, and then the second has to be played over a knoll on to a green at a still lower level.

Hole No. 9 (about 360yds.—“Land’s End”). —A good drive and a mashie. On the left is the boundary fence, and there is a fatal tendency to pull a ball out of bounds.

No. 10 (about 170yds.).—A good crack with No. 1 or 2 iron; a slice here is fatal.

No. 11 (about 480yds.)—“Long Tom”). —A drive goes over a ridge down a slope, and the second has to be hit up on to a sort of platform halfway up another ridge. This usually requires three shots at least, but some of the longer hitters will get home in two under favourable conditions. No. 12 (about 145yds).—A nice mashie shot; it is fatal to go through. No. 13 (about 380yds).—The tee shot has to carry a ridge about 100yds away, but usually gets a good run. A pu ! l, however, will probably end up m a gorse bush. No. 14 (about 435yds—the “Encampment”). —We are now out of the hill country back on to the flat. An out-of-bounds fence runs down on the left to catch tho pulls. The tee is high up, and one can get a lot of distance with the drive, but it is easy to under-club for the second shot. No. 15 (about ■ 210yds—“French Pass”):—This is played right down the fence line, and the slightest pull and the ball is out of bounds; has caused the downfall of many a good player. No. 16 (about 390yds—“Bunkers Hill”).—The tee shot here is very difficult, as the ball has to be sent over a 6pur of tire ridge, and unless well placed it is very hard to get home in two. This a liard four. No. 17 (about 400yds).—A good straightforward two-shotter with a well guarded green. . . No. 18 (about 400yds).—This is slightly dog-legged, the best place for the drive being a bit to the right, lhe green is well guarded, and makes an excellent finishing hole. The par for the course is 75, and the course record is 69, marking the only time in the 20 years’ history of the links that a player has gone round in under 70.