THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 17, 1938.
1036 Clubs In National Golf
Tournament
GREAT ENTHUSIASM OF H'CAP PLAYERS
Progress Has So Far Been Phenomenal
(By "WALTER MAXWELL-LYTE"). London, April 19. MORE than a thousand golf clubs in England and Wales have entered for the National Tourna- ment promoted by "The Daily Telegraph" and "Morning Post" for amateur players with handi- caps of six and over.
THIS TOURNAMENT-THE ONLY ONE ORGANISED ON A NATIONAL SCALE FOR HANDICAP PLAYERS IS HELD UNDER CONDITIONS OF PLAY APPROVED BY THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION AND THE WELSH GOLFING UNION. IT IS DE- CIDED BY STROKE-PLAY ON HANDICAP, AND IS PLAYED IN THREE STAGES. THE FIRST ONE IS A QUALIFYING ROUND OF 18 HOLES, WHICH TAKES PLACE AT THE PLAY- ERS "HOME" CLUB ON A DATE FIXED BY THE CLUB COM- MITTEE. COMPETITORS ARE DIVIDED INTO TWO HANDI- CAP GROUPS “SENIORS". (HANDICAPS 6 TO 12) AND "JUNIORS" (HANDICAPS 13 AND OVER).
The maximum handicap permitted in the Qualifying Round is 18, but players with higher handicaps may complete on 18. As a result of the Qualifying Rounds, two players, a Senior and a Junior, are selected to represent the club in a local District Final of 36 holes. There will be 36 District Finals in England and Wales, the winners of each division will compete in the Final at Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, on Saturday, Aug. 6.
Much has been done to encour-, ties which this tournament provides age the competition spirit among of playing golf on new courses un- handicap players by the presen- der the pleasantest possible condi- tation of club challenge cups and tions and making new golfing the holding of "open" meetings, friendships. but it is recognised that the win-
Players compete throughout the ning of such trophies is a purely tournament on their current handi- local affair. This national com- caps. This system was first intro- petition provides golfers who are duced in 1935, and its fairness is definitely outside the Amateur now universally recognised. Many Championship class with an op-young players are able to reduce portunity of making a name for their handicaps by six or more themselves in the game.
strokes in the course of the season, other system of handi- capping-would-be-unfair-to-the-old-
PROGRESS-MADE-
Year. Clubs entered. Membership.
220
59,400 76,680 77,750
and any
er competitors.
IT HAS ITS VALUE
Baseball is certainly a game for action. Although immensely popu lar in America it is taking a long time to gain favour "in Britain. There is a girls' team, however, at 'Wealdstone, which has been in ex- istence for a number of years and, thanks to Mr. Lynch, former American baseball player, they are quite expert at the game. Our photograph shows Miss M. Roots, who knows how to wield a bat and who looks like scoring some smash- · ing hits if this picture is any cri- terion. (Copyright, Fox).
DISSATISFACTION AT BASEBALL MEETING
Fixtures Not Strictly Adhered To
SHORTAGE OF BALL'S
A meeting of the Committee, of the Hong Kong Baseball League, was held at the Brook Club last night to discuss a number of points which had arisen during the past
three weeks.
THREE RECOMMENDATIONS MADE TO H.K.F.A. COUNCIL
"Sunday Herald" Gate Shows Increase.
Recommendations by the. Man- agement Committee of the H.K.F.A., that all League games be played during the early part of next season, that the Shield Com- petitions be held over till later in the season, and that all representa- tives games be played after Jan- uary when the League programme would be well advanced, were made at the meeting of the Coun- |cil, held last night.
The Hon. Secretary read the re- port of the Macao Interport Sub- committee, and it was the opinion of the meeting that the Interport, in spite of Hong Kong's defeat, was a success and that great in- terest had been taken in the game.. It was recorded that if the game had been played earlier in the sea- son the benefits would have been greater.
Suggested alterations to the rules of the Association and League were held over for the con- sideration of the Management Committee.
It was also announced that the nett proceeds of the "Sunday Herald" International Charity Cup Competition amounted to $4,950, an, increase of nearly $1,500 on last year's figure.
The chairman then read out a num- ber of items which were approved but there was some discussion regarding the proposed item of $400 for war re- lief.
said that nobody was more in sympathy Mr. W. L. Alexander, the treasurer, with war relief than himself but he did feel that war relief could not be in- cluded in the list as the "Sunday Her- ald"-Fund was purely for local chari-
General dissatisfaction was ex-ties. pressed at the changes in the fix- After some discussion, Mr. W. E. tures, not so much as the effect on Hollands proposed that the amount the club concerned, but at the he referred back to the Sub-Committee The value of this competition in short notice given, in many cases
for reconsideration. helping to standardise handicap- resulting in a misunderstanding | ping and correcting handicapping and much inconvenience. anomalies is recognised by, handi- This week's fixtures were mutual-lony was brought up, and
опе
The progress of this annual tournament, which was first start- ed by the "Morning Post" in 1931, has been phenomenal, and if the number of competitors is taken as the basis, it must easily be the largest sporting competition in the
capping committees throughout the ly agreed upon, and the Schedule member undertook to obtain quota. world-not even' excluding the
country. In 'no other competition is Committee will meet again shortly tions from Manila for a serviceable Olympic Games: The following
it possible for the pick of the to draw up the figures speak for themselves:
remainder of the quality ball and asked Clubs to place handicap players in the Midlands' season's fixtures, which, it is hoped, their orders through him. to test their skill against players will be strictly adhered to.
The following is the programme in the South, or for Durham and It was also decided that all for the week-end :- Northumberland golfers to com-games on Saturdays were to start pete on equal terms with players at 2.15 p.m., and the first game on from Devon and Cornwall. North, Sunday, at 9 a.m.
1 luis.s. Mindanao v South, East, West, Wales and the The scarcity of balls in the Co- Recreio Midlands-all will be represented These figures are more remark- the 72 fortunate survivors of this in the great finale on Aug. 6, when able when it is taken into considera- Homeric contest will compete over tion that there are less than 1,200 the East and West courses of the golf clubs affiliated to the English famous Wentworth Club. What a and Welsh Golf Unions, and that some of them are unable to com- pete owing to the courses being under reconstruction.
1931
1932
284
1933
325
1934
510
137,700
1935
605
163,350
1936
630
1937
614
1938
1,036
170,100 165,780 279,720.
contest it will be!
1
This is an appropriate moment to pay tribute to the sportsmanship of the
hundreds of committees throughout the country which are giving special facilities to their members to take part in their sport- ing contest, and to the kindness of the hundreds of club. secretaries without whose co-operation it would be impossible to carry through a tournament of this magnitude.
NOT EASY TO WIN
No one would pretend that this is an easy competition to win. It has been calculated that more than four and a half million strokes will be played by upwards of 50,000 competitors before the Challenge Trophy is handed to the winner on 982 Ladies' Clubs have entered Aug. 6. This is, indeed, a prize for the national tournament which worth fighting for! More important, is being organised by the. "Daily however, than the winning of any Telegraph and Morning Post," for prize are the countless opportuni-"women players,
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