Vol 4, Issue 1
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The Long Game The Official Newsletter of the Golf Society of Australia Golf Australia House, 155 Cecil Street, South Melbourne, Victoria, 3205, Australia Telephone (03) 9699 7944 Fax (03) 9690 8510 Editor Telephone (03) 9521 6809 Volume 4, Issue 1 February, 1999 I also have much pleasure advising that your From the President Society's funds are being put to appropriate use. Recently a book case was purchased and installed in the Your Committee has selected "The Long AGU headquarters to house some of the many golf Game" as the title for our newsletter. It expresses an books held at the Museum. To acknowledge the unique aspect of golf with which the history and traditions of contribution made by the Australian Golf Union over the the game have a metaphorical association. past 100 years, we have presented the AGU with a “The Long Game” also says a great deal about commemorative scroll. I the Golf Society of Australia Inc. It has been founded look forward to seeing you at our next function. and set up with long term intentions and will no doubt Daryl Cox, President be in existence long after we have passed our niblicks on to the forthcoming generation. Thus it is fitting we should do whatever we can to have recorded in our annals the foresight of its Life Member and Founder, Dr.Ken Shepherd RFD, VRD & Bar, MBBS (Melb). Accordingly I have much pleasure advising that 1999 Calendar of Events your Committee has seen fit to invite Dr.Shepherd to accept the illustrious status of Patron. This is a most The Committee is planning the following program for deserved and appropriate position for one who had the 1999. Please note your diaries accordingly but be aware foresight, courage and tenacity to bring the Society into that the dates may be subject to some variation as we existence and be involved all the way through its contact venues, guest speakers and obtain confirmation. existence to where it is now; on the threshold of being a n a t i o n w i d e o r g a n i s a t i o n . 19th March Don Lawrence Trophy at Frankston Whilst considering what the Society might do 25th March Dinner at Royal Melbourne GC for its founder, your Committee also gave much thought 26th April President’s Trophy at Victoria GC to the contribution other Australians have made to golf. 20th May Dinner at Metropolitan GC Many have made a mark in golfdom but none stands 6th June Hockory Day at Kingston Heath GC above Peter Thomson CBE. Following his stunning 22nd July Dinner at Kingston Heath GC success as Captain of the victorious International Team 30th September Dinner at Yarra Yarra GC in last December’s Presidents Cup, one wonders where 12th November Doug Bachli Trophy and AGM at the remarkable talents of our golfing ambassador Commonwealth GC extraordinaire will take him next. Thus it is with much 9th December Dinner at Victoria GC pleasure that I also announce that Peter Thomson CBE has accepted our invitation to be a Patron of the Golf Did You Hear About? Soc iety o f Austr alia I nc. Sir William Deane AC, KBE, Governor- Perhaps if I dyed my hair peroxide blonde and called General of Australia now becomes our Patron-in-Chief. myself the great white tadpole, that would help (to get Also with the Golf Society's expansion throughout media attention) Australia it can be envisaged that in due course our I a n Society could be most appropriately structured with a Woosnam P a t r o n f r o m e a c h S t a t e . —- ooo —- It would be most helpful if any member who A golf ball is a small indented spheroid which remains has a flair for research and writing could assist with the on a tee while a perspiring golfer fans it with a club. compilation of data relating to museum items. Whilst we —- ooo —- have catalogue type notations, an embellished description of each museum piece is needed for the If the pleasure of golf is in striking a ball, edification of any visitor having more than superficial and in seven a hole you do, interest in the museum pieces. Our Hon. Sec., I who have had fourteen in all, Mrs.Rosemary Wakeham would be delighted to hear have had twice as much fun as you. from any member prepared to help with this task. Sutphen Van Tassel 1904 1 Report on “Presidents Cup” Gene Sarazen on his sand iron. Dinner - 12th December, 1998 Courtesy of our member Frank Greig By Daryl Cox (President of The GSA) In about 1960 Gene Sarazen wrote the following account of his unique contribution to the evolution of the sand-iron in the early 1930s. This dinner was held on the 12th December Necessity is the mother of invention, so the 1998 at Victoria Golf Club. The guests of honour were cliche goes, and it was necessity that compelled me to the Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of invent the sand-iron almost 30 years ago. St.Andrews, Mr.John Beharrell and his wife Veronica In 1931, I was intent on winning a British Open who as Veronica Anstey won the Victorian, Australian and also copping another National Open. Taking stock and New Zealand titles in 1955 when she toured here of my game, I realized that I was throwing away with a British Ladies Junior Team. John Beharrell was championships always because of one disastrous stroke the youngest player to have won the British Amateur in the course of 72 holes. And almost invariably this Championship. He was 18 years and one month when disastrous stroke could be traced back to a sloppily he won at Troon in 1956. Bobby Cole of South Africa played trap shot that cost me a double-bogey, if not was the same age when he won in 1966. He is the fourth worse. Amateur Champion to become Captain of the R & A. Plainly, something drastic had to be done to Both Mr and Mrs Beharrell were invited to improve my bunker play. That something came to me, address the gathering. John Beharrell spoke of his strangely enough, while taking flying lessons in Florida appointment and the captaincy of the R & A, whilst Mrs that winter. I was observing the action of the tail fins in Beharrell related the highlights of her trip to Australia in making the plane go up or down. Perhaps, I thought, a 1955. Both addresses were well acclaimed by the "tail fin" on a niblick would help me to put quick loft on menbers. Robert Wade who has a painting hanging in the R & A clubhouse, thanked the special guests which he did with his usual delightful turn of phrase. A tie was given to the Captain of the R & A and his wife received a GSA badge and wine glasses. Other activities of the evening included poetry readings of golf verse by Michael Fitchett and Margaret Reid, some quiz questions and the display to members of the scroll which will be presented to the AGU to mark its Centenary. (See full report later in this publication - Ed.) The meal was excellent and the arrangement of having an all in price including pre-dinner drinks worked well. In summation the night was most convivial and a fitting finale to our year. From the Editor I would like to thank the many members who have given me positive feedback about “The Long Game”. At a recent dinner hosted by the AGU, the incoming President, Len Rae from Tasmania confessed to being an enthusiastic reader. This all goes to underline my considerable regret at the delay between issues. I can only plead too much work and not enough time but here we are in 1999 Gene Sarazen playing his “sand iron” in 1933 and, armed with new year resolutions and some more time, I intend to revert to our previous frequency of a trap shot. At any rate, I could hardly wait to get the publication, ie. February , June and October each year. plane back on the ground to see if some sort of a flange I would also like to thank those members who could be attached to a club that would serve the purpose have forwarded items of interest for inclusion in future of generating pronounced loft. I wanted to make myself editions. In particular, I would like to thank John a club that would drive the ball up as I drove the Fawcett, Peter Rosenhain, Frank Greig, Ian Holland and clubhead down. When a pilot wants to take off, he Ken Shepherd for their contributions and doesn't raise the tail of his plane, he lowers it. And so I encouragement. If you have a favourite piece you would wanted to lower the "tail," or sole, of my niblick to like to share or a “pet” topic please let me know and I produce a club whose face would come up from the sand will do my best to include it in a future edition. as the sole made contact with thc sand. At a machine shop in New Port Richey, where I Good golfing for 1999, John Lindsay, Editor was living, I had thick globs of solder attached to the underside of my niblick, to which I had added a few 2 extra degrees of loft. The local golf course wasn't a very good one, but it did have one excellent bunker, right Extract from “The Times” 1874 behind my house.