Where The Caddy’s a Hazard But The

[?] In New Guinea

Where The Caddy’s a Hazard But The Game is Rewarding

By Dudley Jones

LE big events of the Papua and New Guinea Golf Association year were played this Easter on difficult, hilly course of the gold dng and plywood town, Bulolo. d, on Good Friday, chartered air ft converged upon Bulolo from >aul, Port Moresby, Madang, Lae Goroka, while vehicles brought tors from nearby Wau. n Easter Saturday the Papua and v Guinea Amateur Champion ), played over 36 holes, attracted naximum field of 60 (after a iber had been ballotted out) and the Monday, the Territory Asso es’ Championship was played ’ 27 holes. offers not competing in these n events came for the ride and )lay in minor events, off is a very popular sport in r Guinea and each of the towns itioned has a good course with i houses which would do credit my medium-sized town in Aus ia. Altogether, hospitable Bulolo immodated 150 visitors over the week-end and an additional 60 Sunday. Approximately 1,500

free meals were served to guests.

Each town takes it in turn to act as host; last year it was Rabaul, next year it will be Goroka. All clubs are affiliated with the Association, which controls the championship events and has been responsible for a number of excellent measures, e.g., all clubs have reciprocal rights.

The quality of the golf may be gauged from the scores. The terrain of the par 70 course is difficult and, owing to a drought period (locals blame the hot air from the rubble piles left by the dredges for lack of rain in recent years) the greens were not at their best. Yet Bernie Hack, of Lae, playing off 3, won the main event with 150 (two 75’s); and in the morning round, Barry Flannery, of Rabaul (6) had a 72 off the stick to break the course record.

The Associates’ Championship was won by Mrs. Punshon, of Goroka (formerly Riverina champion and runner-up at Katoomba), with 133.

The locals won the Kriewaldt Cup, best scratch score of a team of four

a bare one stroke from Rabaul. rew-Guineaites take their game ously but, because of local con ons, it inevitably has its lighter i. This is mainly because of the iloyment of native caddies, busily aged in earning their shilling, ake the incident at Rabaul last r, when an Associate from ther town hit a nice ball off the ; tee in the championship, only see her dark-skinned caddy re ve it like a terrier and bring ack. nder the rules of golf the caddy in adjunct of the golfer, who ; suffers dearly for his misdeeds, ce the local rule at Bulolo this r; “Native hag-carriers are ted as porters, not caddies.” obably the best anecdote con s the Port Moresby member, took along to the course to Y' his bag a Chimbu who knew ing but his own “place talk” l the plantation labour line, i his surprise and disgust, the t lost six balls. He seemed to litting them straight and the Moresby fairways aren’t lhat Back at the plantation, he the boss-boy to inform the y that he did not intend to pay anything, as his job had been nd balls yet six had been lost. ’ the the inevitable gabbling, boss-boy explained that the boy was very sorry, but he had the Taubada hitting the balls

far away over the hill and had con cluded that he was trying to lose them. He had assisted in this by picking them up and throwing them into the rough!

Then there was a Finschhafen

associate who claimed that she had done a hole in seven. Her partner's native pocket-size caddy was deter mined not to see his missus taken down like this, and interrupted in dignantly. “Nogat!” he yelled, “me

lukim you faitim bal ten fella timas Namba wan you faitim bal e mi g®, long liklik wata. Namba tuna? namba tri you faitim air tasol,”f' and so on through the whole mortili fying ten strokes.

Even those most critical of Pidgii. must admit that it can bs a succinct and expressive language on occasion Young European children, who are looked after by “meris” normally speak Pidgin fluently. A small bay of three, after watching his golfll beginner father, a well known Rabatt citizen, in one of his early essayl, at the game, on being asked whaif his father had done that afternoorfr gave this graphic description: “Paps; em i kisim wan liklik ball. Nau enn i kisim wanfella club. Nau em ¥ faitim bal long club. He faitim, her faitim, he faitim, nau ball i winimJj' The really fearsome feature ofc some New Guinea courses is ther kunai rough. The kunai may lx over head-high and the ball onac in, seldom found. An associate om one of these courses hit her balb far into the kunai and was lucky enough to find it.

For a considerable time the only sign of activity^was the occasional? flashing of a club blade above thjr kunai. Her partner, going to in vestigate, found her still slashing at; the ball and moving it inch by inchi On her suggestion, that she should pick the ball up, drop it on the fairh way, and take the penalty, the ase sociate replied that she had beeie told that there was no out-of bounds on this course and if she was on the course she felt she had ttf play the ball and was determiner to play the round out.

So you intending visitors to thd Territory, don’t forget to pack you sticks. You will enjoy your gar* on good courses and under nove conditions, not forgetting thaje traditional New Guinea in the Club house. And to thofi keen Territory golfers, who madb the trip to Bulolo—see you next yets at Goroka. * "No got! I saw you hit (fight) the bast 10 times. The first time you hit it into tH water. Number two and number three you I) air, that's all." t "Father gets one little ball. Now ore club. Now he fights (or hits) the ball w’di\ the club. He fights it, he fights it, he fighrli it —then the ball wins." 11 Miss Susan Williams, of Sydnate just returned from a six montH working holiday in Rabaul, afii nounced her engagement to Mr. Ja?

Snijders, of Rabaul. They plan t marry in Sydney in May and mabl their home in Rabaul. t A sling of fabricated steel droppe off Norfolk Island jetty recently e Shansi was located by a locio underwater enthusiast, and MV Vih Star was pressed into service j salvage same for the new NI wha.fi ing factory.