Gifts are the best for Jim
Retired Waikanae journalist Jim Wallace, who spent many years of his career writing, editing and collecting golf memorabilia, has recently received two gifts he has described as “better than a hole in one”.
On Christmas Day one of his grandsons, Tom Wallace, who had been to NASA space school in America, presented him with three golf balls. Each carries the logo of the American space agency NASA where Tom and other New Zealand youngsters spent 10 days learning about space travel.
Tom’s grandad has no plans to tee the balls up when he plays his next round as they will go on a bookshelf with his other golf items.
A couple of weeks later, Jim Wallace had a message from longtime golfer Geoff McMillan who had spent some years as manager of the Waikanae Golf Club.
Geoff was downsizing his golf library and offered a selection of books to Wallace, who gratefully accepted them and has added to his collection.
Looking back through years Geoff can recall many interesting experiences, two in particular still as fresh as ever.
“In 1976 he was at the Miramar Golf Club to watch great American professional
Sam Snead play an exhibition match, one of his partners being Ted McDougall at that time a top New Zealand amateur who later joined the professional ranks.
“On the 18th tee, Snead hit his drive out of bounds into a neighbouring house. The story goes that the ball came to rest in the bathroom hand basin where a man was shaving.
“When Tiger Woods came to Paraparaumu Beach in 2010, Geoff spent some time watching him warm up and still talks about about the way the former world number one player was able to move the ball several degrees to either the left or the right depending on the position of the hole on the green.”
Among the books Wallace has added are several of historical interest including Great Golfers by George Beldham, published 1904, Down the Fairway , by Robert T Jones and O B Keeler, published 1927.
“An amateur, Jones won many major events, including the British and US open titles in 1924.” The collection also includes books by Sam Snead, Tiger Woods and Greg Norman, who personally autographed his book, and Wallace’s story written with New Zealand golfer Sir Bob Charles.