On A visit to Mount Juliet earlier this week, Padraig Slattery, last year's captain, invited me to try out their new putting course. As I headed towards my car for a putter and balls, the Portmarnock four-handicapper assured me: "Don't bother; I've got all the gear." So off we went through the Rose Garden to a facility which is unique in Europe.

It was only on arriving at the utterly charming course that I realised I'd been had: fine golfer he undoubtedly is, but Slattery also happens to be a left-hander. And my expertise with lefthanded putters is decidedly suspect. Still, the course was well worth the visit, even if our little challenge was decidedly onesided.

Designed by Jeff Howes, who was chief advisor to Jack Nicklaus on the championship layout, the putting course has an overall length of 463 yards and has 18 individual holes varying in length from 10 to 36 yards, including pars two, three and four. It also has some marvellous sand and water hazards and more contours than the cast of Baywatch.

But here's the best news. Circulars are going out to every club in the country, inviting entries for a National Putting Competition in September. Each club may send one representative, male or female, for the ultimate in a test of putting skills. And unlike my misadventure, they may bring their own putter.

Meanwhile, Slattery informed me that the only facility like it anywhere in the world is in Hawaii. But it would be difficult to imagine a more beautiful setting than this delightful glade, at the back of Mount Juliet House.

"I made a really bad mistake in playing at Troon last year (he shot 92) and I will not play any tournament golf again until I know I am ready to cope with it." Ian Baker-Finch, the 1991 champion at Royal Birkdale, who will be commentating on next week's British Open for Australian television.

Many a witty line has been prompted by the behaviour of expectant fathers. But the anxiety of two such men, tomorrow and Monday, will have nothing to do with maternity hospitals. Rather will it concern the golfing performances of their sons.

Michael Watson, a 14year-old playing off six and Gregory Norman, a 12-year-old four-handicapper, will be making their first appearances on a major golfing stage when they compete in the 36-hole International Junior Boys Open at Formby. The event, sanctioned by the Royal and Ancient, is actually being played on one of the venues in use in Final Qualifying for the British Open.

Proud dads, Tom and Greg, will be present to see the lads in action. In fact Norman, who is currently recovering from shoulder surgery, went so far as to say: "Wild horses wouldn't keep me away from watching my son play." One suspects that the least pressure on the youngsters will be from their rivals.

The dark side of US tournament golf was in evidence this week in the ongoing problems of Chip Beck. The winner of more than $6 million on the tour since 1980, has decided to sell the family home in the leafy suburb of Lake Forest, Chicago. "After the struggle I've had, I need to get a better handle on our finances," said Beck simply.

With rounds of 81, 74 in the recent Western Open, Beck missed his 40th successive cut. It represents a sickening reversal for the 41-year-old winner of four tournaments who, on October 11th, 1991, became only the second US tour player to shoot a 59 - in the third round of the Las Vegas Invitational.

His 1997 tournament earnings were a paltry $10,653 and he has drawn a complete blank this year. And by way of proving that sponsors' memories are cruelly short, he has no clothing contract nor any advertising on his bag. But his plight should still be kept in perspective: the asking price for his house happens to be $6.2 million.

"Lamps for the little man should glow all over the golfing Orient." This was how Guardian writer Pat-Ward Thomas, with a typically polished phrase, acknowledged the splendid challenge of Liang Huan Lu in the 1971 British Open at Royal Birkdale, where he lost by a stroke to Lee Trevino.

Memories of him are revived by the return of the championship to Birkdale next week. And Mr Lu seems to sit more comfortably on a quaintly charming man who will long be remembered for the manner in which he doffed his hat to the crowd in salutation and appreciation.

Some element of consolation for his narrow defeat at Birkdale came a week later when middle rounds of 63 and 62 helped him capture the French Open with an aggregate of 262 at Biarritz. Then aged 35, he went on to gain the distinction in 1974 of winning three times on the Asian circuit.

But he is also remembered for incurring a most interesting penalty during the 1979 Dunlop International in Japan. On missing a putt and then holing out, he proceeded to roll his ball into the hole by hand. There was a local rule in force prohibiting the re-taking of putts during the event and he received a two-stroke penalty for "practising." Shortly after that, he became the owner of a large hotel in his native Taiwan.

By way of marking the historic nature of a British Open Regional Qualifying competition at Co Louth last Monday, the Royal and Ancient invited their Irish members to drop in and say hello. One of those to accept the invitation was former GUI president, Michael Fitzpatrick of Sutton GC.

"Fitzer" as he is known to his golfing friends, has been a member of the R and A since 1984. He is also, at 76, the proud holder of a 10-handicap which he used to fine effect at his club last Sunday. "In the second round of our Gold Medal, I was conceding six shots to a fellow less than half my age," he said. "But I came from three down with four to play to win on the 20th."

Twice a competitor in the US Amateur - in 1961 and 1965 - he made regular challenges in the British Amateur during his 17 years as a scratchman. "My first handicap in 1935 was 10, and I've never been above it since," he said.

This day in golf history . . . On July 11th 1919, when the event was played over three days for the first time, Walter Hagen captured his second US Open title, beating Mike Brady in an 18-hole playoff at Brae-Burn CC, Massachusetts. Having led Hagen by five strokes entering the final round, Brady crashed to an 80.

Hagen, meanwhile, worked his way into a winning position by reaching the two-tier green on the finishing hole with an mid-iron shot to within eight feet of the flag. Brady, who was in the clubhouse at the time, was then summoned to the 18th green by his rival, ever the irrepressible showman, so that he could witness the winning of the trophy. But Hagen missed the putt, causing a play-off.

For his victory, he received a cheque for $500 from the purse of $1,745, the remainder of which was shared among the 12 highest-finishing professionals. At 26, it proved to be Hagen's last US Open success, even though he continued to compete in it until 1937.

In Brief: Kate Ellis-Jones informs me that the final golf event in aid of Kerry's Cill Rialaig Project will be held at Waterville GC on July 25th. Further information from (066) 79297.

Teaser: Michael McGowan of Cairns Road, Sligo, poses this problem. In strokeplay, A's second shot to the seventh hole at Rosses Point seems to have disappeared into the drain in front of the green. After searching the drain for five minutes to no avail, his playing companions agree that it must be lost in the drain. A drops back under penalty, pitches to the green but, as he approaches the green, discovers his original ball in a bunker beside the green. He decides to continue with his second ball as the original ball had been deemed lost in the drain. Was he correct?

Answer: Given that his playing companions endorsed the player's belief, he would appear to have taken the correct action, according to Decision 26-1/3. It states: If there was reasonable evidence that the original ball was in the water hazard, the player was entitled to invoke Rule 26-1 and, when he dropped a ball under that rule, that ball was in play and the original ball had to be abandoned.

If there was not reasonable evidence that the original ball was in the water hazard, the ball dropped under Rule 26-1 was not dropped under an applicable rule and therefore was not the ball in play. Accordingly, it was a wrong ball and the player lost the hole in matchplay or incurred a two-stroke penalty in strokeplay (Rule 15). In strokeplay, the player would be obliged to continue play with the original ball, which remained in play.