Americans Are Kapicuy cecoming uon r-nrnusiasts
l ill uiiiinini iiii.n -
CO Willi UIO Kllllie HUH ore-
igm ill a soil ui uiiuciii; iukoki iim.
TuTuo devotio. It l.i ii new enthusiasm in
life, born of 11 novel ami compelling Inter
cat Tlu.se of tin1 former class arc at an ut
ter Iojs to comprehend tin- animus or I'm
liisclliutlou. Such a one mild once, that
"golf Is the placing of lit 1 1 - lulls In littl
hides in the most dllllciilt manner I osslble '
'Unit was live yiars ago. The next vcar,
Inlliieiiced by the fact that his alllaticed was
a lover of the game, this si oiler learned Id
play. Not ii month unci he won one of the
big championship events In this country
Hut the detllilllnn given hv the linlie
Utver was correct. It Is dlfllcult to Imagine
a much harder method of molng a small
sphere some ion yards anil direct hn; its
course Into a hole four Inihes in dliniet r
than with the aid of long handled clubs
v I th striking fnces hat illy as large as the
hall Itself. Of course, toothpicks might
he used, hut even they would prove a far
easier tool for the beginner to handle.
It Is perfectly true, also, that golf Is tin
uninteresting name for any save those who
understand It to watch. It Is one of the few
athletic diversions, In which one unveised
In the suhtle Intrlciudcs and dllllciiltlcs cm
see no action, no ervc. nothing worth
while. Unless n spectator knows all ubiut
vhat he Is witnessing, the game look slow
nnd unlnti resting to him.
So It Is a fact thai no golfer ever took iu
the Kiimo becaus,' he was ultra 'ted to It
as an onlooker, not In this country, at least.
There Is apparently too little "doing" to
attract the American sportsman. Invite a
base hall player or a tennis devote.- out
to the links to watch you no around on -e.
and he will scolT at the whole thing. He
v 111 have no desire even to trv It. tiolf in
a sport or u good game Is to him n parade.
Hut once get a club Into the hands of
this same doubter, let him net Ills base
I'CYi: DUIVIN'O SI'i:"rT)US IN WAKIJ I'hoio by St.UT Artist
Inherent In all man
kind Is this love of the
open air. and due to It
Is the popularity ol
outdoor sports. There
Is added to this in the
city dweller a half
starved desire for the
country for num. and
lots of 11. Coif out
laiiks all sanies In
that it feeds both ap
pctlUd. Volt can play
base ball with a high
board fence ar und
you and a brick build
lug for a backstop,
with heavy teams
rumbling by on the
paved streets. A tennis
court can he outlined
practically In any
backyard. Hut not so
golf. When the
1. Ikl
m
Kssm
m
NICHOU.S I.OSKS-Photo hy Staff Artist.
ball eye trained on the ball, ami happen
by some chance to make one goo I stroke.
Ho will watch the "nutty" sailing away
through space, farther than ho ever thought
of knocking a base ball, and he will start
off at a run across the meadows with that
samo club, determined to repeat the feat.
Tho electric effect on strained nerves, tenso
muscles and Intent mind of the llrst fair
shot Is Indescribable. Relaxation, relief
and thu happiness of satisfaction surge
through body and brain, and with them
comes an unalterable ambition to continue
the motion.
So that Is how golf appeals to tho man
of other and more actlvo Ruined. Ho laughs
It to scorn till he tries It, but having once
tasted of Its dllllcultlcs, he realizes that he
has found a Kame which for demands on
science, skill and steadiness surpasses nil
the rest, and he Is an Immediatu convert.
However, there Is nnother generation to
account for. Half the golfers In the coun
try today tiro men of 10 or over. They
are not lured by fascinations of a possible
future excellence, ami for such they do not
strive. They merely play easy, regular
golf, and are nevertheless as fond of the
Kiune ns tho younger ones. Their devotion
nqulrcti n dltfereut explanation. True, It
Is the only gninu they can play. Hase ball
and tenuis would be far too violent, Hut
It Is not that. Their chief reason Is the
vital feature of It nil. II is the HiIiik that
makes all golfers, good, bad nnd Indifferent
alike, swear by the name and remain faith
ful to it. It Is the mere pleasure of being
In God's out-of-doors,
city man leaves his desk and hlcs to tin
links ho is really In the country, away
from all sound of town, sometimes actually
out of sight of any living human and every
habitation. He Is close to nature, and that
Is the need which of all others he feela
most Htrougly, for It Inlluences every de
partment of Ids being, phyflcal, mental and
spiritual.
Kor him who lives all summer at his
golf club, of course, this glamour wears
iiway. He Is there for tho sport, and for
none of Its more Ideal concomitants. Hut
the average player comes from town ench
time, where he eagerly awaits the coming
of a o'clock, tho hour that sets lilm free.
Ho hurries to his club, exchanges tho stiff
nnd form lilting clothes of conventionality
for those of perfect leisure and freedom
and carelessness, puts on his shoes wltn
rubbor-splked t-oles that never slip, grabs
a bunch of golf clubs nnd a handful of balls
und Is off. As hu swings away at the llrst
tee he gets tho llrst froidi breath of tho
dny. When his arms go up with the stroke
his lungs expand all they know and whether
he makes a foozle or a fancy hot he feels
a real king us he chapes olf after his ball.
Generally considered an aristocratic and
expensive game, the growth and Bpri.ad of
golf In this "oiintry, despite that fact, Is
most Interesting. Though divers proofs
have been ottered to tho contrary, It Is
probable that the sport Is of Scotch ori
gin. Kngllshmcn Insist that It began In
their country, but tho very words "caddy,"
"tee." "mashle" and others are redolent
of Scotland.
NirilOhhS, LAWJUK, I'OVK Photo hy Staff Artist.
N1011OU.S IN A Hl'NKKU l'hoto by Staff Artist
He that as It may. Mure golf was flrsi
played, when all clubs were woxlen and
the balls were hoisehldo. stuffed tight with
feathers. Its growth has been constant am!
far more rapid than Its extreme expense al
llrst would seem to warrant. Now the
time wheu every golf player was u Scotch
man niul made bis own clubs has passed
und the game is becoming more and more
general. Indied, there are only a lew of
the old type left. You see theiil now and
then In America, such as old Hubert llrald
and his brother (''rank, which names
stumped on the heads of gcdf clubs tire
proudly exhibited by the few amateurs who
have grown sulllelently close to the little,
long-whiskered, oddly-dressed, horny
haiided Siotibmen to receive the hand
mini sticks as a memento of their In
struetors.
tiolf was originally a senshoro game,
played on the sands and among the dunes
along the coast. Hut wheu It enme to this
country tt was soon revolutionized, or
rather Americanized. Kor u year or two
nil links were tilling the const, hut tho
Yankees were quick to discover that thu
Inland country offered far more preferable
localities. Hazards of a riskiness und dif
ficulty that could never he duplicated on a
beach were possible and a mere rolling
country attainable. So the courses scat
tered Inland and since that I line Ingenuity
has been tnxed to Its utmost to mnko them
whnt they bIioiiIi! ho In every particular.
American golfers are extionilsn. Thev
lire not satisfied to stop with what th v
Icarnod from their foreign teachers, the
Scotch. They carry things further. Hazards
must bo more dllllcult. bankets more fre
quent and more perilous to the game. I'l.iv
Is harder and llercer. That Is whv an Ameri
can ciiu become expert at golf In such a
comparatively short time, tin the couise
of the Country (dub at Htilllmore Is one
hazard alone which cannot be duplicated
in all Great Hrltain. Seventy-live yards
fiom one loo is a stone aiiieduel twenty
ft et high. That Is an appalling piopiodtlon.
Any drive falling to cover it (which Is no
easy feat) will strike It and drop to the
ground close hy. and then to loft the ball
over almost straight up U a trick of great
dttllculty. There Is every Inducement to
clear the aiiueiluct on tho drive.
The spread of tho game to tho west has
ben sudden. It was not many years ago
when people west of New York considered
golf the unattainable, and now these people
cnii play It In no matter what cltv of .inv
size they chanco to visit. Nebraska fur
nishes a good example of this growth. Tliree
years ago there was not a golf club In the
state. Now there ale eight. And wh n
It gets to such a pats that the Hiuall lowin
can support a golf course, who can crv
"aristocrat" and say that It Is not almost
as much u game for tho masses iih ten.ii
ever was?
A gieat point in favor or golf h that il
does not take a lifetime to learn It. and
that one run become proficient beginning
al almost any time of life previous to the
wnne. A star base ball playei s one who
was in the game on the t ominous as a
child and who followed it cnnstautlv
thiough the public hchools ami perhaps cd
lege. No boy even as young as l"i veils of
age can begin then to play base ball and
get good lit the game. Ii tnkis a life time
of application. The same Is largely true
of tennis, though to a less extent.
Hut any Idea that a youth spent In nut -dying
nnd subsequent llfo on the
links Is necessary for good gulling
Is nn error. William llolahlrd, Jr., of th
Glenvlew club in Chicago Is 17 years of
age anil has playid two years. He Is cham
pion of his i tub and
litis won high humus in
i h.ilnploii-hlp matches
In both the cast ami
wi st. Walli r 11 I'gaii.
runner up in the re
cent national cham-pnii-hip
louiuameii!
win by Mr Tiavls.
"ii cnt ( f age and
has played but thtee
i a is
sinking example
of whal can be iliuie
Willi golf in a shot I
linn by xlgoious ap
plication can be f und
In Omaha. W .1.
I 1 1 i ' is not a youth,
but is ill the prime of
of life. Last jcar he
began to play golf.
He was eouilaiil to
lie game ami practiced
be Kiid.leoh begliw In hn ih bill nnd hi
It right, and from thai turn nil hi iu
prow'iucni l nun chiu-l t.ipld Care an I
persistent practice are all that are necc
sar then.
A Tactful Uotrent
Colonel Prank 1 Italdwln. I'liuiili
I tilted States lufnutr.il. now scl'tlim III out
island pohm'xmIoiih in the far t'aelllc, ami
doing splendid sen ice. loo, tells III tin
Detroit 1'iee I'n m a mmd ntoi nf a ynun,.
Mormon girl's picxcmc of mind
Si on few yearx ao. It will bo iccultcd,
Cob uel Codv Invited a uuuilicr of forciKo
nlllcers In visit lilm al his western ram l
and go on a J.itiiil of a thousand miles li.
the mobile through the wonderland i f tin
herder.
motlg those who aeeepted the Imitation
were, thin Colonel, now lii neral Mi Klnnon
nnd Major Sir St. John Mildmay of the
Hrlllsh Grenadier guaids.
Colonel Halilwlu, uhnxc tefcired to w,i
the escort sent by General Miles to ihe
fotelgu ollleers.
It was wheu Hearing the end of th
tin mmiil miles' (rail ami al a pretty .Mer
uiou village In I'tuti, thai a dune wus ghin
to Colonel Cody ami his guests.
Pretty girls galore were tin re In tin
school house, whole the dame was held,
and the henuv were the uieiubeis of tin
Cody parly, from Ihe ehlel ami his linnet, it
guests to Ihe "horse wtunglcrs," and
.M 1 1 inn 1 1 bishop.
The music wus a inclodeoii, uccoidlnii
bugle und violin, ami II was pla.vlim with
a villi Ihnt made the feet hustle, while tin
"corners were swung" In u way I ha.
caused Ihe feminine ili gonils to lly high
"In one set," Colonel Halilwlu said
"were Cody. Ihe ollleers of On. Greuaillei
guards, a .Mi rinon piesldeiit of a 'Mttil.e,' oi
county, a sedate elder and a cowboy.
"Sir St. .loliii .Mildmay was dancing wllh i
pretty girl om r mur the door, while a few
llll MfaY-rt'-MMy
""; 'ft
3)
KOYK AND IiAU'ltl II WATCH NU'HOM.S DIHVU l'holo hy Slalf Attlsl
faMifully. This ytar he quulillcd al Chi
cago lu the Western iituateur championship
being one of sixteen out of Km entered to
do so. Since then he, together with Harry
Iiwrle, played llcriiard Nleholls of Boston
an eightien-hole match it I the Country club.
Tho two Omniums won, and Koyo's Individ
ual teoio wiih only one down on thai of the
visitor. Nleholls, too, is onu of Hie few
men who have defealed Harry Vnrdon,
champion of the world.
So golf Is not an lmpnsihllity for anyone,
us far as prnllclcney In the game gocw.
Perfect form Is not lesullnnl only upon
twenty years spcnl on the links, as many
of the so-culled golf guide books would have
people believe. Nor In the game so (II Hi -unit
to muster. It Ih very hard at llrst,
.ml naturally so. A. t Is player has u
square fool of stilnglng to lay against his
ball. At least fifteen Inches of a base ball
playor'n bat will do the work for lilm. Hut
lu golf the striking face of the club is not
more than nn Inch or two square, and all
cxpeits play bulgois. which means a curved
face, ho that there Is Jusl one point on that
section of u sphere which which must hit
thu ball In order to get Ihe player direction
niul distance.
Hut nothing m stronger than the en
(oiiragement n golfer gels when It does
come. It Ih the one game In which a player
seems to "get the hang" nil at once. After
weeks and months of struggling after form
and "eye" and niimi rous other essentials
'wall llowtrs' sat light behind thorn. Sud
dunly thu lliltlsh major's fair pat I tier lte.il
luted. Hushing crimson, then exeetiled a
few fancy steps not down lu the dance,
Nwnopcd down und plcki d up u gaiment
from which she had beiome iliscnlauglcil,
doubtless from loo abiding fiiith In pins
nnd Providence.
"As quick us a IIiihIi, lln.iigh blushing
blood-red, she reached for one of the
wall flowers, present! d her lo the dumb
founded major niul with u polite 'excuse
hid' disappeared through the outer door
into the solitude of nature,
"It was bright moonlight and she had to
hunt for inwr lu some trees quite a dis
tance away lo reiiriaugo her toilette, hut
she did It with dlspulch. glided back to
her place In the dunce, Ihaiiked her tem
porary siibslilule und went on wllh Ihe
dance with seieue eompohilio of face und
more cautious whirl of feel.
"The major, however, had mil yet col
lected himself rally when Ihe dance eiuleil
mid then calling Col I Haldwlu uslde
said with enthusiasm:
"'I have been u soldli r In India and in
Africa, have rnllownl the hounds ucrii-n
Iho roughest country, huve seen much or
dtsponito danger, hut never, in u iniimeni
of Hindi ditiperate danger have I ween a
man exhibit such pot feet pieseuce of mini
ns did that .Mormon girl. No society bollo
"f London or New York rrmld have shown
the del Ve that die did ' "
I'OYK .MAKKS Till' WINNING SHOT Photo by Slalf Ailpu
