Golf as a Game for Women
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A LITHE, lissome body tu graceful
action, a woman's face fired with
tho glow of health and exertion
and toned with tho rich brown
born of a dally sun bath, and as a
resultant of theso things a feminine heart
in tho attitude of perfect comradeship with
all companions for tho tlmo being that Is
why men like to sea a woman play golf.
And, therefore, may it not bo also tho in
itial motive at least of her devotion to tho
game?
There Is no tlmo when a woman Is so en
tirely a good fellow as when sho Is on the
links. Shorn of all tho frivolous frippery
of a society life, she is her real self from
top to toe. When sho doffs the stilted, stiff
and rigorously uncomfortable gownB of aft
ernoon and evening functions In town sho
casts aside at the same tlmo tho habitual
mask of false pride, exaggerated reserve
and extreme propriety. With tho loose
waist, short skirt, bioad shoes and bare
brown arms sho has donned also a do-
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siTiiny open-heartcdncss, a tono of sincer
ity, that niako her more lovablo In a mluuto
than all her parlor graces would In a year.
A girl cannot play the gamo nnd bo un
wholesome or unattractive. Nature docs
Its work, and well.
No prettier eight exists than a girl golf
ing. Every outllno Is a curve, ovcry move
ment a rythm. There Is not an angle in
tho picture A graceful, well proportioned
man playing in form is acknowledged to
constitute a pleasing figure, but In com
parison with him the girl is a vision.
Her clothes do it. It Is exactly tho same
prlnclplo which applies In dancing. A
woman waltzing Is a dream, a floating cloud
of beauty, a Hitting zephyr, seeming not to
move, yet moving. A man may danco just
ns smoothly, but the bends of his knees and
tho twists and turn of his ankles and tho
contortions at his waist are plainly visible,
and theso sharp corners mar tho picture.
With tho woman, all this motion that
creates good dancing Is hidden. Only re
sults aro apparent; none of the "means by
I which" aro visible.
And so with golfing. Tho woman goes to
a too and addresses her ball for n drive.
Then sho swings und on the up-strlke her
left kceo turns away In; so does her left
too. She bends at tho knees, twists at the
wulLt, and curls her arms around her right
car till tho club lies parallel behind her
head. The ensemblo forms a posture that
she would never choosoas tho acme of grace.
It Is extreme, oven strained. How she
would look in that position If bereft of
skirt nnd waist?
Dut these two garments save the situa
tion. They do more; thoy enhance it. Tho
OMAHA WOMEN WHO TOOK PART IN THE PLAY FOR THE FOYE CUP AT THE COUNTUY CLUB LINKS Photos by u
Staff Artist.
swim; seems tho height of frea and grace
ful movement. The follow through is still
tnoro attractive to witness. "Elbows up"
Is a motto which all conscientious girl golf
ers endeavor to rcalizo In tholr long shot
play, but it is hard, for they havo never
had them up before. That is Just why a
women with her elbow as high as her
shoulder and her forcuim lying straight
back on a horizontal lino nlo'.ig tho club
handlo forms so fascinating a picture, of
healthy enso and freedom of movement.
After all, tho grandest thing about golf 's
the fact that there Is one gamo, one real
royal sport, not tiddlcdlwlnks nor cards
nor croquet, but n gamo of noblo propor
tions and vast possibilities, that tlieru is
ono such gamo that nil women can play.
No other sport ever filled tho placo taktn
by golf, In fact, there was never beforo
such n placo In a woman's life. Tennis, It
Is true, was played somewhat by women,
but oven In its zenith tho feminine devotees
of this gamo wcro few, and necessarily so,
for it is far too violent. Many men can
not stand tennis, and It is only a certain
rare class of women who can play it.
So it seemed that the great majority of
women were destined still to bo spectators
und not participants. Dut golf camo In
and relieved the situation In n most happy
manner. It was clearly a good woman's
game, und to that fact can be largely
credited Its permanent popularity nnd Its
marvelous rush westward when onco It hail
lauded on American shores. Men were will
ing to do for their wives nnd daughters
what they might not have token nny
troilblo in for themselves, and golf clubs
were established for and wide primarily
because tho women wanted them. Aftor
that they flourished nnd were successfully
maintained from an additional reason as
well, Lccause men learned the glories of thu
game.
From tho first stago of golf In this coun
try women havo been senrcoly behind the
men in their progress. Tho United States
Golf association wns organized on December
22, 1891. Tho next October tho first national
championship for men was played. In ono
year more tho women commenced their na
tional championship tournaments, nnd since
that tlmo these honors have been oven more
bitterly contested than thoso for men.
Miss Beatrix Hoyt, tho girl who held the
championship for three succcsslvo years,
won thu flist national contest of this kind.
This was played In 18'JC at tho Morris
Country club In Massachusetts. Miss
Frances Grlscuni, tho 11)00 champion, wns
also a participant. Theso aro the only two
women who have played In this national
tourney through every year of its progress.
In IS'.) 7 Miss Hoyt won again, and also In
189S, Miss arlscum taking fourth honors
both tlmcB. Tho next year tho contest was
held at the Philadelphia Country club links
nnd It proved tho Waterloo of each of tho
veterans, both going down In tho first
round, whllo Miss Huth Underbill won thu
championship. Then last year Miss (Iris
cum finally secured what sho had struggled
for so long. This fall many of tho same
contestants wero again In the rnco, Miss
Hoyt, MIbs Qrlscom and Miss Ocnovlovo
Ilockor being most prominent.
All theso national championship tourna
ments havo been match play, tho qualifying
round only being medal play. It Is a re
markublo fact that In each of tho flvo con
tests from 189G to 1900 Miss Hoyt has won
tho gold medal for lowest score in this
qualifying round. Shu was for four yours
the only contestant to go beluw 100, hut In
1900 Miss (Irlscom took a 9(1 to Miss lloyt's
HI.
Hut there aro now scores of big tourna
incuts In addition to the national event, and
I ho number Increases each year. Women
having championship ambitious in their
favorite sport can easily ho sal lulled In
whatever portion of the country they chance
to live.
in Omaha there is an enthusiastic little
company of feminine gutters who aro In the
gamo strictly on its merits and their own,
and who aro accomplishing wonders cun
sideling the fact that they aro novices. As
the player of the longest experience and
practice among them, MIsh tlertrudo
Kouutzo is Just now tho star scorer and
siiniu of her work ranks squarely up with
that of women golfers anywhere.
William J. Foye, the western champion,
has recently added zest to tho women's
game and nt tho same time recognized their
gulling merit In a manner they most ilchly
deserved by offering a handmiiuo trophy
known ns tho Foyu cup, which Is conllned
strictly to women's competition at tho
Countiy club.
This cup Is played fur once each mouth
of thu gulling season. Handicap medal
play rules tho contests, of which two have
been held. Miss Margaret Wood won tho
first In August. Miss (lertrudo Knunlze
took tho second in September, sho not hav
ing been entered In tho Initial competition,
Ono more tournament for this cup will bo
hold this year, some time during tho pres
ent month. Next April thoy begin again.
Then, bcsldcB this, there Is the Omaha
Woman's cup, a semi-annual prize, play
for which Ib also governed by medal handi
cap rules. This cup was established In
1900 nnd was first In competition In October
of Hint year, when Miss Hello Duwey won It.
Then Inst June Mrs. K. II, Spruguu attained
the honor, and last Wednesday Mrs. Olmrl.m
E. Kouutzo lidded Iter name to the two
already graven on the cup.
So, both women's trophies aro auyono's
prizes so far, as to gain permanent posses
sion of either It Is necessary to win It three
times In succtsslnn. That Is certain In
prove a difficult tusk for anyone, for handi
capping is moHt uncertain, mid that fact,
added to tho general unreliability of form
and play and luck, leaves uv.n a twii-tluu
winner on most doubtful ground when It
comes time for her third attempt. Again,
a woman who wins nny of these contests
limit her handicap at thu next ono nt ,1'
more rigid, It being evidently consider.. d
that she alone of nil tho plnyers has Im
proved during thu Interval. So n feminine
cup wlnnor lias her troubles' and It becomes
n harder task each tlmo she takes tho
palm.
REGATTA AT LAKE MANAWA FOR THE TRAMWAY CHALLENGE CUP PbotOI by a Staff Artist.
