Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-07

If you go in, you win; if not, you "halve,,
or even lose, the hole. The eyes OF the cad
dies are fixed on you; ali your fate trembles
on stroke. Here the conscientious man
squats down, as in our second illustration,
or stoops, as in our third--a portrait Of the
celebrated Tom Morris-and meditates
deeply on the nature of the ground. Then
he walks up to the hole and minutely 1nVes-
tigates the intervening territory. Then. In
any one of divers attitudes, he applies him
self to his putt, while all nature is hushed,
and no lark dare sing, no man dare stir a
finger. Then he puts, and, losing or WIN
ming, heaves sigh of relief. These pro-
cesses, repeated for 10 holes, Constitute
round. The strain on the nerves, in great
competition, is believed to be considerable.
One amateur says he could play well If he
had pint OF champagne at every second
hole. This refreshment, however, is not
provided on the links, and the result OF the
experiment might conceivably be unsatis-
factory. 1t is true, however, that conf
dence is great part of the game Believe
you are going to hit far or to putt straight.
and your faith is usually justified in your
works.
There are other elements in the game-for
example, playing out of bunkers. The best
hit ball may land in these sandholes, an i'll
Then the player approaches the ball with
very heavy stumpy-headed iron weapon, a
mashie, or niblick. With this, if his ball
lie in heel-mark in the sand, he hits very
hard, rather behind the ball, into the sand,
and the bali flies out as the sand fies. Or
perhaps the player "tops" the ball and only
drives it deeper into the sand, or he hits it
clean, without touching the sand, and i'm
pels it hard against the firm lip of the
bunker. whence it usually falls back into a
worse place than before.
Necessary to Keep in Temper.
To lose ones temper in a bunker is usu-
ally to lose the hole. An excellent player,
playing an excellent game, got into the lit
tie bunker near the last hole out, at st. An
drews, lost his temper, took nine strokes,
and consequently failed to win the match.
What would happen to a man who hit in
that gigantic bunker. the Maiden, at Sand
wich, cannot be conjectured. An incalcu-
liable number of strokes might be required
to get out. 1t is pleasure to get out we'll
In one stroke; to remain, making a shindy
In sandy place." as the poet says, with a
memory of Spenser, is among the sorrows of
golf
There are many sorrows. One is, waiting
half an hour on q cold day for your turn to
start. Another is, being kept back by the
dismal scientific slowness of the party in
front. Another grief is to have "a haver-
ing deevil of a partner" who talks and di-
verts your mind from its devout attention.
Yet, again, is it woetul to fall into the burn
twice running, or into the pond at Wimble-
don, or into impossibly thick furze-bushes.
Then even fair players are ever lapsing into
certain faults, such as taking the eye
off the ball at the moment of hitting, or
holding the club too loosely in the
left hand, the parent of all bad driving.
For it is natural to hold the club more
firmly in the right hand, and that is con-
trary to the genius of golf Or the club
may be lifted straight up, like bat, in
stead of being swung with full free curve.
AS the Greeks said, the number of ways
of error is infinite, and there is only one
way of perfection. Yet to mediate on your
errors is to become self-coDscious instead of
being mechanically accurate; to he stiff in
stead of being 1.-the and graceful. That is
the gift OF youth or of skill acquired in
youth; late beginners are always stiff and
awkward, even when they are powerful and
accurate.
The Game for All Ages.
1t must now be plain that golf is not a
mere pottering, .dawdling game. Youth,
strength, suppleness, a good eye, are all