The herald., 1896-08-07
WOMAN AS A GOLFER.
"Never Marry q Woman Until You Have
Played Golf With Her."


An experienced person--experienced both
In golf and in matrimony-of my ac-
quaintance gives this piece of advice to
bachelors: Never" he says, marry a
woman until you have played round of
golf with her, or, better still, watched her
unobserved during the varying fortunes OF
a competition" Place yourself incon-
spicuously by the side of some first class
bunker on the ladies' course, and the dis
closures will be invaluable to your future
life woman will show you a good deal
of her character during three minutes in
bad bunker. A round of golf is alto
gether such an excellent aIlegory of the
game of life that 1 feel convinced that a
woman who can pass creditably through
the ordeal Of public golfng competition
has certain useful gifts of character and
temperament. In the days to come, when
feminine CONSUMPTION becomes the law of
the land, l should Certainly, if l were
commanding officer of the forces, select
my generals from among the golfing anna
IONS of the day. Frivolity apart what are
the powers and capabilities of ladies on
the golf links? Let lis be bold and touch
question full of delicacy and over which,
as rule, many loose and inaccurate no.
lions still prevail. How does the game of
scratch lady'-may the irelegant tern:
be acknowledgements with that of the
"scratch" man.
Well, in tbs inst place, everything de-
ponds upon the course over which the sup
posed trial game Of comparison would be
played; but generally speaking, the odds
to be given or received would be in inverse
ratio to the length not necessarily the
difficulty, of the course, and at Sandwich,
where, for instance, the driving carry"
is extreme, it would probably be found
that the best lady played in her highest
form could safely in Il match receive ga
half from the average man at scratch.
Now, wherein lies this discrepancy be
tween the relative games of man and
woman? Undoubtedly the answer will be
not IN the short game, nor necessarily in
the driving from the tee, but in the wear
and tear of play through the green. And
with apologies to the late lady champion
css, who stands undoubtedly at the head
of all lier English ard Irish compeers-of
the Scotch representatives, of the game we
have, unfortunately, been given little
chance of judging-I venture the opinion
that it was precisely in the length and
strength OF her driving through the green
that her superiority was shown. On the
question as to whether this weakness in u
woman's garo could be remedied by more
frequent play on courses where long driv-
ing through the green is Il necessity, l
would rather not discuss, or even consider
AS things arc at present constituted,
that blessed and acknowledged half be-
tween me and the girl who is now honorcd
as my partner on the links of life-ycs,
that sand bunker is Responsibilities my
sole remaining source of authority and
power, and may heaven defend me from
the day when my wife shall learn hard
hitting through the green. There is, how
ever, good deal moro chan the mere play
ing of the game which deserves considcra-
tloI; and, in competition over long
course, involving the continuous physical
and mcntal-to say nothing Of the moral
strain OF perhaps two hard rounds day
for four or five consecutive days, it will be
not always the best player who secures
the victory, but she to whom nature has
given, in addition to the average proper
ton OF skill. cool nerves and indomitable
will and plenty Of stamina, physical hard-
hood and endurance. But the new woman
seems capable of evolution and develop
ment in any given direction, and, for my
part, L do not grudgc her the pains and
tribulations of u golfing education. 1t
ought to improve her character and temper
as well as her rhysique.-St. James Ga.
zette.