New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-21
THE GOLF ASSOCIATION.
SELECTION OF THE COURSES FOR me -"
CHAMPIONSHIPS.


pho attendance OF golfers at tho third annual
r,oo,,c NJ tho United States Golf Association "c'
last week AT Dcmonico's. was far H'tee' '''"'
either Of the two previous OCCASIONS anu N.Y. -
ouehlv representative than could nave oe'"
rectcd when the distances from TINS city ., 49,
of tho clubs are considered The knoHWoo' ''"'
fry club was the only one OF the seventeen 'S9o
cIotc organizations which did not send DELEGATES
or the sixty-one allied clubs eighteen were lep'c
sented these members having, however, "o ''e
vote After the election OF the officers Tor the
present year the most important business VII.
occupied the meeting was the selection Vi INV i
CHAMPIONSHIP courses By is choice OF inc mi
cago Golf Club for the amateur and open chahiio''
ships and Of the Essex County Country Clup OF
Manchester Mass. for the Womens Championship
the association settled the matter In way ""''i
will please the ma ority Of players "a wen as an"
perhaps better :han any other.
1t had been urged for some time that the 'hicaso
Golf Club by virtue of it's age and rank had III
best title to the honor this year Organized IN H.''
II was one of the five original clubs composing the
United States Golf Association. It's most PIo'n'-
rent member Charles r. Macdonald. won the Aha-
Championship in 1885 and has been a vice.
president of the Golf Association since 1t was
founded The objections hitherto raised against
the choice of the Chicago course as champion
ship ground have been based upon 'ts great as
lance from all the prominent Eastern CLUBS. but
the West has been taking up golf more vigorously
each season. and there now so many expert
players in Chicago and neighborhood that the
foregoing plea has less weight The fact that an
other Chicago man. II. ]. Whgham. again carried
off the amateur honors last year at Shnnecock'
sufficient to turn the balance in favor OF the
West as this seasons championship ground.
The course of the Chicago Golf Club. which Is one
of the few eighteen hole links in the country is at
Wheaton. H.. twenty-four miles west or chicago
OF the Galena branch of the Chicago and North
western Railroad There 200 acres of land. most
OF which formerly the pasture OF large farm
and the turf which. in consequence Is excelieht
for golf. The ground is high. being 30 feet ABOVE
the level of Lake Michigan, and is diversified by
hills a large pond and numerous hne trees. Inc
large clubhouse on Of the hills, overlooks al
most the entire links A flock Of 1000 sheep is Kept
constantly grazing the turf. Most of the haz-
ards are artificial and have been arranged with the
most ingenious and successful view to punishing
poor shots The entire length of the course Is SiN
yards or a little than three and one-half miles
This distance is divided into holes Of the following
lengths No 42O yards No $40 yards 40 . 500
yards: No 4. 40 yards; No s. SIS yards No %? So
yards No 3 Yards No 20 yards 10 No. 3 I ls9
yards No g. 5l5 yards No II, 800 yards No To- 40
yards; No 6, $50 yards No Il, $40 yards; NO. S Il"
yards ..
1t will be seen from these figures that the course
is longer than most of the other eghteennoIe iihks
several over four hundred. The best record thus
far made over it is eghty-two stroSes ih,s MA
Essex
Womens Championship. Is an excellent nlne-hoIe
course 1t is not remarkable for length. but FOR the
excellence with which the holes are guarded ny
cleverly placed obstacles. No women from that
/ club competed In the championship tournament az
Morristown last year. but three took part IN the
1885 tournament at Hampstead Long Island; lnese
were Miss ~ {. Sargent. who won second place;
4 Mrs r. {. Hooper and Mrs. W. Il. Thomas.
No dates have yet been selected by the COLI Asso-
citation for any OF the championships but II is ex-
pected that the time will be announced shortly by
the Executive Committee. The Chicago Golf CLUB
would prefer the early autumn TO any other season
for the amateur and open championships,
4 large rart of the time at the meeting last week
was spent in discussing the proposed limiting OF the
number OF contestants in the amateur tournament;
This was to be done by having standard scratch
and then excluding all whose handcaps. on this
basis were over six strokes. The whole plan was
defeated by n jority OF those present. who felt
that 10 make the championship contest anything
less than omen TO all was 10 infringe upon the priv-
leges of golfers. President heodore a. Havemeyer
said, however that the Executive Committee would
probably ask the different clubs 10 SEND only repre-
sentative players TO the contest
Tomorrow the Baltusro Golf CLUB. or snort
Hills y. j.. will hold eighteen-hoe medal-pIay
tournament, open TO members and guests The
handicap limited 10 eighteen strokes. and IT there
/ is snow on the ground the rules which governed
| the tournament on New Years Day will be In
| force.
| The Queens County Golf Club will be formally
opened for the season tomorrow with a DOGGY
competition for silver cup.