The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1897-11-18
THE GAME OF GOLF.
1t IL Really n Linguistfc Discipline
Learned Out of Doors.

Learned Out OF DOOrs.
A celebrated metaphysician once said
that the Hegelian philosophy consisted
entirely of scientific Technology
which no two people interpreted in the
same sense, hence its value as a source
of endless discussion" The more you
talked the further you were from u
conclusion, but you had grand train
ing in dialectics." 1t is eminently
proper that the game of golf should
originate with the metaphysical race.
the Scotch, for it consists partly of a
hard rubber ball, number of peculiar
curved sticks and a becoming negligee
costume, but chiefly and primarily of
a vocabulary. 1t can be played, but
not properly played, without master
ing the vocabulary. 1t cannot be thor
oIghly enjoyed unless the name
golf is rightly pronounced, but, as no
one knows how to do that, and all think
they do, the pronunciation is matter
of comparatively little consequence.
The proper use of the technical terms,
however, is a matter of vital impor-
lance.
The principal words in the new Ian
guage are: Driver. putter cleek. loft
ing iron, niblic, mashie links, tees and
caddy. One who has thoroughly mas
tered these words and wears costume
| is "golfer." To confuse their mean
ings, to speak, for instance. of "holing
Il caddy" or 'lofting a links" or call a
putting green" ''niblic" is as serious
a breech of good form as it would be
to call fishing rod fish pole, as boys
did 25 years ago, before the tyranny
of the technical term set in. To be
sure, you do walk about out of doors
and strike the ball with the clubs, but
the real essence of the game lies in
wearing the costume and using the
words. A thorough mastery Of them is
a liberal education.
| Other subjects have their peculiar ter
minology, but in none of them is it so
extensive and OF such educational value
as in the game of golf. An eminent
authority defines an electrician as one
who thoroughly comprehends the word
potential and the notions collateral
thereto" II you go into the woods,
and live on canned food and crackers,
you must speak of the place where you
try to sleep, not as a "shanty." but as
"a camp" The name at once elevates
the place into the region of sylvan po-
etry and makes discomforts enjoyable
1t really is a shanty; call It so, and the
result is complicated discomfort; call Il
camp, and the result is happiness
The right words are still more vital in
golf. because the vocabulary is more
extensive, though perhaps not con-
tanning any word of the peculiar po-
tency of the monosyllab.e, camp
hut take the entire technical vocabulary
Of golf, ii is more productive of large
amount of low-grade JOY than any other
agency in the world. Low-grade Joy
Is far better worth attaining than high
grade joy or excitement. The great
vaine of the game Of golf can be read
lily seen. 1t presents all the advantages
of studying language. 1t is less diff
ficu!t than Latin or French. aud Is
learned outdoors. 1t Is called game
but in reality it is a linguistic disci'
pline undergone in the open dir un'
consciously, accompanied by moder.
ate pedestrian exercise and the wear
ing of very sensible Scotch uniform
Hartford Comm Courant.