Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-04-06
THE NOBLE GAME.

We got up private theatrlcals and fancy
balls. We played billiards and halma.
But one day u thunderbolt fell among
us. The thunderbolt which fell was the
revelation that there is but one game; that
Its name is 'golf, " and that those trivial
ties IN which we SO yainly INDUCED were
nothing-absolutely nothing-not games
at all
1t was The McGourock who let this light
In upon us and practically saved us.
There had been a house to let in oul
road, villa named Sidelines, with q
tennis lawn, and one day McGourock
moved in, and those of us who went out
after breakfast next morning observed g
painter painting out "Sidelines" and
substituting Bunkers" Those among us
whose gardens adjoined that of The Side
lines and who happened to go into them
before breakfast on that morning follow
ing the arrival of The NlcGourock saw
him in his garden engaged with golf sticks
cross pattern. He had made a little hole
in the tennis lawn and was trying to knock
the little ball into it.
That evening, while Wilkinson was
smoking pipe in his garden and trying
to water great oak with IL half inch hose
emitting quarter of q pint in five min
utes Peter McGourock looked over the
fence and passed the time Of day.
"Ye'll have Il club here, of course?'
asked Peter.
ooh, rather!" replied Wilkinson. enc
end of clubs. We've a capital tennis club
and a croquet club, and u river club, ant
a bicycle club, and
But Wilkinson drew up suddenly, thrown
on his launches, for the gray eye Of Peter
McGourock, which should have been ablaZe
with enthusiastic interest, was pale witt
Il strong contempt.
"But how about the club?" he asked.
"Club:" said Wilkinson. 'Why-well
we've all those clubs-what more
81 was not asking about these treevia'
things" said McGourock. "Where is youl
golf club"
"Eh? Oh-why-wc haven't-er-ex
actly any golf club-that is, not just yet
Is it Il good sort of gamc!' said poor Viii
kinson.
Peter looked him all over very slowly
then looked the hose all over very slowly
then WilkinsOn's garden; then Wilkin
sons house, right up to the top of the new
Louvre pot. Then repeating very slowly
good-sorrt-of gamer" hi
turned away and disappeared into his
drawing room.
For days after that poor Wilkinson
while watering the big oak with the hall
inch hose, would cast furtive glances at The
McGourock tapping the little white ball in
to the little hole in the lawn, and at time
he could perceive, with the tail of his eye
Peter McGouorck eying him over, or por
tions of his property, and at times he coult
hear the muttered words, ''Es ct q goo(
SORT of gamer"
At length Wilkinson made heroic effor
to put matters on a less painful footing
He looked over the fence at Peter, who
was doing something to golf iron with /
file, and said cheerfully, but with IL dread
full nervousness Within:
SIS it-er-when you could spare tel
minutes ] should take it as u favor if vol
would teach me to play golf. "
''Ton minutes, ye say" said Peter, using
that horrd eye Of his.
"Well, wcll-of course don't mean tt
say could learn in ten minutes-ha, ha-
ridiculous, of course" said poor Wilkin
son. But if you'd kindly teach me thu
stroke
SIR" said Peter, "a man cannot b.
taught golfn'
ssVnn nt ooY,rCa r dop,t ,na,,, tn Gov
that is-but a fellow might try to learn. /"
''Golf," said Peter, sis not Il thing thai
man can learn
swell, but-hang it all-how do people
ever play? People do play golf, dom
they?"
"Play?" said Peter. "And what might
ye mean by 'playS"
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. it! Don't yor
see people knocking confounded littlt
white balls over COMPOUNDED obstacles witt
things like that you're filing at?"
Poor Wilkinson was turning. Even VIII
kinsons will turn.
"Ah," replied Peter, Eye see people d.
that-and many's the number of them
But ye talked of playing Sirrl Eff maj
begins golf when he's put into shor
clothes and devotes his life to it excepting
the Sabbath only, that was specially or
dained for him to repaint balls and see t.
things), and If it's granted to that man a
the close Of long life to arrive at TIN
knowledge that he knows nothing of golf
that man can die happy man, and whel
he's finally holed he will not have lived II
vain. Ayel' continued Peter suddenly
lit es q good SORT Of game. It's just |
gran game. It's just the only game. y
From pure inability to bear the severit,
Of Peters eye, our road decided to form
golf club, and q deputation waited on Pc
ter to beg him to show us how, to becom
president--and every other officer he care,
to be, down to caddie.
"And where do ye propose to make ye
links?" he asked.
We had thought that out before. Their
being no available land within reason
able distance, we had agreed PROVISIONAL
that we might utilize our back gardens 70
the purpose.
The first hole was to be in Banting'
grass plot, seven gardens away. It woul,
have been quite possible to get on to Bant
ing's green in one good drive but for tn
providential interpretation Of Pordle's cher
~ tree.
1t was arranged that Pordle's summe
house way out of the straight lin
should constitute an official bunker.
Now, to loft the ball well from any pc
sition near Pordle's bunker was no eos.
task, seeing that the player had to avoi'
the branches Of large elm, and the ball
II stopped by branch, would inevitabl
drop through the roof of Pordle's gree
house and be very difficult to extract b
any sort of legitimate play. Bogy 70
this hole was fixed at three.
From Banting's teeing green to Peter
hole was single drive affair, but bese
with difficulties.
The depression of few feet to the RICH
would dash the ball against the tower Q
Pillicott's stable, whereupon the bal
would be bound to dribble into the waite
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