Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-11-12
SPORT ON
THE LINKS.
Wonderful Strides In POpu-
larity During the Present
Season Of the Game Of
Golf - Americans
Are Gaining In
EXPERIENCES.

The present season has been n notable
one IN the history Of golf In the United
States. More progress has been made
In tho standard of play and more people
have become dovotccs Of the ancient and
royal game than In any previous year
An extremely conservative estimate Of
tho amount Of money sunk In golf In
this country THAT 10. IN laying out and
keeping IN the links. Instruments used
Ia playing the game aud such things
would be 10000 900. aud this Ia spite ~
the fact that golf " practically only
about I'VE years old In America. II was
played before that period In Isolated
places. but almost In every Instance by
ScotHmcn who had immiRratcd here and
who wished to keep up the sport they
loved % well.
The honor n being tho oldest rolf
club In this country belongs Co the g.
Andrews club. which has IL home near
Yonkera, n. v. This organization was
founded IN ISIS. but Il was several years
before u had membership of more
than dozen or Hn. For four or ave
years these heroic pioneers blazcd the
way Tor rulf IN this country In fair
weather and In foul, amid ridiculo and
adversely. they stuck 90 their task with
the enthusiasm and courage Of true
Hportamcn. To-day st. Andrews IL well
established and " particularly furtu-
nate In ~ unt % members.
other clubs, however. east. west and
south. had Just an hard atfiugie and
encountered Just ne much ridicule ar
their brethren on tho Hudson. This
dcrlHion ava not cnunne itrsif o. banter
lnh ~ players and rquiha In the comic
papers. but Ia ono case ut least ASSUME
"a "a more serious aspect. An onthu-
Hiast In the large and thriving city 81
Omaha h. said 60 have been actually
arrested ~ tho Instance " zeniouH
friends, who had seen him roaming
over the fields and meadows rurruund-
Ing the city with several "aticka" In
his arms. stopping every now and then
60 hit hard rIbher ball. They thought
b. had become Insane and wanted his
condition inquired into. and Il was only
after considerable explanation that he
MANAGED TO convince them that he was
atlll In hla right mind.
Golf. na recognized sport on this
Hldo ~ the Atlantic. really dates from
the organization N tho American Golf
association In 1874. The following year
the name of tho organization wns
changed 10 that Of United States Golf
association, ana Canada formed row
ernlng body N her own.
In 1895 there were 20 established golf
clubs In the United States. having a
membership 81 about 1900 Today
there urc over 80 nourlshing clubs and
over 10000 players. ana the number ~
both " Increasing daily.
With this magnificent Increase In tho
-
tho standard ~ play has easily kept
pace. Mon who two years ngo thought
they were pretty good players nnd
themselves now mere has hcens" and
others who considered themselves has
hscna' now see that they belong To the
CLAWS called never was" This wonder.
ful development IN 20 short u time has
taken place because young mon and
boys nre taking up tho game. Golf h
unllke any other scientific sport IN that
unless one learns 20 play In youth be-
fore the musclea become nt AN set one
can never become an expert, IN max
Ing a drive the club should describe q
perfect circle, and IN every other stroke
tho urc should Doc u part Of the circle
described by the player when making
"a drive. Unless the game ia learned
when young no amount o. practice VIII
loosen the muscles sufficiently TO allow
the stroke 10 be made properly.
For this rcar1n the hope u our golf
ers lies In the players turned out by the
various big schools aud COLLEGES N No
nrc over 10 produce experts an silllmi
as those In Great Britain The tournn-
ments of this season have shown al
ready how fast the younger element -
forging 20 the front. Although the win
ner OF the amateur championship l7 @
Scotsman yet the runner up was wal
ter a. Smith. a collcginn, and several of
the leaders were likewise college men,
The class Of game put up by the play
orB IN the intercollegiate tournament
last month showed q distinct improve
mont over the one held last sprlng al
though the play on the first day took
place In driving ralnstorm.
Players are often heard comparing
their scores with the records over the
ST. Andrews or other well known Links
Ia Scotland. 4 player win say;
THE record M 81, Andrews IA y, ana |
my score IL only a." and he Will thence
forth regard himself as coming cham
pIon, Now this method Of comparison |
o. altogether wrong, for the simple rca-
son that our links are much shorter /
than tho ones over the water. The /
lougth Of the average N hole course In 4
the United states Is seldom over $500 /
yards. whereas the ~, Andrews links /
are G.a23 yards long. so that. II COM |
parIron be made ut an. then from y /
to- 10 strokes az least should be added /
t1 the total, according 20 the length OF
The links played ON,
one OF the finest courses In this eoun-
try and one Of tho Few which compare