The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-18
COLTS ONWARD M.IRCH.
More Links In the United States Vow Than
in Grea, Britain.

Forward. march :" is still the order to
which golf is advancing. There Ia no halt in
the starting mp OF new clubs and links. while
the courses are better than ever beior" ana
planned with care 10 detail that would Imply
that they are to be permanencies. In the cary
DAYS the haste to possess pnce to Eof led
many clubs to set up poorly arranged INKS
hui now the tendency Is to make haste slowly
Their. are now more links in the | itod states
than III she United Kingdom lorthe latest cHt!-
,nnt. nuts the nun bcr ut about 60 Of which
some 10 are in New York State Graat Britain.
with about 2ru for Scotland. can muster
a grand total OF about 525. The indication is
that there will be over 200 links in the United
States by the end Of the year, 1t would be idle
10 state that the links in this country. aside
from their number lead in any way the golf
courses Of the United Kingdom. for there the
science OF golf course making has long been an
exact study Here il is only in its infancy. but
each course now in existence is guarantee
that the science will dcyclop HrtIl our lInHs
will class with those o! Scotland and England
rs reliable tests Of golf
A point in which golf Is stronger here than
in any other country is thRt T. Is under tho
control NJ a central body. white abroad each
club is microcoSm and knows or cares moth
ing about its neiGhbor. In Great Britain tho
control Of the open chamu ionship IS vested in
Ave cluls aud the competition held in turn on
the links Of the respective clubs while tho
amateur championships is cont rolled hY twenty
three clubs and tn" play hitherto c0niincd to
four lnks-St. Andrews. Prc-twick. sandwich
and Hoylakr. In this, country the gam" IS
citation. which NOW consists Of some
700 clubs. but which ruutros. through
ita subsidiary branches or through tho
Individual members, virtually "Nrn links III
thr country The Metropolitan Coll AsSocia-
tlon. which Includes thirty two Inks within
NIFTY i've mile Of New lOrk and Throughout the
whole of I.oug Island, and the Golf leaFu" Of
Philadelphia are the oldest Of tn" minor or
ganiHatiOne similar local unions are IN eX-
strnce ON the Pacific coast. about Chicago. in
central New lurk. in Lonn"ctcut aud one Is
proposed for Boston. Under the policy oil the
t. s. Il. the growth Of minor associations for
clubs united on geographical or other lines Ia
to he promoted until the entire country Will be
divided M. when II il expected that tho
national championships wihbe simply the fina!
meeting Of the annual Local champions, ana
the |. j. Il. \. the supreme council oi tho
smaller leagues.
Two aspects Of III" game that demand attcn-
tion are tn" establishing of high-cIasS public
links nv various municipal generations, noih-
bly, ia this city. Boston and Chicago, and the
attention now rnid to the game by tn" owners
ot summer or winter hotels and recreation
grounds II a lesson may be drawn FROM IN"
history Of gOi in Great Britain. Il the iinkshr
properly planned and maintained, both public
ularty in the United States To he
present point Of development there has
been NO proper encouragement offered to
| the construction OF proprietary links. lInks
at public parks are crowded and the hotel links
| are in constant use. but there Is AZ yet no de-