Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1899-11-16
JONES' GOLF CLUB.
<<JT HAS remained for me to start So

have sympathy for the novice who tears up
| the sod and breaks his clubs, but when an
aggregation of otherwise good people deAo-
erately band together to mangle the hles'
, game on earth then l arise to protest. You
see, / played golf in Scotland before these
people here heard of it, and l know Its pos
sibilities. / live in park which IS so re,
stricted that any resident who IS detecteu
bowling to a Uitlander is fined in proportion
| to the cordially of his bow and sentenced
| to attend every entertainment OF the EA'
elusive park lecture course.
at is pleasant to be so closely allied with
SO many nice people, and / had no cause 10
| complain until the Exclusive Park Coll asso-
| citation was formed. Jones did it. lbs CRIME
| is lessened somewhat by the fact that ne
| didn't know cleek from a caddie when ne
| started the movement. He had been
great shinney player in his younger days.
| however, and an expert golfer, who saw hlm
| running for train, had remarked once thaV
| he'd bet Jones had good stance Jones
| was going to resent the remark when ne
| got into the car, but the golfer explained
| that there was no more subtle form OF nat
| terry than to credit man with good
stance Jones looked the word up, and his
enthusiasm for golf dated from that time.
''There isn't a nicer man in Exclusive
park, you know, than Jones, and his energy
| is untiring. Jones is communistic by m
clination, and when he acquires a thing he
is anxious to have the people in the park
share it with him, whether it be political
| ideas, music, or the knowledge of golf. Be
ginning with the information that stance
was the position of players feet when ad
dressing himself to the ball, Jones soon got
talking knowledge of the game. He re-
| ferred loosely to hazards and 'mashes' and
'bunkers until all the other pardtes be-
came interested. Then he called a meet
| ing and formed the Exclusive Park Golf
| Outing, Life Saving and Croquet association.
cts a good thing, said Jones, TO have
| this organization broad, SO that if any of US
| find golf distasteful he may enjoy some Of
the other benefits of our organization
"'But you started this association for
| golf club said I.
$50 we did, said Jones, but you and l
are the only ones who know the game, and 1t
| might not appeal to the Others
Gas Jones had merely theoretical idea
| of the game, and considered myself an ex-
pert, this remark shattered my nerve. |
hung on, however, until Jones suggested
| that the links might be laid out in the park,
and then kicked "1
You haven't got room for one straight
drive here said l. .s..t
I have surveyed the ground, said Jones,
and find by doubling a bit and trespassing
slightly on private property we can have a
very good nine-hole course
It's absurd, said 1.
'"There was a great contest for the first
teeting ground. 1t was finally located,
after sharp contest, on Mrs. Jones lawn
as compliment to her husband. A survey
from here showed only one free avenue for
advance. 1t was INSTRUCTED by Mrs. Jones
rosebushes and f1anked on either side by
high trees. Jones said that the hazards were
beautiful. There were so many of them
that it was possible to shorten the distance
to the first putting green to about so yards.
The green itself was right back of Simp-
sons barn, and as the barn had broad doors
the second tee was located on the barn
floor. This clever idea was Simpsons. A
long drive from here down Simpsons road
way landed the ball on a new top-dressing of
bluestone which had been placed on the
park Boulevard de la grande rue, and for
| that reason a new golf implement was in
troduced Nothing in the bunch of clubs
would work successfully on bluestone. The
| Exclusive Park club decided to adapt the
game to the exigencies of their course. The
committee on rules presented this one:
| When the, ball shall lie on the ,bluestone
the player is entitled to pick it up with a
pair of tongs and carry it 80 PAGES III any d.
| rection.'a7' -5s sss- an 80 81.
"Now what do you think of that! Tongs
are as much part of every golfers outfit in
tho park as a putter. The second putting
green Is out in the open, and the park
fountain, which never did work, was GOV.
cred with platform for a teeing ground.
From there one had to drive between Van
| Tassel's house and his barn. Then the
course led to Randolph's summer kitchen.
This was puzzler. Randolph. being pub.
| hc-spirited man, said that he would with.
draw from his summer kitchen and leave the
windows open. An expert might drive the
ball In there and the hole could be To-
Gated in the fireplace. Isn't that abusing
golf! s.. ~. ,@ s.s
| Exclusive parkites are loyal all right
enough, and by using Franks broad piazza,
stllsons tennis court, and little of the
park lawn the nine holes were laid out. 1t
was found, however, that the course
crossed itself at several points, so that a
player was likely to be fanked by the ball
OF man several holes ahead of him. Dan
ger signals were arranged at these points.
When player reached 4 place where he
was exposed to cross fire he raised red
flag on the danger pole. A white flag indi-
Gated that the course is clear, Jones taught
the members of the club all that he knew of
golf, first by an illustrated lecture and then
by drilling them. The advanced class in
golf was quizzed every night for week by
Jones after his lecture. 1t went on in this
fashion:
| Mr.. Brummel,' Jones would say, when
do you use driver?'
| If clear On even grass we find says
Brummel, our ball inviting lies, we take the
driver when the stroke the dis ant play i'm
| plies
eff Brummel didn't know his little golf
book and funked he was sent back to learn
1t. Porkites amused themselves on the way
to town by asking each other golf questions.
You never heard crowd more technical in
their speech. They all acquired the Jones
stance, and then they began to whack balls
around as if they were breaking stone or
playing baseball. 1t was lovely to be calm
ly breakfasting when the warning cry ct
| fore would come throuob vo,,r ,-ipdou