New-York tribune., 1899-07-24
GOLF.
lSHINNECoCK'S BIG TOURNAMENT TO
BEGIN TOMORROW.


PLAYERS ALREADY FLoCKING TO THE COURSE
HARTMAN. TRAVIS AND TYING AMONG
THE NOTABLE ENTRIEs-GossIP
FROM VARIOUS LINKS.
The exodus of golf players toward Southampton
The scene of this weeks big tournament mas al
ready begun. Many OF the contestants s'drteu
on Saturday IN order to have preliminary cahter
ryer tho course before the actual begins, and
more will go by the morning trains to-day Inc
man who is fortunate enough TO be honored with
an invitation from shinnecock Hills is not likely
10 treat the invitation lightly. and there VIII De
Few defaults when play is started tomorrow.
The tournament is the most important OF the
hummer season. not merely because OF the num-
her who take part. but because 1t brings together
practically all OF the players who have won re-
nown in this part of the country ana Tor th's
reason II might well be called an Eastern cham
pionship Among those who will be seen in the
preliminary round tomorrow Herbert NJ Har-
rman, the new American champion; James James a
Travis champion at Oakland; A. NJ Kobbins or
st. andrews o. Esss1 county M Dr. IL Go
brook Curtis; OF Ardsley H. p Toler' OF OF Bei'us T M
aHd eoTs Of Z @ Of
The tournament viii continue throughout the en-
sack 1rS Hsndcap IN Which the player making the
best handicap score will receive silver cup pre- pre-,
gross score the Trustees Plate the gift OF the
Board of Governors.
OF the many golf courses which have been laid
put near New-York there is none whose SITUATION
conforms so closely to the ideal as that or Shnhe-
cock and the competitors this week are assured
every opportunity for satisfactory play In spite
OF what human skill and ingenuity can accom-
plish with inland ground the true links must al
ways be found by the sea. and In this respect 'he
rolling sand dunes at Shnnecock conform more
nearly TO the old Scotch idea of what links
In hp AS
Shnnecock Hills possesses the distraction OF being
the second organization TO take up golf IN 'he
United States and since 1890, when the original
links was established. Improvements and aItera-
tlons have been adding TO its merits. until now
the men who gather there this week Will ma
an essentially championship stretch Of country.
AT first the club contented itself with nine holes.
In fact eighteen hole course was unheard or
.n those days. Later. however as the game grew IN
popularity these facilities were found inadequate
and three holes we're added. This number
was further increased. until the club has
fun eighteen hole circuit of 1859 yards. The club
house itself is a commodious structure with broad
verandas extending entirely around 1t. ana me the
whole crownins one OF eTn, me hfIiel nook and
Granny OF its stories will be used IN providing
than hundred players are TO be entertained in the
course of the tournament. On the ground moor are
rooms and showers. while the second story con
tans the dining room, smoking room and sic sleeping
geographically speaking, the house faces the
south, where from the upper windows the whole
surrounding country spreads out before the eye
shinnecock is the old Indian name given to the
narrow neck Of land running out on the southern
end ~ Long Island between Good Ground and
SOUTHAMPTON From the club piazzas, therefore,
one has view Of the placid waters or feconic
Bay. while on the opposite side is Shinnecock Bay
with the ocean reaching out TO the horizon beyond
fha nCi
80 of rs the week viii lend further interest to
the tournament for many OF tne rseidepts and
round Of gayety has been arranged TOT 'her e"
The preliminary round tomorrow is TO be at
thirty-six holes, the first sixteen to q1ahty o ior
iation cup. while another cup has been offered for
the third eight the club showing ey ms aCt NAV NAV
ro1n9s for these prizes will come on Friday while
on Thursday there will be an nterfsng f ye gayers eaw
Tor whom there will be individual trophies
.eTbe organization of many new golf clubs this
season brings up the old law of the surviVal OIL
the fttest" said golf player who is well informed
about the financial condition Of some OF the lead-
ing clubs the other day Admitted that the game
has been popular to an astonishing degree out io'
many people are playing this season VINO nave
never handled a club before. Things nave SIM
ynered down a little. and are assuming iho'e
rational condition The establishment OF new ciuOs
therefore usually means withdrawal or support
from some organization already IN existence i"o
is not always the case, but 1t happens oi'e eio"e
IN set some governing committees to thinking
'Men who a couple of years ago were VIKING u
20 70 some inconvenience in order TO play goh are
Now looking for links nearer home. Wheh there
were fewer clubs players had TO choose between
going some distance for a match OF loresoine '"0
thing altogether. This Is no longer true Ho".
Every suburban resort is laying out course ana
the natural consequence is that men who nave
belonged 10 other clubs at distance are inclined
90 withdraw and support the home organization.
They want their round OF golf after getting nome
from business and before their dinner hour, ana the
course nearest home is the they will go TO-
Accessibility is becoming the prime requisite OF
golf club II a links cannot be reached with COM
narrative ease players will go TO one that can The
clubs which have no local colony 10 dd% asrm o for
means their ultimate dissolution could point 10
several where enormous outlay has been mace lot
buildings and grounds, and yet the number Of people
who reach 1t easily Is scarceIy suiicleht 10
is small are ultimately going TO the wall The clubs
about which centres resident membership nave
q but others not fortunately situated
are finding that they must retrench or be crowded
from the field"
The golf at Newport is now at its height.
THE links is becoming the rendezvous for in
creasing number OF automobiles, who combine the
pleasures OF golf with this later fad, and the club
house has been the scene OF many gay gather
tngs for the social side must necessarily predom-
mate even in sports Newport The annual cleo
tion OF officers will take place in few days, and the
Nominating Committee has chosen the following
men to serve for the coming year: President.
buchanan Winthrop; yice-president. William r.
Travers; Board Of Governors, Robert l. Gammen.
John Bolt. Victor Sorchan, Arthur T. Kemp and
George Peabody Wetmore. Willie" Davis, who
has been with the club since its organization, re-
mans professional but this year the number Of
players has been great that he has been given
assistant. Donald Ball. who lately arrived from
England. Two we'll known Newport players will
be missed from the games this summer. A. NJ.
Coates one OF the best players in the club. and
Mrs w. Butler Duncan, who has always taken
liYelX int In all that periains 10 MOmens golf