The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-01
AN AIMLESS CAME
Interest in Golf Is
Awakening Strong
in Worcester.
TALK OF THE LINKS
Queen Victoria Is Said to
Pose as a Patroness
of the Sport.

Interest in golf is awakening from
the long sleep since the first snow, and
the outlook locally is encouraging in the
extreme to devotees of the links. Inter-
est in the game, which has been slow
in taking hold in Worcester, Is lively
this spring and far and away ahead
of that of last year.
The popular game will be played on
the Grafton links of the Country club,
on the new links of the Tatnuck Coun-
try Club, and on several private links.
That Worcester may be looked to for
a winner in this line Of sport and per-
haps another addition to the long list
of national champions, is not beyond
the realm of possibility. The game is
one of endless possibilities and the
| championship Is never a certainty De-
yond the actual time of one match.
For the second time within a fort
night, Douglas the amateur champion
of the United States, has been beaten
at golf. A week ago Reginald BROOKS
gained a signal victory over MIN IN the
| championship contest at Garden city,
and Thursday Travis scored almost as
notable triumph in the opening round
of the three-d Lakewood golf tourna-
ment The second defeat. following so
closely upon the other, will detract con-
siderably from the champions prestige,
it is thought, and cannot fail to nave
an important bearing on the national
championship contest, to be played IN
July. Travis won after round or 10
holes by up and 1 to play.
Visitors at Newport this year will tind
a second golf course available. The new
one is three miles out of town, and is
accessible by electric service.
The Birmingham Post of England
SAYS: 1T is not generally known that
| the queen has shown some sympathy
with the game of golf. Her majesty has
provided a course both at Balmoral and
| Osborne for the members of the royal
household, and 1 am now told that she
| has decided to institute a small annual
tournament at her Scottish links, but
| it is believed that she meditates first
spending some money upon them with
a view of their improvement. Eve
members of the royal family now play,
| the Prince of Wales, who Is recent
| learner the Duke of York, the DUKE OF
| Connaught, Princess Victoria OF wales,
and Princess Charles Of Denmark. The
Princess of Wales has also made her
appearance on the links"
"Golf will never die out" says Dan
iel Chauncey, captain of the Dyker
Meadow Golf Club. 1T has too much
to attract men who have passed the
time when they can indulge in the more
active sports What did we have to
take us out into the open before golf
came along? Nothingi l know men
today who had given up all thought OF
outdoor exercise 20 years ago, who are
now playing golf like schoolboys. Golf
will never die out because it is sport
which gives to men confined to their
desk a chance to enjoy the moderate
exercise they need. You can make 1t
a science or pastime just as you Will
but in either case it has its attraction,
because it adapts itself so thoroughly
to what you wish to make 1t.
| According to the Pail Mall Gazette,
there is considerable discussion in En-
gland Just now as to whether 1t Is in
| accordance with golfing etiquette TO
carry an umbrella when engaged IN the
game Some Of the Burnt island golf
ers. it is said, have been scandalized
lately by the appearance on their links
of PLAYERS from Edinburgh and else
where who made use of this whole
some protection from inclement
weather. Certainly no such feeling ex-
lists on this side of the water, for UNI
| brellas are by no means uncommon on
| local courses, and there are several
leading golfers who do not disdain their
|
In fact. the disregard with which tour
naments here are held, whether 1t be
rain or shine. has made them an abso-
lutte necessity.
A famous maker of split bamboo fish
| ing rods expects to bring out soon a
golf driver with a split bamboo shaft.
The new shaft. he states, will be of
the same size and weight as hickory
shaft. but without being too whippy, it
will have far more spring and drive a
longer ball. In the experiments great
care has been taken in the selection of
the bamboo and in the piecing and
gluing. Moisture will not affect the
new shaft. The cost will be about the
same as a trout rod. averaging perhaps
S25 Until tested on the links, it is
! impossible to anticipate how the new
idea will work. but the brittleness of
bamboo, which fly fishermen have SO
often learned to their sorrow when the
cast on the backward swingshas caught
on a tree branch. would seem to be a
| difficulty hard to overcome. A
| "sclaffed" drive puts a strain on a
hickory shaft that a brittle one would
hardly Withstand.