The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-13
WOMEN ON THE LINKS.
WILL THE FfTR EYES DANISH THB
ADAMS FROM THE GOLEING EDENS9

According to many men who serve on the
green committees OF golf clubs an issue
has developed this season that threatens
to revolutionize n not to utterly destroy
the game as 1t is now played. unless the
Earring influence Is promptly checked. But
who is to check 1t? 1t happens that the
trouble rests in the assertivcness OF the wo-
men players who. now that they have learn
ed to hit the ball with reasonable regularity,
insist at most clubs in playing over the
main course. irrespective Of whatever COM
petitions or arrangements the men may
have made. Unless this grasping spirit is
subdued, say the men. the fair Ewes will
soon Danish the Adams from the golhng
Edens.
In this country the men are the active
members. and the women, who pay only
nominal dues are the associate members at
the golf clubs. From the inception OF the
game In this country the women have been
encouraged to play golf, and In pursuance
of this policy the United States Golf As
sociation has always taken the direction
Of the annual women's championship and
conducted 1t on the same high plane as tho
amateur and open championships. In the
United Kingdom the women are practically
or so have women been permitted on the
famous St. Andrews links at all-according
to Andrew Lang the year was 1873, and he
was one OF the first mixed foursome since
Queen Mary and Lord Lindsay played Mary
Seaton and Maitland Of Lexington. The
women, certainly about 1873 began to start
golf clubs Of their own in England. and in
1898 they set up the Ladies' Golf Union
and began their annual championship meet
ings. There the women pay the mems clubs
a large rental for the use of the links on
certain days, or else their club lays out a
course OF It's own.
Their championships are run of on their
own account, for neither private nor
public occasions have they a place In golf
as recognized by the allied clubs. Conse-
quently the rules of the men are unQues-
toned on the links and the women take
the subordinate place. But here, relying ON
the generosity Of the men, or, in disre-
gard Of the kindnesses of the past, be-
cause they hold that the American woman
Is the Heaven-created boss Of creation.
many women have set out to rule the links
and to set aside all the rules, wishes and
customs OF the men.
The chief causes of complaint against the
women may be told in few lines. At clubs
where they have but one links for both
sexes the general rule Is that except on the
DAY OF their weekly handicap, the women
Will not play after two O'Clock In the after
noon. nor on Saturdays or holidays at all.
The reason Is that the men have less time
TO play than the women, and when they
run away from business for few hours,
they should have clear links so that they
may play quick round. In defiance Of
these rules. IT Is no uncommon thing to have
the women act as though all time was theirs
and even on Saturday. to linger on the
putting green's and otherwise delay the men
In the most provoking of ways
The other fruitful cause OF trouble ia
that az clubs which have gone to great ex-
pense to lay out separate links for the
women. the fair sex simply refuse to play
except over the mems course. why
should we be banished to corner?" snap
out the women, with tip-tilted chins and
flashing eyes. and then donning their An
est golf1ng toggery they step forth calmly
to play the mems course willy nilly quite
careless Of the confusion they bring into
the game.
why not order the women off" The
query was asked at club meeting last
winter during discussion OF the Grant
ways in golf OF coddled femininity. The
speaker was young bachelor. the only
one in the room and, after the clipper
suggestion the silence among the married
men could have been cut with knife The
fact Is that. no matter whether chairman
OF the green committee or not, no man dare
suggest to another mans wife that she
should go away from the links and while
they might order their own wife off they
dare not do SO in the presence OF another
woman. the golfng companion. What
bachelors might say, or wish to say OF
course cuts no figure. There was an ELI
gible man at Watch Hill in June who per-
sisted in arguing with girl about the
duties OF women on the links and in July
they were married Brothers, with custom
ma 1rI1
the links but would hey go? Certainly
not. especially II backed up by some other
fellows sister.
Taken in all its aspects. the situation Is
one mat Will compel very diplomatic ad-
justment. The trouble, primarily. seems
to have been In the over indulgence to the
golfng whims Of the American women by
the men The women now say, we golf
as men golf!' The assertion Is one utter
ly untenable in the golf world, but it has
the support Of the Park Commissioners Of
New YORK as far as public golf goes Last
spring TO relieve the congestion on the
Van Cortlandt Park links, Bendelow tho
professional in charge, issued an order that
women could not play on Saturdays or holi-
days. storm OF protests poured in at tho
Office OF the Park Board, and Bendelow's or
der was at once rescinded. Women II was
decided. have as much right on the public
links as men. To grant the same rights
at private clubs would have to be preced-
ed by the raising of the dues to the Same
this might not help matters much, as the
men now usually stand the shot for tho
women Of their household
The wisest plan to settle the trouble
would seem to be in the holding OF a wo-
mems golf congress, made up OF the as
sociate members Of the clubs in the Met
ropolitan Association. at which the ques-
ton could be discussed in all it's bear
lngs, and should II be found that the rights
OF the men have been violated, such &C
ton as Ia deemed necessary may be taken
to square matters. TIE invasion Of the
Inks by the women has brought out that
while a fine golfer Is conceded to have
some rights, the men whom tho women
can defeat. the wghts who foozle drives.
and blunder about the putting greens,
rave no rights whatever in the estima-
tion OF the women. In this respect the
Women's congress will have to DO tolerant,
but no doubt the result will be that next
season the Earring between the Eolfng
wishes OF the women and men will be at
an end