Daily inter mountain., 1900-12-15

finals Mr.. Clifford of Portland, the cham
pion of the northwest. made wager of
a dinner with some of the prominent
players present that he could play the
1S-hole course lblindfolded in $50 strokes.
OF course, the player was only to be
blindfolded during the act of strikins
the ball. after which he was at liberty
to remove the blindfold, walk up to the
ball and take his stand with his club
resting on the ground preparatory to
striking. After having assumed the de-
sired position the blindfold was read
justed and he made his stroke. The
strict rules of the game governed. The
difficulty of playing in this manner is
apparent to any golfer. as the player is
unable TO keep his eye on the ball. the
omission to do which usually results
fatally, as every player knows. 1t IN ef-
feet substitutes memory and mechanical
motion for sight. To hit the ball every
stroke, as Mr.. Bowers succeeded in do
ing. requires a machne-like swing which
only long practice and knowledge of the
game can give. Not only did Mr.. Bowers
succeed in hitting the bali every stroke,
but he often made drives of from 12O to
$50 yards. and, in fact, was beyond the
green on the seventeenth hole in two
ting. Mr.. Bowers did remarkably we'll,
and seldom took three strokes on green.
Approaching seemed to be his hardest
task, though at times his work in this
line was also good
The blndfold used was a heavy plush
lady's work bag, which was worn like
cap and pulled down over the eyes, nose
and mouth and tied around the neck,
thus assuring beyond cavil, absolute OBJ
Struction of the vision and not even per-
mitting glimpse of the ball or ground.
The round was made with Mr.. Kershaw
as refereee and scorer, and Mr.. Bowers
easily finished within the required num-
ber, taking only 1873 strokes for the
round. The result was such surprise
that most of the golfers present did not
believe that Mr.. Bowers could repeat the
performance, and considered the score
a mere tiuke. So another dinner was
wagered that Mr.. Bowers could not
equal the score The next day, with
Messrs. Griggs and Hoyt for partners,
the attempt was made, and to the
amazement of every one and the con-
sternation of the losers, Mr.. Bowers
made the remarkable score of III strokes
1t was not until the last hole was reached
that Mr.. Bowers was bunkered, and it
was only after having played long sec
ond shot over the railroad track that
he met his fate. He eXtracated himself,
however, in grand style, but, having
approached the green few yards,
he found himself lying in deep rut in
a road, from which he made a grand
stand shot, and, holing out accurately.
was down in eight despite his chapter of
misfortunes. The score by holes is given
below. 1t will be noticed there was not
a single hole above nine, which speaks
we'll for his steadiness, especially in view
of the fact that one of the holes is 52o
yards long. The course at Tacoma is
both long and difficult, and the score,
therefore, somewhat extraordinary, al
though Mr.. Bowers is confident that he
could beat it another time. In playing
the eleventh hole there is a difficult carry
of a road and two fences at least lao
yards from the 'tee,' and yet Mr.. Bow
ers carried it on his drive. Tile score
made was as follows: