New-York tribune., 1900-01-08
GOLF
NEW YEAR DoINGs ON NEARBY LINKS
PREPARATIONS FOR A BRISK sEAsoN-CHANGEs
WROUGHT IN THE LAST TWELVE MONTHS
A NEW CADDIE BACON THE

SOUTHERN LINKS.

The new year in golf begun. it Is true. with a
rawness anything but inviting, finds the game
which many predicted would its course in
single season more popular than ever. Before any
thing is said of what the coming months have in
store 1t may not be ont of place to review some of
the more striking episodes of the game during the
old year. Golf has come to be pastime for ALL
known and played in every section of the country,
building up and giving occasion for fine physique,
a delicate skin, patience under adverse circum-
stances and endurance at once full and severe
Among women especially 1t has enjoyed wide
spread favor. The results of proper and well regu
lated exercise such golf affords have been
potent factor in It's popularity When the first golf
championship held at Meadow Brook, in 1895,
scarcely a dozen women took part but so general
has been the interest which the game has oc
casioned that at Philadelphia few months ago
more than seventy were entered for the play.
Locally the year has been one of unequalled
activity, though the improvement in the general
calibre Of play has perhaps not been so marked as
in previous years. This fact. however. need not
necessarily bear unfavorable construction. for it
must be obvious any one that the rate of i'm
provement that marked the earlier years could not
long be maintained. On all the local links there is
abundant evidence of a satisfactory average Of
play, while the number of men who block the field
become more and more conspicuous by their alb
sence. On the other hand 1t is noticeable that
there Is less starring" than before and II a
local player stands at the front by some Of
eminently fine golf he does not nowadays keep that
position long. He has always to contend with
increasing breadth of the field. and each month
at the larger clubs brings new man into promi
nence Without exception all the so-called lead
ers'' have been beaten or less frequently by
men-Douglas. Hartman, Travis and the rest
not excepted 1t is longer possible to talk of
these players holding exclusive position in
going circles New men are constantly coming to
the front and each month the distribution of local
prizes wider circle.
There has been during the year great improve
ment in the care and attention bestowed the up
kapn of mi m
pains than ever to have their links as near like the
leading ones abroad; Suggestions too, are more
The day of the headstrong and self-opinionated
golfer who used to dictate entirely new laying
consequence, suggestions taken more seriously.
WstaT VG not Trays 1eT 6n2cW baW FindIav D9gas
Charles B. Macdonald and Herbert Hartman.
the merits of any particular land FOR goihng % pur.
during the year, and New-York alone can boast Of
than thirty well kept courses in its immediate
be surprise and disappointment If this number
UnquestionabIy the most gratifying incident of
the year just closed the success of home
foT 5Tq it s2if Indicates hat Amercan players have last
reached point where they can cope snGcesSIIly tnr
over Douglas by up ard to play PROBABLY marks
and hereafter there will be the humiliation of
seeing the highest honors taken each year by a
foreigner Miss Hoyt'S unparalleled record of three
successive triumphs in the women's championships,
0VT 0Ver and Miss Ruth Ritz Tnderh Of the Nassau
G9pntry Club is m the sqss @ Miss {e SS Hov Gy %
for sincere regret, it shows that new element IS
competitions will be of stronger interest from the
fact that the result cannot be foretod with any
certainty
Turning from the old year to the new. the most
important bit OF that golfers have received OF
late is the announcement Of series Of three open
tournaments, the first ever held in Florida. which
to be held by professionals this month begin
ming January o. Magnolia Springs is the place
chosen for the opening contest and several hun
dred dollars will be distributed in prizes the entry
list promises most satisfactory. In fact 1t is
generally understood that ''Will' Smith. the open
ehampi0n who is now visiting George 81 Lo% Igv at at
all three of the competitions , % 4,,.ro
will be eighteen hole round at medal play, the
winner Of which will receive a purse of S25 The
first eight will contest at thirty,sM holes; match
play. in the afternoon and on the next day, the
winner ir the finals receiving 800 and the runner
up SIS There will also be consolation tournas
ment Of eighteen holes. SIS going to the winner ana
driving competition for prize of SO The SECOND
tournament is to take place at the Tampa Bay
Arms links. Deland, on January %. Tom" Dunn
who recently arrived in this country from abroad,
be made by the following dates: Magnolia Springs,
January IS; Tampa Bay, January 20; College Arms
A report is now at hand that the wound from
which Lieutenant F. G. TAFT is suffering is in the
left thigh the result of bullet. and. further that
he is making satisfactory progress toward recov-
cry. Lieutenant TAFT it will be remembered held
the amateur championship of Great Britain a year
ago and golfers everywhere Will feel relieved at
this cheering news. He was member Of the
famous Black Watch Highlanders who took part in
the battle of Magersfontein in South Africa, and
the wound was received in that engagement
A most extraordinary kind of caddie bag, which
rather battles description, has recently been in
vented do away with the necessity of employing
boys to carry clubs. Without going into the tech
ncal description of fanges slots. bolts, cogs and
| bars which would probably not be understood, the
chief feature of the contrvance seems to be a
| of revolving leather ball This is blown up, and
the golfer proceeds it rolls along under the bag
| with amusing solemnity. The bag itself can be
| laid open IN two sections, one section for the
| wooden clubs and for the iron but in order TO
get the weight the revolving ball the heads of
the clubs must always be placed at the bottom of
the bag. Although the bag may be laid open in
order that the player may see what he is taking
out, the result is not infrequentiy that one iron
club will hook out about four others. 1t is doubt
| though it may strike the fancy of some. AS
ample Of ingenuity. however, 1t would be hard to
beat.
In contrast to the conditions recently prevailing
on local links the opening Of the golf at st.
| Augustine last week attended by clear skies
| and the balInest OF breezes. The year
celebrated with a holiday tournament the links,
| near famous old Fort Marion. and number of
| Northern players took part, including Clayton
Dixon, jr.. who is now at the University Of Penn
sylvania; r. c. Watson, jr.. of the Westbrook Golf
| Club and c. M Miller, of the Mount Pleasant Field
| Club. of Sing Sing. First place was won by j. p
| Greaves and second place by A. M Taylor. The
| tournament will begin brisk season at St Angus
| tine, which will continue until the annual cham
pionship of the South takes place there in March.
| Arthur II. Fem, at time the most prominent
amateur in the country, and last season in charge
of the Poland Springs links, will have supervision
OF the St Augustine course this winter. He has al
ready had the putting greens reaid with clay, and
improvements.