The Washington times., 1901-08-04
THE LUMINOUS GOLF BALL.
A Phosphorescent Covering In
vented for Night Playing.
Elusive Little sphere to Whiz Comet
Like Thro' Fair Greens and DER
Bunkcrs Topped with Lanterns
OF Little Use to the Army of buffers

Bunkcrs Topped with Lanterns
| OF Little Use to the army of buffers
The introduction of a luminous golf
| ball will probably attract the attention
of golfers throughout the country within
the near future. With its advent will
disappear what has ever been a source
of regret to golfiacs-the fact that they
Were unable to play at night. News comes
! that the Larchmont Club. in Westchester
| County, New York on Long Island
Sound, is soon to put the new ball into
use. The inventors claim the sphere. COW
cred with a phosphorescent substance,
will offer as good a target for the swing
! of brassie driver, and the light tap
of the putting iron. as does the gutta
percha bali, nesting the turf in mid
| day. To prove their claim will be to an
swer the constant prayer of golfers that
some means might be devised whereby
! golf could be played at night.
| For the enthusiast, the approach of
| darkness is generally accompanied by an
added eagerness to perfect his play. Many
! an important tournament has been
| brought to an unwelcome and untimely
end by the approach of darkness. A
number of years ago. in Scotland one of
! the biggest tournaments of the year in
/ the land of thistles. where even the duff
fers play good golf, proved disappoint-
ment because darkness nterfered with the
deciding match. The contestants were but
half way around the links when it be-
came too dark to continue The champion
| of several years standing was hard press
ed by his opponent 1t was determined to
continue p%aX- from the stage the game
was abandoned, the next morning. As the
| chamDiOu was IN, hoyna ra
fell from cliff ard broke his leg The
| match was forfeited to the other player
| the next morning, and with it went the
! pounds and guineas of number of Scot
| tish gentlemen.
An American tourist who is addicted
| TO golf not long ago ransacked the arch
| ives of an Edinburgh university and
| found records of the death of a Scottish
| nobleman who, engrossed in the game of
| golf, tried to play after dark and was
| drowned in burn while attempting to
recover the ball, which In those days was
made of horsehide stuffed tight with
| feathers. That was nearly a hundred
years ago and is mere indication that
the golf fever led its victims to extremes
| quite as dramatic as 1t does now.
In Washington many an important
match has been stopped by darkness. In
this is extremely unfortunate On such
occasions the best contest always comes
last after the poorer players have been
weeded out in preliminary rounds. The
| members of local clubs are greatly inter
ested in the experiment of the Larchmont
Club. 1t is probable that the balls will
be introduced here some time during the
early fall. To American ingenuity, ii the
luminous ball proves a success, may be
I -.
BILE the popularity of golf in the United
States 1t has been comparatively few
years since golf was introduced in this
country, but In the short time since then
it has become generally popular.
While not a great deal about the new
ball will be known until it is placed upon
the market 1t is generally understood
| that, to all outward appearances, 1t is
similar to the ordinary gutta percha golf
ball. The shinmering white of the reg
ulation sphere is missing, and in its stead
shows the grayish green tint of "A spe-
ciallv prepared phosphorescent substance.
The ball may De used in the day time,
but IL does not show so plainly on the
ground as does the regulation ball. since
its greenish color renders il scarcely dis
tinguishable from the grass. The gen.
eral idea is that the regulation ball be
used until it can scarcely be seen. Then
the luminous bah is brought into use.
Each ball is packed in a box. When re-
moved 1t is not especially brilliant. but
after being rolled the ground and alb
SDTblDS some OF tfe moisture tfat settles
upon the grass just after dusk it becomes
quite bright In fact. ii is said the ball
can be distinguished at a considerable
distance.
one of a number of difficulties which
skeptics suggest at mention of the new
ball is that ii cannot be made sufficiently
brilliant to enable the player to concen-
trate his eye on a certain point of the
ball. One of the essentials of good driv-
ing. approaching and putting is that the
player shall fix his gaze on n point sup
posed to be no larger than the head of a
nat pin and endeavor to strike the ball
fairly on that spot. Many golfers say
that the luminous bail cannot be better
than faint glimrner which at the best
VIII no more than outline the ball Those
who appear to know something about the
ball, on the other hand. say that the light
from the luminous substance, while not
as bright as an incandescent lamp Is
nevertheless remarkably steady and
clear.
OF course. if play at night becomes prev
alent, there will have to be some system
of lighting devised. In that case all the
holes will be designated by lights. Ian
terms of one color will be used at put
ting greens Above bunkers viii be lights
ror and source of expense to golfers will
probably be marked OF by red lights
The sides of hills which afford good OBJ
ieC tive uOntS for drives from the zee
would, of course, be Indicated The lights.
coupled with the knowledge a regular
player would have OF his own links would
apparently render the play fairly ac-
curate, although IL can never be expected
to take the place of daylight play. For
amateurs the game will hardly prove very
satisfactory. Beginners are prone to cut
golf ball badly with inaccurate strokes
The luminous surface of the ball would
be sadly affected by the sicing out of
chunks Of SCtta percha.
But the great effect this innovation bids
fair TO work in the royal game of golf
which has found in the United States al
most as loyal home as in Bonnie Scot
land. and certainly more luxurious one
is that thousands will be able to play who
are now prevented by the fact that they
have to work during the daylight hours
That golf has been publicly recognized
as beneficial sport is evidenced by the
fact that nearly every large city now has
its public golf links. In Chicago there
are several ana scarce a day passes but |
that the green keepers are obliged to keeB
people waiting for their turn to play so
largely are the links freqUented. Many
expert players have been developed thus
through the liberality of the city. II the |
new BAH comes into general use the |
thousands who work during the day can |
make the rounds after nightfall. Then
indeed will the adjective of ''aristocratic.' -
now erroneously applied to golf. be en-
tirely removed.