Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-07-15
HAZARDOUS GOLF
In the RockieS-It is Not the CIaesic
Cam Bat is Good Sport.

IT was the writer's good fortune 10
Sptnd recent season at Manitou PARK
in til" Rock Mountains of C"tn,,tn'
whore, throughout the entire summ me-
sull was y ed most enthusiastically
upon links which. if not Of the ST An
drews type. We're certainly unique and
most beautiful, saws a writer in Golf
This mountain valley. called bv Helen
hunt jackson the Cradle Of Peace lies
JnSt eyer the Rampant Range. 30 miles
from Mauitod Springs. and 10 miles iron,
n. summit Of the tie pass The uui1
beauty of the valley with it's panorama of
distant mountains. the great expanse Of
meadow land. ANA uncovered stones
ana, above all The wonderful tonic Of thai
perfect climate made the days upon these
INKS something to be remembered for
ever.
There Is no moist or sand or earth at
hand for lees: in this dry atmosphere.
none can be- Kept moist at the green's.
so Tor tees We use very serviceable ones
made or sections of old rubber hose have
llS tar Of Goth attached to them 10
Keep them from following the ball to far
from IN" teeing ground the course de
ScendS the bluff through sage and flowers
To the brook. then a short distance be-
Nond The stream through sage again to
the natural ''bunkers. the most difficult
ground 81 me course Just beyond the
bank is the ranch fence. with the putting
green IN one side. The combination
Of trout-stream. bunkers and barbed-
WIRE fence made life very exciting during
these were frequently cleared by good
drives.
The ground is full of prairie-dog holes,
ana as We approach the little animals
with shrill ana constant chorus. scrnm
Die through he sage to their mounds.
stand up, survey us critically. and with
a finai defiant cry tumble head first into
their holes.
Something has happened ahead ana orr
crack player eXclaims. laconically. "Prai-
rie-doS hole, as he PUSHES after his own
IN " n fe t.s.a Il ,-l,..,
t. the same fate.
one bail has disappeared. rolling down
out OF sight into a hole just as the owner
came running up. As he is in a hurry 10
80 on with the play he takes a new
ball without losing stroke. The hole is
marked and We will some other time dig
the bdl out ~ ind il thrown out by the
little beasts themselves. This they
usually did in a gay or two.
II there is any unpleasant feature in
Rocky Mountain golf. il is the danger OF
losing balls in the holes OF these little
pests. Large sums have been spent by
the proprietor OF the park in the endeavur
10 get rid of them. but o no avail.
In one season alone. $500 was expended
in a vain attempt To eXterminate them BY
pumping sulphur fumes into their under
ground habitations. For several days pre-
ding a goif tournament we made vigor-
Gus efforts to lessen. ut least. the number
Of the holes and TO cut short the rapidly
increasing prairie-dog families.
Carbon bisIiphide was poured into the
holes, the openings filled with dirt and
the mounds ltvelled. For two days
congratulated ourselves. but alas, on the
third day. the day of the tournament,
there were many more holes than there
were i'm the beginning; ii seemed as II
every single individual of the prairie-dos
famuN--faIher mother. son and daughter
had set to work. independently and dug
out Il new opening for himself.
Though many balls Were lost during the
summer. we came to accept the prairie
dog as matter of course, and to carry
4 goodly supply of balls in readiness for
an emergency.