Evening star., 1901-11-12
SHY OF NEW GOLF BALL.
''Col. Bogey" Discovers Cause of It's
UnpOpularity.

'CO1. BOgey' Discovers Cause OF It's
UnpOpularity.
Col. Bogey in Brooklyn Eagle.
The off-hand statement that that sensa-
ton or perception to the mind through the
ear known as sound enters materially into
the game of golf appears somewhat odd,
and yet it appears that the reason great
many-probably all-of the professional
players do not take up the use of the rub
Der ball is because of the missing click
which Is always heard when the gutta
is cleanIy hit. Nearly all of the profession
ais in this country have tried the ball, and
so far as can be learned not one Of the
English or Scotch men of this class has
persisted in it's use until thoroughly accus-
toned to its novelties. This holds true, not
because they are professional players, but
because they were born into a heritage Of
gutta percha and have never known any
thing else. This unique conclusion was ar
rived at on Saturday afternoon at a little
international goSsiping match at the Mas
sau Country Club, in which an old Scotch
man, an Englshman and an American took
part, the latter being content to play the
part of listener to the other two, who have
golfed and who know the game and the
greens and the players from the other side
from years of devotion to the sport. The
trio were standing near the first tee walt
ing for Low and Smith to get away for the
afternoon round. Smith came along and the
American asked him If he had tried the
new ball.
YES" he replied. "but there's something
queer about it. 1 can't keep it straight"
and he passed along to tee up.
He doesn't know it, remarked the En-
glishman, but it's the voice of the guilty"
that he misses. 1 have asked score Of
the old players from the other side why
they can't accustom themselves to the use
Of the ball, and while one or two acknowl-
edge that it's because of the duh thud that
follows the stroke instead Of the sharp
click from the gutta percha, the great ma
jority find one fault or another, and all
agree that there's something queer
Aye said the old Scotchman, thurs
naething sac sweet to tn gowfer's ear as
that clean smack 1t tells a mon that he's
hit tn guilty fat in tn belly. Th' new ba's
a greet thing, but it's no for the aud
teemers.'
And probably no better example could be
selected to prove this than the experiences
of Travis and Douglas, representing, as
they do, the new and the old in golf.
Travis, with all the progressiveness ard
adaptability of a Yankee, took up the new
ball at an hours notice and mastered :ss
a true Scot, still uses the ball upon whica
he cut his golfing teeth. and probably will
to the end Of the chapter. OF the "auld
teemers" Charles B. Macdonald probably
stands alone in his friendship to the rub
ber. Although the records of the old DAYS
bring us no mention Of the fact, it is quite
likely that at the time the guilty ball dis
placed the old ball Of leather packed solid
with feathers. the strange sound of the
club on the gutta percha had much to DO
with the determined opposition which ths
old-timers Of those days made to the in
PRODUCTION Of the new material.
ITS no tn gowf," they said: and some
of the old hide-bound chaps are repeating
the words today. But as the gutta percha
the rubber .displace the solid gutta perchs.
And. after all. Is it not simply case of
returning to first principles-that is. 50 far
as the sound Is concerned?