The Washington times., 1902-08-10
Its General Use Creates a
Demand for a Standard
IT HAS ITS ADVANTAGES
Crack Players Claim Its Use Is Not
Test of Skill-Will Make Demand for
Longer Courses Local Golfers Use 1t
How Herd Was Converted.

! i' ~ 7Nia7ss VI up -
golf there is being raised cry; it may
be called a hue and cry for stan-
dard hall. This is brought about by
the invasion OF the lively" or Haskell
ball to the almost entire exclusion of
the solid or "gutta" percha-"gutty,"
as it is called
The success of the American Haskell
in open" as well as amateur cham
pionships has been such that leading golf
authorities are seriously discussing the
necessity of adopting a standard as in
baseball. tennis. billiards, cricket, and
so on.
The suggestion that a standard ball BE-
adopted has met with derision. but there
is every possibility of a day coming
when some such measure will have to
be adopted or the game be wiped out
completely.
Not the Ball, But Results.
In this strenuous age the pickering
OF the alarmist is not aimed so much
at the present Innovations in the golf
ball line as at the ultimate result. One
is not so foolish as to think that mil
lions of intelligent beings are content
edly accepting the present rubber-filled
ball as the alpha and omega OF its
kind.
Since the old ball vas first intro
duced courses have sprung up through
out the land-all planned to meet the
requirements OF the guilty" With the
banishment of the latter. and the almost
universal use of the lively" ball, links
of 1000 or 1900 yards will have to be
heightened to 1000 or 5000 yards. and
so on, and confronted with such a pros |
pect what will become of the outlay in |
the present links?
Besides, the greens committees would |
be subjects for asylums, and in time !
by process of progression, a greens |
committee will be al its wits ends 20
squeeze a full course into the District |
OF Columbia without making a hazard |
OF the Potomac into the northern and
eastern end of the Old Dominion.
What Authorities Say.
This is probably stretching a point
and making the lively" ball livclier. J.
but the innovation. whether it has
stirred up players on both sides of the
Atlantic or not. has come to stay. and
what's more. the cracks" as we'll as
the thIrd-raters and worse are using the
lively" One uses 1t in self-defense
against enoroachment in his class. and
the others to better their condition and
get up higher
The lively Haskell has its advan-
tages. but these are insignificant to the
high-class players as compared with the
advantages 1t has for the medium or
average golfer.
Harold Hilton and J. II. Low. recog-
nized authorities on the subject, do not
hesitate to say that the lively" ball
not skill-has brought the fair class
man within range of the top-notcher,
and with reason add that contest
ceases to be a true test where skill is
discounted by mechanical art
1t Drives Farther.
The great advantage the lively has
over the guilty. is that 1t drives farther
and faster, but its weakness is that 1t !
will hop, skip. and jump after 1t lands.
so that you cannot calculate as accu-
rately what results your drive will
bring you. In approaching" on the
second 1t is apt to make distance you
10 not want. and in putting" especial .
y If the green be hard and solid, you
are more apt to overdrive than other
wise. and 1t is worse to lose STROKE
that way than not to be able to be dead
o the hole with the guilty"
Early Prejudices.
For some time the English players
we're very much opposed to the Has
lell.' and refused to adopt it and de-
lined to see any virtue in the new ball
This was due to the fact that the balls
which they tried were an early crop =,
ent over before the defects had been :
vercome. Since that time the short
omings have been remedied and the lat :.
ST on the market are an entirely differ Il
mt proposition. b
The present ball does not split or
hip as easily as the first lot, and even II
badly topped bail is little the worse "
or its treatment. a
In addition to the Haskell" there Ii
re any number of new balls begging for
and possible adoption, and z
ne Of the latest is known as the Kemp L
hail. which Is said to combine all the G
ood qualities OF the solid or guilty X
nd the newer filed or lively ball. s.
This is the age OF progression, and II v
i' NidthS uO lDt ike llt way the
ewcomers in the game are crawling up
n them in the game. with the aid of
he new ball. they have the course open
, them Of using the same ball, and with L
leir superior skill keeping that much
lore ahead of them.
Nearly all, II not all, the local PLAYERS
Sc the lively and find much in Il to g
accmmend 1t. DR.. L. Lee Harlan, who al
ands at the head of local PLAYERS. uses -,
0 oSher, and finds he gets better re. =.
ilts in every way. He calculates his ~
rives and approaches and makes allow VI =,
noes for its shortcomings, or rather for r.
S tendency to do more than il is in -
,nded i. should 10
Mr.. Mattingly, Mr.. J. C. Davidson. DR..
:. s. Harlan. Mr. J. W. Mckinley. Mr..
lex Britton. nr. Leet, all of the CO.
mbia Golf Club MIR. Ormsby Mccain, u
on, Mr.. F. o. Horstman. Colonel Den -
7. DR.. Compton. of the Chevy Chase
ub. and Colonel May. Mr. Talcott, Mr.
iggs. Mr.. Dalzell. ana others. of the p,
'ashington Golf Club. use the lively II
III. The local professionals use 1t as
ten as they do the guilty" "a
OF nearly 200 PLAYERS at the national W
at Glenview last month fc
G. Lockwood. the Englishman, who la
ays from Allston. was the only player b.
use a solid gutta percha ball. Pl
Harry Vardon. James Braid. J. II. II