Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-12-05
GOLF AT SEA,
Strange Words Redoient OF Greens
afpR Oct Over BSr,ow,.


Rfpa Got Over BSl,ow,,
AS I stepped ON deck from the "a
loon one morning on my return trim
from abroad" said Frank NJ Morris
or the Book Shop. 81 heard a voice
cry. You've sliced drive. and you're
In the grGssr Tor a moment / won
derod whether I was at sea or on the
Exmoor links st home. saw grav
ocean, which might have made n good
golf links IL IL only had been solid
heaying against the sky, and Lands
Emo, last glimpse of England. disap-
pearing on our weather quarter. So I
was quite sure our vessel was q night
out from London and on the open sen
But there were people on deck undoubt.
edly playing golf-playlng it with the
absorbed, eager air that marks the dew
otee OF the game on dry land"
Ocean golf is one OF the novelties of
the transatlantic summer season II
was first introduced on the boats of the
Atlantic Transport line and has been
taken up enthusiastically on the larger
steamers OF all lines Mr.. Norris re-
turned on the Minnetonka, $4,000 tons
burden. GOO feet from stem to stern
and with an after deck 200 feet long
ana 40 feet In beam. Golf links had
been laid out on this deck In the lee of
the cabin.
'"rhe golf course about the deck
said Mr.. Morris. consisted OF nine
circular chalk marks foot in diameter
In lieu or holes. The golf balls were
Switchboard disks. five inches across
and an inch thick. The clubs were
Switchboard sticks, with ends followed
out 10 at the disks. With these clubs
the disks We're sent sliding about the
decks by vigorous shoves instead of
free strokes. The hazards of the course
were furnished by a wheelhouse 20 by
30 feet In size, ventilators, two matches.
Tour donkey engines. a capstan, spars.
coils or rope and galloway leading
to the deck below.
"A good player could make n round
OF eighteen holes in half or three
quarters of an hour. The third hole
required display OF skill and a slight
knowledge OF billiards. 1t lay snug
behind group OF big ventilator fun
nels. The only way to reach II I'm n
single stroke was to drive your disk
against the side OF the after hatch and
make II carom toward the hole In
driving from the fourth 10 the fifth
hole you had to reckon with the wheel
house, which lay between them. In
working back from the taffrail to the
cabin you entered on a little campaign
full OF difficult problems. The way was
beset with such bunkers as a steam
donkey, n scuttle over a galloway. a
number OF ventilators and cepstan.
In making the final hole you drove
your disk straight from one side Of the
deck to the other through a three foot
alley between cabin and hatch.
III there was a sea on and the boat
rolled the difficulties of play became
complicated. Then, in driving, you
had to allow for the list OF the deck.
If your stroke was not sure, there was
the annoying possibility that your disk
would turn on edge and roll hundred
feet or so down the deck and fetch
up In the scuppers. When the disk
went into the cutters, the players said
1t was in the grass
There was nothing but golf aboard
from the beginning of the voyage to
the end. Billiards, chess, whist and
poker were waved aside for golf. Every
passenger became as brown as berry
from playing golf on deck in the wind
and sun. At times they almost fought
for possession Of the links. We had
match plays. foursomes and one tour
nament- Chronicle.