The San Francisco call., 1904-12-24

the California Club. The Golden Gate
Club has given up tournament play
for the present and has nothing sched-
uled until the latter part Of January.
In the meantime the boys of the
Junior Club and the ladies of the
Annex are taking advantage of the
respite and are holding tournaments
regularly.
The Junior Club, which was organ
lied by Mr.. Marvin about two months
ago. has grown with surprising rapid
ity. The club started with about
twenty members and already has some
sixty on the roll. The boys average
almost two tournaments a week, In
which the entry list is always large
and the interest at a high pitch. A
continuous tournament was started
last week and as the boys will be able
to play after school hours it should
prove a great success.
This club will prove an excellent
training school and will develop
many good players. 1t is restricted to
boys 16 years of age or under. The
dues and initiation fee are small and
any boy within the age limit can be-
come a member.
The Christmas tournament, which
the California Club is planning, will
be an interesting affair. 1t will be q
scratch doubles in which partners are
drawn. This will make the affair
something Of a lottery. If the best
player in the club draws a fourth
class man the team will stand abso-
lutely no show to win. l. seems hard
ly just to the better players, who have
been asked to give handicaps in all
the tournaments of late. straight
scratch doubles would be more salts
factory and would be working no
hardship on the poorer players.
When the whitneys N.ere the club
champions an occasional handicap
even, was always frowned upon. In
those days the men who were learn
ing the game considered themselves
fortunate if they could get one handi-
cap tournament out of three. Now
the cracks consider themselves lucky
if one tournament in five is a scratch
event.
The New Years tournament, which
will not be interfered with by the
Christmas event in case of rain, will
be the annual class singles tourna-
ment 1t will determine who is the
best man in each class. Every active
member of the club will participate
in this event, which is one of the most
important of the year. 1t will also
determine who the clubs best man is.
]. D. MacGavin's departure leaves this
question open. The winner of the
first class will be the club champion
for the year.
The continuous tournament, which
was started about three weeks ago,
pected. This. however, is not due to
lack of interest, but is due to
weather conditions. The board is full
OF challenges at all times and the
players seem anxious to get at one
another. mistake was made in
starting an event of this kind in mid
winter Most of the players cannot
get out during the week and the at
tendance is so large on Saturday after
Moons that the courts are given over
entirely to doubles. This leaves Sum
day the only day on which most of the
members can play. In case of rainy
Sunday or an enforced absence from
the city the matches drag along. The
days are too short for a continuous
tourney. An event OF this kind in the
spring or early fall would prove
great success. but in midsummer or
winter It is a difficult thing to hold.
The players are taking more interest
one held in the past
Following is the standing of the
players:
First ciass-No- ]. Ray B. Cornell; No ?.
Dr. Bush No. g. George James; No. f. w 81
Collier; No. 8, B. F. Nourse; No. 8, H n
Rolfe; No. Z, Ray SpIivalo; No. s. G. H.
Busch; No. 9, II. Long: No 10. c. j. Smith:
No. II. Carl Gardner: No. II. S. H. Adams.