The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-06
WILD VAN CORTLANDT GOLF.
RECKLESS PLAY MAKES ROUND
DANGEROUS on CROWDED DAYS.
Strangers Think They Are on the Battle
Lne-wOrkmen Busy Hunting for Lost
Balls-Golfers the worst Hindrance to
the Sport-Plan TO Relieve Cong estiOn.

Public golf at Van Cortlandt Park is
thriving and popular, in sp lite of many
drawbacks to the full enjoyment OF the
round. The course is OF eighteen holes
and naturally well adapted TO the game,
while the improvements made before the
present year have increased the attractive
ness OF the links. The round Is OF 5,432
yards, par golf being e, and the amateur
record, 70, made in 196g, by Gilman P. Tiff
fany. Charles Thoms established the pro-
fessional record of 70 the same year, but
the neglect to keep up the course this season
has been barrier to record breaking.
On Saturdays and Sundays from 400
to 500 persons tee up at Van Cortlandt,
and there is an average of 100 players
every day throughout the year until
snow hides the links With such
throng it is evident that there must
be congestion about the tees and through
the green's, which is increased by the block
ing of the procession by persons learning
golf, who seem to prefer Saturday and
Sunday as lesson days regardless of the
annoyance they cause; and the full njoy-
tment of the round is also married by
many fragrant violations of golfng rights
and etiquette. Some amateurs who play
most frequently at the links and are
good golfers err most often in driv-
ing through, or in playing to green's
on which other players are putting. This
set knows better; but, as with the end seat
hog, glories in its selfishness.
The recklessness in play IS what most
impresses the golfer who first visits Van
Cortandt. On a crowded day the stranger
will be fortunate il the fact il not brought
to his notice by a whack from a golf ball.
TO the first hole, where the order of driving
of il regulated by the ticket custodian,
the play is as orderly IA al any country
club On the second hole the stranger
will hear odd balls whistling about his
ears, as though he were leading skirmsh
line. Play to the third green suggests
the heat OF the battle. with balls flying
into the newcomer from the back and front,
for those who pull from the fourth tee rake
the line OF the third hole If tie stranger
survives and has his nerve with him, the
fifth and sixth holes will not be found dan
gerous il no one drives into him.
At the seventh tee the congestion il
always made worse by the butting in of
those who have shirked the hill holes.
On Saturdays and Sundays each player
receives q yellow ticket as he leaves the
first tee, which is to be exchanged for a
blue ticket after he has played the sixth
hole A ticket collector stands near the
sixth green and gives out the blue tickets,
and no one may drive off from the seventh
tee unless he hands one OF these tickets
to whoever is in charge to take them. The
players who appear and unblushingly pre-
sent the blue tickets, who have not before
been on the course that day, must have
some underhand way OF obtaining them.
There Is talk at Van Cortlandt of the power
Of stray silver coins. even OF such small
denomination as dime, to attract the
blue tickets from various places and per-
sors as the magnet picks up steel filings.
Barring tina Gro wded days, any one may
start at the seventh tee without ticket.
II the tee 10 clear this is right enough, but
it is an unsportsmanlike act to break in
am one those who played the hill holes to
gain their place at the seventh tee. Custom
has ordained that after the hill holes the
PLAYERS may "bide q wee" at the clubhouse
or refreshment booths before going on,
which gains exemption from blame to the
ready liars who assert, although Just from
the train, that they played the hill holes
a halt a ,by. the wayside, but the pleasant
habit should not be used as cloak for the
butting IN of the drones.
Meanwhile, the stranger has made his
drive from the seventh tee As at old
st. Andrews in Scotland, the play Is straight
out and back, the home green being between
the lake a nd the seventh tee. While none
too wide, It is fine stretch of golfing and
well buhkered, the blots on the course being
the rough putting greens. The STEADY
use OF a heavy roller, such as is used on the
polo field and. it is stated, was originally
intended for the links. would improve the
putting greens vastly. Some of the green's
do not seem to have been rolled this season,
Judging by the height of the worm casts.
Balls will hurtle past the stranger, or
perhaps strike him during this part of
the round, but there is no. such danger
point as that between the third and fourth
holes The delays caused by slow players
In front will often force the stranger and
his partner to stand still on the fair green.
which makes the pair the target for those
behind them, the attacks being particu-
larlv dangerous if two of the New York
cup competition, which they deem the pass
word THAT cofnpes the right to play through
or IL one of the long driving Indians IL
approaching, a product OF the links who
always play alone and care nothing for
golf etiquette.
If the next person who is struck by a
golf ball at Van Cortlandt, in violation of
golf eticuette and established custom,
would make charge Of assault against the
player who hit him. the policeman at the
links would be forced to make an arrest,
Y and IL the Magistrate who hears the case
should fine or hold the pernetrator Of the
outrage for trial the result would very
quickly make the links safe to play on.
A baseball PLAYER on the adjoining fields
at Van@Cortlandt. who would deliberately
bat ball into the spectators, or along a
walk filled with pedestrians, would be
grabbed very suddenly and marched Off
to the Kingsbridge station house. On a
public links each pair of players, il the
rules OF the game are lived up to, should
certainly respect the rights Of a pedestrian
on the street so that n charge of assault
would seem to be justified against whoever
wantonly drives into them.
In recent case at st. Andrews, Scotland.
player struck by golf ball while putting
out, had the person who drove the ball
arrested and later he was fined in the police
court. The rule Of the game which forbids
players approaching a green until the pair
ahead have holed out is violated daily at
Van Cortlandt. If every person who il in
jured from this practice or by players
driving into them on the Van Cortlandt
Park links, will from now on bring the case
into the courts the knowledge that an ar
rest will follow every offence will do more
to make the golfers obey the rules of the
game than. a series OF public lectures by
Walter j, Travis or Findlay Douglas could
be expected to do.
To avoid the present congestion and to
make the links safe throughout the busy
days of the fall, there is in the opinion Of