New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-03

When professional player of games puts
forth volume the subject in which he is an
expert we naturally expect good deal of valu-
able information and helpful instruction but
hardly look for any degree of literary merit In
this respect The Complete Golfer comes as a
n1aasart sunrise Everybody knows that MT
varlou is a master of golf but it was necessary
for his book to appear for people to learn that
he can write about the game 10 as good pur-
pose as ne can play IL Not only does ne tel Us
how 20 play the game. but he philosophers con
corning it in q highly agreeable and entertain
ing manner.
.1tbo,rpb the book is called The Complete
Golfer the author admits that the ideal lrnpiieo
-, the adjective is a difficult one TO attain and
mt the yvorI, is complete only in so far as ne
b.,,,se1f has reached completeness It IS his
~, game that he expounds. without prejudice
n those who may have arrived at a hlgh oeS &c
Of excellence by other methods The volume Is
-r7s in n measure auto5iogra phical ana hei'ee'
essentially practical For while no one Wou
,Fq5-r that golf could be taught 10y book or tHe
methods Of the correspondence school but en-
" by observation and practice, Nj Warden
treatise enables the tyro and the enthusiast
e-uaIIv 10 follow closely the steps by Wlllh '1e
author has advanced TO his present emInence
AMI % refresh their minds with the Dreeepts
v.-frb however. cfsen repeated, are only too
likely 20 be forgotten. nj Warden not strange
IL. considers his methods TO be the pest out
while ne necessarily recounts his progress ana
-f,.,---rs ha does so with becoming nodesty, at
t-.l,.rira fzs success to his early training me
BEGAN 10 caddy and to play "a kind OF pTehistoF-
r. rore,, Al seven} his constant practice and his
o--c-tunities for studying the style OF good
golfers on the links where he has been emp Dyed
and in lis many matches with other profession
ais
on TWO points in general M. Warden lays par
:f--lzr stress The first is the necessity OF the
Beginners passing through a period of prelinli-
nay apprenticeship before undertaking match
-zz- The other Is that the man who begins TO
Fly Eoif in middle life has as good chance to
acquire q crack game as youngster if ne goes
about it in the right way. If golf is worth pay
iu- III all. the author contends. it is worth
7,1gir- well. No great amount OF brute force
IS necessary. and heetness of foot. which men
lose As they grow old is never wanted; but still
gaif is 2 game for manly men, and when they
take Il ID they should strive to play it as it de-
serves 10 be played" He regards three months
as not too much time to spend in practising the
different strokes before attempting to 80 over
the COURSE and six months as none too little
Win such q grounding. had under the chaFSe
Of d good instructor, any earnest and intelligent
man can aspire to becoming q scratch payer
No doubt the noble army Of fooz, , derive an
tra- game. and II is ny earnest prayer that ny
lon NAV continue to DO i is Of the oil'
advantages OF golf all. the skilled and the IN
skilled can reveI in its fascnatlon ana mysteries
which IS obtained from playing the nerfect gam
Or one which nearly approaches II me mex Dt9L
thing q II is UIayirig Improving game, however
rad and the golfer whose game has te'l l'coC'
rectly established has not often even the
tba- his game is Improving He declares more often
than not that gets worse, and one = frequently
inclined believe him
Mr.. vardon devotes considerable space, but
mot too much, to the choice and care of clubs
advising the beginner to put himself unreserv-
edIy into the hands of his professional instruc-
tor and then gradually to sUppiant his original
set with others that may suit his own peculiar
STYLE as he develops one The author uses an
overlapping Out not interocking) grip, which
he describes with mnuteness and illustrates
with photographs. He defends il plausibly, and
he has certainly employed il to good purpose.
DESPITE what may be said against it by the ad-
yocates Of the two vs. The advantage that
he claims for ii is that both hands feel and
act ike one" In explaining and discussing the
various strokes. he asks. which then, is the
master stroke?" and thus replies:
Y is the ban struck by any club to which big
mil or slice is Intentionally applied for the ac-
cornnshrnent q specific purpose when could not
be achieved in any other way And nothing more
eyaTpnI;6es the curious waywardnesS Of this game
~ Ours than the that the stroke which is the
C,f1TTndjn-y and torture OF the beginner who does
CONSTANTLY ne knows not how. but always 10 ms
dar-iuent should later at tunes be the most