The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-09
THE SWATFEST In GOLF.
NEBRASKA HAS EVOLVED 4 NEW
THING ON THE LINKS.
A Kind OF Tournament Play Was
started on Natures Own Golf Courses
Beyond the Mississippi Amy Number
Can Take Part in It-N0t q Freak.

Several OF the Nebraska home folks to
celebrate the arrival OF Bryan were golfers,
and some had games on local links. your
New York links are too artificial; just like
a good many Of your notions here" re-
marked one of the Nebraska golfers. Now,
beyond the Mississippi we get natures own
golf courses, for the bottom lands OF the
prairies are as undulating and close in turf
as the seashore links in the British Isles.
We don't build bunkers OF dig traps
for hazards. The land has only to be
smoothed with a roller to form the putting
greens, Inc the distances marked out 40
cOrding to the lay of the land to make a
good one, two or three shot hole. It's ideal
golf, and il we didn't have to hustle so hard
for a living we surely would develop an
amateur champion in Nebraska. '
There is n thing we have done that is
a record. We have invented a new sort Of
golf tournament and a new name for it.
We call it a swatfest, and it beats all other
sorts of golf competitions.
All hands may start in a swatfest, for we
believe in sooiability out our way. II Is
match play, arranged on the community
plan and on sound principles that would
appeal to Old Tom Morris. Prime Minister
Balfow, Walter J. Travis, Chandler Egan
or any stickler for orthodoxy In golf; but
IL Is wholly progressive and new.
THE method is something Of the order
Of the playon OF a tie in q medal play quail
flying round, rinasmuch as all hands tee OF
together. No matter how many are to
play for the cup, all hands start in by playing
the first hole. They drive of In pairs, OF
course, or in foursomes, and those to hole
put first form a gallery to watch the efforts
OF the others and to cheer them on. High
man or men drop out at each hole. The
others keep on, until but two are left in,
but the rule remains the same, high man to
drop out. When a swatfest gets reduced
to one pair it becomes an ordinary match,
usually settled at the next hole or two.
Suppose the first hole il a par 4. Usually
two or three will have n, or even 81, in a
big field, and out they go. II the second
hole il an easy 3, those at So will prOba-
bly, \, dropped, unless soLne one gets a
wretched 7 or =, n SO saves the bacon Of
the 5 men. Often a whole bunch will be
dropped at 81 or O., for while a player might
keep them in, or as we say, alive by a
sacrifice stroke we are too strict on the
spirit Of the game to commit such an act.
Instead, should some one in such a crisis
save the bunch by getting a 0, he is booted
at and fined the drinks.
when a swatfest il sifted down to six
or eight. 1t becomes as exciting a form Of
golf az any l ave seen. At our last swatfest
over the Omaha Field Club links, there were
six survivors out OF seventy starters TO
play the sixteenth hole Of 800 yards. All
had ~ when the last pair drove of. One OF
them topped his tee shot and took more
to the green. but holed out in 4. His partner
was on the green in 2, and IL looked az II
he, too, would get a I and the bunch keep
on intact to the next hole. Instead, this