The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-22
GOLF CLUBS ON TRADE LINES.
A THRIVING FORM OF ORGANIZED
ENJOYMENT IN THE GAME.
Merely Local In Great Britain, but National
lied In the United Statesmen York
Stock Brokers Maintain the oldest
Business League OF the Golf Links

Stock Brokers Maintain the Oluest
Business League OF The Golf Links
An interesting form Of golfng and one
that has only had a prototype in two other
sports in this country baseball and BIZ
cy~cling-is the organization for mutual
enjoyment in the pastime of men in the
same line OF business. 1t speaks we'll for
the firm foundation of golf that the need
for such unions Of fellow craftsmen, II
the term is allowable, has become apparent
Such organizations are essentially nomadlc,
that is, they do not attempt to have a links
and clubhouse, but as the members all
belong to one or more golf clubs the Gus
tom is to visit a different course for each
tournament. AS yet in this country the
trade or professionl golf club is made up
of the bosses, the employers, but the next
and inc vitable development will be the golf
clubs of the employees.
There are many more such clubs in Great
Britain, where three divisions are to be
found-golf clubs Of one trade or profession,
clubs of bosses or artisans, and company,
firm or shop golf clubs, in which some
times every one in the concern turns out
for the tournaments, from the boss to the
newest Office boy. London has a long list
of such clubs, such as Lloyd's Golf Club
an d the Civil Service Golfers Club, both
est ablished in 1894, and by courtesy the
greatest of all may be included, the Par
liamentary Golf Club, which includes men,
bers of both houses and the press galleries.
To conceive the dignity and high place OF
this club and its members one should fancy,
If he can, a golf club at Washington made
up of Senators, Congressman, department
chiefs and employees, with the press rep
resentat ives.
The oldest trade club in this country is
probably the New York Stock Exchange
Golf Club, which has been holding an annual
contest at thirty-six holes of medal play
since 1895. The scratch man from the start
has been Charles B. Macdonald, amateur
champion of 1895, who has usually had the
gross score honors, although in the early
years, before being located at New YORK,
he used to come on from Chicago to bid
defiance to the Eastern members. The
members of the Cotton Exchange have also
had a golf club for many years. Nearly as
old is the Produce Exchange Golf Club In
which Frank Nj. Wilson plays at plus 4 and
has never been beaten for the lowest gross
score. There are similar clubs at the
Coffee, Consolidated and Mercantile eX-
changes. The Silk Trade Golf Club has been
in existence for some years, and there are
some others of the sort in New York. Chi
cage, Boston and Philadelphia also pos
sess some trade golf clubs, the former
city having the oldest in the country of
bank employees, with David K. Forgan as
president. Glass golf clubs of Boston
usually include men of kindred affiliations
fourishing club of newspaper workers
there and similar clubs at New York and
Chicago.
Thus far in the chronicle the roster might
nave been a reproduction of the list, only
more scant in number, of the trade clubs OF
London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin or
Liverpool, but what follows is wholly
American in conception and development.
In this country of magnificent distances, to
confine "A golf club to the kindred souls of
one city would be too PROVINCIAL and nc
'pent-up Utica" confines the powers of the
Yankee golfers Of similar business occupa-
ton.
Men Of all trades in this country cater
to what many be broadly specified as the
Western and Eastern markets, in which the
chief distributing points are Chicago and
New York, and frequently there il an annual
national convention OF the concerns in the
one line at some central point. As an
ardent golfer seldom wishes to leave his
clubs behind when taking a journey, IT has
followed that where minor golf clubs have
existed in East or West there has been some
lively chatting and hot golf between the
respective champions who have met at a
national convention. By, an easy evolution
the golfers nav organized Eastern and
Western trade leagues and a grand, united
golf tournament has come into being as a
side feature of the national trade conven-
tons.
The pioneer organization to so nationalize
trade golf is without doubt the Eastern
Trade Golf Association, a title to stand for
the manufacturers and dealers in steam
fittings and collateral lines. The Eastern
Golf branch is some six years old and for
that period it has conducted a semi-annual
tournament at some private course near
New York. Tho Western Trade golf branch
is almost as old, but, while the local cham
pions and minor players have met in matches
during the national trade conventions the
formal trade championship did not ma
t~erialize until last year, but it will be re-
peated this year at the same time.
This championship had its decision on
the course of the Atlantic City Country
Club, while the trade leaders were in solemn
~conclave at the nearby resort. There
was nothing solemn at the golf course.
for among the special trade rules to govern
the play were these:
No restriction upon the amount NJ sand
used in teeing.
No player shall drive from the tee until
those in front are at a safe distance-say.
thirty yards-or have played at least seven
strokes.
Any player teeing his ball in a bunker shall
be disqualified.
Ii a player miss the ball and strike the
caddie, the caddie shall be disqualified and
sent home at the players expense.
1t is permissible for a player to ask his
partner the line, but it Is left to the discretion
Of the player so asked to give the right line
OF not.
Players are requested to replace all turf
the soil, being light, is only suitable for graz
ing.
Players in the dufIer class will be allowed
TO use tennis balls: Indian clubs may be used
by them on the green. and an ambulance will
follow this class.
There is no such levity attendant on the
tournaments of the American Golf Associa.
ton of Advertising Interests, which has fol
three winters conducted a midwinter tour.
nament at Pinehurst, s. c., which attracts
competitors from West and East. The
midsummer tournament at the Euclid
Country Club, Cleveland, last year was she
largest national trade championship ano
minor cup tournament ever held in the
world. f. A. Freeman of Montclair won
the title, and the tournament will be re-
paataJ Tho aaaon at an Easfarn course OT