New-York tribune., 1906-06-18
CHRISTY AT THE TEE.
The Idol of the Fans Plays at GoF
at Westchester.

Mathewson, whose caro- ol duhiio9AO ~
the Baseball Hall of Fame bears the lnscrlpeioh'
.Introduced nv the Spit Ball." played at golf yes
terday on the links of the Westohester Golf Cluo
as the guest of a member of the Board OF Gov
ernors Upon the head of that governor in days 10
come. when Christy shall have deserted the base
ball for the gutta percha, shall desceno inc diia
emas of hundreds of fans.
BY the time Christy had started for the firse Tee
all the caddies knew his identity, and there were
no caddes to be had. They formed most
admiring gallery they followed Christy from mole
to hole needing not the appeals or commands OF
pIayers who labored beneath the burdens Of much
ironmongery ('ironmongery' is after Sir Conan
Doyle, OF st. Andrews).
At the first tee Christy asked where the box was
and inquired how many strokes he lost on balk.
Being assured that false moves did not count so
long the ball undisturbed he addressed
courteously the round white globule of knobbed
gutta percha, resting lightly its little afternoon
tee of moist earth, its resilient rubber core eagerly
awaiting the impact of the club which should start
1t its soaring flight through the blue ether until
it rested in the soothing cooth OF the green fair
green. Now, Christy prepared to give 1t that I'M
pact, and the caddies far aheld yelling, Make
1t three -bagger!' Make IT home rum Stead
fastly Christy eyed the ball. Ever and anon he
turned to right and left and made motions with
his right though to throw the club. (''Ever
and anon," also after Sir Conan Doyle, of ST An
drews) 1t was not until The Governor told Christy
that there was no one on base. and a caddy yelled
"Play for the batter Christyr' that he swung back
on the up swing and forward the down swing.
The club whistled through the air Gt whistled
waiting at the Tee'), and Christy lurched out of
the box (teeng ground. The round white globule
still perched upon the spiral of sand and atop
of It a mosquito dandled his legs and hummed,
"rs a-Waitin' for YOU
Strange" quoth Christy, with a merry yodel.
''me thinks me eye hath lost its cunning. Eft
will agaia make effort to paste that small
white sphere which doth defy my drivered might
and eke my trusty cleek" (After Christy himself.)
Whereat. with upraised club. he did again essay
the gutta percha from its perch to smite.
If Christy had hit that ball 1t would have gone
into the Sound. four miles away. But he didn't
hit It. ('There a-waitir' at the tee a-waitin'
at the tee." Apology. vestap
"Oh. how that did upset mei'' said Christy,
stretched his full length the greensward. And
he
Now again, the third time, did he uprear himself,
the rage of battle in his eye, to conquer or to die
to drive beyond the distant hole. full yards two
hundred. the moclling ball which from Its Iowly
tee did him defy and guy.
Before plns this agony on any thicker it might
be as well to state that Christy had never had a
gofstck in his hand before. He handled his driver
as IL it were a baseball bat and his stance was
like a chained circus elephants when a peanut
stand IS just beyond his trunk. 1t was an ideal
stance for out-shoot, in-curve. drop. but
for a golfer!
Shade OF ST. Andrew, shut out the piteous sight
Garden City dissolve itself tears and Baltus-
rolls fairness be wasted by devouring grief (After
the lay Of the golfng hen)
But on with the agony. The third time Christy
meant business. Slowly and with intent, with
shoulder bent and eye attuned T. the moment he
should strike he raised the doughty driver. Beau
tiful the sight. while those around their breaths
and sides did hold Majestic the effort, superb the
effect, the result
There it goes" said Christy. "I knew I'd fetch
It that time. Am a golfer? Well. should Re
Mark
Where does 'thero 1t goes Christy?' asked the
polite and interested onlookers.
'See II, sailing third basel mean the what
do you call IL, bunker2" said Christy.
In the heart Of every Golfer. when golf Is upper
most, when he is naught but golf. and without
reason, when kith and kin to him aliens and
the ties of homo no more to him than TO the orphan
rover there rises to dominate the the spirit OF
q Torquemada, to torture and with cruel Jest and
scotf1ng make miserable the beginner.
The Driver and Putter OF 1t diagram joke un-
derstandabe only by golfers. the long and short of
to is that several people were unkind enough
eagerly to point out to Christy the fact that the
ball had been blown from the tee by the wind
generated by the force with which his club swept
through the air the tee
Then they all went to the clubhouse to play the
nineteenth hole. Christy was several down after
that