The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1907-11-23
Copyright, by Joseph B. Bowles.)

copyright, by Joseph B. Bowles.)
(Mrs. Hobart Chatfield-Taylor, who is a
golf player OF renoWn as we'll as leade
in society, speaks with authority upon the
game of golf and what it offers to. women
as healthful and delightful pastime. The
daughter of the late Senator Charles B.
Farwell of Illinois, and the wife Of the
talented author of THE Crimson Wing
and other novels, she is we'll known.)
When American women took up
golf they did it as pose; in a short
time it became purpose; it is now
merely a pastime.
All this ALTERATION may seem
meaningless, but those who remember
the various stages through which golf
in this country has passed cannot fail
to recognize the truth of it. The
pose period was when golf began.
Then it was new fad-the thing to
talk about, the thing to do. Women
and likewise men-wore red coats;
they flocked to the golf links as they
would to afternoon teas, and the pro-
fessionals were busy from early till
weight, age or previous condition Of
servitude, to drive gutta-percha balls
Off little piles of sand. Every woman
must take up golf, and take It up she
did with a vengeance.
Out of the pose period grew the
purpose epoch, when home, husband,
children and even best young men
were forgotten in the daily chase of
that same gutta-percha ball. We
dreamed of golf scores by night and
we struggled to lower them by day.
Our intimate friends became our
hated rivals and our sole object in life
was to lower record or Gift" cup.
One can hardly think of those days
without restraining a smile. A WON
ans popularity was gagged by her
success on the green, and be she new
er so beautiful or attractive, she was
forced to give the palm to the local
champion. Assfor the woman who
had attained national honors, she was
the ,envied of everything in petit
coats, and consequently the detested
During that purpose period of golf the
woman who had not reached the first
flight still cherished hopes, and the
only object in life for the average
woman of that day was to bring in a
lower score, by fair means if possible
or-dare 1 say sometimes by foul
But in time a feeling of discourage
ment came over those who, having
tried, had failed. They had gone
through the posing period, with its
red coats and silver scorebooks; they
had made of golf the only thing il
life, but they had not made goot
scores and, after two or three season.
of perspiring persistence and grace
less gyrations, they dropped out of thu
game. IF at first you don't succeed
try, try again" does not apply to golf
Golfers are born, not made, and i
you haven't the eye and the supple
ness of wrist the game calls for it il
wiser to play >skitt1es. It has take1
American women years to find thi
out, but at last those who can't play
and never could play, have becom,
contented wives and mothers one,
more, and those who can play TAX
golf as one of the many diversions O
life and not as it's sole object.
The game has now reached what
call the pastime period. We are con
tent to take it as an amusement, an,
those who have any chance of win
ming make it a genuine sport. TIL
contestants for championship honor
are those who really love the game
and they play to win. If they ar
beaten they don't scratch their or
ponents' eyes out, but they 20 t
work to try to *do her up" in the mex
match. For a number Of years Their
we're but two classes in America,
women's golf: Miss Beatrix How
and the others. No one else, >excen
Mrs. Butler Duncan, who did not er
ter tournaments, had the slightes
chance Of winning the championship
and it was only question Of VIII
would be the*runner-up. '-:|| Z
For three years Miss Hoyt reigne
supreme as queen Of golf, but tia
was the time when got was pull
pose So that out ofs the throng Il
persistent women who led sth
IS.