The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-09-16
LOCKERS ON AT The GOLF
IF THEY FOLLOW THEY VAR.
VEL AT THE PLAYERS CALM,

-
For IT'S No joke Gems Over tho Gsrdeu
City Hnks-The Experts Incline "a
bad Clsthea-Did. You Know the
Pinky's Man Beat MIeky's Man;
At a national golf tournament there
ia much Of interest besides the things
which the sports reporters are expected
to narrate; the pleasantly ceremonioui
working Off of the tournament, as 4
is called by the club and tournament
officials; some aspect not related to theil
games Of the men who compete, especially
those who compete after the eliminating
rounds have reduced their numbers tc
sixty-four. and the character Of the fol
lowers Of the game.
Right here o word must be said tc
explain the great difference between the
followers of the game and the gallery
The followers IN the old guard who fol
the last decade. many Of them. have moi
messed an important golf tournament
II they could reach It by a days journey
They are the real golf fans. all Of them
players themselves but without ambi-
ton to be numbered among that dis
tinguished company of sixty-four. These
followers appear on the first day of the
tournament and watch the whole en-
~trancing play from the first qualifying
medal round to the final match round.
They are the faithful who have crowded
the Garden City Hotel this week and who
fill an guests many Of the big country
houses In the neighborhood Of Garden
City and who arrive early each morning
by automobile In such numbers that a
part Of the grounds Of the Garden City
Golf Club is packed with motor cars in
a way to remind one Of the nearby hotel
grounds on the night before a Vanderbilt
cup ace.
The gallery 10 the big and largely
non-goling mob which shows up on a
tournament links only for the finals and
IL there because-well, it's something
to do. largely. and a ripping chance to
display new hats and fascinating wraps.
The followers come from as many cities
almost as are represented by the players
themselves. From Boston. Philadelphia.
Pittsburg. Buffalo. Chicago and other
outlying villages they have flocked this
year to- Garden City. each a stalwart
hacker Of the representative Of his "
links and each a sharp critic Of every point
Of the game.
As has been suggested. the hotels and
country houses in that favored section
Of Long Island accommodate many Of
the followers. but the younger ones take
advantage Of being 90 near he Salome
dance district as to run into Broadway
over night. and 1t was with a party Of
these that a reporter took train at Long
Island City to Q yesterdays oonolu-
sion Of the medal Play and beginning
to know anything about it il would eur
prise you to learn accurately how early
you must start from q mid-Manhattan
hotel to catch a Long Island City train
TO arrive at the links at that dewy hour
when q tournament official calls out
through his megaphone, Smith and
Jones tee up; rorei Please s. dorsi Fol Fol,
the Official can see when the fairway Is
clear for q second couple
A popular way OF catching that early
train adopted by some OF the younger
followers was to sit up for 1t, which was
not such q tireeome proceeding On Mon
day night. as there was q new grillroom
seen. But whatever extraordinary effort
was required the followers were all on
hand to see the noble sixty-four start
out at that distressingly early hour,
and with undimmed enthusiasm to
follow their favoritee through a gale
Of wind. climbing over and down into and
Gas o. 1 sGs NJ '! Tr snG % has ana ana
rupted the landscape which on another
links would be called the fairway. The
sports reporter has spoken of those min
ing operations by which Mr.. Travis has
toned up the Garden City links. and really
they are. worth speaking a out. Most
Of the players who spoke about them
does not rhyme to Hsdee. but you catch
Not that there was any display Of iii
temper. You seldom see that In golfers
and you never Q 1t In a company such
as was playing over the Garden City
links yesterday. Players Of that class
must be even tempered u not actually
not be players Of that class That Is
quite a noticeable thing about the kind
Of golfers who play. we'll enough 10 re-
main In p national tournament after
all buf siIty-four have been eliminated.
One 10 not saying that all golfers are
cheerful chaps, but only golfers who
are cheerful chaps ever struggle through
which makes . class A golfer. You
may not have thought Of that when
you start wandering oyer the links. walk
Ing through the rough from tee to tee
or from green to green to keep out Of
the way OF b players, but you become
impressed with 1t after you have trailed
along with . dozen or two pairs Of players.
In such q gale az was blowing yesterday
the best Of them occasionally got into
Even Mr.. Travis In making
his marvellous second medal round
found some Of his own mischief, OF
course his placidity 10 known and has
bean written about wherever goh Ia
or talked, but In that field were
lot Of eager youngsters. some am
bilious men Of sunny middle age and
some who confess to have passed the
hak century mark q number Of years
ago. They were all keen 10 stay IN for
the match play, all keen at the sport,
but - you trailed along and Jaw man
msn In perplexing trouble IL began
70 como to you like q mild benediotion
Inst their language remained marvel
|ously polite and without sulphurous
IN other respects these top notch golf
ers are alike. They are all deeply bronzed
by sun and wind, they are all sprinRy Of
step and alert and they all appear to
have remarkably keen vision, but they
are most wonderfully unlike as to views |
81 what ID the proper or correct dress
Tor a golfer. You could see among the
almost every combination Of gar
nents In which IL would be possible |
or Q man TO play golf. American men
apparently do not bother themselves