Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-13
AMATEUR GOLF TOURNEY
To Test the Personal Equation in
Links Making.
IDEAS THAT TAKE ON FORM
Travis Placed Many Hazards AZ GAR
den City-PuttinE over HiIIOcks
His strong suit Just at
Present.

NEW YORK. Sept. 12-Thts is the reign
OF the personal equation In American golf
courses. The amateur championship to be-
gin tomorrow gains I'm interest because il
is over the reconstructed course OF the
Garden City Golf club, a transformation
I'm which the committee accepted the ideas
Of and left most OF the work to Walter ].
Travis, The open championship at Myopia
recently was over a course synonymous
with the ideas of Herbert c. Leeds. On
being made ready ON principles laid down
by Charles B. Macdonald. the result OF his
observations in this country and abroad.
He has the backing ola wealthy group
Of golfers, but the rich men are also gain
ing or planning courses on their own ac-
count, for John d. Rockefeller has two OF
them and John W. Gates has announced
that ne will lay out the finest course in
the world on a Texas property. Should
the course afford an opportunity to crafty
the other sporting tastes said 10 be pos
sessed by its sponsor the Gates links GER
tainly will be unique.
on a course Intended merely for private
use-the picnic form Of golf-the public.
save when attracted by the odd or unique.
has no need to concern itself with the ar
rangements, 1t is the reverse on courses
Nah1N NV Ah mt ~ bG dllt vi at Ally
time to hold national championships. Then
the golfers have the light to ask IL the
making of the hazards has been to really
make the course more attractive or II the
work has been done to enhance the chances
to win Of a favorite son OF the green. The
club to yield too much to the latter infiu-
ence will seldom admit 1t. For one thing,
wherever a club has developed a favorite
golfing son II has as surely created in its
ranks as moths rush to the flame a group
of his imltators. They accept all the ideas
of the favorite son as gospel truth and
cannot perceive that he has made a string
of hazards to suit his cWn game, when
they suit their own games nearly as well.
Besides, the club committee has at all
times the crushing reply to make of pro
gression' and to claim that tomorrow other
clubs will be initiating their work. A ma
tional tournament bestows on every par
ticipant a right of open criticism of the
course that is not conferred to the guest
at an invitation tournament. II the per.
sonal equation has resulted in a selfish
arrangement Of hazards 1t is the duty OF
the participant from without the fold t.
proclaim his opinions, so that the hazards
before there is another national tourna.
ment may be changed to treat with fair.
ness the game of the greater number.
But although Travis has dominated the
making of the Garden City Golf clubs
course the change is not justified that h,
has been actuated by the consideration Of
his owh strength or weakness in the game
Travis wins more often there than on any
other green, a statement that proelaim'
he is the ruling favorite for the pending
tournament, but II is exceptional that
golfer is not four to five strokes better
each round on his own course than else
where. The home course is most often thu