Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-07
GOLF TROUBLE IN TALL GRASS
Selection of the Chicago Golf Club
Course Starts Discussion.
H. CHANDLER EGAN ELUC1DArEs
some Pertinent Information COncern-
Ing the Three COurses for the
National GOLF Event 90 ne
Held This Year.

Now that the national amateur golf
championship again is to be played over
the fine course of the Chicago Golf club
at Wheaton the value OF shots from rough
grass is a topic among followers Of the
game. In other words, is il great luck or
great skin to repeatedly drop the ball on
the green from out high grass? II. Chsnd-
Ter Egsn did this on every round at whea-
ton when he won the amateur title in 1905,
the last time it was plO yed there and the
last time the western amateur was the
winner. A Harvard graduate and former
Intercollegiate champion. Bgan always
was an honor to American golf and a
student OF the games principles. This is
what he once wrote to London Golf on his
shots from the rough;
FFor some reason which | cannot ex-
plain my tee shots for the last two years
have shown a strong tendency to be wild
In direction and I have been given 70
slicing and pulling off the course at most
embarrassing and unexpected moments. |
have tried every remedy I could think OF,
but as yet have met with little success,
AS a natural result ] have had a great
deal OF experience in playing out of trouble,
especially from the long grass and clover
which border most Of the holes on Ameri-
can courses. Thus. | was obliged to get
out as best I could and have had to make
a sort Of study of the shot.
During the championship at Wheaton
many men who had watched the play
asked me what club used to get out Of
the grass with, They are the tyne Of player
that carries a heavy msshie or patent
iron OF some sort. which they always use
in long grass. whether the lie be good or
bad or whether It Is fifty or 200 yards
away from the green. 1t really astonished
them when ] answered that I used every
club in the bag for long grass shots, in
Guiding driver and putter. the selection OF
the club depending on the conditions OF
the shot to be played. OF course. some
lies in the long grass are so bad that 1t is
necessary 60 play a tearing shot with q
niblick for the nearest fair green, but ]
have found the average long grass shot
to be far from the bugaboo 1t is SUP
posed to be. ! do not know another sho'
IN the game that rewards skiiful play bet
ser than the long grass shot"
Egan Something of a wizard.
Esan Classics into various shots what
to most people is merely trouble. His
reward at wheaton, aided by clever put
ting, was often to hole out in par and to
win or halve with the player who has made
no mistake through the fair green
Theoretically. a play Off the fair green
should p~enalize the player one stroke and
at wheaton the long grass so punished
all but Egan Some thought him too lucky
and 1t was a common saying at Baltusro'
when Egan won his fist championship
and was very often playing his approach
So - ef.4 liz asn
on account of his wild direction from Tia,
tee never would be able TO win a battle
on a championship course in Great Brit
ain. The par Of the 6,O6S yards at Whea'
ton is 10, but Eagan has had a 20 there
There are sand traps now along the fair
way and in the borders OF long grass, We
care has been taken that a player MAJ
usually get out IN one stroke.
This is the theory of the hazards off tb'
fairway al Baitusrol and Myopla, but a
Garden City to get into some Of the haz
ards means to give up the hole, or u
medal play to spoil the card. Whether TIN
course is too severe on a long but errati,
driver is still under discussion. A New
York newspaper writer has codified tn,
ideas of many players in this recent.
published comments: ITO the game o
Walter ]. Travis, not over Ions from tn,
tee. but deadly accurate regaI ding direction
at all stages, Garden City is perfect. T,
me, with a shorter game but a BIZ les
accurate, 1t is highly interesting and sat
isfactory. but to Jerome ID. Travers, FREE
{ Herreshoff or Chandler Egan 1t is a freak
while to a beginner or duffer Il is an ute
lmpossibility.' The ROWING glory o
Travers' championship last fall at Gardei
City is that he beat rravis' on the latter
personally conducted" course. This Sep
TENDER they may be rivals again at Whea
ton with long grass as a factor.
wheaton Course a Beauty.
All the accessories at Wheaton for
u tournment are now complete and delight
full. as a contrast to the first ehampionshl,
there in 1897. The house OF the Chioag
Golf club Is spacious and well conducted
there is a hotel near by for those crowde
out of the club house, and besides Whea
ton is only thirty minutes from Chicag
by railroad or electric trolley. The latte
is a rival to the railroad and lands its pas
sengers on the course so that IL Is no
necessary to travel by stage between TN
station and the links. The passenger VIII
pays on the trolley Is cents extra for
parlor car seat receives a coupon whic
is worth that amount in drinks, food o
smokes. In other terms, you get a trea
for taking a reserved seat to Wheaton
The inducement is made 10 seduc
through travel from the railroad, but
surprises the easterners.
AT the Merton Cricket club course. whic
is 10 be the scene of the women's chan
plonship in October, the Griscom famil
atmosphere prevails. Their summe HON
is near by and those who take part in tn
women's tournaments frequently playe
: there or at a national women's champion
ship are often guests OF Miss Griscom, o
different occasions Miss "Pansy" also' Ina
entertained two noted golfers from Gret
. Britain, Miss Rhona Adair and Miss Luc
Dodd. The latter when she played hei
at Merton in the women's chsmpionsh.
won by Miss Georgianna Bishop was n
tituiar g%olfing queen OF Great Britain. ]
! the eighteen hole qualifying round