Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-10
FEW GOOD WOMEN GOLFERS
But More Of the Workers Are Taking
10 the Game.
EXPERIMENT WITH THE SPORT
New York PUbltc Links see Many
who Have Hut the saturday HALF
Holiday Free-WOmen who
Have Time Not Willing.
EXPERIMENT WITH THE SPORT

TO the unusually mild March, and attendants
at the Van Courtlandt park links and club
house have had to step lively to Get things
In shape for the ususually early turnout OF
golfers, including some OF the best all
around women players In this part OF the
country. BY this Ia meant women who
have not played In tournaments or tried
to qualify In tho champion class, but who.
to use the words OF a golf coach, play a
bold, intelligent game as II they enjoyed Il. ="
This man, who was instrumental in in
Producing golf to this country twenty-one
years ago, thinks with several other golf
teachers that speaking generally American
women have not distinguished themselves
in this game and that with few exceptions
they play an inferior game to the English
women.
OF late years the number Of men play
ers has increased enormously" one teacher
declared, while there has been little or no
Increase in the number OF women players
In the last five or six years, especially In
the class which aims to play a fine game.
During the money panic OF 1907 the &C.
cesslons TO the men golfers were large.
Man after man who never before had looked
at a golf club with any personal interest
tltted himself with a bagful and started In
20 learn the game, giving as an excuse
that anything was better thar sitting in an
OFFICE doing no business and worrying.
But neither then or at any other time in
the last half dozen years has there been a
corresponding increase Of women.
When the game vas comparatively new
In America the fsshionables made a great
fuss over 1t and other women forowed
suit. Most beginners acted as though they
Il really wanted IN GhnNy fho IN,nrt.h, ...---
that we were NOT so slow over here when
1t came to outdoor sports. and a few women
did climb up into the champion class in
wonderfully short order. There are now
some fine golf players among American
women, but compared with the number OF
poor players the showing isn't remarkable.
'Ihe American woman's faults? Well.
here are some of them. To begin with
shes lazy, practicing one day and then
letting all sorts Of engagements keep her
away from the links for a week at & stretch
ana longer. l never knew or heard Of an
American woman who would rise az s
O'Clock In the morning rather than miss
the pleasure of going around the course or
lose the advantage Of systematic practice.
The average woman player is easily
discouraged. Some expect to learn in q
DAY, forgetting that there is no rule about
the number OF lessons required, some wo-
men needing many more thai others. Many
or the best players 1 have known. in fact,
were slow at the start, having to over
come extreme awkwardnsss and a firm
conviction that to strike a ball as directed
would certainly send It into the bushes
instead of in a straight line.
"a certain kind OF metal as we'll as ply
sieal process is needed to play good golf.
Lack of nerve or great timidity are among
the serious drawbacks to success.
Afraid or unwilling to acknowledge
Rwkwardness many women start out to
play without being coached at ali. expect
ing to pick up information as they 20 along
and by practice to overcome their failinRs.
Sometimes this works out pretty well.
Oftener It leads to the acquiring of bad
habits to overcome when the player gets
where she begins to take pride in her
game.
Why don't you enter for the tourna-
ment?' l asked a young woman who I
knew played golf nearly every day. She
looked alarmed. oh, 1 haven't the cour-
age ] don't play well enoughp was her
answer.
Il was surprised until l saw her not
long after on the link Then I understood
This young woman had not learned 70
move her hips at all, holding her body
as stiff as a stick when making a drive
consequently the results were far too or
binary to justify her entering any kind of
tournament. And yet she had worked con-
and really loved the game
She had been badly taught by friends. NOT
taught at all by a professional.
Ferhaps all told there are not more
man thirty really fine women golf players
n this country when there ought 10 he
At least ten times that number.
1 aont mean that taking lessons will
make a good player of every beginner. hut
laif a dozen lessons or fewer even will helm /;
prevent some Of the faults beginners dron
wv
IN my opinion IL the private golf clubs
rear New York and other large cities
Nu not prohibit women from using the
curse saturday afternoons and SUNDAYS
more women would play and there wouId
'e an increase instead of a falling ore IN
ne number Of beginners. But I supnose
ms rule can't be changed very well IL
men are to have a fair show one dav
. the week. In England It is different
Az the Mid Surry links at Richmond
or Example there is a woman's coursa
aside the mems course, the tees Of one
eng near the tees Of the other. Woman
Ike to play on the inks with men 7,
purs them to do better work"
fortunately at the Van Cortland norL
hks there are no mems days. AS a gem
RAJ thlng' In fact, men have the worst ,t
saturdays and Sundays, which patursu,,
re the most crowded Of the week, ana
golt Is losing its popularity with women
can't be proved at this links.
some ten years or so ago. when tha
'uIse was opened free to the public a
lle was made that intending PLAYERS mus,
rte 10 a park commissioner for a ner,nI,
nd this rule was enforced quite easny a.
10 case OF women applicants. who yyore
," ana Iar between. Since the subway {
as extended TO the entrance OF the nj /,
us rule Is moro honored In the hreaoL ,
ian IN the observance. w couldn,t 49,
up said an Official. Women srrlysa 81
punches loaded down with clubs ana 3
ia they had forgotten to bring their me- b
It's along or told boldly that thev baa 3
and 10 send them away seemed ~ =
nd with 1877 acres OF golf course snraad II
Il before them idle" e
IN The height Of the season figures sbo,. b
at anywhere from 100 to 200 women nsa T.
inks on Saturday and on SUNDAY t,a Il
Imber being regulated by the weather q
mo are so enthusiastic that after com q
the afahfaa. 49, 20