Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-04
HOW BOGEY CAME TO GOLF.
The Accepted History of the Doughty
COlonel's Advent.

The real DOGGY" or the colonel" as
the imaginary opponent With the fixed
score for each hole is sometimes called
came into being about the end of 1890 and
the beginning OF the following year
1t is generally accepted, says the Lon
don Mall, that a Coventry gentleman was
the first To come by the germ of the idea.
In December. 1890 the scratch score of
the Coventry course was taken being the
score that good scratch player would
take TO each hole of the round, making
no mistakes but also fiuking nothing nor
being fortunate with any special flashes
Of Erilliant play.
At the time they called this the ground
score" and about six months sfterward
when the members of the club had be-
come properly accustomed to the idea.
Mr.. Rotterdam offered a prize for com
petition according to the system, while
later in the same year the club gave
challenge cup for competition on the
same lines. Thus the system was estab-
lished. but not the name which is now
universal
The name. however. followed very soon
and its origin was curious. "A few men,
bers of the Coventry club paid visit 10
Great Yarmouth, where the new kind Of
competition was explained to DR.. Thomas
Browne. r. n. who was honorary secre-
tary OF the Yarmouth COT Club. DIR.
Browne liked the idea exceedingly, and
took ii upon himself to write 10 various
prominent golfers. asking them their
views as to the advisability or otherwise
Of introducing this ground score system
into the general routine Of competition
golf For the most part the answers
made We're favorable.
Then one day Dr. Browne went out to
PLAY against friend. Maj: Charles \:
Wellnan, and they agreed instead OF
playing directly against each other TO
play each against the ground score and
decide their match according as. each
Jared in this wa. 1t 50 happened that
about that time the bogev man song was
being sung by the late T.. j. Lonnen at
IT,. C. ety Theater, and everybody else
came 10 sing it. too. The words of the
refrain that gave a creepy feeling To the
children Of the day. Were:
Hush: Hush Hush.
Herr the bogey man,
:" htdt ycur head beneath Tire cloths.
Hen catch You II he can.
There Was the idea of oogey IN golf
He il catch YOU If he can" And il flash
ed across the mind of Mai. Wellman when
lie was playing this game, and was get
ting caught by the ground score.
Why. said he IL his friend Browne,
THIS player of yours Is L regular bosey
man considerable piece or soiins
history Was made IN that chance remark,
for boSey was from tina; moment estab-
isaed FOR solt. Capital" said Or.
Browne, well call it that and he had
the name adopted by the Yarmouth club
Some time afterward he went on golf
ing trip 10 the south coast. and set forth
10 play one day on the course Of the
nited Service Clab ut .ilverstoke in
Hampshire on hts arrival there he in
formed his hosts that he had brought
with him q fsiead who was very
modest. quiet fellow and a steady golfer,
playing = uniformly good but never a bril-
liam game He begged that he might be
permitted To introduce him to the club
as an honorary member. and accordingly,
going on with this little pleasantly. he
presented him in the way OF an e.
PLANTATION of tho DOGGY man game 10 the
late Capt. Seely dial Y. F.. who was
honorary secretary Of the club. and TO
DIR. Walter Reid L. ~
Excellent. they exclaimed. and they
agreed that they would certainly E.-ve the
DOGGY man as q golfer among them. and
there and then they worked out Il score
for him for that course and Went out TO
play against him
Stay. said Capt. Vidal nj the moment
OF starting Gentlemen. we must pro-
ceed In = proper service way Every
member OF this cll.b has "A proper service
rank Our new Invisible member. who
never makes mistake, ought surely T.
be commanding officer. He must be
"a colonel And then saluting the phan-
tom that he imagined. he added Col
Bogey' We are delighted TO find you on
the links. sir. | could not well say see
YOU"
| And this was how Col Bogey came to
golf. and great officer he is today, play
| ing invisiby against thousands OF golf
ers every Saturday and on many other
days besides.