New-York tribune., 1912-02-18
NEWS FOR THE GOLFERS
Plans Taking Shape for New
metropolitan Match.
MAY Be PLAYED ON MAY q
Length in Driving of Great Ad-
vantage to Golfers on
Many Courses.

vantage TO golfers on
Many Courses.
Tho committee N charge Of the monster
team match between the New Jersey and
the Metropolitan Golf associations Is max
ing good progress with its preliminary ar
rangements oswald Kirkby. the Engle-
wood record holder, has been appointed
captain of the Jersey forces and in re-
cent conversation concerning the probable
outcome Kirkby did not hesitate to predict
that the Metropolitan team would have TO
work for every point it got
Nothing positive SO far as to time place
and conditions has been decided on as yet
although it has been suggested that an
excellent plan would hc 10 get the teams
together at Baltusrol on Tuesday. May q,
the day before the start of the Metropolitan
championship tournament. The argument
in favor of this is that most of the golfers
likely to he called upon would be there
practising for the Metropolitan.
Both sides seem to be unanimous that
singles should be played in the morning
and four ball matches after luncheon In
the tricity contest old-fashioned foursomes
were substituted for the four-ball few
seasons ago, but hereabouts the sentiment
leans toward the fouT-ball. However. moth
Ing positive as TO conditions will be known
until after the plans have been submitted
tc the executive committee Of the Metro
politan Golf Association.
With regard to the advantage of length
in golf player with a proclivity for fig
ures says:
"Of twenty-three clubs in n certain dis
trict the summary OF the collected holes
shows that the average length is $50
yards. or 413 golf holes, which are used
as the basis Of calculation, 1856 measure
between 500 and S75 yards. These fg-
ures show that the average OF the type Of
hole is six for each course-one- third for
the entire round. II would appear that
such holes can be reached by any one In
two strokes They are drive and iron"
distance, with premium on an accurate
drive and a well calculated approach. The
key Of this situation is the accuracy Of
the second shot. but 1t IS easier TO get
closer TO the hole from a short distance
than from a longer one. a half iron
should place the player closer up than a
full one.
1T should be borne in mind that aver
ages are being dealt with. The hole is TO
be considered as $50 yards long. and If
the average drive is only $50 yards there
remains 80 yards for the second. but II
225 yards have been covered from the
tee there is left a simple mashie shot Of
1O5 yards. All Of this is obvious, but
when II is considered that the very long
drivers often smash out 200-yard balls
their immense advantage is apparent
Even from the rough or n hazard they
are within easy mashie distance and the
nearness to the hole enables them to get
dead with frequency.
The usual hazards placed 10 catch tho
tee shots are Of very little danger to the
long driver. and when they are off the
line they are most often in the rough,
from which mashie shot easily gets
home The course builders Of the present
time are placing hazards to catch these
long ones to some extent, but It is more
than likely that greater attention will be
given them in future.
1T was almost amusing 10 see Phelps,
Kirkby. Seckel, Herreshoff and other long
drivers sail around the course at Apa-
wants during the amateur championship
last September. On this course there are
DO less than nine holes as described above.
Par figures of four on each would not con-
tent these fellows at all. II they did not
get threes on at least third they consid-
cred that they were playing poorly. A very
short mashie or Clipped running approach
from a distance 70 close made these figures
probable.
sfYA III
Of from 300 to 375 yards appear on various
courses when It is considered that at Elk
wanok there are ten of them. Englewood
has a similar number. Apawamis has nine,
Brae Burn eight, Garden City seven. Myo-
pia six, Country Club Of Philadelphia ten.
Philmont eight Philadelphia Cricket Club
seven, Merton six, Springfield, Huntington
Valley and Whitemarch five each and the
Athletic Club Of Philadelphia and St Da-
vids three each.
The man who plays deadly short game
is always troublesome, and It is hard to
conceive & really good golfer who does not
know this. But even though there are
unusual performances galore on the green,
the player who lacks the ability to get dis
tance is sadly handicapped. Blackwell, the
famous British golfer Is one OF the most
tremendous hitters the game has ever
known, but his short game is very ordinary.
such success as he has attained is only the
result OF his terrific length.
"Other than the great advantage OF ac-
tual distance the very long game gives
the player peculiar assistance in the de-
moralizing effect on the other man. 1t is
a trine irritating to have to play the odd
continually, and when player has hit out
one OF his best tee shots he is likely to
feel discouraged when he sees his oppo-
nent make one that actually carries further
than the other had run. Possibly he has to
strain every fibre to carry hazard which
he knows the other can easily negotiate
with half iron.
''There are many who have an idea that
Walter J. Travis is a short player. He is
not so long as many Of the others, but
when the length of his roll is considered
Il can hardly be said that he is short. He
cannot mako the carries that certain others
do and there are times when he finds HIM
self hard pressed, but he is resourcefui
enough TO produce the real long drive when
necessity demands II. Chick Evans has
heightened his game considerably during
the last two years He found II necessary
TO do IL 70 keep pace with the long drivers
who inhablt the Western courses