El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-10-25
Over Ambition a Pltfall In Golf
By "Sfrnfohf Rrine,,

n vER-AMBITION is the pitfan that
turks on the links to bring trou-
- bic and dismay to the golfer who
! walks to the first tee determined to
make a record score. Perchance the
golfer has not swept a ball away from
tee for a week or more. but has spent
! many an hour mentally working on a
new theory for the play of the round
on the cars or at home. He has figured
1 that the first hole should be easily
made IN four. the second in four and so
on for a round of 81. He has not lin
Dered his muscles or taken any puts
on the practice green before going out
Tor the low score He has walked UP
TO the superintendents office and for
mally entered the days competition.
armed himself with a new score card
ana pencil and thinks himself ready
for glorious performance
Why not? He went to bed early the
night before. was careful of what he ate
Tor day or two. had rested well and
never felt better in his life. Such are
the prospects as he tees his ball before
the other players awaiting their turn to
strike off
Our golfer walks I'D to the tee box
and takes a modest pinch of wet sand.
and after carefully looking about for a
spot TO his liking. stooDs over and tees
his ball. Next he makes a stiff and
maybe swing or two Then he draws
pack his club and prepares to deliver
smuggling blow intended to send the
ball far down the course to give him
the chance for an easv second close I'm IN
TO the Din Ambitious desire has proved
too much of a tax on his stiff muscles
and his ball goes sharply off the end
OF MS club for a slice out of bounds
A topped ball with a brassey to rough
grass in front of the tee. two more TO
get the putting green. and then three
puts and seven for a par four hole
is the result The next hole is subject
70 the same treatment for a seven. At
ter that our golfer slows down and
makes the remaining holes in very
creditable figures for a man in his
Glass; put those two mlSerably messed
holes prevent him from having any
chance for the low score he coveted.
There are important lessons to be
learned from the experience of this
oVer-ambitious golfer that can only be
brought home by briefly touching on
his miSfortunes- In the first place some
sort of preliminary practice should be
mad before starting on a serious round
after a long absence from the game
While the rules governing medal play
competitions do not permit a golfer to
play any preliminary holes or to putt
upon any of the greens in advance Of
the round the practice can be had in
other ways. 1t is a good plan to get
caddy and walk out on some unfre-
0uented bit of land along fair green
and Whack out few balls with the
driver. brassey and irons until YOU get
the arms and the clubs working in
unison Then. II there is a practice
green. play few balls around with the
putter until you know what a ball feels
like and you can gage distances
After very few minutes of such
practice it is almost second nature to
go to the first tee and get away a
sweet one down the course to be fol-
lowed by others. Notwithstanding the |
preliminary practice. it is well to go !
slow at the start and not seek too much (
so early in the game. PLAY the first hole /
for safe four or five as the distance |
may dictate. Repeat the same cautions
treatment on No. 2. and so all the wav
around and you will be surprised how
easy it is to make much better score
than when you seek to beat Boeev on
every hole. Many may saw that such |
golf is not sporty" and that it is an