New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-23
FEWER SCRATCH GOLFERS
New Metropolitan Handicap
List Will Show Changes.
TRAVERS SURE OF HONOR
Golf Course Furnishes an Adj
mirable School for Training
of Real Sportsmen.

When the new handicap list OF the
Metropolitan Golf Association makes IT'S
appearance a decided change Will be no
ticed in the placing Of numper oi
the leading amateurs. In the past or 20
be more exact. last year. several players
appeared at scratch. Sharing the honors
with Jerome d. TraVers we're waiter d.
Travis. Oswald Kirkby. Fred Herreshoh
and Albert Seckcl. the last named re-
ceiving consideration by the metropolitan
Golf Association because of his princeton
connection.
There will be no such array at scratch
this year This WAS forecast in The Trio-
une several months ago. and now the
Metropolitan Golf Association committee
members admit that there were too many
scratch players. More than likely IrsV-
ers. present national and metropolitan
title holder will head the list, closely fol-
lowed by Travis. Kirkby and HerreshoH'
In point OF numbers ii is expected that
the new list will contain approximately
~ many names as the Old al
though If there is falling off 1t will be
the fault Of the delinquent clubs which
nave failed 10 conform to the printed re-
quests sent out by the metropolitan han
dcap committee. OF which A. II. Posson
IS chairman. With several organizations
still unheard from. there is bound 70 be
d certain number OF players affected.
When IL is remembered that the metro
politan handicaps are based on par ii VIII
oe readily understood what an unusual
honor is conferred upon a person by plac-
Ing him at scratch. Travers, when in
practice. is probably the one golfer OF
the East likely TO hover around par fig
Ures day in and day out.
Does II pay TO be clever with regard to
the observance of details AT golf? There
is d boundary mark, not too clearly de-
lined. between the legitimate advantage
to be gained by brainworb and the I'M
sportsmanlike practice that borders on
sharpness. Some would claim every PEN
atty allowed 10y the rules and others
would be ready to risk the disqualiica-
ton lately threatened 10 those who waive
penalty rather than owe their victory
to the unmcrited Inisfortunes of their
opponent At Il critical stage of keen
team match foursome caddie picked up
the ball OH the green under the impress
sion that half had been conceded. One
of the opponents promptly declared our
hole "A half" quietly announced his
partner. I'VE are not playing for gold
cups"
OF course great deal depends upon
the nature Of the game. A sportsmanlike
spirit NAV be displayed in a friendly
match. while il might be out OF place in
a medal round. where all are affected or
IN professional play, where a mans liveh-
hood IS at stake NJ a critical stage OF
big match some years ago one of the
players teed up his opponents ball. which
had been found in an impossible lie as the
result OF a penalty drop While this deed
undoubtedly was noble, il too often hap
pcns that it is the aggrieved party who
appeals for mercy with some such plant
as What can | do here?' when the ball
$ in a difficult position. Others search
hastily through the local rules in the
iopes of escaping penalty.
There are many people attracted TO golf
who have had no previous experience in
sport and they are likely TO learn at the
expense of established golfers Yet it is
Pheasant 10 Know that the golf Scnool is
providing admirable moral. as well as
physical training to thousands who other
wise would have had little opportunity
of recreating their minds and muscles in
competition with various types Of man.
kind.
There is some hard luck TO be encoun-
tered in golf and il is the man with
true Colfing temperament who can set
himself TO overcome it without complaint.
The grumbler is not the only man whose
bali settles down IN heel mark. or
moves as he is addressing it, or rebounds
from "A bank on 10 his foot or rolls off the
tee as he plays. II requires more nerve
10 suffer in silence than loudly TO solicit
sympathy from those VINO have enough
troubles of their own.