New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-05
CARE COUNTS IN GOLF
Overlooking Lesser Details o..
ten Costs Strokes.
SHOTS SHOULD BE STUDIED
Well Known Player illustrates
How Steadiness Pays
in the End.

incidentally. lot OF fun In golf. Man,
players are careful about the actual sho,
at hand, for they have realized TO thai.
cost that this is a necessity. but Ie..a.
details, which require just as much cor.
sideration and are the means of saving "a
many strokes, as well as making thu
round much more enjoyable and interest.
ing, are quite overlooked.
Starting out. for instance, the ball 1.
placed on the teeing ground In thought.
seem to be the most unsuitable. Through
the green the one idea seems to be to GER
as far as possible straight away to the
hole. A wooden club is taken where the
lie does not permit of 1t. No allowance
is made for wind. slope of ground or con.
sIderation as to the positions Of hazards
An impossible carry is played for, and
the golfer is Disguised to find himself in
trouble after such an excellent shot
When on the putting green the stroke ia
made without having considered properly
the condition Of the green, the correct
line to take and other details requiring
equally careful consideration, and the ball
stops yards from the hole, with the CON.
scquent waste OF a complete stroke
The average golfer disikes to sacrifice
Is.s. lope 4, ts-r To- all
do so. II he is badly placed in a bunker
or deep in grass or some such pro-
nounced trouble he resigns himself to
the inevitable, takes his niblick and does
the best he can under the circumstance
But given the slightest encouragement.
he will take the club that will get the
required distance if the conditions are
quite favorable There have been occa.
sions when such playing has been sue.
cessfu, really remarkable shots have
been made and the golfers memory
dwells upon them No sound golfer
would take such unreasona bic risks, but
would be content TO lose distance and
play to place the ball as favorably as he
could fer he next shot. In this way
little is sacrificed. perhaps nothing at
all, butswith the rash player, in the ina.
jorlty of cases, the penalty is paid.
There are instances where a lad lie
has to be considered. where under the
most favorable circumstances il would
be impossible to reach the green in less
than two strokes, yet here again the
thoughtless player will take a club I'M
suited to the conditions under which the
shot has to be made in the hope Of get
ting greater distance and making the
next stroke slightly easier.
Strokes are not only lost in this man.
ner, but in addition the player is upset
He becomes fidgety, loses the necessary
confidence and his play suffers accord
ingly. There are times when risks must
be taken in order TO save or win hole,
but this is a recognized part of tho game
where the sound judgment OF the golfer
is of value.
In q recent talk on the subject OF care
lessness in golf a well known player
who is noted for his steadiness, said;
"Supposing that the first hole is long, we
select the line to take and give due con-
sideration to the character OF the hole
and the nature Of the ground on which
we hope to find our ball at rest We
must choose a suitable spot for the teeing
ground, where the surface is clean
smooth and level. One which will afford
sufficient room for the stance. Choose
perfectly level piece of turf
Granting that the shot was good.
which would have been the reward OF
care, when we come TO where the ball Is
lying We consider the distance TO be Gov
cred to the green. Ii is more than ruh
shot with a wooden club, and so, having
examined the lie and finding il suitable
the brassie is called for Now for the
line The bunker eighty yards away
straight in front has 10 be carried, OUT
by playing up into the wind TO the ieH'
hand side Of the course an open view Oh
the hole may be obtained, and the deep
wide bunker guarding the green on the
right not have to be carried 10 safeiy
reach the green. The brassie shot
played well up to the left, which leaves
tho anticipated run-up shot TO the green.
which is reached with a straight-faceo
iron club.
More careful examination is necessary
on the green Surprising II 10 be nicely
and fast. with the wind blow
Ing across II. The line Of putt has 10 DC
most carefully 1t Is calcn'
lated that a foot TO the right of the hoe
will have to be allowed. playing with SUI
ncient strength to get over the interveh'
Ing rise of ground and coming round 70
tho hole by taking advantage OF INV
ground falling from right TO left.
Having thus fixed in mind the line Oh
put. any loose impediments and the way
the grass has been moved. the streneh
Of the wind with or against the ball ana
anything else allowance has to be man'
for. The put is carefully made, and the
ball IL brought close to the pin ana
holed In the recognized number Of strokes
Proceed carefully throughout tns
round. giving particular attention to the
detail and character OF each stroke ana
hole. Some Of you might call it fussne
Perhaps II is. but all these details can
taken into consideration without havIns
the appearances OF being overparticuia''
1t pays certainly to be careful"