Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-01-10
GOLF GOSSIP

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great teacher. In facI some OF the
finest instructors have never won
champions zip. 1t is tie same in all
things. Many piano or violin virtuusO
is pOWerlCS5 to train others. Many 4
marvellous singer who has held thou
sands enthralItd would have to &C
knowledge the Superiority in this of
some one who perhaps does not pos
SeSS \ voice to compare with theirs,
but VINO mas naturally the gift of
teaching. To teach well one must do
moro than recitc hard and fast rules,
explain technical points ana pour
forth advice; one must possess more
than knowledge of the subject; the
vital thing is that sympathy which en-
ables the great teacher to understand
his pupil, to grasp MS peculiar posi-
DIlltICG ana train him along those
lines which are best suited to him by
reason of his physique and natural
gifts. This sympathy was what made
haeburn such a marvellous portrait
painter. He seemed to sense the, one
thing which was most characteristic
of the person before him and trans
mitted it to the canvas That is
why when you look at his portraits
you do not simply say, What
beautiful pictured" Instead of that
you feel somehow as though you
know the man or the woman por-
trayed; not just the exterior, but the
personality. 1t is thus, as Raeburn
saw, more than the shape of the feat
ures and the coloring of his model,
so does the ideal teacher grasp the
possibilities of his pupil.
But all the sympathy must not be
on the side of the teacher 1t is not
by any means all the fault of the
to be q great golfert 1t is hardly
necessary to enlarge son this point.
In America we have fsome splendid
teachers among our golf profession
ais, and when you get the cor,bina
ton of a good teacher and pupil
quick to, grasp and follow ont i'll
marvellous things may some
times be done in a, short time.
L read recently in a. mainland paper
of a. case which illustrates this point.
and reflects great credit both on the
instructor and the pupik A man went
to a wellknown golfihg resort, and
while there decided to take up golf
fer the sake of the exercise. SO he
got some clubs and ball and wcnded
his way to the!fiFst tee, Golf looks
SO easy to those who have never
tried it, "All one has to do is to hit
the ball." the uninitiated say. After
for some time this would
be golfer discovered that instead of
being easy it is a very difficult thing
to hit the ball. The club professional
his efforts, for awhile from
distance, and at last strolled over and
made a few hints, which resulted in
the new player getting a fine drive
from the first tee as he began his
solitary round of the course.
He evidently liked the new game,
for the next morning he applied for
lesson from the professional, who
spoke of him afterwards as the most
pupil he had ever had.
After three days his teacher per
5uaded him to enter the invitation
which took place then.
The new player qualified in the sec
Ond flight with score of 10 (bOgie
for the course is 81, par 72) and
reached the final In this match he
went out in As (bogie Al, par 39). He
ost the game only by two holes, his
.otal for the round being 81 AS the !
course measures GAO yards, this is )
indeed a wonderful performance after !
playing only two weeks. One scarcely |!
knows which to congratulate most, |
he player or the professional. The
'ormer evidently possesses a re-
natural aptitude for the
game, but within two weeks he never J
could have accomplished such a feat
the professionals great I
ability as a teacher. One must CO.
operate with the other.