Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-12-23
GOLF GOSSIP


players as Harold II. Hilton attempts
to go into the why's and wherefores OF
this phase Of the game, interesting
though Il might be. Like a dog chas'
ing its tail, no definite conclusian can
ever be reached except that the psy.
Geological mystery remains unsolyed,
and that IL always win be a source OF
never ending interest. Hilton deals
with the subject at some length and
his opinions will be read by all think
ers who play golf and all players who
think golf u.
Golf Trying TO the Nerves.
I'VE have heard more than one ia.
nous athlete suggest that he had
found the royal and ancient game OF
golf the most trying OF all pastimes
for the nervous =ystem," he says,
"And we have in our mind one not.
able sportsman who at one time or
another during his career had been
through all classes of nerve testing
,ordeals, from big game hunting down.
ward. but who nevertheless admitted
that he had never known what II was
to be really nervous Until he was call
ed upon TO hole out short putt In a
more or less important competition in
the game Of golf. d.
"He was quite at loss to account
for the, unusual feeling of anxiety
which came over him, and at the time
regretfully came TO the conclus ] m
that at last his nerve must have gone
under the strain OF the situation.
Great was his relief, however. to find
that 1t was merely the game of golf
which was his undoing. and that in
other walks OF life his nerve was still,
Ilnimpaired
TrembIes at Short Putt.
He ruefully remarked I cannot
understand how 1t is can stand up to
q charging. buffalo without a tremor
of anxiety, but that when / am pre-
scented with the problem OF holing a
three-foot putt In this childish game
am liable to tremble like an aspen
leaf 1t Is certainly a query which
is not q little difficult to answer.
I'VE have come across men who
play the game who without hesitation
assert that they have never known
what 1t is to be nervous. and we are
not going to say 1t Is impossible that
such abnormal examples OF the human
race do exist; but judging from our
somewhat heightened experience Of
the game and its players, We are GER
tainly inclined p suggest that the
very large majority OF cases of the In
diYiduai who diselaims the doubtful
blessing 81 nervous eysten h 1nefes
" q pose, and that the individual who
thus assumes this pose Is always at
very good pains TO carry it through
to successful issue.
Makes Pretense Of Hilarity.
The usual means by which he at
tempts to achieve his object is by the
assumption Of certain artificial hilar-
ity OF demeanor which Is the greater
In evidence the worse he plays, until
the playing of the game, as far as he
q concerned, develops into a huge
joke. Personally, we love this man
ner Of opponent, as we know full well
that he has given up all hope and that
there Is little chance Of his regaining
the natural optimism which is invari.
ably to be associated with such class
OF player. You have broken his first
line of offense, ami, except for unfor-
seen accidents. thu world will go well
with you TO the end Of the match.
Again, we have met golfers in this
world who. without openly stating
that they are devoid OF feelings OF
nervous anxiety, on the other hand.
never acknowledge to being afflicted
with that unpleasant state. They in.
variably belong to the class of human
beings who make the mistake of think
ing that an Acknowledgement of ner.
yousness Is tantamount to an acknowi.
edgement Of cowafdice.
But In truth this state Of nervous
anxiety is in no way synonymous
with the state OF cowardice, as the
man who is nervous will invariably
continue to try as hard as ever; I'M
fact, II has In most cases the effect
Of urging him to try his very utmost,
while the state OF cowardice Is that
which IL represented by a refusal to
try at all. m other words, the player
has not the heart or the, courage to
stand the strain OF the nervous ordeal
which he knows IS before him and in
consequence throws up the sponge i'm.
mediately his nervous system acclaims
evidences that the said trying time is
duly arriving. The courageous play.
er Is the one who viii struggle on
against adversely and continuously at.
tempt to control any feelings of ner.
yousness or irritability.
The golfer who cannot claim to be
is he who refuses this
feat Of control, and directly he is sub.
jected to any unusual measure of
strain promptly lapses into state OF
mere passive resistance. 1t Is, per
haps. natural that even the most de.
termined and courageous of players.
should be affected by the mood in
which they happen to be when play
begins. They themselves may at the
time be quite unaware of the real
state OF their minds. At first there
is nothing to advise them on this point,
but it will make itself evident on the,
appearance of some untoward incident
. L. H.