Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-02-26
GOLF GOSSIP
IBy Latest Mail
- -. = 1ANII
BY STEPHEN ARMSTRONG.

4 BOSTON, Mass.-Welli here we
are at the start of the second month
Iof the new year and in the warmer
parts of the country golf is in full
swing. Therefore Ii is not out OF
place to give some advice to old and
Iyoung to think over carefully before
beginning seriously Their gc.7 sor
1914. Hamilton A.abee wrote in one
of his splendid essays that most OF
Ls are in far too great hurry TO see
results. He was not writing abou: GOLF
but OF more serious subjects, but the
statement Is just as true in the royal
Iand ancient game as in anything else.
Only little while ago an enthusiast
who had been at il about year wrote
to me: Il might just as well give up
this game. Look at The long time /
have been trying and can't play
steadily yet. In fact am worse than
ever.
My reply was to the effect that the
numbers OF years had been at It was
what is known Cor rather used to be
known before the cost OF living took to
aeroplaningl as "a bakers dozen, and
yet there are times when It seems to
he quite impossible to practice what
preach in these columns. waen my
game Is very far from its best and /
really wonder If 1t will ever De good
again. On other occasions there will
come that ecstatic feeling when the
hall seems to obey every order. and
the world is very joyous place to
live In. for has one not discovered the
secret at last?
Such thoughts occur even TO the
most experienced of us, even though
We know enough by long experience
to realize that IL there ever was such
a thing as will-o' -the-wisp it must
have been much like this machine-like
ability to play golf that we are al
ways hoping to attain to.
Yet has it not been pointed out by
every person who put pen to paper on
the subject of this elusive game, that
none of ms are exempt and all have to
accept the fact that they are subject
TO off days. and always will be? The
difference between the masters OF the
game and the average players Is SIM
ply that there are not so many strokes
between the best and the worst scores
lof the former as there are between
those Of the latter. Think of Duncan
failing to qualify in Britain this year;
| of Taylor failing to qualify for the
News Of the World tournament; OF
lMcDerr16tt last year at Muirfieid; OF
1ravers playing off for place this year,
land the six ladies' at Wilmington who
had to play extra holes for the chance
/ to compete for the national, among
them the runners-up in the last ma
tional and Canadian championships.
Think Of these times when even the
lest have failed to find their real
game and take heart, you beginners.
and you who have been at it only a
few years. The veterans know that
each is subject to just such a lapse
from form It is not always in medal
play either, for it often happens that
one of the great succumbs to a player
much inferior, and even champions
have gone down sometimes to heavy
defeats.
These things are recognized, for you
will find that in hazarding o guess as
| to the ultimate winner of any event,
the most experienced critics will al
ways preface their remarks with few
words to the effect that golf is the
most uncertain of games, and one can
never say any particular person is
sure to win. It is only the inexperi-
enced reported or young player who
dares TO be certain of results The
older heads know all too well that
many unexpected things happen in a
golf tournament.
Even the player himself knows as
| little what his game will be like as
any one else does. Often We go out
feeling able to do marvels and come
home wondering how we could play
80 badly. At other times, expecting
to be beaten, we surprise ourselves by
the great fight we put up. And often
when we have been off cur game for
DAYS and go out with uncertainty lest
we disgrace ourselves, for some in
explicable reason we add new luster
to our golfing reputation.
This is my hint for the coming sea-
son to both old and young golfers, vet
Grams and beginners. Never give up,
and even when You think you have
lat last discovered the wonderful Sc
cret which will keep you ever at the
top of your game, please remember
| that in cooking most things are inn
uroyed with a pinch of salt, and use
this commodity gin your recipes for
golfing excelIencies in the coming
year.
Deep showed to bring back the trophy
won by Dixie.