The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-13


save tri' his game Is the same as when
r. i,.' rI. shores The amount Of mail
vH... ne received abroad was tremendous
and JOS r1 means source os gratinca-
ton f.r 100 tho letters came numerous
his NJ advice which had y certain efte {
rot altogether 20 his liking The open
Champion Ms much bothered by the
'rrnH-- wiz. .H gathered to sec him in his
rrart.c rounds and this moro than any
o'he. 'hr- wls the cause Of his seeming
failure llo could not give 20 his play
that necessary concentration which was
essential IN practice.
Like most OF those who have seen the
r'ayers abroad. Mr.. Ouimet says that
there are half a dozen excellent golfers
% our ono. and that the cup Is safe until
more d.HgIt" and we'll regu! ted effort
e made 20 win. II is pretty generally
agreed that MIR Travers went 20 England
TOO soon. and arrived at the top OF his
game a couple ~ weeks ahead Of tim".
The excellent showing Of chick Evans.
Who had very few days for practice. and
was not beaten because ~ his own poor
PLAY seems 20 me proof positive that
there only one wa" nv which the Amer
ran so.f - can hope TO gain success.
That is hr having n number ~ the best
players leave not over two weeks In adj
vance NJ the championships and with a
weeks practice, playing together most NJ
~ time In order that practice shots
might he mad ~ will. the showing would
be Ear better than IL has been for over
decade
tn" Harvard oarsmen had no time to be-
, come 200 familiar with their surroundings
ard their victory AZ Henley Vas as much
due 20 This fact. | am convinced. as TO
their speed In golf familiarity breeds
nauchi but contempt and carelessness and
We Americans have many lessons to look
back upon 20 prove that fact. II is the
easiest thir- in the world after the play
Ia over % diss"ct tho faults and say what
ought To- have been done. but the next
easiest thing - to forget the lessons
which the past has taught.
Among the statements accredited to
Francis Ouimet after his return there was
ore that struck me As strikingly signii-
cant tie was discussing the various
courses viii h he had played abroad and
sad among other things that he considered
Westward flo the best Of them all. that
P~cstvich was FAR more difficult than he
had been led 20 believe and I'm effect that
= was buukercd too severely.
r Ouimct Is quoted correctly It viii he
wei for the guiding powers of the lead
ing American courses to bark back to the
magazine articles IN which Harry Nardon
commented upon American courses and
American golfers after his tour last year
" sad. roughly. that American courses.
taken right through. were not sufficiently
hurktrel and that until they were Amer
lea could not be expected to breed the
same h gh standard of amateurs who are
- be- FOUND In the British Isles Whatever
Francis Ouimet may have thought OF the
heavy penalties eXacted at Prestwick for
. shots not placed with supreme accuracy
ire fact remains that the bunkers were
neither too numerous nor too penalizing
winning his sixth chamr ionship and that
John H. Taylor was capable OF landing
second place. a thing which he has done
more times in the past. I think. than any
Other Br fish profess ional not to mention
his having won the British open title Ave
times
The moral is obvious: The more difficult
the course the more certain that such a
man as Nardon. Taylor or Braid Is 10
win They have the science OF the game
down 20 lis finest point and the Difficult
ties OF the course only spur them on to
wonderful displays Of their mastery over
the art Of playing golf. When American
courses are bunkered after the manner
say ~ prestwick then American golfers
will master the art OF keeping away from
those hunkers placing their shots or oc-
casiorally failing to do so--as even a
Nardon will sometimes-they will learn
how 10 execute the strokes which will
eN'rcate them from difficult positions.
That this is so think can he pointed
or IN another way Let us take the
golfers who do most Of their playing on
me lesser known courses outside OF a
metropolitan district. courses which are
crude by comparison with those In the
major district Let the leading golfers OF
that or those courses take part in "A
big metropolitan tournament and how dc
they MT AS n rule they turn in scores
many strokes higher than Is their wont
On their home course and are lost In the
shuffle So FAR as getting into first sixteen
Is concerned The same IL true OF pro-
fes,onals They may begin young on a
course u little merit and their game I'M
proves 70 certain point, then seems to
stand SIN Let them have an opening
Win a club which has better course
and see how rapidly their game improves
know NJ p professional, fine golfer
TOO who would wager all he possesse'
'ha' II Ne could become the resident pro
ieSsogsl IN course several strokes
harder he would he several strokes better
~ .-ars time And ] believe him
Every golfer knows, II he has been II
III" least successful. that there was "a
90 time bunker which he could no
carr and that he tried many times before
20 'l'. succeeded I'm getting over H. Bu
or over ue tackled II the next time
Nh Wo.o courage and determination nm
.. before long he was wondering why HI
ever should have been afraid OF H. Tina
n 'he way the golfer makes progress ant
N' more difficulties he has to surmoun
ard no more he surmouuts them the bet
Yer golfer does he become.
\Hupn. rs p six time British oper
c'fup'oU. Is a reasonably dependable au
i'or'N. A., anybody viii grant
Thu," who follow AT all closely Thu
do.f.s pf the British golfers probably