Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-01-23

GOLF GOSSIP

-HE size OF the golfing army in the
United States cannot be determ-
] ined accurately and some wild
guesses have ben made between the
limits of 100000 and 100000. John
G. Anderson, who writes golf for the
New York Sun. which is reliable, IA
vors the 500. 900 mark as being much
closer to the correct figures than =
coo, 900.
The only standard of measurement
which can be used perhaps is to take
the number of clubs in the country
and multiply by 225 as an average
membership, and we may be safe In
saying that members OF recognized
golf clubs In the United States figure
up to 100000. Then there are about
60 public or semipublic courses where
golfers to the number OF nearly l00,-
600 make merry. Perhaps $4,000 9th
ers play when the spirit moves or a
friend invites The total number,
some thousands over half million,
is not far from the true figure.
II seems certain that new golfers to
the number Of $4,000 or 10000 are
taking up the game each year. New
courses and clubs have sprung up
like mushrooms II is perfectly safe
to say that this ratio Of increase will
keep up for 4 decade at least.
The average golfer who takes his
golf at all seriously may be said to
average So rounds year, Probably
there are 100000 such in the land.
This total, - o00, 900, is further aug
mented by 100000 in the case of So
900 players who go round but 70
times. There are about the same
number who play even less and 10000
rounds will suffice for them. Then
comes the bunch who are the golfers,
the real sports to whom the game IS
a disease. Some will play 400 rounds
year and the others will have but
rs or so. But the average will be
over 100 possibly, which means lit.
tie over two rounds week in the
playing season. All told this body will
not register less than 1S,OO0OOO
rounds, the number being swelled
siderably by the play at the muni-
cL|al courses. At the courses In CHI
|ca10 about 100000 rounds were made
~ tOlfers who were not registered
from q private club during the season
lust closed. We find then total APP
proximateIy 31,500,000 rounds being
played the past twelye-month.
II don't fear the terrific swipers
who are from 20 to 40 yards ahead
81, me on every shot from the tee 80
much as j do the opponent that viii
lay masliie or q nibiick approach up
to the hole time after time during
the match for q win or half when
you have about figured that the hole
is yours, said q well known golfer
who Ii now visiting Honolulu.
'sThe man who knows how to play
an approach shot or can use the put
ter on the green so skilfully as to
take no more than the regulation two
puts lie the player to be feared In a
tight match. The only possible effect
that the long driver can have on your
game Is that it often makes you press
10 keep somewheres within hailing dis
lance Of the others ball.
Il have met these long drives many
times in my career know the spe-
cies well--and several OF them have
confessed to me that they would
rather get long tee snot and be point.
ed out as the clubs champion driver
than to be The best player.
ar $50 h-ff-~sS a. h,,k a. nav he n
little consolation for the man who
drives almost to the green, then
flukes his shot three times in success
sion and on DOGGY four-hole.
Il made a remark to a fellow play
er one day land said 1t quite inno-
Gently enough) that ! considered him
the longest driver ever saw. He
had been whaling out some terrific
drives and my puny ones in COMPARE
son looked like mashie shots to him.
You think these are long drives I've
made? Well, I'll show you some real
ones from now on; but he never did;
when he wasn't 80 yards off the line
of play in the rough grass he had
topped ii miserably into the gaping
JAWS u c0ulC weep ootAu boP. AS =
call ii, he was three up on me up to
the time he was going to illustrate
what a regular drive looked like. When
we finished think he was seven
down.
aThe player who will practise in all
his leisure moments with the mashie
and putter will improve his game fast
er than he can in any other way.
What profiteth 1t a man If he reach
the green in one shot and then takes
three puts to get into the hole?' 1t
is mighty. good idea to have a
inashie. or preferably. mashie-niblick
around the house If you are q subur-
ban golfer. and learn its uses thor
oughly. BY playing on the links con-
stantly a player will play too seldom
with his club to become perfect with
II. 1t is club that you may seldom
use, but when you do have occasion
to want II the chances are you will
need It very badly. The mashie-nib-
lick is becoming very popular In this