The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-05
ny JOHN G..

naments during tho past month. OR
several occasions now the preas has
made mention Of the hours consumed
In Judging a single shot by certain
golfers who are excellent players.
believe that unless these men desist
from the rather useless practice they
will find themselves IN a rather unfor-
tunate position. due to local rulings
by the members Of the different clubs.
Three years ago the American play
crs came into disrepute SO far as speed
on the links was concerned. because
Heinrich Schmidt in his play In the
British championship took too much
advantage Of the long twilights and
made the rounds in about four hours
each. II was n common enough say
ing hat there's time for tea and
toast between each shot II it's Schmidt
you're going to watch" and When
Heinrich consumed three and three
quarter hours In his first round Of the
1918 championship at Garden City, we
readily agreed that our British cousins
were about right In their judgment.
The commo,ion and the funny cartoons
prompted by this display had a saiu-
tary effect upon others afflicted with
the same kind OF hardness germ little
mention has been made OF the spread
Of the disease. But IN tho match at
Apawamis last month between Walter
J. Travis and Percy Platt the latter. so
l was Informed on good authority.
took three or four minutes I'm sizing up
his shots on each putting green. and
the result made n round which lasted
for over three and a half hours. Lately
In the Fox Hills open ournamen AN
excess Of caution by the same player
delayed the spectators n players and
was freely commented on by not n
few.
But there are others in the country
who may not realize that s!owness IL
not ut all IA necessary adjunct to sue
cess. nor a worthy attribute to a match
player. The records of golflng history
fail to produce the name OF IA single
golfer who was famed for his success
full deliberate play, while on the other
hand. or page " you like. there are
many. many examples Of the winning
hustling golfer. In days long past
there was less OF the choice of club and
so ~quickness was aided. There was the
rule that you must play the ball where
It lay and that saved many n minute
Of looking up the golf dictionary to
see II some lawyer had sent In IA SAM
pie case for a previous arbitration
n there was the added fact hat the
man who could play the fine shots with
the least apparent EFFORT and the great
es speed was considered the golfer
king.
The years brought traps. deep bunlt-
ers and difhcult undulating greens. and
IL became "a matter OF real necessity for
a n'tie more care 10 De exercised before
the shot. But We have had this con-
d!tion before us for a m be OF years
and there Is no adequate reason why
any payer should not win all the previ-
Gus Information ABOUT undulations, play
along with little waste OF time.
In the afternoons play In the last
round OF the open championship some Ut
the spectators were amazed at the speed
of the two leading golfers. At only
one tee, the seventeenth. did Mr.. Trav.
ers wait TOR an Improbable length or
time before driving. and this was not
because he himself had not made up his
nina. but because the crowd was In the
way. mat round should be an object
lesson II from mat standpoint alone.
for when was there "A greater need for
caution or seeming elaboration than In
mat last eighteen holes or play III "A
player extremely deliberate In his play
In matches happens to be successful he
shou'd not take too much credit TO HIM
self perhaps 1t was his lazy play which
put his opponent on and made him lose
rather thar his own fiperiority. Which
brings US to another point
What might be IA rule OF etiquette for
those players who take an abnormally
long time In the courre OF a match' Is
the opposing golfer to he forced TO stand