Omaha daily bee., 1915-07-25
CALLS GOLF TALK ALL BUNK
Walter Prichard Eaton Says Books
Published on Game Are for Those
Who Play as Prescription.
SAYS GAVE IS A MEDICINE

NEW YORK, July 2A--one writer goes
on record with the assertion that books
published on golf are intended only for
those who take the game as a prescrlp-
ton. and he rises to inquire rs golf a
game or medicine?" Without becoming
Intentionally facetious. one cannot help
asking whether or not he considers chas-
ing the elusive pill on the golf links
90 tho pricace OF medicine
The name Of the writer IN question is
walter Prichard Eaton. and he forthwith
declares that he Is getting bit weary
Of the bunk" that is written about the
game OF golf He opines that there is
no mystery about golf and that nine-
tenths Of the stuff written about its
mysteries is mere blithcr.
Eaton explains that he has as much re-
spect for the game as the next one, that
his wife Is as much OF q golf widow as
anyboay; that be- Is secretary OF hts
club. the club Handicapped and 30 per-
cent OF the green committee. in other
words, the club doorrnat. He iulls hint
self TO sleep dreaming about how TO do
! the course In even fours. He pays his
respects to q recent volume on the mys.
terry OF golf, in part as foilows
This book. which was first issued In a
special edition OF moderate size. was later
expanded by its author into a profound
treatise on psychology. birth control. i'm
ternational law. differential calculus and
applied agriculture. and put on the gem
| eral market
Now there isn't any particular mys-
terry to golf. any more than there is to
hitting a base ball. driving a nail or but
I IA 80
huttoned your boots before you would
take an hour or More to get the Job
done. no doubt. Simply your muscles
have acquired the boot buttoning habit
II you had never driven nail In your
life you would not laugh so much, when
you saw your wife trying TO perform the
feat. II you never had faced pitcher
it 10 doubtful II you would line out a
two-bagger over second. Il Is doubtful
II you do. anyway.
Same as Other sports.
"Ail golf consists Of. when you come
70 think Of At. is hitting ball with a
club in definite direction with the great
est percentage OF clean shots. The kind
OF shots vary from the long drive to the
pitch and putt; but the fact remains that
the object is TO propel a ball by hitting
It with club to definite place.
That IS also tennis and base ball. and
billiards, and squash, and even driving
nails"
Eaton says lot Of things that are in
teresting and not without merit. He at
leaa. Is logical. Playing golf is a per
roctly simple matter. SO is tiddlety-
winks, in the former II Is a mere ques-
tion Of hitting tho ball on ones drive far
and straight accurately Judging distance
80 that the second might reach the green
IL the hole Is two-shottef, and ploppins
IN the putt II the approach be just 81 and
So There you are A perfect four ON
"A par foar hole. Merely a matter OF hit
ting the bali in the proper place.
It's like making money In Wall street.
Gather together 3 few hundred thousand
dollars ana beat the life out OF the other
fellow. Simple as the nose on your fare.
Surely. hit the bali straight. set Il away
soundly and sweetly and YOU VIII enjoy
GOLF as no one ever dreamed. Bat 40 IT,
That's the problem. And great are the
mysteries thereof,
Anyhoay plays Golf.
But Eaton IL too interesting to pass
up so quickly. After explaining that no
body wants 70 play tennis with dub
because Il would be one-sided and that a
poor base BAN player would never. never
find q place on q team. he points OUT
that poor old soif l. taken up BY every
body, from boys IN knickerboekers 70
tottering octogenarians. quite irrespec-
tive OF whether or not they have any
natural aptitude for hitting bail. and
they always can find partners, always 50
pOking and foozling happily along"
They can't hlt put 5o-yard drives
they can't depend on their BRUSHES. they
can't push Up mashie 70 the pins they
cant gauge their puts and they decide
that eolf Is a mysterys they write books
about A. they pore over articles telling
! how 70 concentrates. how 20 keep me
eye on the ball. how 10 keep the head
down. how 70 follow through, and 50
on and 80 forth.
''Most Of them never, stop 70 reflect
that they couldn't hit home run OFF
Christie Afathewson nor place railroad
service into the corners Of a service
conrt'-and 50 on through divers and
sundry gunes-''nor do a hundred and one
! othcr things which require that instruc-
tive mental end muscular coordination
that charaeteriEes the born athlete. More
over. they couldn't do any OF these
things n they studied them az hard ~
they study goif and praeticed them Just
! a. muoh simply the athletic instlnci
isn't Ia them
Eaton. after few more examples.
brings the oft-rspeated exclamation into
play Think OF the wholesome exer'
, aser'
'.AIop bunk.r he declares -Noboas
ever thinks q the exsrclsa A person
who plays any game for exercise hnsn'i
the first notion q What the game Il
about Il wouidn't b a game any morei
il wouid Be mediciner
Easop's climax y GOOD. Doctors pre-