Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-19

E1< sas< $4,000 Studying Ine Ilbe OF
Il, ia America, and 1t has been sug-
..sssS hat / should set down some Of my
.yAssons and recollections.
= ne Brltlsher who has lived his life
"a atmosphere OF golf and watched
N sfowth Of the game in his own coun-
r, rom small beginnings to a great ma
ssssl Institution, nothing is more inter-
,s,lnF IN later years than to watch its
s.vslspntent in lands across the seas.
psslns already made two lengthy tours
+, vide interval in the United States,
AVE had fairly good opportunity OF
.sSylng the rise of golf in America, and
4 Ass been suggested that 1 should set
i.sn some Of my Impressions and recol-
htlions.
10 long ago as 1899 II was plain to see
nsteolf was going to enjoy an enormous
roeue in the States. / am free to con-
n, that, when setting out on that ex-
r.Stjon, did not expect to find one
lss.h the enthusiasm for the game which
rapfested itself in all parts of America
Vi program grew and grew until at
larth Il consisted OF sS engagements
std did enough. railway travelling to
atisfy globe trotter in greater hurry
nan ever Jules Verne conceived anybody
iShe
m point Of fact, spent most OF my
risnts in trains and the days on golf
curses, the only change came when the
Ays As we'll as the nights were passed
n trains / journeyed for two days and
Two nights to play at Denver. and ar
Fvsd Just in time to secure a few hours
,tap before turning out to oppose the
hsst ball Of three golfers. won by
land g. and one of my rivals declared
nat nasmuch as I could travel for
hours and then beat a combination
Il three men. l should have the only
hing that had brought him luck since
hs boyhood. So he gave me his mascot
"A tie pin shaped like dice-and have
slWays treasured 1t.
Il was a common experience to reach
A city in the early hours of the morning.
dasa to the hotel for short rest and
proceed to the links for a match in which
! felt that much was expected of me,
since 50 much attention-very gratifying
attentIon-was directed to these con-
tests On the whole, then, 1 was we'll
pleased when, at the end, l mad won
q of my So engagements, most of which
we're against odds. Perhaps my chief loss
consisted Of two stones in weight.
THE FATAL CRAZE FOR FLATNEss
/, takes long while to evolve race
ai accomplished golfers, and / would say
that only now is America beginning to
produce players of the kind who would
b called hrst-class in Britain and who
us fairly numerous there. Fifteen or
sixteen years ago the standard of skill
sas not high in the States; nor would
inyhody have expected 1t TO be, seeing
hat the game had only just seized the
Imagination of the people. Distinctly the
Ast player whom / met then was Willie
Smith. had three great games with
BIN, and although beat him by and
Il st. Augustine, Fla. by the same
margin at Wheaton and by 0 and at
Midlothian, 1 had to struggle my hardest
stch time, That nothing was being
hroEn away can be gathered from the
tiet that did a score of "a at Wheaton
lad Il at st. Augustine.
Such zeal for golf as was exhibited In
Amsrlea at that period afforded an as
iafance that sooner or later class of
tadop players would be developed, and
Aal class would, / think. have matured
naFe rapidly II the fiat swing had not
aeeoine such an obsession in the states.
a one time. the swing in which the
player starts the club very nat. sweeping
folnd his legs until the arms will let
: so no further, whereupon II has to be
alsed was the generally accepted method
g Britain: but IL has given way in recent
ames 10 more upright way of welding
lte club. which is all for the best. When
- saw Willie Smith play, l was sorry
z observe that he had fallen victim to
1s craze for fiatness, with all Its dam
81 In the matter of inaccurate hitting
2 ne he seemed 10 have sacrificed the
dainctlve quality that marked his golf
c lhose exciting days at st. Augustine
Wheaton, and Midlothian.
oulAET A BORN GOLFER WITH A
FUTURE.
Nevertheless, the band OF American
7l-zawyera is arising Nothing could
aaYe been more striking than the i'm
HeFsment OF j. ]. McDermott between
- when he failed to qualify for the
aHtah Championship at Muirheld, and
p when he finished fifth in that event
= hoylake, and in the short interval ne
aad changed from the fiat swing to the
sanght Among amateurs, there are rev
saa bit their half-iron shots better than
eale" Evans, Of Chicago; he has the
sssl.ly 70 make the ball stop where II
saneis ouimet is born golfer, who
- rise 10 an even greater pitch OF eN-
lslee than that which he has already
ssansd, and ! say this In full knowledge
Eas fact that he is the present amateur
nplon OF the States and that he beat
= ana me in the American open" al