Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-24

idesis ~ nv r"nrn. nunan HARRY VARDoN.
tion. The matter is particularly inter-
esting In connection with golf, for the
reason that, In very large measure, the
game can be made as simple or as diff
hcult as people want It to be.
There is no regulation as to the num-
Der or nature of the obstacles that shall
figure on a course. There is no law as
to the length or breadth Of a course.
There is no restriction as to the kind OF
ball that shall be used, and great deal
Of license is allowed as regards the form
OF clubs that shall be employed for hit
ting the balk There is no other game so
utterly lacking In what we may term
the OF the skill test, and
the consequence is that the character OF
the game varies enormously in different
places. -Hf"s sa
For the greater part. It is too easy, /
think in America. During recent years
the tendency In Britain has been TO make
II too hard; that Is to say to introduce
so many pitfalls and tricky putting
green's as to place luck at premium.
Lest the reader should be beginning TO
think that am a born grumbler. let me
add that there are plenty of fine courses
in either country. the danger Of the 9TH
ers Is that they may be regarded as
nOdelA py newcomers 10 lnN ph1llillN hiAh
hinder those converts from appreeiating
in good time the true beauties Of golf
Seattle occurs TO me at the moment as
a type Of many American links. II could
be made splendid, but at present 1t Is
not sufficlenty rigorous In It's test. Or
perhaps / ought to say that such was
the impression which I formed Of It two
years ago; whether II has been altered
in the interim do not know. 1t has
every desirable attribute OF nature; its
general appearance puts me very much
in mind OF sunnlngdale, one OF the most
famous OF English inland courses Prop
erly bunkered, II would have few su-
periors.
That the members OF a club like their
course TO possess all reasonable difhcuities
has been shown In the case OF RaYisloe
When / was last there, 1 was told that
for a considerable time spirited protests
were made against a scheme for adding
TO the trials OF a green which really
boosted very little character, AZ length
particularly perseverlng oftieial carried
the day. and after a while the members in
general found the thrills OF the game so
greatly increased by the conversion OF the
links from tamsness TO full-bloodedness
that they presented the champion OF the
change with a cup.
-
a course by overriding the element OF dif-
aeulty; Myopia has appealed to me as a
place thus marred. II is not that there arc
too many bunkers the trouble is that the
hole Is out too near 10 the hazards guard
ing the green, with the result that sem
sible player rsslgns himself TO the fact
that II Is dangerous 10 try and put an
approach close 70 the pin gathered
when / was at Myopia that this plan Of
,uttfra, aha hala eIoaa IN the bunkers was
followed consistently.
There Is a happy medium In these mat
tars; dlftieulties that call for the exercise
OF perfect judgment are splendid, but y
seems TO me TO be bad 70 discourage bold
ness. l could never work up a mite or
afeetion for a hole Of the style OF the
sixth at Myopla. when one is expected
to pitch onto a small green on kind %
one knows at the outset
that Il win be largely a matter OF luck
whether the hall stops on or runs over
The principle OF cutting the holes close
to bunkeTs was tried al 81, Andrews, IN
Scotland, on the occasion Of the British
open championship Of 1905, and was
condemned by practically all OF
the competitors. The ground was very
hard so that the player had either 70
steer a course wide Of the hole land the
hazaral and trust 20 running up with the
next shot 10 within holing distance, or
else get into the haRard and hope 10 put
the recovery shot close 10 the hole. James
Braid won that championship and / think
he owed his success IN q considerable
measure 10 his ability at extFieating hinlT
self from trouble. He Is a truly wonder
nl man in bunkeFsi I am not surs that
know anybody quite like him, His great
physical strength Is naturally an impoF-
iant asset ia this eoRneetioRi Il enables
him 70 taks more sand than any other
golfer / have seen.
] remember an Incident Ia aHotheF
which Braid secured at 81
Andrews He was IN the bunker just
short Of the green 10 the left IL was a
critical situRtlon because the compeution
vas nearing is alase and be had not
many stFokes 20 spare. Everybody sho
has been % 81. Andrews khoTs ne ter
rors Of the bunker in queatlqR Il haa
csst many a player half s doEsR oF mQFs