Evening star., 1915-11-28
BY JEROME D. TRAVERs.


The average golfer starts out upon
a.S round of the course with an aver
a@c of seven clubs. which are likely
TO be driver. orassie. ciech. midlron,
nfasnie. uiblicE and putter.
IF each one of these clu5s were OF
equal vaIue in the task of securing the
r2oper score upon the basis of 100 per
cent for the round each club would
represent a pla ying usefulness OF about
"A per cent But this is where the
system cracks. There is one club in
the bag that has q greater value than
IA per cent. 1t is the shortest, lightest
asd smallest club OF the entire lot. the
tirrglest and Yet the hardest to play.
snc club that many unknowns can han
die well and yet a club that battles an
Evans and a Nardon from one year
ffrto another.
- refer TO the putter. and | put its
alaving value at 45 per cent as against
- pcr cent for tie remaining six,
seven or eight clubs needed for the
soand
"Fortv-ffye per cent is TOO high a
rating for any one club. number of
EXPERTS have said to me: but if ! have
de a mistake here it is on the short
siGe. | only wish some of those who
rudcrraTe the tremendous value of the
ruttcr had been at Brookiine when the
oycn championship of America was at
stake. l. they had. they would have
gone well beyond my mautatlon and
,l;f the value of the putteg at 20 per
cent
tlec Smith. the well known profess
Sional. kept track of different scores
turned in through this tournament, and
he figures that of every one hundred
shots played seventy-five were taken
on The putting green. 1t was no un-
common sight there to see crack golf
crS reach green's over 400 yards away
in two perfectly pla yed shots. and then
rcatter three or four puts all over the
green before the. bottom of the cup
vas reached. | saw one crack profes-
-:TIal get within four feet OF a four
nundreGyard hole in two shots and
s.';Sliy get down in six. He missed his
three, went well below the cup and
taeu took three more coming back. And
he was no exception to the rule.
Case Of Chick Evans.
Undoubtedly the winning shot in
roit is the putt There can be no ques-
tioa about it Take the case of Charles
Evans. jr.. of Chicago and myself. Our
fsa5ue. our different styles o. -. -. lave
teen compared from one end of the
country TO the other for the past three
- OUT ears
But the Fates were kinder TO ne than
they were 10 Evans. They gave Evans
a perfect driving style from the tee
and almost always sure results. They
gave him control of the nlidiron and
the nlashie. where in my opinion ne is
linGxceiled bI any amateur l have eve.
seen. They look him in triumph from
the tee up TO the green-a perfect golf
ing machine-and then. right at the
.Hish. they denied him the simplest.
Yet often the hardest, shot in the bag
tire putt.
on the other hand. the Fates have
often led me in roundabout way be-
sore came within sight of the green.
siy weakness has been with the wood.
taC club that. counts less in general
yalUe. But ! have been strongest
where Evans has been weakest. and
the comparative values of driving and
rafting can be shown in the state
r,ent that l have Won four amateur
Championship, while lhe very fine
Young Chicago golfer has Yet TO win
his first. In match play he had every
shot except one-and that happened to
be the winning shot of golf-the shot
that makes ap for bad drive, poor
Tsashie pitch or poor approach, by
calling Tor but one pptt to the green
at the moment of need.
How Can Learn to Putt?"
u know well enough" remarked a
golfer recently. that putting is the
most valuable part of golf. Bat how
can a poor putter !earn to become
..cod one
The answer is obvious: BY practic-
iu. and practicing only in the right
Wa You see golfers standing on
tee pr2eticing driving for an hour Or
50 1t Il time. or putting the same time
MO iron shots. And then perhaps tnes
~tll practice putting ten OF fifteen min
.es When | started golf ! spent as
srpch tiTae. Or more, al putting as /
d Il with ali other clubs put together
: .. orked for hours a tIms--worked.
5.Jrl-ed and worked until l obtained
confidence in my club. | have fire.
GENTLY practired putting all the morn
tu-, and then have gone out 10 play IN
:Ee afternoon, when ! had the day OFF
t"~ play.
hut 1T the same time oae must prac-