New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-12
DUTCH PASTnNE
ON ICE ORIGIN
OF G0LFNG GAME
Historians Busy Tracing
Ancient Sport Which Has
Become So Popular.

COLI Is getting 70 be so universally
popular that historians are digging
back into the past 20 trace its birth
and growth. Il is VIGOROUSLY a Scotch
game, but, strange 10 say, tradi-
tion places its birthplace in tie Meth
erlands
Golf in Holland four or FIVE centuries
ago was in the glacial stage OF devel-
opment. lt was game simils- 70
hockey, played on the ice. The eomoi-
nation OF the smooth surface OF the ice
and the sturdy strength OF the Myn-
beers IS said 70 have produced re-
markable game in which 10 was pos
sible 70 drive the ball 400 yards. This
was more than the glacial period-it
WAS the paradise period Of golf.
From the Netherlandish game grew
another species known as chole, which
became very popular in France and
Flanders. Chole was very much Ike
golf in that the general idea was 70
strike the ball forward. A player
would lay a wager with another that he
could hit certain distant church in .
certain number OF innings. He would
start out and drive the ball forward
toward his object three times, teeinE
the ball each time.
After the third stroke the opponens
had his turn, which consisted in his
teeing the ball and driving it back as
far as ne could in one stroke. This
constituted an inning, and the first
man would 60 back 20 the spot whers
his opponent had driven the ball 20 and
drive IL forward again, until the stipu-
lated number of innings had been
played.
Taken TO Scotland.
The game chole and the Dutch gams
were imported into Scotland under the
early Stuart kings, during whose re~
CINE the two merged into thu
more recent forerunner OF the press
ent game. As early SIS the reign Of
James VI. who assembled the throne
about 1875. there is an authentic rec-
ord Of the sport left in a Parliamentary
enactment prohibiting the importation
OF Dutch balls. There was law that
required church attendance on the Sab
bath before one might play golf. This
does not prevail now
The officials Of Scotland disapproved
Of the game, as being less honorabls
than the national pastime OF shooting
az the butts, but, like all prosecuted
ventures, golf has prospered and
thrlven. The Stuarts brought at least
one blessing 70 England when they
brought golf. Blackheath, where this
line Of monarchs played, is the Oldest
course on record. There are other,
very old, but the records OF all tho
Scottish and English golf clubs are
wofully mixed with the records Of
wine vendors, for early golfers were
thirsty souls, and one cannot be so GER
tain about the clubs "a about tie four
ishing wine traffic OF the age.
AT that time all golfng was done
with feather balls, about the size OF IN.
one now used, stuffed with so many
feathers that hat was required 70 con-
tain the quantity compressed into one
ball. The cost Of the feather balls was
about shlllings, sum Of vaster sig
n!ncance than now.
Cost Of Clubs q Feature.
Because of this cost, wooden club,
were chiefly used by the frugal Scots.
since topping a ball with an iron club
meant that 4 shillings was gone for
ever. Hugh Philip was the great club
maker, and no self-respecting golfer
thought Of playing with clubs manu-
AatLAAtu " any oLUtT MdhtIs
The age in which Philip held his
monopoly Of clubs was the real CLASH
cal period Of the game. The taciturn
Scots played with the forbidding aus
terity Of manner and solemnity Of car
riage that seem quite ludcrous from
our point Of view. They wore stiff,
high-crowned black bats and long black
coats on the links, and never even
smiled when their opponents missed a
stree or drove into trap. English
men adopted golf, out left out the dig
nifty that marked 10 among the Scots.
Americans have further democratized
the game, until now il is played in
white shirts, sleeveless and collarless,
flannel trousers and, usually, without
coat or hat.
Fifty years ago in England a man
with a caddie bag and clubs on h.,
shoulder was an object Of misgiving, =
not of downright suspicion. Thirty
years ago this was true in America Nos
so long ago a golfer with his kit on
a streetcar in any city in this coun-
try was more or less curious sight,
but now, thanks 10 public links, golfers
carrying all their parsphernalis ara
not even looked az the second time.