New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-02-20
In Olden Days the Average
Medal Play Score Was
Higher than Now.
GRAY HAIRS LAUGHED
AT DRIVE OF YOUTH
Wonderful Shot Made by Travis
in Amateur Tourney
Back in 1908.
Bv FRED HAWTHORNE.

By FRED HAWTHORNE.
Wine and golf have something in
common. Both arc improved by age.
We do not mean to say that the man
Of eighty years plays a better game
than the youngstcr Of twenty. other
things being equal. but that the Came
itself is better i'm quality to-day than
it was ten or fifteen years ago.
In the olden days the average medal
play score was far higher than that Of
the modern golfer. even though the
courses were not so severely trapped.
Vet the mechanical improvements in
vented 20 aid the player in the last
dozen years are negligible. The rub
her-corcd ball had made rs appearance
as early as 1900, rapidly diSpiacrng the
solid variety, and the difference IN
clubs is confined 90 some slight alter
ations in shape and balance. perhape
but fundamentally the driver. the bras
sic and the iron club OF 1908 are the
some valiant weapons with which we
do battle on the Inks to-day.
We mention 1903 particularly. be
cause in that year we had cur hrst
and last experience a 81 competitor Id
Tho national amateur championship
tournaments Il was in the days when
there were no restrictions as 10 the
entry and no qualifying round. so
there was nothing Go prevent tne NaI i-
est dub from proudly stepping up 10
the FIRST tee and beginning nus Ns"'
Tor the national Ntlc.
We know these facts 20 be true be
80 we nlaved in the tournament
-. ,.oar Our oyper,ence i'm cham
...-.st -, cor,ns,l,, MAJ, quickly over. The
.l..,,,a,,e,t TOOK Mace or tho links O.
.ho Tsssap Countrv Club. at Glen Cove
I ono Island. and the course was at
lcase half a dozen strokes carrier than
80 90, %, rroScrt There was q pre-
i.,,;,.,,. Ton-d for those who had nor
Jr',,.,, - ;v tbo first brackets.
II ..o,.,ellay of Austin. Tex. was
1,,,,.,, ..-..rs. Us. but when g. Herbert
5Vs~5elar +bon president of the L. $.
- A called his name he failed 20 le-
'-,o,,G and -b. match went by default.
,,.a. o,- rrs+ victory
'- 1911. ,,..s tho cbampion cf Texae
ON. -l.,,,9obIo rol4er hut iu
~Nu - 80 ,.o,,tb we barhored
80. ,hc.,,,l,. .bg+ nerhaps he had
ny 80 l.,,. r,ro,,.C.- With driver and
go 3.,, "a b.I focidcd II was lust a
80 "a. 81. r.r,,-a-ior that he remain
e. .o' '''' .,.,+;co ro,,rd il, tho late
ie""' III o,.- e+rokes work
'tiefhoo" ,yu"o az a.. raorro,,. wa
hg, NCo..... Gu ,...tb o,,iot CONT
'oAed ioi""Iu ~ "''" N-'N
nee. r. 81 .bo Cord.r
rams on, onnonert
~ -, 80 oco Jennings
~ - ,.a', aud No regarded him
r.oi.ol- ot,;- ~ ritv Mr. len
.;,r,ed v.;tb gray A.
's9 ."' ,', ,,o, dored TIA. q
:A- upi'9 H"S IN. 80 hid bo
an OF ms gehlle illuc.e Hse 49, ,5t
- ic"..afoy as 10 oPP''e ''e '"'e"'
'i you'nt A.. Go. TOO ;,.+
ne 'toEc "Oout vi 's' 100
Oh the c'uDhouse PoI0.' vas 60
mat ropes were uscu u ~ -
pace Tor 'he payers -nI. 'o.''i'e
lnVltea US 10 tHNe Wv "ot,oi' Gnu 80
hat moment our courage Deean 70 ooIe
out never 70 return uu.lns VIZ Ia 80
ne eyes OF the spectators 'ee''.u "
oe oorihg more "l'o vui yTN"
'eeI up auu si'o'e az i''S nov
ne ~ my Fr,i.o,,
.eCllS sIHPle ul''c 9oo - go,
bunker luiAeu SUM- w 49, i ,,.G.h
we zee; Dut ~ ny I, .t;oL +on~oJ
,soI -, - ITO
SNlPpsc ana oI IN i'.o.S Sd csn,e 70
IL ro,,,,b Terrirye,s drive
o;ioa alon,. boa,tifrIlv strsigbt and
oinaraa 80 brnko~
Me-. berro,yine, tbinos occurred dur-
INC he eleven holes That the match
,ror+ br. fnrthar details are not neces-
sarv tanning made il a. pleasant as
nossible. under the circumstances, and
we discussed everything except golf
as he piled up his lead Nothing
seemed TO 90 right with the Garden
City mans opponent. and almost every
shot was fubbed miserably. We man
nged 70 get halves on three holes. and
that was all. Jennings won by up
and : to 90. and after it was all over
we consoled ourself with the thought
that II might have been worse. He
might have triumphed by 10 up and