The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-22
GOLF HOLDING
ITS own With
THE WAR DEMON
Shell Holes Form Many
Courses on West Front
In France
TERM "FORE" HAS
DISTINCT MEANING
Word in War Is Warning
of the Arrival of a
Big Shell

New York, Dec. 22-Golf. among
other games, is still holding its place
in sportdom back of the western
front. A British officer, one Of Scot
back word Of war golf, which is no
precisely the game to be played
down south this winter by wander
ing bands of tourists hunting theiI
place in the sun.
'sIn our section" remarked the
Briton who had served two years or
the western front, I'VE found il pos
sibIe to lay out nine holes back oil
There were no extensively Ions
holes, but most of them were inter
esting. AS we were unable to KEEP
greens in shape, we merely dug hole
for the cup, where 1t was possible Ia
chip the ball in with mashie and mid
SHELLS Make New Course.
But conditions were quite dimerent
from the old days. The course was
in shell range, and very frequently
after q round we returned next day
to ind a new course with new traps
and new bunkeTs thoughtfully pro
vided US by Hun shells overnight
Where a certain hole one day was
only fairly well tapped. by the next
day IL would require the keenest sort
of accuracy, with six or eight big
shells to the right and left along the
This isn't the worst of II. There
were times when a hole would be
freshly or newly trapped and bunker
ed while we were playing IL. A man
might step to the tee, and while he
was addressing his ball would hear
an explosion, and suddenly find that
he had a big she'll crater to carry
some 40 yards AWAY crater that
hadn't been in existence before he
SSyss.,. ,~sS,-S Co.,, In tbI, war golf
also means something different" he
continued. when a man shouts
'foreF over there 1t means that a shell
il coming, and we lose no time i'm
duckinB into some shell hole or seek
ing other shelter until the immediate
danger IL over. Whereupon we re-
sumo play and continue along our
way. The true golfer isn't to be
stopped or have mis- play ended by
any such small detail as she'll FIRE.
There are times, of course, when it
gets on ones nerves in putting. When
you are expecting a big she'll to land
In your neiEhborhood any second,
there IL an added strain upon putting
or upon playing short chip shots not
ordinarily known in the game we
played before the war. But for all
that the game is an interesting one.
is highly diverting, and keeps ones
swing in fair order of preservation"
Makes War Course In -.
This play back OF the lines, while a
trifis harasBed in spots, evidently
keeps the game going on. For the
British officer in question tried out a
round or two over a certain hard
eastern course lately, and at his third
attempt was able to turn in n "a. This
would hardly indicate that the game
OF war had wrecked his effectiveness
at golf, despite two years hard serV-
ice at one Of the toughest points OF
the western line around Ypres.
There IL very little chance for ten
mis- back of the western front, for
where golf and football, and even
baseball, can be played over rugged
surfaces, tennis requires a smoother
plain and n better conditioned sur
face.
Further back of the lines there are
tennis courts, but these in the main
are too far back for those in fairly
active trench service.
Football Not Handicapped.
Football draws the least handicap
OF them all. Any open field, however
rugged, can be used for a football
game, which accounts largely for the
fact that more football of various as
sentiments has been played than any
But by the time spring arrives and
Uncle Sans arriving contingents are
established, baseball will get the call
at least along the American sector
The ball fields will have to be a bit
further back, for where an improvis-
ed golf course could stand more shei
hole bunkering, the same would pun
a baseball diamond out OF working
commission. Even an Eddie Collins
couldn't be expected to do much fan
cy felding operating in a shell hole
at second base.