The Washington herald., 1917-12-09
Soldiers on the Western
Front Find Pleasure IN
Playing on hellRanged
Course.
by GRANTLAND RICE.

BY GRANTLAND RICE
Golf. among other games. is stin
holding its place in sportdom back
OF the Western front
"A British ofhcer, one Of scotland's
best-known players, brings back word
OF war golf, which is not precisely
the game TO be played down South
this winter by wandering bands Of
tourists hunting their Place in the
Sun.
In our section" remarked the
on the Western front, I'VE found it
Of the lines.
There were no extensively long
holes. but most OF them were inter
esting. As we were unable 70 keep
greens in shape. we merely dug q
hole for the cup, where Il was pos
sible to chip the ball In with mashis
or midiron.
But conditions were quite differ
ent from the old days. The courss
was in shell range, and very IRE
Quently after q round we returned
next TO find q new course with new
traps and new bunkers thoughtfully
provided US by Hun shells overnight.
Where a certain hole one day was
only fairly well trapped, BY the nert
day It would require the keenest sort
Of accuracy, with six or eight big
shells to the right and left along
the fairway or guarding the nag.
Even More So.
This isn't the worst Of Il There
were times when q hole would be
freshly or newly trapped and bunk
cred while We were playing IT A
man might step TO the tee, and while
hear an explosion and suddenly find
carry some 10 yards away-a crater
that hadn't been in existence before
he reached the tee.
The New SFore.-
The word Fore IN this war golf
also means something different" ne
continued. when a man shouts
Fore" over there II means that a
shell is coming, and we lose no
time ducking into some shell hole or
seeking other shelter until the i'm
mediate danger is over. whereupou
we resume play and continue along
our way. The true golfer isn't to
be stopped or have his play ended
by any such small detail as shell
FIRE. There are times, OF course, when
It gets on ones nerves in putting.
When you are expecting a big shell
to land in your neighborhood any
second. there is 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 interest,"
ing one. is highly diverting, and keeps
ones swing in fair order OF preservs-
ton"
The Game Going.
This play back Of the lines. Nhils
a trifle harsssed in spots, evidentlt
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 a
a. This would hardly indicate that
the game Of war had wrecked his ef-
fectiveness at golf. despite two years
hard service at one OF the toughest
points Of the Western line around
Ypres.
Little Chance Of TennIa
There is 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 q smoother
plain and q 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.
~ Eou.k.V u.-Stz
Football draws the least handicap
of them all Any open field, however
rugged, can he used for a football
game. which accounts largely for the
fact that more football OF various as
sortments has been played than any
thing else.
But by the time spring arrives ands
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 improvised
golf course could stand more she'll
hole bunkering, the same would put
a baseball diamond out OF working
commission. Even an Eddie Collins
couldn't be expected TO do much fancy
fielding operating in a shell hole at
second base.
Billiards Contribution.
Dear Sir: No doubt you have
noticed the activity displayed by the
billiard and pocket billiard players
throughout the country recently re-
Earding the raising OF funds 10 pro-
vide ambulances for the boys across
the sea. II is astonishing 10 those
who are not familiar with our sport
when one mentions the number OF
folks interested. There are over
$500 billiard rooms in the country.
Add 70 these the clubs, societies, etc,
and one can easily figure where the
sport holds forth in over lOo.05S
places.
II is the intention Of the Billiard
Players Ambulance Fund TO have all
resorts hold some sort Of billiard en-
tertainment, whereby collections will
be made. II the average collection
amounts to so the government win
received Sl,OOo.O0O from this project
We do not claim any credit for this
movement, as It is at least the duty
Of all to do whatever they can 10
help this work. but we like TO call
attention TO the fact that billiards II
keeping shoulder TO shoulder with
other sports. Cordially,
JOTN DOYIE