Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-03

DOR the second year in succession Cam
l. eron b. Buxton is the amateur golf
champion Of Philadelphia. At time when
the wave Of hystcria about the war was
sweeping across the land the United states
Golf Association decided not to give the
title. Since then those officials at the head
Of that organization have been busy eX-
planning that it was at the urgent request
Of the Secretary Of War So the GOLF Asso-
citation of Philadelphia has followed suit
and announced that in none Of the tourna-
mcnts would a championship or prize be
awarded So to all intents and purposes
Buxton did not win the championship last
Saturday, for there was none to be won
But, as he said a few days before the
final match: so far as | am concerned
the title passes in case ] should not win
! feel that the man who wins this event
ought to be the champion of Philadelphia
and If | win It have the right to be known
as the champion" OF course, this Is con-
trary to the ethics of the game but there
never was a finer or squarer sportsman thail
Buck. He did not wish to 60 on RECORD
in the event Of any one else winning the
tournament of having a lot Of people say
that the tournament did not amount 10
anything because no title went with H.
Most OF us realize by now that both the
national and local golf associations acteu
hastily when they took the action that they
did.
Sports Should Continue
Even the President Of the United States
was insistent that the youth Of the coun-
try should continue to play baseball goh
and tennis for in that way he thought
they would best condition themselves tor
the struggle. As "A matter of fact, only
two men i'm Philadelphia were affected by
he ,,rar nd Hugh WillOuRnDN
and Francis Kembe, The first Is in the
naval reserve and the second Is at Fort
Niagara trying to win a commission
It is very probable that after the golf
officials saw Secretary Baker that gentle
man forgot all about the golfers and tennis
players. It Is not as If there were a mil
lion orftwo Of young golfers in this coun-
try OF the million or more golfers in this
country fully 80 per cent Of them are men
past the thrty-year mark. The youngsters
Of the nation have not taken to the game
as they have to tennis, and it is not that
the game does not appeal to them. but II
is rather because ii is so much more ex-
pensive than tennis or baseball
Different With Golfer
Give a youngster a racquet and a half
dozen tennis balls and he is equipped for
a years play. With the golfer it is diff
ferent He requires at least half-dozen
CluDS ana a Dag, ana NAN l-uOlen DdllS VIII
not last him more than a month or two at
the best. No one can play golf we'll unless
he has a cadde to carry his bag and watch
the flight Of the ball. In all our country
clubs the dues for the tennis players are
much cheaper than for the golfers. And in
a month II will cost the golfer more than
II will set the tennis player back for the
entire year.
So eliminating the young men who are
the real contenders for our national golf
championship, the number Of boys in the
twenties who play golf is very small COM
pared with those past the thirty-year mark.
Take any club you please In the Philadel-
phia district, and II 90 per cent of the
membership is made up of young fellows Of
the cOnscription age II is unusual, to say
the least, And while no one doubts for
moment that the United States Golf Asso-
citation acted from the very best motives in
going to see Secretary Baker, the action
in deciding not to award any championships
was hasty one.
WOmen's Association
It has been rumored that no title will be
awarded in the women's golf championship
and here is the real absurd end of the whole
situation. Probably the reason is that the
golf officials think It would not be fair to
call off the title In the mems events and
then go ahead and award the title to the
women. The upshot Of this will probably
be the formation of womens golf asso.
citation. There is no reason under the sun
why the United States Golf Association
should run the women's championship and It