The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-28

when" said prominent golfer the
other day, will there be a book written
which will convey in lucid language an
answer to the ills which befall the
golfer?"
The answer Is very easy one word
will euffice. Never. What 4. one golf
ers meat Is another golfers poison, and
30 1t will be until the holes are made in
one and the putter becomes an obsolete
golf1ng weapon. Yet toward that ideal
there has been effort after effort. At
the start the writer's usually are filled
with an enthusiasm whose Infectious
ness spreads to friends and foes alike.
but after the ardor cools and the cold
type Is read again with moro critical
bearing the book or treatise Is put on
the shelf with a sigh.
Now this feeling OF a future Ina bility
to deliver the perfect golf lessons from
the printed page has chilled the zeal Of
many readers toward all things of this
nature and they go, Thousands and
thousands OF golfers. year In and year
out, with no study OF printed book
knowledge on the game of golf. The
mistake may prove costly II. as with
most golfers, the reduction OF a couple OF
strokes brings happiness, for IL there Is
one thing above all others which golf
reading does II Is TO make the golfer
more careful concerning his play. This
never fails to bring an improvement to
the golfers game.
will admit here and now that the
criticism which says that not half the
golfers can understand the technical ma
t,tee of the explanations given by many
writer's Is perfectly true. for 1t is appar-
ent that the truth of golf lies in the still
undiscovered depths of the wells OF golf
L., bot hAr M nm
the game which do not have some lucid
spots well worth the readers time.
The growth Of the game makes II ap-
parent at this time more than ever be-
fore that one of the essentials to golf
happiness is to play a nassably good
game. The professional gives you the
picture, your muscles try to respond to
that smoothness of action, the book tells
of the virtues OF the professionals swing
and your increa sed confidence brings new
life and vigor 10 your stroke. 1t is
grieyous mistake to neglect books on
the game.
Let ME make the point bit clearer by
an illustration. Several years ago there
was brought out book containing spe-
cial articles by famous golfers. A copy
fell into the hands of a golfer OF middle
age whose game had been above the
ordinary but who never had gone be-
yond the semi-fnals OF an open tourna-
ment Reading the article by Tom Ball.
re noted the statement that for several
days before big championship tourna-
ment re always spent two hours a day
practising putting.
"I'n try that said this golfer, and
he did one hour each day morning and
another hour each afternoon for one
whole week. trying a half dozen OF the
green's, our determined golfer gave OF his
best. II was the hardest kind OF work after
the first ten or fifteen minutes and the
Ave minutes rest which he allotted to
himself at the end of each quarter hour
was a saver of temper and spirit. In
stead Of putting down a dozen balls the
golfer took hut three and always did he
putt from the edge OF the green. conf
dent tia. II he secured the touch OF the
greens from that length he would be
able TO do well at intermediate points
Not until the last day did this golfer
see any true signs of advancement, but
then he came strong. The next open
event called out a hundred Of the states
best men. and our hero won the low
gross with a 7s and went to the finals
before Acknowledging defeat Before a
day had passed he was n marked man
because of his putting skin his conf
dence inCrea sed daily, three puts meant
one on the next hole He won his club
championship and his State handicap
was reduced two strokes to g. he is Il
fine PLAYER and confident putter TO
this dav.
Golf stories improve with age. like the
memory Of great matches. and this par
tiCular one has merit in that il has
not been in print so far as We can