The sun., 1919-05-25
MODERN GOLF SHOWS
SOME IMPROVEMENT
All Features Of the Old Game,
However, Are Not Lost,
Says John G.. Anderson.
YOUNG STARS ARE FEW
Present Day Ball Has Beensa
Great Factor TowardsBet-
torment Of Play.
YOUNG STARS ARE FEW
BY JOHN G. ANDERSON.


The old and the new in golf 7,
would take full 400 pages. perhaps ~
tell In story and song ell the oo,,n+.
less incidents which form a part Of
the golf structure of to-day, but for In.
purposes or our topic the mere outline
OF detail brings interesting informatIon
for golfers casual IL not d,gestsa
knowledge. Particularly IL IL apronos
at this time because we are now Al
the starting point of new golf,nK
era on both sides of the Atlantic. with
the rest Of the world waiting to follow
the lead of the two nations who now
for the first time stand on a leyal q.
regards courses. players implements
and future plans Our topic IL useful
as q basis for comparison. old and
new, of the items Just enumerated.
Let us begin with tho courses Tia
present day tees Of the standard lInls
are we'll kept. facing straight at the
hole and level. They tend to make
golf easy for tho drive. Tho on time
tees were smaller in depth. they were
uneven. often by design, making a player
learn how to hit from q slightly down
hill lie or from an uneven stance. Seem
ically the new tees are better, but prao-
tically the old style made for higher
class play.
Then the fairways. Year~after year
there has been a general narrowing
OF the fairway course to correspond VIVA
the old design Of a full century back
until now the new has become the coun-
terpart OF the old; but my personal OBJ
servation in playing on we'll over q
hundred foreign links leads me TO the
conclusion that we can still learn les
son from the formation OF tho ground
work for Through the green.-
Our present day masterpieces have q
nat run for second shots and mashie
pitches as against the myriads Of slight
undulations in the old Scotch links Of re-
nown. There shot after shot had to be
played and still has to be played with
an uneven stance, with more courage
with moro golf knowledge and a coTs-
spending range of golhng pleasure than
obtains with us; I look for this feature
to be one Of the improvements in links
architecture during the coming decade
Much of the same sort OF improvement
will also be made with the putting
green's.
Present Courses Better.
From our rather grotesque hills and
| miniature mountains on the greens Of
many of our well known and celebrated
| courses. which pleased a few years age
! because Of their very holiness and dif-
| ference, we are gradually shaving Of
tops and securing what term counter
balancing rolls Of no great height and
| adding 10 per cent to the value OF III,
| course as q true test Of golf. Sunmar
iZing, then, we are somewhat surprised
! to and that so far as the courses an
concerned the new" after a process o
evolution taking a quarter of a century
| and more. approach the old form. with
| the added aid OF more scientifically bull
traps. moro pleasing to the eye. NOR,
visible and better groomed.
| Tho players next Here Is wher,
youth in a sport mars the making o
| historic comparison. Past records il
| golf are oftener than not the prophec!s
| for the future until the span OF year
mounts to over twoscore and ten. Fol
seventy years we can trace the hiStor,
OF the old champions, and even II VI
| brush aside the glamourous tidinS
handed down by loyal chroniclers W
are still face to face with the fact fha
the old golfers, in light OF restricted In
elements, were as clever as the PLAYER
of to-day. but their cleverness did no
extend anywhere near the heights o
excellence OF the present day crack
In a sense we must term Braid an
Taylor. Vardon and Herd. Hilton an
Ball golfers OF the old order since the
average over so years of age, but "
doubt very much II another six Of -
present day golfers could be found VI
in a series OF matches over the six hos
links in America and Britain could com
within short approaching distance
them. The old order reigneth still, ou
with ever decreasing power. with few t
take their places and practically none j
sight to equal their past efforts.
Star Golfers Run In Groups.
Star golfers always run In groups. out
flank all opposition through score d
years and then in body, as il vert
', give way TO the younger set. Ten year
, from now II ought TO be Ray and HI!
, can and Abe Mitchell, possibly !o4a
Braid and young Taylor, two yolngs'er
soon 10 be as friendly and keen i'Na.
, as their respective sires ON TIE A'N'
who will be featured In the headline
as the topnotchers of Great Britain wAi.
in this country where the ages Of N
: cracks are not great We shall So" loo
over the morning page and read O. %
s added distinction gained by the 'e'
Z men who to-day are in the forc:roH.
American golf We must wait 't'
\ years at least before the CleaYas ''..
Z place between the old and the LtN
4 golf ability.
OF the implements much m'GH' ,
written but we fear It's dulnes>. TN
process OF golf ball evolution was
y the same time the saving power ~ "
v game itself; do not believe thAi
$ would have half tho number Of Eo.ie'
d to-day II the gutta percha ball Mad u
= manned supreme. The strivincs io"A'
5 perfection on the part Of all TIE g
d ball manufacturers have met VITA U.
e qualified success; II would also a'ne'
e that the topmost peak had been r'a'ne
!. in excellence-for which we are 81
q should ba deeply grateful