The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-09-04

in the finest condition of. any links 1
ever heard of. The fairways are like
a carpet, altho there is little grass.
The greens are ideal, altho they are
of sand. Most 9-hole courses are
about 5000 yards in length. The
Chanute course is 5000 or 10000
yards, I can't remember which. /
have played only two months or
about six games and I shoot a 40.
Fellows in Chanute who have played
only a dozen times, hit a So without
any trouble whatever
No wonder newspaper men try TO
stem the everyday talk about you
can't always believe what you read
Owing to the hay fever season. many
of Topeka's most enthusiastic golfers
are abandoning the game until after
frost. It is no game for a bleary eyed,
sneezing victim.
: Holmes Meade of the Country club
has been golfing at Excelsior Springs
for the last two weeks. The familiar
Mead Frost Pratt-W eidiing foursome
soon will be in action again in an eff
fort to see what Improvement mineral
water may have on golf.
| Pete Middletons defeat by War
rem Bailey in the semi-finals of the
I Shawnee club championship flights
| created another surprise to add to the
| list of Middleton sensations of the
State Invitation tournament. No good
| Topeka golfer ever underwent such
| slump as displayed by Middleton. His
/ victory in Salina giving him the state
| championship was we'll earned after
days of heady golf. Then came the
| State Invitation tournament at the
| Country club. Here Middleton barely
won his way to the match preceding
| the semi-finals when he was defeated
| by Robert Yates. His game was
| ''blowed.'' All of his matches were
close owing to his ragged work on the
green's. 1t seemed impossible for him
to putt. Middleton is Sweet" golfer
and a conner in the game. His youth
will {give him many years to develop
his game and his nerve aRd his head
work. His slump this month is just
what he needs to settle him down to
more consistent and harder played
golf. No golfer ever came to his best
/ game until he was given an unmerci-
/ full trimming defeat that brought
| him to the cold ground where he be-
gan all over again to build up his
shots. Topeka golfdom has shown a
great admiration for pete and his
game and his personality and his eff
fort. He will continue to be real
favorite of the fans and the favoritisn
viii grow as the youngster settles
down to the clockwork that always is
necessary to seasoned playing.
! The semi-weekly rains have made
life miserable for the groundkeepers
ION the two Topeka courses. This has
been the most expensive summer in
golf history in Topeka. But the rains
have rooted an excellent turf and have
prepared the ground for a splendid
mat next season.
Bob Yates is a cracking good match
player
side during the Country club Invitation
tournament.
But why a good match playerf
1t is easily explained. Yates not
only plays his clubs but he plays his
head. He doesn't press his shots when
his opponent has him down. He takes
advantage of every opportunity to
/ grab a hole when his opponent leaves
an opening. If he goes bad on hole
he settles down, takes his medicine
and with his system thoroly cleansed
OF the nomentary ascension he fights
even harder for the next hole. His
| match with Harlow Hurley was typi-
cal of his game as compared with the
!. | Owen Carl-Hurley match. Carl never
took advantage of a Hurley bobble.
He pressed his game when behind He
indicated nervousness with the pres
ence Of the gallery and the sensational
playing Of his opponent Yates just
hangs on tighter when he sees his ad-
versary's coat tails flap in the breeze.
It's a great game If you don't
weaken.
J Pre- Nelson's showing in the South
} west open championship tournament
was brought about by one shot on one
hole. It was on No. 6. His drive
landed square1y IN the trap near the
: 200-yard stake to the left He mid
ironed out beautiful 190-yard shot
: which indicated that all was well de-
r spite his drive Then in approa ching
4 81 II
the right. popped in the air and land
/ ed in the pit. Nelson found the pill
5 top-deep in q ditch washed by the