The Washington times., 1923-03-05

y. ". IL. F1OOIIldH, the IOTIHcT O1.
ford captain, who made such = hit
on this side of the pond, tells an
amusing story of his experience
with an opinionated specimen Of
the tribe mentioned above. Playing
In a medal competition over the
st. Andrews links, Hooman drew
a boy" who must have been q
grandfather, as his carrier.
"The old chap was skeptical from
the start concerning my ability to
suit the club to the shot," said
Hooman. HE rebuked me sarcastic
cally several times and once, when
we differed as to the proper weapon
for an approach shot, he Indignantly
refused me the club asked for, with
a curt Yen tax the club Civ ye.'
But his subtlest irony was re-
served for the particular occasion
when I had demanded my mashie
to play fairly long second hole.
No, mon, Gamma gle We thot
mashie. he said, firmly, yen need
a mid-iron here, I'm thinkin'.'
But I'll go far beyond the
green If / hit a good one with that
mid-iron,' protested Aye, laddie,'
he snapped back, but ven not hit
b good one
Such logic was irrefutible. I
bowed to the inevitable and from
that time on my game was spre-
digested' for me by the little,
silver-haired chap who gIOried In
the knowledge that he knew his
clubs. My acquiescence was q
sop to his professional vanity
that was distinctly worth while,
for learned q lot about adapt
ing clubs to distance that no
pro- had ever taught me"
This question of taking advice
from ones caddy is an interesting
/ one, although it does not greatly
concern Americans since the type
of youth who carries over here
is usually incapable of offering use-
full suggestions. Sandy Herd was
rather caustic in his criticisms of
the inefficient boys who masqller-
| ade under the name of caddies on
American links. actually being more
of a hindrance than a help. Worst
of all, these so-called caddies seldom
take, the game seriously, or even
make a real attempt to master
their duties. Most of the available
boys hail from families of foreign
extraction, to whom golf has no
meaning.
Naturally enough caddies made
Of such unsuitable timber lack the
! spirit de corps Of the Scotch cad
! dies who have breafhed the atmOs-
phere Of the links since childhood
and are stepped in the traditions
OF the royal and ancient game.
| With regard to the question of
accepting advice from caddy,
| tournament golfers hold widely d.
vergent views. George Duncan and
Abe Mitchell furnish interesting
contrasts in this respect. Ducan alb
solutely refuses to permit his caddy
to make any suggestions concern
ing what club to use, nor will he
permit the boy to tell him anything
about the lay of the land, or estimate
wants is to see the flag. He does
the rest. Duncan's caddies at Han
yer Hill are Injured to "the SEN
tence of silence" but George had
a hard time to restrain some of the
voluble American kids who insisted
on speaking out of turn.
Abe Mitchell. however, is just the
| opposite from his brother tourist"
You must put the club in Abe's
hands," Duncan jokingly remarked
one day on the Pelham links. "Abe
wants his boy to tell him about every
trap and gully between him and the
cup. He's willing to take his
caddy's judgment as to the proper
club to use, and will unhesitatingly
accept the club that is handed him.
Not that it makes much difference"
added George. "for Mitchell can take
almost anything in the way of
stick and still get the necessary dis
lance with that whip stroke Of his.