Evening star., 1924-07-08

not necessary to belong to an expen-
sive and exclusive country club in
order to enjoy 1t. The great increase
In the number Of public links has
of practically every one who desires
to take 1t up.
And when tournament time comes
around the public links players are
found among the contestants on the
courses OF the finest private clubs
There IL no aristocracy of golf. nc
snobbishness, no exclu.iveness. From
England comes the story of a me I'm be I
CT royalty. a duke, and three of his
chums playing a match with four coal
miners. 1t was a regular challenge
anair and the miners won, after a nip
and-tuck struggle.
Former CaAdies Triumph.
Out At the recent national tourna-
ment at Dayton the players from
Washington won the team champion
ship and one of them won the medal
for lowest score in the Qualifying
round and figured prominently in the
title match play. All Of these play
ers were former caddies on the old
Columbia Club course here, some
nfteen years ago, before the club
developed its present championship
course
They all play in all the club tour
naments held in the District of CO.
iumoia One of them, George Voigt,
has been runner-up in the District
championship and this year he won
.ne annual invitation tournament
at the Columbia Club. Earl McAleer,
who inquired so prominently at Day
ton, went to the semi finals in the
tournament at the Indian Springs
CUB, and both Voigt and he were
guest players at the Chevy Chase
Club and gave good account of
themselves.
predicted that it is not far distant
a public links player will romp to the
'front.' as the winner of the national
amateur or the national open cham
pionship OF the United States. Chick
Evans and Francis Ouimet, who have
both carried of both of those honors.
were once caddies, but at the time
they achieved the spotlight both were
members of private clubs. Gene
Sarazan. who has been both open and
professional champion in this coun-
try, is another former caddy.
Everybody in Washington plays
golf, from the President of the United
States to the humblest government
clerk, and including cabinet members.
senators, representatives, the Chief
Justice ana associate Justices or the
United States Supreme Court. diplo-
mats. Army and Navy officers, pro-
fessional men, bankers and business
men. and all their wives and daugh-
ters.
1t happens that President Coolidge
is not a devotee of the ancient and
honorable game-or, if he is, is guard
ing that fact along with his other
secrets-but the late Presidents Har-
ding and Wilson were enthusiasts,
and former President Taft, now Chief
Justice. has long been familiar
figure on the links.
And it is generally recognized that
any game over which men will fight
is a regular game. Recently a dis
tihguished United States senator, who
has been prominently mentioned as a
presidential possibility, engaged in
an alteration with a well known
Washington physician on the course
OF an exclusive club here which re-
suited in a black eye for the medico.
When base ball players indulge in
fisticuffs they are usually disciplined
with a fine or suspension.
Golf clubs cannot fine their play
ers that indulge in infractions of the
rules, but the United States senator
in question was suspended from the
privileges of the club for two weeks.