Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-24
WHEEDLE
AWAY HIS GOLF KIT
Pro in Homeland
35 Days and 1t SIeets,
Rains or Shows 80.
BY WALTER r. McCALLUM.

W NCWCdSblC anu lClIlSCId-
tors to the Eskimos, but
what would you think if
YOU took a kit of golf clubs to
Scotland on a vacation, If your
friends, natives and golfers OF
Scotland, became so enamored OF
your clubs that they wheedled
them, one by one, from you, and
YOU came back to this country
without a single one of the kit
with which you started. Scotland,
we are told is the cradle of golf.
There 1t is said to have started. and
there 1t Is the traditional game of the
populace. There, also, are fashioned
many Of the golf clubs which are sold
ard used in this country. The trade
mark. "Hand-forged in Scotland" Is
looked upon as the hallmark of excel
lence in iron heads, and thousands OF
wooden clubs come out of Scotland each
year.
yet Davie Thomson. the popular lit
tie professional at the Washington Golf
and Country Club, took with him KIT
of II golf clubs to Scotland, and mas
friends in the land of the thistle liked
them so much that, one by one, he gave
them away and returned day or two
ago to his post at the Virginia club
without a single one of the clubs ne
took across the water early in January.
But that's all right" Davie said, With
his slow grin IF they liked them. they
were welcome to them. They may need
them worse than do. but the badspart
of it is that it will take me couple OF
weeks to get used to a new set"
Well OF Here.
Dayie described conditions in the golf
industry. as well as other industries in
Scotland, as very bad. He said. Most
of the men with whom used TO work
in the shop of a famous manufactures
of golf clubs are out OF work today. a
few of them work on the average six
DAYS a month. but most of them depend
on the government dole for their bare
living. Taxes are high, work Is scarce.
and many of my old friends are barely
existing from hand to mouth. The
United States Of America looks good to
me. although they say we are in busl-
ness depression. No depression mere,
unless the bottom falls out of every
thing. can be as bad as the conditions
I saw in Scotland"
The little pro came back breathing
maledictions against British weather
and climatic conditions. In the first
place, the steamer on which he crossed
to Scotland was held up by fog In the
Mersey and he could not land on time.
He was in Scotland IS days, and on 80
of the DAYS 1t showed, rained or hailed.
He was able to play golf only four times
on the Montrose course, where ne
learned the game.
One of the biggest handicaps Thom-
son found to playing golf in Scotland
was the attitude of the course officials
regarding the rules Winter rules, as
we know them in. th& country, are un-
known in Scotland, he said, and DAVE
put in a word or two seeking to induce
the course officials to adopt Winter
rules. In Scotland and England the old
tradition of the game-"Play them as
they lie"-holds good, no matter what
the weather and course conditions may
be. i think they would enjoy their
improved the lie of the ball in the fair
ways during the cold months"
Rained Out Four Times.
The Washington professional made
four different eng2 gements to play on
the famous Carnoustie course. where
the Brit sh open championship is to be
played this year, but each time the
game was rained out. On the fifth oc-
casion. when the skies cleared the au-
thorities in charge closed the layout be-
cause of standing water. A number OF
by way of new tees and
improved trapping are being made at
but the greatest worry OF
the course officials seems to be how they
can manage the large galleries and keep
out those who do not pay an entry fee.
Carnoustie is a public course near the
beach, and is not fenced. The officials
found that to fence the course to keep
out people who do not pay an entry fee
would cost a prohibitive amount and
they are at their wits end as to how to
collect the fee of so cents each day
which will be levied to see the cham
oionship. If this country sends over
strong group of golfers, it may become
1 real problem, although Bobby Jones
will not defend his British
open title Carnoustie is the home OF
The Smith brothers-not the cough-drop
variety, either-but the kind who say it
with flying golf balls and who have won
with them. The late
Alex Smith, Macdonald Smith and
Willie Smith all came from Carnoustie.
Davie is perfectly we'll satisfied to be
back in the land of the free and the
nome of the courageous golfers. where
We have to play a neW-type ball be-
cause some group tells us to do 1t. Brit
ain. he saws, is not taking at all kindly
10 the new bigger and lighter ball, and
here has been no intimation from the
Royal and Ancient that it will follow
he American lead. The members of the
British Ryder Cup team are practicing
With the American standard sphere, but
t probably will not be adopted officially
for British play,