Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-09
Tales of a Wayside Tee.


~ VOW many golfers writes
- H. H. F., have any one
stroke from short putt to
full drive they would be
willing to carry over intact through the
next year? 1 am not referring to the
best of the pros and the best OF the
amateurs, but to the average variety,
who might play between 85 and no.
The average golfers game is made
I'D of many startling varieties. You
can check back on the list of those
who know and see just how this works
out.
For few examples:
/. The one who drives well, around
the 80 class, and whose iron play is
poor Net average, 80.
2. Those who can't use a wooden
club but who are fair with the irons.
3. Those who can't handle the wood
en- clubs or the long irons, but who
can pitch and putt effectively.
4. Those who are not very good with
any club, but are not terribly bad with
any club.
5. Those who are poor up to the
green. but who are deadly once they
can sight the cup.
6. Those who are fair up to the
green. but are cockeyed putters.
I think the average golfer, if he had
his choice of one high-class shot, would
take the drive A good, long drive
down the middle is at least the most
all around satisfying shot in golf. 1t
may not have any greater thrill than
the long iron or the braSSie to the
green, but it is the foundation OF most
sound golf.
The golfer who is hooking. Slicing or
/ topping his tee shots over good course
is usually helpless.
The Test.
WILLIE MACFARLANE proved this
w some time back. The eX-open
champion had been giving one of
his club members from 10 to 20 strokes.
Willie had been shooting around 10,
his opponent around 100.
Nearly all this difference" his OPP
ponent said one day lis in the tee
shot" They agreed to play even the
next time, each taking the others
drive The 100 player found himself
playing a second from a straight long
tee shot. MacFarlane had to play his
second from various and unusual
places, about 80 yards back of his nor
NAL position.
MacFarlane had a n and his OPP
ponent a 70. They played again and
the duffer won by l hole at approx
mately the same scoring pace. By
using the professionals driving the
duffer had taken more than 20 strokes
per round off his game.
I'm place of playing mashie shots or
No. 3 or 4 irons to the green" Willie
said, II was using brassieS and spoons
and long irons and I was playing from
the rough, from traps and often back
of trees"
The missed drive brings about in
slant depression in playing the hole.
There may be subsequent recovery
that makes up for the mistake. but it
doesn't take many missed drives to
wreck round
Bad putting might be almost as an
noying. but this is used more as an eX-
cuse or an alibi than as a confession of
some fault. Il would have had an 80,
but 1 took 8 puts on 8 greens'-etc.,
etc. You never hear anybody say, Il
would hare had an 30, but I missed 8
drives"
The better golfers appreciate the long
iron to the pin, but that is because
most Of them take a good drive for
granted. Let them begin missing their
! tee shots and see what happens on a
championship course. The type of
course can make a tremendous differ
ence. If the missed drive isn't penal
lied to any great extent it may do no
great damage, where the missed ap-
proach may run into far more trouble.
l think the average golfer would say,
Give me a long, straight drive and
I'll gamble on the rest Of it working
out in some way"
| The Great Riddle.
! A MOTHER common variety of golf
"A might be called the shifting
game"-that is to say, the player
drives well one day and approaches