Evening star., 1938-12-24
Try Harder for Their
Clubs Than Selves,
Says Mrs. Payne
Journeys Lasting More
Than Two Days to Be
Taboo Next Season
BY WALTER McCALLUM,

BY WALTER McCALLUM.
Biggest angle of women's golf,
which happens to be the liveliest
thing in golf around Washington,
is not the major cup tournaments,
which draw fields between 100 and
$50 for each event, but the inter-
club team matches. There's more
real interest in these team contests
more real competition-than in
all the cup tournaments put to-
gether," said Mrs. Ralph w. Payne,
who has just retired after three
successful terms as president of the
Women's District Golf Association.
Just now Mrs. Robert A. Lacey,
new preXy Of the feminine links or
ganlzation, is scurrying around try
ing to find candidates to fill two
important jobs next year. These
are the posts of team captain, COM
petentlv handled this year by Mrs.
N. j. Waldron, and of tournament
chairman, handled in 1888 by Mrs.
Lacey.
Both are important" Mrs. Payne
said, but my experience has been
that the team job is the big one
and the one that takes more detail
work" The appointments will come
along In March, when the women
gather to finally arrange their
lengthy schedule, running from
April to November, for the most ac-
tive links group in this territory.
They far outstrip the mere males in
the little matter of competition
among themselves.
Team Events Develop Players.
Certainly the tournaments de-
velop good golfers" Mrs. Payne
said. You couldn't have better
competition than we had this wear
between topnotchers like Marion
Brown, Helen Dettweiler, Mrs. Meek
ley. Mrs. Stokes, Mrs. Stern and a
few others. But down in the lower
scoring class of golfers, which is
where our stars of future years will
come from, the team matches are
the real developers of our better
golfers. They play a rigid sched-
least once a week-and they
night harder for their clubs than
they do in individual tournaments
Our best players are developed in
those team matches. I think thev
are the most important part of our
In between now and March, when
the schedule finally will be whipped
into shape, the gals have to decide |
on some method of playing team
matches that will bring into the |
lold a representative number of first
teams. This year the first team
matches were pitiful affairs. Onlv
Two teams-Chevy Chase and Indian
oprlng-entered first teams.
The others confessed their lack of |
arst-team material and didn't enter
cams, concentrating their strength
n the second and third outfits. all
ot which are determined by handi-
cap ratings. The whole layout was
wrong, for the first teams should in
every sense, be the pride of each
club. Indian Spring won easily,
beating Chevy Chase in hollow
two-club series.
But next year. if the recommended
Ions of Mrs. Waldron are carried
out. there won't be anything like
that. Mrs. Waldron has urged that
any club, to enter second and third
,eams, also must enter first teams.
They may take it on the chin, and
like it, but they must enter just the
same.
Some Shy Top Notch Material.
There are three or four clubs
Which do not have strong first
cam material. These clubs would |
'e easy for strong aggregations like
he Indian Spring and Chevy Chase
cams to whip. But the only way
% develop good golfers is to let
hem take their lickings at the
hands of the DettWeilers and |
Browns. Human nature will take
are Of the needed Improvement.
You don't have/to go further than
he case of Mrs. Myron Davy, who
made up her mind to improve, and
lid just that.
The dear girls are going places in
rolf. Their association. competently
handled and strongly knit together,
S the biggest thing in golf in this
They'll have IA major
up events next year, and not one
If them, barring the District cham
'ionship, will last more than two
lays. That's another thing we've
worked for" Mrs. Payne added.
tournaments which last a week are
'ut. They shouldn't last more than
Wo days, and we'd rather get them
'ver in one day"
But how about that 36-hole final
scheduled next year in the District
Vomen's championship, Mrs. Ex-
'rexy? Is 18 holes match round
IT golf, or is it more serious than
hat? The two finalists in the
in 1899 will start in
'6-hole match for the title. WHY?
dunno, except that "it might elimi-
late upsets."