The american golfer - LA84 Foundation

284 THE AMERICAN GOLFER
DAVID OGILVIE
upset the genera1
accepted
theory that a
professional cannot
win on his
own course by
winning the
Open Championship
of Ohio
from a field of 26 professionals at the
Oakwood Country Club.
Finishing the first day's play tied
for fourth place with a total of 164,
he scored 160 on the second day and
led with a total of 324, one stroke
ahead of Grange Alves, of the Shaker
Heights Club who was in front on the
first day with a score of 151, but
slumped badly on the second, notching
174, which landed him in a tie for
second place with Otto Hackbarth of
the Cincinnati Golf Club and Harry
Harris of Toledo, at 325.
Each of the three men in second
place had a chance to tie Ogilvie on
the home green, but could not get
their putts down.
Arthur Smith of Columbus, last
year's champion, finished sixth with
328. Alves won the special prize for
the best round with a 75 on the first
morning. Mr. Howard Hollinger, the
amateur state champion led the ama-
teurs with 346.
Dave Ogilvie, Oakwood. . . . .
Grange Alves, Shaker. . . . .
Otto Hackbarth, Cincinnati. .
Harry Harris, Toledo. . . . .
W. H. Way, Mayfield. . . . . .
By "LOCHINVAR"
1.
164
151
162
164
165
2.
160
174
163
161
162
Tot.
324
325
325
325
327
Arthur Smith, Columbus. . . . . 162
Jack Way, Cleveland. . . . . . 166
D. K. White, Cleveland. . . . . . 168
W. C. Skelly, Youngstown. . . 170
J. S. Nicoll, Dayton. . . . . . 173
166
169
168
171
169
328
335
336
341
342
A. Simpson, Cincinnati, 343; Mr. Howard
Hollinger, Cleveland, 346; Pete Henry
Cleveland, 347; F. M. Waugh, Columbus,
349; Dave Mentiply, Wyoming, 349; Tom
Edwards, Steubenville, 350; R. Stranahan,
Toledo, 351.
Joe Nicoll of Dayton, was re-elected
president of the Ohio Professional
Golfers' Association and Arthur
Smith of Columbus, first vice-president.
POSSESSING a clay soil which bakes
under the sun's rays, the Westward
Ho ! Golf Club is not one of the easiest
in the Chicago district during dry
spells.
Getting discouraged at his inability
to "take turf" and get the ball in the
air, a player blurted, "For the land's
sakes, won't it ever rain here?"
"It looks as if we should get some
rain soon," replied his opponent,
pointing to a heavy bank of clouds in
the west.
"No chance," responded the pessimist,
"They are only empties coming
back from the Chicago Golf Club.
THE Dodge City Country Club of
Kansas, opened its new course and
club-house last month.
TWO LEADING MEMBERS of the
Janesville Golf Club of Wisconsin,
Mr. Stanley D. Tallman and Mr. Albert
Schaller had a match in an elimination
tournament in which the lat-

ter had to concede an allowance of
two strokes. Janesville has a nineholes
course. When they were ready
to start the first tee was congested, so
they played the eighth and ninth first.
They then went to the first tee and
played a full round, and coming back
to the first tee played to the seventh
hole. This looks simple enough, but
wait.
Each of them entered their scores
on holes eight and nine, but on playing
the first hole, Mr. Schaller entered
his score as the first of the
match, while Mr. Tallman recorded
his as the tenth hole. Mr. Tallman
continued through the round putting
his figures down from eleven to eighteen
as each hole was played. Then
starting from the first tee, he marked
the remaining seven holes.
According to Mr. Tallman's card he
was allowed a stroke at holes nine and
fourteen, and on this basis he finished
all square.
Mr. Schaller, aftering scoring the
first two holes played, started at number
one and continued up to seven.
Then when the eighth and ninth were
played, he entered them as the 17th
and 18th, and then posted the remaining
seven holes as being the tenth to
the sixteenth of the match.
According to his figures he wins one
up, allowing his opponent a stroke on
the 9th and 14th holes. At last report
they were looking for an arbitration
committee.
THE Indianapolis Country Club has
initiated a movement which every club
in the country doubtless will be glad
to copy. A roll of honor booklet containing
the name of every member who
has enlisted in the army or navy is
being prepared. In addition to the
booklet a duplicate roll of honor will be
posted at the club house. Included in
THE AMERICAN GOLFER 285
the list to date are a colonel, a lieutenant-colonel,
four majors and twelve
captains.
MR. DONALD EDWARDS of the Midlothian
Country Club, was among the
prominent Chicago golfers drafted
for the army and now is in training at
Camp Grant, Rockford, Ill.
MR. JOSEPH K. BOLE, of the Mayfield
Club, former Ohio champion, and
David Ogilvie of the Oakwood
Country Club won the four-ball
amateur-professional event staged
ahead of the twelfth annual Ohio
championship at the Oakwood Country
Club. Their score was 73.
MR. ROBERT E. HOLLIWAY, chief of
the bureau of the St. Louis Republic
at Jefferson City, was held in durance
at the Jefferson City jail charged with
contempt of court in publishing prematurely
an article relating to coming
indictments in connection with alleged
scandals at the Jefferson City penitentiary.
Mr. Holliway is a golfer
and figured if he could secure a barrel
and two of his golf clubs, he would
be able to make his stay in jail less
irksome.
" 'Chick' Evans became proficient
in using the mashie by placing a barrel
in his backyard and pitching balls into
it," said Mr. Holliway, "and if they
will let me have my clubs and a barrel
I will get some valuable practice."
PETER O'HARA and Charles Rowe,
the Pittsburgh professionals, defeated
Mr. Charles Evans, Jr., and Mr. D. E.
Sawyer of Chicago, 1 up, in a 36holes
match played last month at the
Pittsburgh Field Club for the benefit
of the American Red Cross. The
biggest crowd of the year was present.
MR. CLARENCE L. WOLFF of the
Forest Park Golf Club won the St.

286 THE AMERICAN GOLFER
Louis championship by defeating Mr.
Roger E. Lord of the Algonquin
Club, 5 and 4, in the 36-holes final.
Mr. Wolff whose play this season
stamps him as one of the best golfers
in Missouri has been drafted for the
army but claimed exemption on the
ground of dependency.
STARTING ITS FUND for the purpose
of furnishing one or possibly two am-
$144 and the Tacoma Country and
Golf Club, $142.
Following are the other subscribers :
Edgewater Golf Club, Chicago $140.25
Idlewild Country Club, Chicago. . . . . 132.60
Exmoor Country Club, Chicago. . . . . 110.00
Red Run Golf Club, Royal Oak, Mich 100.00
Onwentsia Club, Lake Forest, Ill. . . . 102.70
Oak Park Country Club, Chicago. . . 78.00
Sheboygan Country Club, Wisconsin 75.00
Algonquin Golf Club, St. Louis 70.00
Illini Country Club, Springfield, Ill. . . 62.66
Officials of the Women's Western Golf Association who started campaign for Ambulance Fund.
(Left to right) Mrs. C. Davidson (treasurer), Mrs. J. C. Hoag, Mrs. J. P. Gardner (president),
Mrs. C. F. Ott (recording secretary) and Miss E. E. Packard (secretary).
bulances, for service in France, the
Women's Western Golf Association
has raised enough to send four, the
total amount subscribed by the clubs
being $2,870.58, to which the Association
added $129.42, making a total of
$3,000.
The White Bear Yacht Club of Minnesota
topped the list with $170.62, the
Milwaukee Country Club contributing
Aurora Country Club, Ill . . . . . . .
Elgin Country Club, Ill
Women's G. A., Decatur, Ill
Nashville G. and C. C., Tenn . . . .
Indian Hill C. C., Chicago
Chicago Golf Club
Westmoreland C. C., Chicago
Glen View Club, Chicago
Midlothian C. C., Chicago
Shaker Heights C .C., Cleveland . . .
Windsor Golf Club, Chicago
Skokie Country Club, Chicago
62.55
60.00
57.84
57.20
50.00
47.27
45.20
44.46
43.00
42.25
41.30
39.00

Ridgemoor Golf Club, Chicago. . . . .
Elmhurst Country Club, Chicago. . .
Beverly Country Club, Chicago. . .
Town and Country Club, St. Paul. .
Evanston Golf Club, Chicago
Mayfield Country Club, Cleveland. .
San Gabriel Valley C. C, California.
Hinsdale Country Club, Chicago. . .
Inverness Country Club, Toledo. . .
The Country Club, Indianapolis
Flossmoor Country Club, Chicago. .
Ridge Country Club, Chicago
Blue Mound C. C., Milwaukee
La Crosse Country Club, Wisconsin.
Edgebrook Country Club, Chicago. .
Colonial Country Club, Memphis. . .
Blue Hills Country Club, Kansas City
South Shore C. G., Chicago
Glen Oak, C. C., Chicago
Normandie Golf Club, St. Louis. . .
Olympia Fields C. C., Chicago
Beloit Country Club, Wisconsin
Racine Country Club, Wisconsin. . .
Kenosha Country Club, Wisconsin. .
Highland Golf Club, Indianapolis. . .
Freeport Country Club, Illinois
Sioux City Country Club, Iowa
Maywood Golf Club, Chicago
Highlands C. C., Grand Rapids
Rockford Country Club, Ill
St. Louis Country Club, Mo
Kalamazoo Country Club, Mich
Kent Country Club, Grand Rapids. .
Westwood Country Club, St. Louis. .
Lake Geneva Country Club, Wis
Claremont C. C., Oakland, Cal
Cincinnati Golf Club
Bloomington Country Club, Ill. . . . .
Janesville C. C., Wisconsin
Bloomfield Hills C. C., Michigan. . .
Minikahda Club, Minneapolis
THE AMERICAN GOLFER 287
38.65
35.51
32.50
32.50
32.17
32.00
30.90
30.00
30.00
28.24
27.40
27.35
27.00
25.00
25.00
25.00
25.00
23.50
23.30
22.75
21.41
20.00
19.25
17.16
17.00
16.75
16.50
15.44
14.50
14.25
13.78
13.15
11.38
10.80
10.00
10.00
9.00
9.00
9.00
7.39
6.45
MRS. J. L. CAULK of the Bellerive
Country Club created surprise when
she defeated Mrs. A. N. Edwards of
Algonquin, at the twentieth hole in the
final for the St. Louis championship
at the Midland Valley course. It was
her second venture in a tournament
and as Mrs. Edwards is a two-time
winner of the city title and a former
Missouri state champion, the Algonquin
player was picked to win. Mrs.
Caulk had some luck at the water hole
where her drive hit a rowboat and
bounced to the green and enabled her
to score a win in 4. At the final hole
she placed a niblick shot out of a
bunker four feet from the cup and won
5-6.
BOB MACDONALD of the Indian Hill
Club of Chicago won the low gross
prize in the tournament staged by the
Mid-western section of the Professional
Golfers Association at his home
course getting a card of 73, one over
par. Jack Burke of Wheaton and Phil
Gaudin of Onwentsia, tied at 77,
George Turnbull of Midlothian being
fourth. MacDonald made five of the
first seven holes with "birdies." Jock
Hutchison of Glen View had 80.
GEORGE MARR, who had been assistant
professional and club maker at
Minikahda, Onwentsia and South
Shore clubs died October 21 at a Chicago
hospital where he had been confined
several weeks with paralysis of
his lower limbs. He was a native of
St. Andrews, Scotland.
WILLIAM B. LANGFORD, the Chicago
course architect, who is in charge of
the enlargement of the Portage course
at Akron, Ohio, and the construction
of the new Fairlawn course in the
same city has a gang of Austrians at
the former club and one of Turks at
the latter. The Austrians took a fancy
to the game and going into the woods
cut sticks from which they made onepiece
clubs. Langford says they resemble
the drivers of 75 years ago.
He traded an iron head for two of the
clubs and brought them to Chicago.
He predicts the owner of the iron head
will put a shaft in and then be looked
upon as a plutocrat by his mates. The
Turks have not taken up the sport yet.
DETROIT has now eleven clubs, actual
and prospective. Work on the Spring
Valley and Meadowlawn clubs is prac-

288 THE AMERICAN GOLFER
tically completed and the prospective
course is that of the Detroit Automobile
Club.
GEORGE VON ELM, a 15 year old
player, won the championship of Utah,
defeating Mr. Thornton Gilmer, champion
in 1912, 9 and 8, in the 36 holes
final at the Salt Lake Country Club.
Mr. H. Lamb and Mr. R. W. Salisbury,
former title-holders, are both in
the army.
THE UNUSUAL HAPPENINGS of father
meeting son for a club championship
occurred at the Interlachen Club of
Minneapolis when Mr. Allen Labatt
defeated his father, Mr. George K.
Labatt, one of the best known players
in Minnesota, 1 up in the 36 holes
final. Mr. G. K. Labatt has held the
title several years and his son had to
turn in a medal card of 152 in order
to win.
Without delving deeply into the
statistics of golf in the Middlewest we
cannot recall a similar instance in a
match calling for high class golf. The
late Mr. Charles Hunter and his son,
Dr. Paul Hunter, made a strong family
team and Mr. Louis Allis and his
son Ned, were another strong pair.
Mr. Edward S. Hunter and his son
Robert E., former intercollegiate
champion, Mr. J. P. Gardner and Mr.
Paul Gardner were other strong pairs,
but if any of the seniors won a club
championship it was before their sons
were big enough to play well. The
paternal parents of Mr. Warren K.
Wood, Mr. Donald and Mr. Kenneth
Edwards, Mr. James D. Standish and
Mr. Harry Legg generally were outclassed
by their sons, when the latter
were in their knickerbocker stages.
MENTION WAS MADE last month of
the setting of a new record for the
Del Monte course by Mr. Douglas
Grant in his match against Mr. Jack
Neville in the semi-final round of the
California championship. Winning the
match on the 14th green Mr. Grant
had to make the last four holes in par
figures in order to lower the record of
66. The gallery which had been keyed
up by the fine match was kept at a
state of tension. The fifteenth hole
is 266 yards but is a hard green to
reach on the drive. Mr. Grant had to
be satisfied with a par 4, making his
task harder, as the last three holes are
difficult. The sixteenth hole is 400
yards and Mr. Grant got his four with
a good drive, an iron to the green and
two putts.
Hole 17 is 145 yards and requires
an excellent pitch to hold the ball on
the green near the pit. His tee shot
landed 18 feet from the cup and his
well-hit putt went straight into the cup,
putting him one under par.
Mr. Grant got away a good drive
over the hill for the 18th hole, 378
yards. His iron second was overplayed
and to the dismay of the gallery
scudded over the green into the
long grass beyond. It looked like a
hard four. His long approach putt
had the right line but went over the
cup six feet. It was a nerve-trying
shot at this particular stage but the
ball found its goal amid a round of
applause and gave Mr. Grant his coveted
65, and a mark of 133 for the
double round. His card for the afternoon
was:
Out—3 5 3 4 5 4 3 2 4—33
In — 4 4 4 2 4 4 4 2 4—32—65
In his morning round of 68, Mr.
Grant made the 11th hole, 227 yards,
in one.
MR. SAMUEL REYNOLDS, who won
the Transmississippi tournament,
rounded out a fine season of golf by
winning the championship of the

Omaha Field Club from Mr. Blaine
Young, 6 and 5 in the 36 holes final.
CONSTRUCTION WORK is scheduled to
start shortly on the $200,000 club house
of the new Lochmoor Golf Club in the
Grosse Pointe district of Detroit. The
golf course, designed by Mr. Walter
J. Travis, has been completed at a cost
of $50,000 and when the house is finished
the club will have an organization
that will compare with any in the
country. The course at full stretch
measures some 7100 odd yards but by
the provision of three teeing-grounds
at each hole intermediate distances of
6600 and 6300 yards respectively are
provided. The club, which was organized
in March has 135 acres of land.
A paved and illuminated boulevard
8,000 feet in length will connect the
club with Lake St. Clair, where it is
planned to have boating facilities. A
large swimming pool will be one of
the features.
IN ADDITION to the new Lochmoor
course which it is expected will be
ready for play next July, Detroit golfers
are looking for the opening of the
new Oakland Hills course at about the
same time.
This is a Donald Ross creation and
will measure from 6,400 to 6,600 yards.
Extra tees have been provided at six
of the holes while at the others the
teeing-grounds have extra width and
depth. Officers of the club are: President,
Mr. Joseph Mack; Vice-President,
Mr. L. S. Trowbridge, Jr; Treasurer,
Mr. Alonzo P. Ewing; Secretary,
Mr. R. B. Harmon.
WITH THE SEASON near its finish the
wisdom of the action of the Western
Pennslvania Golf Association in
abandoning all tournaments has been
questioned by many Pittsburgh golfers.
While it was considered right to
THE AMERICAN GOLFER 289
abandon all competitive tournaments
in which titles were at stake, on account
of the war, no good purpose was
served, they contend, in abandoning all
tournaments. The golfers played anyway,
but the interest was not the same.
If anything, holding tournaments
would keep the interest alive and attract
players to the links, who would
benefit from the exercise derived. It
would also benefit the middle-aged men
and should it be necessary later on to
MRS. WALTER G. SILVER,
President Nebraska Women's Golf Association.
raise the age limit a lot more better
conditioned men could be secured.
MR. W. C. FOWNES, Jr., of Pittsburgh,
who has not played in any competitions
this year, partnered Walter
Hagen, the Rochester professional,
against Champion Charles Evans, Jr.,
and Arthur Smith, the Columbus pro-

290 THE AMERICAN GOLFER
fessional, at the Scioto Country Club,
Columbus, O., the former pair winning
by three points. Smith led with
a 73, Mr. Evans having 74, and Mr.
Fownes and Hagen each getting 74.
The receipts of the match approximated
$1,100 and went to the Red
Cross.
AS THE Exmoor Country Club of
Chicago is located near Fort Sheridan
malt and spirituous liquids are under a
governmental ban which fact leads Mr.
Charles H. Hermann, one of its members,
to write as follows in his club
paper:
"Everybody knows that the Exmoor
grill is not the same. I saw a sight
there last Wednesday that will take me
a long time to forget. After golf, three
others and myself blew in there from
force of habit. After "lamping" the
menu, with its long list of ades and
sundaes, we decided to pass the time
away figuring our scores. At the next
table to us were seated four Irishmen,
Dick Collins, Dennie Kelly, Murphy
and Tom Webb. They were arguing
about signing the check, just as four
ladies would about paying car fare.
I believe it wound up by each signing
his own. Presently the polite waitress
returned with a large tray full of daintily
decorated china cups and saucers
and a pail of lady fingers.
In amazement I watched the proceedings.
Collins poured and they
squeezed a slice of lemon into their
cups. Upon tasting they evidently decided
the tea had too much "kick," so
they added hot water. Then each of
them took a side hold on a lady finger
and hoisted it. The lady fingers rebelled
but they forced them down by
pouring hot tea after them.
It wouldn't have surprised me any
more to see some one feeding tea and
lady fingers to a horse.
No, the grill room is not the same."
MR. BRADFORD MITCHELL, formerly
of the Fort Mitchell Club of Kentucky,
who was a prominent figure in southern
golf circles a few years ago, won
the championship of the Exmoor
Country Club, defeating Mr. D. Mc-
Murray, 11 and 10, in the 36 holes
final.
MR. C. H. SMITH of Chicago won
the championship of the National
MRS I. M. WHEELER,
Montana Women's State Champion, 1917.
Paint, Oil and Varnish Association
played at the Flossmoor Country Club,
Chicago, defeating Mr. J. N. Welter
of Chicago, 1 up.
Mr. A. H. Peck of New York won
the President's prize for low net at
36 holes. Mr. A. P. Wetherill of Philadelphia
won the low net prize for the
first round.
SUIT FOR $15,000 has been begun by
Lawrence Fenger, a 14-year old caddy,

against the Ridgemoor Golf Club for
the loss of an eye. While employed
as a caddy he was struck in the eye
by a golf ball.
JACK BURKE, now at the Wheaton
Golf Club of Chicago, was professional
at the Thunder Bay Club of
Chicago when that organization was
in its infancy. The tee plates arrived
and were installed in their proper positions.
Mr. Black, a beginner, started
on a round under the blissful belief
that the ball had to be driven from
the top of the plates. At the third
hole he struck too low, and cut a piece
out of his driver. Returning to the
shop at the end of the round he told
Burke that he should have obtained
larger plates, that those in use might
be large enough for a professional but
were not big enough for an amateur.
MR. RUSSELL SMITH of Portland,
one of the leading players of the
Northwest, has joined the engineering
corps and gone to Washington, D. C.
The Onwentsia Club in calling off
its annual pow-wow and golf tournament
made the announcement as follows
:
WAR, YE BRAVES !
Not for us this year the Pow-Wow,
With dread war on the horizon;
Not the days of busy pleasure,
While the Nation needs our service;
Not our mimic braves in combat,
When we see our blue-clad sailors;
Not the stroke of cleek and driver,
With the crack of rifles sounding;
Not the blanket and the feathers,
With the ranks in khaki marching.
Through the years of peace and plenty
Spent we freely time and money
Rambling o'er the links in sunshine
When the gold of gay September
Or the skies of blue October
Called us from our profit-making;
Now our time is all our Country's,
Now our purses are the Nation's,
THE AMERICAN GOLFER 291
While the bugle loud is ringing
And America has called us.
Friend with friend was friendly rival
In these days we say farewell to:
Now the friend of every people
Worthy to receive such friendship,
Gallant France, so loved, so lovely,
Calls to us with her to rival
Mighty England, doughty Scotland,
Little Wales, and fighting Ireland,
Canada and far Australia,
In self-sacrifice and danger.
MR. E. J. BARKER,
Montana State Champion, 1917.
O'er the Alps the Queen of Beauty,
Italy, her trump is sounding;
From the north unhappy Russia
Yearns toward the Great Republic;
Belgium, so scourged and outraged,
Serbia, given up to rapine,
Brave Rumania, so vanquished,
Cry for help 'gainst cold and famine:
How can we, then, waste our substance
In the glad old merry-making?

292 THE AMERICAN GOLFER
Come, ye Braves, and view the braver:
To the north our youthful sailors,
To the south our brown-clad soldiers,
Proud your sons are with the Colors,
Proud America is fighting,
Proud—and praying, not for conquest,
But for peace that comes with honor
When the Goddess in bright armor,
In her hand our Starry Banner,
Stands, with humankind, triumphant.
THE Blue Hills Club of Kansas City
has made a bid for the western amateur
championship next year. The other
bidders are Inverness of Toledo, Country
Club of Detroit and the Town and
Country Club of St. Paul.
MR. E. J. BARKER, for the eleventh
time in 15 years, won the Butte City
championship, easily beating Mr.
Joseph Manwaring in the final.
GEORGE O'NEIL, professional at the
Chain O'Lakes Club of South Bend,
who will shortly publish in book form
his series of articles on various clubs,
has contributed the following on the
niblick.
The preeminence of the expert player
is due chiefly to two features—his accurate
control of his shots and his confident skill
in playing shots from difficult lies. A player
of very ordinary ability can easily and
sincerely figure that he ought to play any
course in par or even a little under. He
can actually, at different times, play every
hole in as few strokes as any professional
or high-class amateur. His trouble is
merely that once or oftener in every round
he inevitably "gets off his game" or has a
bad break of luck.
When analyzed, these misfortunes usually
reduce themselves to two conditions.
Through lack of control the ball ran into
the rough or into a pit or behind a bunker
or a tree; and through lack of skill in playing
from difficult lies, one, two, three, or
even more shots were lost in the effort to
get back upon the fairway.
THE VALUE OF PRACTICE
Every player knows these facts, but
there are too many who, nevertheless, con-
tinue to trust to luck to keep them out of
trouble and rely upon main strength and
awkwardness to get them out when once
they have got in. The mastering of control
by means of practice seems to such
players a waste of time; it is dull and
stupid; it is not "playing the game."
I wish now to emphasize the necessity of
mastering that useful but despised club, the
niblick, and to urge every player who aspires
to real proficiency in golf to study
this club and its uses.
When I call the niblick a despised club,
I, of course, do not mean that it is little
used. Practically every player carries one
in his bag, and many have only too frequent
occasion for its use in pits and traps. But
how few players ever really study the
clubs! Even of the class of players who,
when off their game, occasionally devote
an hour or so to practice with driver, iron,
mashie, or putter, how many are there who
ever deliberately go out for an hour's practice
in a bunker with a niblick?
THE EXAMPLE OF EXPERTS
If there is any one too proud for such
practice, or any one who feels that because
he is going well it is unnecessary, he
needs to reconsider. Let him learn the
habits of the best players. If he should
happen to ask Chick Evans where he spent
the greater part of the afternoon a day or
two before he won the western open
championship at Beverly in 1910 he will
learn that the champion was practicing in a
bunker at old Edgewater, where he began
his golfing career. All the great players
practice incessantly, and they do not confine
their practice to the spectacular features
of the game or to the times when they are
not playing in good form.
THE INFLUENCE OF FEAR
Incidentally it may be said that the player
who has learned how to play out of difficulties
and has no fear of them is less
likely to get into them than the player who
dreads them. Every one who has learned
to ride a bicycle will remember the fatal
attraction which trees and posts had for
him when he was learning to ride, and
every golfer who, when he makes his stroke,
is in terror of slicing or pulling or topping
into a hazard, knows that his very fear increases
the chances of his doing what he

tries to avoid. Mastery of hazards therefore
is necessary, not only to aid in getting
out but also to prevent getting in.
THE NIBLICK is a club of the same general
type as the mashie. It is, in fact, a
development of the mashie for special purposes.
As it is particularly designed for
play out of a sand pit or similar hazard,
it has a greater pitch than a mashie, in
order to give the ball a quicker rise, and is
heavier, in order to force its way through
obstructions.
The stance is in general the same as for
the mashie, with the ball about midway between
the feet, but situations in hazards
are infinitely varied—the ball may be in
a hanging lie, or at the bottom of a pit,
or in a depression—and the opportunities
for stance are often very limited or awkward.
The traps placed to catch bad tee shots
usually differ from those placed to protect
the putting-green. The former are usually
deep pits or high bunkers—frightful traps,
which require a three-quarter swing to get
a ball out and a little beyond. The niblick
needs plenty of pitch and must take some
sand in order to get well under the ball
and give it a sharp rise. The swing is
like that for a chip shot with a mashie.
The club head is swung well back, with the
turn of the wrists, and is brought down
with a steady swing. The face of the
club at the moment of impact is perpendicular
to the line of direction, and the
THE AMERICAN GOLFER 293
stroke should be planned for a follow
through with the club face in the same position.
Traps surrounding putting greens are
usually less formidable, and, while they
call for less power, require much skill if
the player is to take advantage of the opportunity
to lay his ball up for a chance at
the hole.
If the pitch required is slight, all that
is necessary is to be careful to take only
a fraction of an inch of sand and to avoid
trying to aid the club in raising the ball.
The club head should be allowed to go
through normally with the throw of the
hands. If a greater pitch is required, the
play is different. The sharper the rise the
more vertical must be the arc of the swing;
and if a very sharp rise is necessary, the
club face must be laid back and faced to
the right, and the swing must cut across
the line of direction, as in the mashie shot
with back spin. This will enable the player
to get a good pitch without run. The shot
is difficult but extremely useful and its
mastery is worth all it costs.
In all such shots skill is the prime essential.
In fact, it is more necessary to
play in good form when in difficulty than
at any other time. When in trouble perfect
play is the only effective play. On the
fair green a half topped shot may turn out
well after all; in a pit a foozle has little
chance of success and may cost not one
shot more, but many.