GOLF AMONG THE WAY-BACKS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 195, 12 May 1908, Page 5

GOLF AMONG THE WAY-BACKS.

'(By Jenny Wren.) .

• It was a happy; occurrence for women when golf was first invented, for few out-door games aro so'.specially adapted for ■ their pleasure and .advantage. 'Nearly' $1. tho games of the present day are pursued bymany.of their devotees with such,an excessive amount of energy that they gain more harm than good- from them. Ono great advantage is that'ago is not tho barrier towards proficiency'..in 7 golf that it is -.in- tennis' arid hockey.. Even if ono only begins to play, quite lato in lifo it is possible, by dint of; much patienco and perseverance, to become a. very fair player. There is no wild, and often fruitless,\ chasing all over'the ground'after the little white ball —it simply lios, there waiting for you to do your best with it—such a bad best sometimes. • , i, , " ' Modoration not being a strong point of the present day woman, it is a. relief to find ono game at least whero it is; not'necessary to turn into a whirlwind, but just go at a' steady paco with timo'to use-whatever skilj'yoii can command for every shot.' Somo 'people- have said, that no, other 1 pastimo provokes such anger and such strong expressions of disgust, 'but that, of course, - would never .apply to women. ; '.- '' . Perhaps 'nothing else.plunges its devotees into such' depths/ of- utter: despondency- and despair about ultimate excellence as.it does. One begins with such hopo,. such strong ambition, to excel, and so iittlo seems-to come for many a long day, )of : all one's' efforts! The clubs are got by tho advico of a friend who.knows what should bo considered, furtive journeys' aro made to tho links when riono of the (proficient are, about, 1 and tlio problom or swinging is grappled with. At first, the re-, stilts, are heartrending! A .'mighty- swing is given 'for the: drive-off, clouds of earth and grass arise,i and when, pquilibrium and , calm aro restored/the ball is seen resting l unmoved upon'its tiny. sand.-heap. -;'At this stage .of th'o garao much, practising is don© ill paddocks'or with tho ball tied by a long string to a clothes-line in the back premises—rather a.fa/'ourito method'-with some. By dint'of much, deggod 'persoveranco an improvement is gained in tho game, though, tho. number of : strokes.one went round in is not by:any means trumpeted abroad. Tho joy and pride that possess one's very, soul, however, when a good,clean shot is made, and tho ball goes sailing far'in-the way it should-go, is worth living for —tlio dark dreary, days of the beginning are; forgotten; and olio's reward i§ indeed at hand, j It is still, however, a gamo of good days and very bad ones, and will bp for longi ' - • •'

- So popular has tho game'- beconiovthat nearly,,'overy .country town, wherever-you go and. no |matter how small,, has its golf .club, and-members will travel almost any distance for a game.. Some who livo right out in the country have links mado on' their own'places/ where"th'oy.practise■ among themselves'; but! turn' up on the club grounds for matches and competitions regularly,. be tho weather,.wet, or, fine.' Occasionally, in the. depths; of the winter, tho ground will,get marshy in!'parts, and by the time ~tho round has been' made one is no longer fit for' tho society of ; those who .have'not .been playing, there being-little 'of orio that'is, not splashed with "mud; 'Sometimes the ground may be;; very ' broken "in jar.ti-^hills;..gullies/.arid creeks cut'tingSinto. it;,, and' then, th'o cruellest blows of fate/befall one.,', a' beautiful shot made across a: deep "wide gully to .very ipiich ', highc-i ground on the othet side, the' ball skimming, over it .like a bird, only to".strike the 'outermost! edge of;a sheep track, on the very. top. and slowly, hesitatingly, roll gently back arid trickle down: to the uttermost depths of. tho abyss. Rage .and despair gain- jwsse'ssion .of the soul, for . at any , time it is. a difficult tricky thing to do'successfully. However, one; learns - to', take' .rovcrs.es''with'. calmness after a timo. \ % '. .. v Even in our games, .the,recreations ,of our! lives, success can only- come, with labour and trouble,' and particularly is thip so in the gamo of 'golf, but; its fascination is irresistible. '■ That 'fascination does tfot slie altogether in tho game itself, but partly m, its surroundings. To get put into'the free, open' space of the country, be the day cloudy or sunny, .-'stimulated' by tho sharp , winds that come straight from the mountains, and on rising..ground' where .you can look down on the wide sweep of valley-stretching far. into tho, distance, is a joy in itself Wherever you! look the bright colouring!of autumn-is' upon everything, and-'vivkl patches, of 1 scarlet and gold mako startling' splashes. of colour .here and there about the landscape." . The. mountains', too, wear the deep sombre purple that comes at-this time of the year. Altogether, there is no 'tonic;in' tho -'world 'for driving away, ithe'gray and. gloomy . moods- that wiF tako possession of ono liko .a long day nlgolf.! 'When at last tho light begins.to f.-ii' ! it is with reluctance that ono puts away the clubs ,and gossips for awhile about the .Vicissitudes'experienced during the game-and'other things, and then, pleasantly tired, takes the homeward track; feeling- ail's well with the world. ." '