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Show GOLF. Two weeks from today the season of tournaments tourna-ments begins with the first round in the men's handicap cup competition, match play at eighteen holes. The following Wednesday the first round for the women's handicap cup will be played, ami from then on until the middle of October things will be much doing on the dusty, gravel-cussed course. One thing is evident right now, and that is, that the quality of play in this year's competitions' will be much higher than that of last. This is especially true of the men players; for some reason the women have not taken the usual interest in the game, more's the pity. Last year, with a medal score limit of 90 for "A" class, but five men succeeded in reaching that desirable eminence. This year, with medal score three strokes lower, eight have turned in cards of that figure or below, be-low, while two or three others have all but succeeded suc-ceeded in covering the eighteen holes within the limit. Part of this is due to more systematic practice, part to the clover coaching of Mr. Leonard, who is certainly a good instructor; and part to the use of the patent rubber ball. On the short course of the Country Club, I believe the rubber filled ball cuts the scores down from two to five strokes. Undoubtedly, too, the sinking of the cups has reduced re-duced the medal scores of the more erratic players. play-ers. Nevertheless, golf, "as she is meant to be" is shown with much greater frequency than last season when the majority of us were playing any old way to get the ball around the course. Match play, both in the handicap and scratch events is going to be much closer than last season, and some really good golf may be looked for. It is to be hoped that some good drenching rains will play tag with the course before the championship season begins. A gravel pit is a Brigham street lawn compared with some spots in the fair greens, while the dust. . Three times last week I saw truly pitched balls, scheduled sched-uled far positions dead on the green, either bound directly back, or off at an angle of about 45 degrees. de-grees. If that wouldn't make a pious golfer talk sassy to himself, I don't know what would. When Mr. Leonard deepens the trap bunker guarding the approach to the fifth hole, it will be the sportiest on the course. It will require a very nicely judged approach pitch to avoid the bunker or prevent the ball from dropping into the trap on the far side. I am sorry to hear of J. Walcott Thompson's illness. His game for two months has been splendid, and it is to be sincerely hoped that his illness will not prove serious. |