OCR Text |
Show FOR a while they had golf reeling and hanging on the ropes but with the arrival of spring the old game has bounded back again. Soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, duffers, dubs, the tired businessman, defense workers and many others who make up our aver-f aver-f age society today are once more swinging away with the driver and brassie or keeping the niblick blazing hot. There was a spell whea many thousands, thou-sands, who needed i 1 k 4 to- the exercise and the GrantlandRice recreation, were ashamed to be seen with a bag of clubs. Today, in clubs that are rlose to transportation centers, there is a rush to play, an increase even above last April. Clubs off the beaten track are taking tak-ing a trimming. The others are doing extremely well. Which is better bet-ter for those able to get out once in a while than to sit brooding replete re-plete with alcoholic stimulation. It is surprising to know how many clubs, which can be reached without gasoline or rubber, are doing as well as they ever did. The Old Story Returns Unless the situation changes, we are quite likely to have again the old story of the "vanishing husband," hus-band," the old "sport of missing men." I know of no one who told that story better than J. P. McEvoy did many years ago. It was to this effect "Who's that stranger, mother dear? Look! He knows us ain't he queer?" "Hush, my own, don't talk so wild. That's your father, dearest child." "That's my father? No such thing. Father died away last spring." "Father didn't die, you dub. Father joined a golfing club." "Now the club is closed, so he Has no place to go, you see. No place left for him to roam, That is why he's coming home." "Kiss him he won't hurt you, child. AU these golfing guys look wild." The Important Side The important part of golf isn't the tournament side. That happens to be only the window dressing. The part of the ancient game Is the hand-to-hand grapple among some two million or three million average players, whose scores may range from 85 to 120. The 90 to the 110 player has always been the stout backbone of the game some dour Scot invented over 500 years ago. These pay most of the dues, keep most of the courses going and have most of the fun. Most of these today to-day are middle-aged or beyond middle-age. Many of them range between be-tween 70 and 90. There is a big class between 40 and 60. Golf ns a so-called "rich man's game" is out forever. This is the day of the municipal course. There has been a sweeping trend in this dirci'ticn and it will know a new boom when the war is over. From reports received from many places around the bunkered map, it is surprising the amount of golf now played in so many localities. Especially over municipal courses that so often are easily readied. Durochcr's Challenge "So the Cardinals and the Yankees are going to fight it out again next fall," Leo Durocher said. "The Cardinals and the Yankees. No one else. And the Dodgers can't do anything any-thing about it. Well, I can't agree with that. The Dodgers will have a lot to say about it. And we'll say it with high-class pitching and a (lock of base hits. I think we have every bit as good a chance to win the National league pennant as the Cardinals have. Yes, they have the edge on us in speed. Rut we'll get Just as good pitching and better hitting. hit-ting. "1 doulit also If there will lie any nther eluli ns woll-eomlilloned. I know there won't he another willing to hustle more. Wo still remember that ten-game lead we blew Into last Mimmcr. That's something to remember re-member and we haven't forgottep it." Dodger Pitching Strength Overlooking his busy squad, Duro-rher Duro-rher saved the major portion of bis eloquence for his pitching stair. "Last summer." he said, "Wyatt, Iligbo and Head together won games. I honestly believe this same bunch, through this new season, will come close to tilt games. Wyatt and Uigbe are normally 'M game winners. win-ners. And llils time 1 think Head will ban around thai maili. Ke member, he Is only '.'It yearn old. I'd say he Is the most Improved young pitcher I'vo een for years |