Muncie residents interested in golf; Country Club forming; Miss Hemingray listed

GOLF AND MUNCIE PLAYERS

Although the game of golf is a well known pastime and one of the oldest yet is is a game which is familiar to but a comparative few, the others having only a general idea of the popular game. It was originally the national game of Scotland and is now the most fashionable game of England and America. Golf is known to have been played several centuries ago. The game is known to have existed as far back as the fifteenth century in that the Scottish parliament expressed itself, that it be "decided and ordain­ed that golfe be utterly cryit doun and nocht usit," as it had become so popular and was a serious menace to the then more important study and practice of archery. At the close of the century parliament still continued its expression of disapproval by the following: "Fute ball and golfe forbidden. Item, it is statut and ordain it that in na place of the realme there be usit, fute ball, golfe or uther sik unprofitable sportes, under the pain of fourtie shillinges." But later even James IV himself, who had been the author of the above edict, became a liberal patron, as is shown by the old golfing records. Possibly the game originated in Holland as the German word "Kolbe," a club. The oldest golf club in England is that of Blackheath near London, which was instituted 1608. Golf clubs of old standing exist in Bombay, Calcutta, Australia, South America, Canada and all over the United States. There is nothing little about the game as the course takes not less than three miles, nor more than five miles. In this course are eighteen "holes' which may be from 100 to 500 yards apart. The holes are 4 1/4 inches in diameter and about 4 inches in depth. The object of the game is to put a small gutta percha ball into the series of holes in the least number of strokes. The strokes are varied more or less as to the kind of club used and the golf clubs which may be used in a game are numerous, The names of the clubs are peculiar, some being cleek, brassie, gooseneck putter, contraject mashie. For an expert, a set of six clubs fur­nish a complete outfit, consisting of a drion, brassie niblic, cleek, mashie iron and putter, to be used according to the position of the ball and the distance. The golf ball is made of gutta percha, or of some compound into which gutta percha largely enters, and is about one and three-quarter inches in diameter. The game is fascinating because of its never ending, ever changing conditions. A number of our residents have become interest­ed in the game to the extent that a large space of ground has been leased and they have laid out the course for golf near the home of the Country club, of which they are members. They are practicing constantly and before many weeks will be playing the game scientifically. Those of this city who are taking especial interest in the game are Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Maring, Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Bingham, Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Marsh, Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Little, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Olcott, Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Evans, Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Dickie, Mr. and Mrs. George Ball, Miss Olcott, Miss Turner, Miss Hemingray, Miss McNaughton, Dr. Winans, Mr. Robert Walker, Mr. McNaughton, Mr. John McNaughton, Mr. Jay Turner, Mr. Walter Gregory and others.