eighty yards which he has to carry to get over some danger. But he is somewhat pachydermatous and case-hardened when he gets on the green, and it is astonishing what a difference a deadly long putt can make in the fortunes of a match. The middle-aged player perhaps realises the fact that golf is a game, while to the youngster it is business: the veteran plays philosophically, and if he does this he may very likely find himself putting respectably. It is a trifling blot on a great game that putting, relatively to the rest of the game, is far too important. A man who foozles his drive and slices his approach, but who is nevertheless always down in two strokes after he has got on the putting-green, if not in one, is very hard to beat except his opponent is a really good player.
It has been said, that every match is won by the short game; this, like many much-quoted sayings, is a half-truth. You cannot win a match if you approach and putt badly; but there are some courses, Sandwich, for instance, where you may just as well go home as dream of winning a match or making a respectable score if you are "off" your driving. At Sandwich,
