Life, 1921-10-27 · page 28 of 34
Life — October 27, 1921 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1920s Life magazine page satirizes women golfers through mock medical "case studies." The humor targets female golf players as mentally or socially deficient: **The cases mock:** - Women's supposed timidity (not shouting "Fore!" warnings) - Economic stinginess (sharing caddies to save a quarter) - Distraction by male celebrities (John Barrymore) - Indecision and stubbornness on the course - Overly dramatic sensitivity to criticism The title's joke—a woman leaves at 128 strokes and returns in 3.5 hours—suggests slow, incompetent play. This reflects early-20th-century gender anxiety: as women increasingly participated in golf and other leisure activities previously male-dominated, satirists used pseudo-scientific humor ("dementia praecox," "retarded mental development") to mock their participation as inherently ridiculous or pathological. The cartoons present female golfers as emotional, illogical, and comically unsuited to the sport.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
After the Ball She Goes Out in 128, and Comes Back in Three Hours and a Half Case No. 2443—Miss Dorothy A. Very fair golfer. Uncertain. Has ladylike aversion to shouting “Fore!” and doesn’t believe it necessary to wait until persons ahead have taken their second shots. Not particularly violent, but at times rather dangerous (see picture). Cases No. 2444 and No. 2445—Miss Pussye B., Miss Pattye D. Both show exaggerated symptoms of femi- nine economy. In order to save a quarter, they have persuaded the small caddy to carry double. Also suffer- ing from the delusion (see paraphernalia) that they are mountain climbers about to ascend Mt. Blanc. Very pathetic, Ett Plow neg \\ WN Case No. 2447—Miss Bunnye E. Incipient dementia pracox. Cannot concentrate on the game, particu- larly when anybody as stunning as John Barrymore, my dear, crosses the links only eighty yards away. Inclined to let mind wander while on put- ting greens, adding up score, waiting to drive off, etc. Very silly. Case No. 2446—Miss Rénée D. Persistent delusions that a ball in the rough can be invariably recovered. Is remarkably tena- cious to this fixed idea, and is dissuaded from purpose with great difficulty. Fa- vorite song: “A Good Ball Is Hard to Find.” Very annoying. Case No. 2447—Miss Teddye F, Retarded mental development due to indulgent par- ents, Cannot decide which club to ust before trying all of them. Cannot decide then. If spoken to harshly while oa links, believes she is the victim of organ ized persecution. Very provoking. comicbooks.com