Life — July 27, 1922 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Explanation for Modern Readers This page satirizes the evolution of golf from an aristocratic pursuit to a mass-market sport. The seven panels trace golf's progression: **IV-V**: An "idol" golfer (well-dressed, surrounded by admirers) contrasts with a "justice" figure enforcing rules strictly. **VI**: Golf becomes accessible to ordinary people, shown by a man with spectacles playing on a smaller, public course—"the aimless knocking of a child." **VII**: The final stage depicts golf's popularization as chaotic and undignified—"sans time, sans taste, sans pep, sans everything." The satire mocks how golf transitioned from an exclusive gentleman's game to a democratized leisure activity, with the implication that mass participation degraded the sport's prestige and quality. The verses emphasize this decline throughout.