Bulletin of the Green Section of the U. S. Golf Association Vol. II Washington, D. C., August 15, 1922 No. 8 A MONTHLY PERIODICAL TO PROMOTE THE BETTERMENT OF GOLF COURSES CONTENTS Twenty-Sixth Amateur Golf Championship of the United States...................... 226 Women’s Amateur Golf Championship of the United States.... .......... _.......... 227 Green Section Meeting at Skokie..... ......... ...... ............... ......................... 228 How We Saved the Trees at Glen Echo. W. C. Ferguson 228 Friendly Birds on the Golf Course. W. L. McAtee...... . ............. 229 On Traps. Dr. Maynard M. Metcalf-............................. 232 Seeding Fairways in the Northern States. Prof. Lyman Carrier...... 233 An Improvised Motor Cart—.............................................................. 236 Building and Maintaining an 18-Hole Golf Course on Moderate Membership Fees Alone and Keeping Out of Debt. William W. Long................ „ 236 Upkeep of Approach Areas. Frank L. Woodward...... ......... _............... _............ 240 Hickory and Golf. H. S. Betts.-....... -............ -.................... 241 How Course Construction and Maintenance Suffer from Poor Business Man­ agement. W. A. Alexander...................................................................... -... 245 Manure Heaps in Relation to House Flies..... . .............. ..... _........ 247 New Member Clubs of the Green Section............................................................. 248 Questions and Answers.......................~............... ‘.... _... 248 Meditations of a Peripatetic Golfer................................. 252 MEMBERS OF THE GREEN COMMITTEE OF THE GOLF ASSOCIATION: *Dr. C. V. Piper, Chairman Dr. R. A. Oakley, Vice-Chairman *E. J. Marshall, Vice-Chairman Inverness Club Old Elm Club W. A. Alexander ' Hollywood Golf Club Frank B. Barrett Waverly Country Club A. C. U. Berry Minikahda Club Wm. F. Brooks Dallas Country Club C. B. Buxton Toronto Golf Club A. H. Campbell Agawam Hunt Club N. Stuart Campbell Glen Echo Country Club W. C. Ferguson Oakmont Country Club Wm. C. Fownes, Jr. *Dr. Wai.ter S. Harban Columbia Country Club Druid Hills Golf Club Dr. Thos, P. Hinman Detroit Golf Club A. J. Hood The Country Club Frederic C. Hood Wilshire Country Club Norman Macbeth Indian Hill Club A. E. McCordic Florida Country Club L. C, Menager Yahnundasis Golf Club Sherrill Sherman Ekwanok Country Club James L. Taylor Morris County Golf Club *Wynant D. Vanderpool Louisville Country Club W. R. Willett Pine Valley Golf Club *Alan D. Wilson Denver Country Club Frank L. Woodward UNITED STATES Washington, D. C. Washington, D. C. Toledo, Ohio Fort Sheridan, Ill. Deal, N. J. Portland. Ore. Minneapolis, Minn. Dallas, Tex. Toronto, Ont. Providence, R. I. Normandy, Mo. Pittsburgh, Pa. Washington, D. C. Atlanta, Ga. Detroit, Mich. Brookline, Mass. Los Angeles, Calif. Winnetka, III. Ortega, Fla. Utica, N. Y. Manchester, Vt. Convent Station, N. J. Louisville, Ky. Clementon, N. J. Denver, Colo. * Executive Committee member. PERMANENT MEMBERS Hugh I. Wilson, Merion Cricket Club, Haverford, Pa. F. H. Hillman, Washington, D. C. W. H. Walton, Washington, D. C. Lyman Carrier, Washington, D. C. Published by the Green Committee of the United States Golf Association, 456 Louisiana nue, Washington, D. C. Subscription price: To golf clubs that are members of the Green Section of the U. S. Association, $4,00 per year (included in membership fee). Entered as second-class matter December 16, 1921, at the post office at Washington, D. C., under the Act of March 3. 1879. Copyright, 1922, by the Green Committee of the U. S. Golf Association. Ave- Golf 226 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE voi. ii. no. s Twenty-Sixth Amateur Golf Championship of the United. States September 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 1922, The Country Club, Brookline, Mass. The competition for the Amateur Golf Championship of the United States, open to all golfers whose names appear on the Official 1922 Rating List* of the United States Golf Association, and to those foreigners visiting this country who may be invited by the Executive Committee of the Association, will be played on the course of the Country Club, Brookline, Mass., beginning Saturday, September 2, when the Havemeyer Cup and four medals will be competed for under the rules of the United States Golf Association. The winner of the competition shall be the Champion Amateur Golfer for the year, and the cup shall be held for that year by the club from which the winner shall have entered. The winner shall receive a gold medal; the runner-up shall receive a silver medal; the other semi-finalists shall receive bronze medals. The player making the lowest score in the qualifying round, Monday, Sep­ tember 4, (36 holes), shall receive a special prize. The conditions of the play for the Amateur Championship shall be as follows: Saturday.—Preliminary qualifying round. Eighteen holes to be played by each contestant; the best 64 scores and ties to continue Monday in a 36-hole medal round. These scores not to count in Monday’s qualifying round. Monday, 9:00 a. m.—Thirty-six holes to be played by each contestant; the 32 players having the best scores for the 2 medal play rounds (36 holes) to qualify for the Championship. Tuesday, 9:00 a. m.—Thirty-six hole match play rounds. Wednesday, 9:30 a. m.—Thirty-six hole match play rounds. Thursday, 10:00 a. m.—Thirty-six hole match play rounds. Friday, 10:00 a. m.—Thirty-six hole match play rounds. (Semi-final.) Saturday, 10:30 a. m.—-Thirty-six hole final match play round. In the event of a tie or ties for the 32d place on Monday, the contestants so tied shall continue to play until one of them has gained a lead by strokes at any hole. In the event of a halved match, the players shall continue to play until one of them shall have won a hole, which shall determine the winner of the match. All entries are subject to the approval of the Executve Committee of the United States Golf Association, and any entry may be rejected by the Commit­ tee. All disputes shall be settled by the Executive Committee of the Association, whose decision shall be final. Any player who fails to appear at the tee within fifteen minutes of the time he is called to play by the Committee shall be disqualified unless reasons satis­ factory to the officials in charge of the tournament be given. Any person paying his entrance money shall be considered thereby to have submitted himself to the rules of the Association both as to restrictions enjoined and penalties imposed. On these conditions alone he is entitled to enjoy all the privileges and advantages of the Association Competition. All score cards in the Medal Play Round must be kept in strict accordance with “Rule 5, Special Rules for Stroke Competitions.” Competitors failing to comply with the requirements of this rule will be disqualified. The privileges of the clubhouse and grounds are extended to all competitors in the Championship for one week previous to the tournament. The pairing, starting time, and course on which first round of 18 holes is to be played by each pair in the qualifying round will be announced through the press. * The Elibibility List of the United States Golf Association is compiled from the tourna­ ment records and handicap lists of the various sectional golf associations throughout the United States. Players whose names are in the official list are entitled to compeete in the Amateur Championship of this Association. If any player whose name does not appear on the official Eligibility List desires to be included, he may submit through the secretary of the sectional association governing his district his tournament record for the past three years together with such other evidences of qualification as he may possess. Eligibility List Committee, J. D. Standish, Jr., Chairman, 414 Ford Bldg., Detroit, Mich. Aug. is, 1922 UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 227 Competitors shall enter for the Championship through the secretaries of their respective clubs. An entrance fee of $5.00 must accompany such entry and must be received by Mr. T. J. McMahon, 55 John St., New York, N. Y., not- later than Saturday, August 19, 1922. Draw checks to the order of the United States Golf Association. Cornelius S. Lee, Secretary, U. S. Golf Association. Women’s Amateur Golf Championship of the United States September 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 1922, The Greenbrier Golf Club, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia The competition for the Women’s Amateur Golf Championship of the United States, open to all Women Amateur Golfers belonging to clubs which are mem­ bers of the United States Golf Association, and to those foreigners visiting this country who may be invited by the Executive Committee of the Association, will be played on the course of the Greenbrier Golf Club, White Sulphur Springs, W. Va., commencing on Monday, September 25, when the Robert Cox Cup and four medals will be competed for under the rules of the United States Golf As­ sociation. The winner of the competition shall be the Champion Woman Ama­ teur Golfer for the year and the Robert Cox Cup shall be held for that year by the club from which the winner shall have entered. The winner shall receive a gold medal; the runner-up shall receive a silver medal; the other semi-finalists shall receive bronze medals. The competition shall be played in the following manner: Monday, September 25, 10:00 a. m.—Medal play round. Eighteen holes, best 32 scores to qualify. A prize is offered by the Association for the lowest score in this competition. Tuesday, September 26. 10:00 a. m.—Women’s Championship, first match play round; 18 holes. 1:30 p. m., consolation event for the non-qualifiers. Eigh­ teen holes medal play handicap. Prizes presented by the Greenbrier Golf Club. Entries close for this event Tuesday, September 26, at 1:00 p. m. Wednesday, September 7. 10:00 a. m.—Women’s Championship, second match play round; 18 holes. 1:30 p. m., mixed foursome, medal play handicap; 18 holes. Best gross and net prizes presented by the Greenbrier Golf Club. Entries close for this event at 1:00 p. m. Thursday, September 28. 10:00 a. m.—Women’s Championship, third match play round; 18 holes. 1:30 p. m., driving, approaching and putting contests. Prizes presented by the Greenbrier Golf Club. Entries can be made at the time of the event. Friday, September 29. 10:00 a. m.—Women’s Championship, semi-final match play round; 18 holes. 1:30 p. m., best ball foursome scratch; 18 holes. Prize presented by the Greenbrier Golf Club. Entries can be made at the time of the event. Saturday, September 30, 10:00 a. m.—Women’s Championship, final match play round; 36 holes. Each entry for these handicap events must be accompanied by certified handicap at the player’s home club, and the scratch score from which such handicap is made. In all special events, players must leave the first tee by 3:00 p. m. The contestants shall first play 18 holes medal play. The best 32 scores shall then be taken and the contestants making these scores shall then compete at 18 holes match play. In the event of a tie or ties for the last place on Monday, the contestants so tied shall continue to play until one of them shall have gained a lead by strokes at any hole. All entries are subject to the approval of the Executive Committee of the Association, and any entry may be rejected by the Committee. All disputes shall be settled by the Executive Committee of the Association, whose decision shall be final. 228 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE Vol. II, No. 8 Any'player who fails to appear at the tee within fifteen minutes of the time she . is called to play by the Committee shall be disqualified unless reasons satis­ factory to the officials in charge of the tournament be given. Any person paying her entrance money shall be considered thereby to have submitted herself to the rules of the Association, both as to restrictions enjoined and penalties imposed. On these conditions alone she is entitled to enjoy all the privileges and advantages of the Association Competition. Entries for the special events are opened only to contestants entered for the championship events. This applies also to the entries of women in the Mixed Foursome Handicap. All score cards in the Medal Play Rounds must be kept in strict accordance with “Rule 5, Special Rules for Stroke Competitions.” Competitors failing to comply with the requirements of this rule will be disqualified. The privileges of the clubhouse and grounds are extended to all competitors in the Championship for one week previous to the tournament. The pairing and time of starting of each pair in the qualifying round will be announced through the press. Competitors shall enter for the Championship through the secretaries of their respective clubs. An entrance fee of $5.00 must accompany each entry and must be received by T. J. McMahon, 55 John Street, New York, N. Y., not later than 5 p. m. on Wednesday, September 13. Cornelius S. Lee, Secretary, U. S. Golf Association. Green Section Meeting at Skokie On the evening of July 13 a meeting of the Green Section was held in the club house of the Skokie Country Club, Glencoe, Illinois, with about two hundred persons in attendance. Addresses were made by Mr. W. A. Alexander and Dr. C. V. Piper, of the Green Section, and Mr. A. R. Gates, President of the Western Golf Association, after which there was general discussion of many problems relating to greenkeeping. Most interest was manifested in brown-patch, fertilizers and soil texture. The animated discussions were participated in by many of the greenkeepers present, the different expressions of opinion being of much interest. As a result of the interest displayed, many of the greenkeepers urged that the Chicago district greenkeepers should hold such meetings frequently, and it is understood that the Chicago District Golf Association will at once inaugu­ rate- such a system of meetings. We believe that greenkeepers, by such meetings, can do much that will be of mutual assistance and tend to raise the standard of greenkeeping. Every district golf association should adopt the practice; it will go far toward a better understanding of the many problems of greenkeeping and bring about a better appreciation of the advantages of mutual cooperation. How We Saved the Trees at Glen Echo W. C. Ferguson, St. Louis, Mo. Greens committees as a rule do not sufficiently appreciate the value of the old trees on their golf courses. I have examined budgets in which not a cent was provided for new planting to replace the destruction of the old trees by storm and disease, nor was there any money appropriated for tree surgery. A budget of this sort certainly can not be considered well balanced, for regardless of the amount available for the various items, a Aug. is, 1922 UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 229 certain percentage should be provided for the item of trees, as they are just as much a part of a golf course as a trap or bunker. At Glen Echo Country Club we are blessed with a great many old trees—oak, elm, sweet gum, and hard maple predominating. We have had considerable trouble with our large oaks, especially those that are located near a green where it was necessary to keep the turf under them well mowed. Three years ago a number of the larger oak trees were showing signs of distress. The foliage was of a pale color and occasionally a large limb would die. The city forester was called on for advice, and he said our conditions were so unnatural that it would be necessary to provide both food and water artificially for these oaks. Four particularly fine specimens were located on the crest of a hill where such rain as we get in this part of the country during July and August immediately runs off, leaving the ground hard and dry. To spade up around them would have damaged two greens, so it was necessary to find some other method of treating them. After considerable discussion it was decided to feed and water them by means of sub-irrigation. Around each tree was built a circle of 6-inch sewer pipe, the circle being about 20 feet in diameter. This was placed about 6 inches below the surface of the ground and no cement was used in the joints. At the point nearest to a hydrant a T-opening was brought up to the level of the ground and pro­ vided with a cover. At six or eight points around the tree, spaced about equal distance, there were cut into this circle of sewer pipe radially dis­ posed branches,, running about 4 to 5 feet farther out from the trunk of the tree. At the end of these branches were excavated pits 2 to 3 feet square and from 2 to 2^ feet deep, which were filled with manure to within 6 inches of the surface of the ground. The holes were then top- dressed and resodded. It was then possible to insert a hose in the T-open- ing at the surface of the ground and to fill this entire system full of water. The water runs into the holes filled with the porous fertilizer and provides a reservoir for a considerable supply. The result of this work was most apparent. The trees took on a very deep shade of green and not one dead branch has appeared upon them. The cost of material was very nominal and a few days’ labor of one man constituted the labor charge. We are very much pleased with the results which we have obtained and expect to make the same installation on other trees similarly situated. Friendly Birds on the Golf Course W. L. McAtee U. 8. Biological Survey and Washington Country Club Although tramping humans, swinging clubs, and flying balls do not seem part of an inviting resort for birds, the fact remains that golf courses are very attractive to some kinds of our feathered friends. While balls may on occasion come uncomfortably near, birds seem to realize that nothing personal is intended and they are not thus easily driven away from favorite feeding grounds. Indeed, the balls occasionally prove at­ tractive, swallows and swifts darting after high flyers, and the thump of balls on the ground, in the view of some birds, seems to require investiga- 230 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE Vol. II, No. 8 ti'on. Brown thrashers and robins have come in great excitement to practice pitches to a green, and persisted in their inspection with balls falling all about them. Meadowlarks and killdeers especially like the fairways, and in winter horned larks are seen on them in regions they seem otherwise to avoid. Kingbirds sally out over the course from convenient perches, and swifts and swallows weave over them their mazy flight. The tiny house-wren, with its home in a convenient post or nest-box, darts to the ground for a morsel of insect food its keen eyes have spied, and the large (and by contrast dignified) flicker works persistently on any ant colony it discovers. Not only are the activities of birds on golf courses very interesting, but they are also highly beneficial. Many a pest falls prey to birds which working unseen would produce those brown or bare spots in the turf to the regret and detriment of all golfers. Some of these birds and the pests of golf eoufses they devour are: Robin. The best known of all our birds; pleasing in appearance; sprightly yet ’confiding in manner; a cheery songster, and an arch foe of earthworms and white grubs. Cutworms, army-worms, grasshoppers and bill-bugs, all enemies of turf, also are eaten by the robin, two-fifths of whose diet consists of these and related forms. Robins can be attracted by planting fruit-bearing shrubs, and by supplying open-sided bird-houses or shelf supports for their nests. Bluebird. A beauty; the harbinger of spring; with a warble that seems to well up from its heart; our best loved bird; for it was named “bluebird weather,” the kind that makes you feel that “all’s well in the world, ” • Of material values may be mentioned the consumption of cut­ worms,, grasshoppers, the adults of white grubs, and earthworms; two- thirds of the bluebirds’ food is insects. Bluebirds love nest-boxes; put some up. Purple martin. Everyone wants a martin colony. And why? Be­ cause these large handsome swallows are so entertaining with their expert flight and mellow notes, and so useful as insect destroyers. Clover-weevils, cloyer-root-borers, the parents of white-grubs, cut-worm moths, the grass­ eating leather-jackets or larvae of crane-flies, mosquitos and other biting flies are favorite items of the almost exclusively insect diet of the purple martin. Martins nest only in colonies, and numerous forms of artistic houses, ornamental to any open space, may be had. Killdeer. A lover of closely cropped, rolling uplands; a handsome, active and noisy bird; repeating at every disturbance its loud and pene­ trating call of “kill-dee, kill-dee.” The killdeer is a very effective insect hunter and is fond of such turf-destroying kinds as bill-bugs, clover-root weevil, clover-leaf weevil, white grubs, wireworms, cutworms, grasshoppers ants, and larvae of crane-flies. The wigglers of mosquitos also are con­ sumed. The killdeer nests in exposed situations, and nests found on golf courses should be protected; a small square of wire-cloth supported above the eggs on four stakes would save the day. The young killdeers, which from birth rove in charge of their parents, are very pretty and inter­ esting little creatures. Flicker. The largest woodpecker ordinarily seen; a handsome fellow whose yellow quills give him the name of goldenwing; his rollicking, ring- ing calls and spirited courtship attract much attention in spring.’ The flicker is the most effective destroyer of ants among our birds, practically Aig. is, 1922 UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 231 half of its food consisting of these little nuisances. More than 5,000 ants have been taken at a meal by the goldenwing. Chinch bugs, grasshoppers, cutworms, and larvae of crane-flies and March-flies are other grass pests on the bill-of-fare of the flicker. Nest-boxes are attractive to the flicker, which has exchanged the straight, wood-chisel bill of the woodpecker tribe for a curved dirt-mattock, and hence is less fitted for excavating an apart­ ment in a tree. Meadowlark. The clear piping of the meadowlark is an inspiring note familiar to all frequenting grasslands in spring. The field-lark (as the bird also is called) has a bright yellow breast with a black crescent, and a strong, direct flight reminiscent of some of the game-girds. About seven-tenths of this bird’s food consists of insects; and chinch-bugs, white grubs, grasshoppers, clover-leaf weevils, army-worms and other grass­ eaters are consumed. The meadowlark is one of our most valuable birds; but while it will visit the fairways as much as possible it will hardly nest on most golf courses, because of the laek of the tall grass for breeding cover which it prefers. Chipping sparrow. The red-capped chippy or hair-bird is a familiar species throughout the Union, building its horse-hair lined nest in vines and shrubbery near houses. The chippy has the reputation of feeding on numerous insect pests, and is known to take among other enemies of the fairway, army worms, cutworms, the adults of 'wireworms and white grubs, grasshoppers, and ants. Protection and shrubbery for nesting sites are the only requirements for attracting this species. Dickcissel. Formerly an inhabitant of the Atlantic slope, this species now has abandoned the region east of the Alleghanies; it is very common in the upper Mississippi valley. It is a bird of the open, is a tireless though monotonous songster, and from its coloration is sometimes called the little meadowlark. Grasshoppers, which are ravenous grass-eaters, make up two-fifths of the food of the dickcissel; clover-root weevils, cut­ worms, and wireworms, also are consumed. Nesting sites of the dickcissel are similar to those for the meadowlark, hence on most golf courses the bird can be expected only after the breeding season. Starling. So far, this short-tailed blackbird, its greenish coat spangled with cream-color, and with a yellow bill in the breeding season, will not have been seen on golf courses west of Ohio. It is an Old World species, introduced many years ago about New York city, but which has increased and spread rapidly in recent years. It is one of the most effective de­ stroyers of small ground vermin, specializing upon millipeds or thousand­ legged worms and cutworms. Clover-leaf and clover-root weevils, wire­ worms, grasshoppers, ants and earthworms are other pests of golf-courses eaten by the starling. Bird-houses are readily accepted by starlings; in fact, the species is ever ready to dispossess prior occupants of nest-boxes ■ its aggressiveness is such that the question whether the species should be encouraged is always in order. In the preceding accounts attention has been called particularly to insect pests eaten by birds commonly resorting to golf courses, but there is another side of bird utility that should not be overlooked. Seed-eaters are as numerous as the insect-eaters, and on golf-courses where seed pro­ duction by any plants whatever is undesirable the services of these birds should be accorded their highest value. Nearly all of the numerous kinds 232 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE ' :vpi..a Noas of sparrows are habitual seed-eaters; among them we may name the gold­ finch- or wild canary, the chippy, the field sparrow, indigo bunting, and cardinal or redbird. In winter snowbirds or juncos and tree-sparrows of the same family, and horned larks are abundant visitors, and are among the most efficient seed consumers. Winter birds may be attracted by providing feedin gestations and by planting evergreens for roosting shelters; in summer, nest-boxes, bathing and. drinking fountains, and fruit-bearing shrubs are the- most potent at­ tractions. Shrubbery should be more of a feature of golf courses than at present, in all areas out-of-bounds, and to- re-enforce tree, ravine, and water hazards. Kinds haying fruits for bird food ■ are superior., as they are ornamental through a longer season and give very ■ desirable touches of color to the landscape. . Further information on all methods of attracting birds can be ob­ tained by applying to the Biological Survey, U, S. Department of Agri­ culture- ......................... Oh Traps De; Maynaeo M. Metcalf ■ The Orchard Laboratory, Oberlin, Ohio A style of trap one' often sees, even on very good courses, seenls to the writer to be objectionable'. ' Isn’t it good construction to make traps in such'd way that one can get a free- back swing for his club, wherever in the trap his'ball may lie? Isn’t it poor construction to let the trap, on the side away from the hole, drop vertically or almost vertically for six of eight or even twelve or fifteen inches below the general surface of the ground, making thus a wall at the back of the.trap? A ball that just trickles into the trap and lies at the foot of such a wall can hardly be played toward the hole, no back swing of the club being possible. A verti­ cal stroke with a niblick upon a ball lying in sand is a very difficulty and often an almost, impossible stroke. Most good golfers would probably de­ cide, in such a lie, that discretion is the better part of valor and would play the ball out sideways or backward, but it is hardly the purpose of traps to necessitate such loss of a full stroke. The purpose is rather to make a stroke in which distance and accuracy are very difficult, but not im­ possible. Good recovery from a trap is one of the exhilirating things in golf. A ball unplayable toward the hole is a depressing thing, a thing one has to give up to rather than a thing to challenge the player to extra effort. To avoid the point criticised, of course, all that is necessary is to make the side of the trap distal from the hole grade up gradually to the ground level, giving no vertical wall for the ball to hide below. During the last month the writer has visited and studied some of the best courses in the Boston district and some in the vicinity of Washington and in most of these there are some traps with vertical walls at their distal edges. It is probably true that in most heavily trapped courses some traps of this sort will be found. Is it the best type of construction so to build them? Aw. 15, 1922 UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 233 Seeding Fairways in the Northern States Prof. Lyman'Caerier Much more attention should be given to the planning and care of fairways than they sometimes receive. On many holes the play between the tee and the green, is the most interesting part of the game. In the discus­ sion which follows it should be understood that the recommendations for improving the turf are intended mainly for those parts of the fairway where correctly-played shots should come to rest; A perfect sward for the entire length of the hole is not necessary and indeed may not be wholly desirable. With such a fairway, Mr. Dubb is encouraged to trundle his ball along like an animated tumblebug; but the player who makes a correct shot should have the satisfaction of finding his ball lying where it can be played with any club that is needed to’ cover the distance of the next shot properly. Too often this is not the case. A ball at the bottom of a de­ pression in the middle of a fairway may offer a player as much trouble as is experienced by his opponent who has landed in the rough. Improving Old Tubf The sins committed in seeding fairways are visited on the succeeding greenkeepers to- the fourth generation. • Rough, pitted seed beds, the use of seed of non-turf-forming grasses, and uneven distribution of the seed, are the causes of most of the troubles which make the greenkeeper’s job anything but a sinecure. It is surprising, however, what a multitude of these faults can be corrected with a little top-dressing and fertilizer. The top-dressing need not be expensive—hand-made compost compounded after some definite formula. Mr. Connellan has described a method for making fairway top-dressing efficiently and at little expense.* A thin covering of ordinary top soil, if nothing better is to be had, will help fill up the holes and give new vigor to the grass. An old farming practice which was in vogue before the days of commercial fertilizers, was to top-dress with any­ thing that differed from the soil of the field. Sandy substances were used on clays, and clay or silt on the lighter soils. This old method might well be revived in the care of fairways. With grasses which have the ability to spread, such as bluegrass and. the bents, an occasional top-dressing and an annual application of bone-meal, and perhaps some quick-acting nitro­ genous fertilizer such as nitrate of soda or ammonium sulfate, is all that is needed to keep the turf in a healthy condition. But what is one going to do with the fescue abominations which.have been so freely seeded.in the last few years? The writer recently has been on several fescue fairways which were anything but fair. The grass was in little tufts surrounding depressed bare spots of ground. . No matter how accurately the ball is played it always comes to rest in one of these cuppy places. Fertilizing such grass makes the tufts grow taller and thus ac­ centuates the trouble. While as a rule the common practice of scattering seed on old stands of grass gives little if any beneficial results, in the ease of cuppy fescue turf it seems to offer the only solution short of complete reseeding. If seeding is to be done on old fairways it should be done early in the fall just before applying a coating of top-dressing. * The Bulletin, Vol I, page 57. See also Vol. I, page 51, and Vol. II, pages 20 and 155. 234 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE vol. n, No. 8 Seeding New Fairways Preparing the Seed Bed The advice is constantly given that the seed bed for grasses should be well prepared. Apparently some men who have charge of seeding fair­ ways do not know what a well-prepared seed bed is, or else do not know the successive operations necessary to produce such a condition of the soil. An ideal seed bed is one which has a fine granular surface over a firm, compact subsoil. There should be no "large clods or lumps. The nearer the grains of soil can be brought to the size of wheat kernels, the better; if the soil has been mistreated in the past, for example, plowed when too wet or too dry, it may be difficult to attain this ideal condition, but neverthe­ less the above is the state of perfection whieh should be sought. The ground should be worked until it is sufficiently firm so that a weeder or light smoothing harrow will obliterate the footprints of horses or tractor marks. No one should be led astray by the bunk on “aeration of the substructure,” which is being so freely dispensed these days. If there is not sufficient time to allow the ground to be worked down firmly it is better not to plow the land at all but to prepare the seed bed with a disk harrow. Excessive application of stable manure on fairways is not advisable, but 20 to 30 cubic yards of manure per acre well worked into the soil and given at least a month or six weeks to rot will help the grass, and should always be used if the soil is poor. Bone-meal can also be applied before seeding, without danger of losing any of its fertilizing value. The successive steps in the preparation of a fairway for seeding may be summarized as follows: 1. Plowing__ This should never be done on clay soils if they are very wet or very dry. 2. Disk-harrowing.—Disking will not be necessary on light, sandy soils. 3. Rolling with a Gulfi-packer or pulverizer.—This is one of the best implements ever devised for crushing clods and making the soil firm. It is an excellent implement for all kinds of land. 4. Harrowing with a smoothing harrow such as the spike-toothed drag, Meeker, or Acme harrows.—If the land is still cloddy the Culti-packer and smoothing harrow should be used alternately until the soil is in the proper tilth. If the land is very heavy or cloddy, a second or third disking may be advisable. The disk harrow is also a good implement to use when the plowed land is compacted by heavy rains or where the weeds have made considerable growth. Kinds of Seed to Use The prevailing idea that any kind of grass seed will do for the fair­ ways is all wrong. It is true that weeds and clover do not cause as many heartaches on a fairway as they do on a putting green, but there is slight chance to get good turf in a reasonable length of time unless turf grass seed is used at the start. Under practically all conditions in the North, blue­ grass gives about the best results of all the grasses which have been tried Aug. 15, 1922 UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 235 for fairways. Its chief faults are that it is slow, very slow in germinating and forming a turf from seed; that it becomes sparse and tufted during the winter and early spring; and that unless watered it has a tendency to languish during the hot, dry weather of July and August. But in spite of these drawbacks it is about the most satisfactory fairway grass we have unless one is willing to go to the expense of seeding bent. At the present time bent seed of good quality is available on the market, and it would be a very good plan to use a small amount of this—say 5 to 10 pounds per acre—in the fairway mixture. Eventually the bent will spread and add a great deal to the quality of the turf. In order to give a good playing surface soon after seeding, it is always advisable to combine redtop with the bluegrass. After two or three years most of the redtop will disappear, but it will not be missed, as the bluegrass will by that time have become well established. A mixture for fairways which has been often recommended in The Bulletin is 4 parts of bluegrass to 1 part of redtop. The rate to seed this mixture varies with the character of the soil and the preparation of the seed bed. The richer the soil and the better the seed bed is prepared, the less seed is needed. A good average rate of seed for moderately rich well- prepared soil is 100 pounds per acre. For poor soils 150 pounds of seed per acre is advisable. But the writer has never seen a good stand of grass on poorly prepared land no matter how much seed has been used, while under first-rate conditions 50 pounds of seed per acre has frequently given an excellent stand. It is more economical to fit the ground right before seeding than to try to overcome the bad effects of a poor seed bed by using a large amount of seed. Sowing the Seed New seeding of grass frequently comes up in rows, which is very ob­ jectionable. If the land is rich the rows will usually close together in a year or two, but on poor soils they may persist for several seasons. These rows are caused sometimes by using the so-called cut-in or disk drills, but more frequently by the seed collecting in the furrows made by the smooth­ ing harrow. To avoid these rows and to be sure to have an even distribu­ tion of the seed, it is advisable to scatter half the seed one way of the fairway and the other half at right angles to the first. Rolling and a light harrowing between these two seedings will usually give a thoroughly uni­ form stand. Some scatter the seed in four different directions as an addi­ tional safeguard against bare spots and rows. Unless there is a rolling and a harrowing between the separate seedings little is gained by going over the ground more than twice. Grass seed should not be covered deeply. One-eighth of an inch of soil over the seed is ample. The last seeding may be followed by rolling and then scratching over the surface with a weeder or a spike-toothed harrow, with the teeth set slanting backwards at an'angle of about 45 degrees. The principal purpose of this last harrowing is to fill up the hoofprints made by the horses. 236 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE Vol. n, No. » An Improvised Motor Cart Mr. Jesse Koshland, of the Kernwood Country Club, Salem, Mass., contributes the following under date of July 5, 1922: “We bought a one-ton second-hand truck, of a well-known make, with pneu­ matic tires, at a cost of $200. We took an old dump cart and set it up on the old frame, and we use this to carry material and tools to places where needed and for bringing supplies from the railroad station. This takes the place of a horse- drawn wagon and cart, and our work is done more expeditiously and at a lower maintenance cost as compared with the use of a horse.” Building and Maintaining an 18-Hole Golf Course on Moderate Memberships Fees Alone and Keeping Out of Debt . William W. Long, Coatesville (Pa.) Country Club Prior to the summer of 1921 Coatesville had no golf course. A city of 18,000, it naturally had its devotees of the game. The nearest course was that of the Tredyffrin Country Club, at Paoli, 20 miles away. This meant a round trip of 40 miles over a road which was bad in spots. In September, 1920, a meeting was held looking toward the formation of a club for Coatesville., Two well-known golf architects were secured to address this meeting, to look over available land, and to give estimates on the cost of a course. Their estimate was that a satisfactory course could be constructed at from $2,000 to $2,500 a hole, or for a total cost of about $40,000. A club house would cost nearly as much more and a suitable farm about $30,000, making a grand total of say $100,000. Coatesville was not a bit feazed at the proposed cost. Its big steel mill's, those of the Midvale Steel Company and the Lukens Steel Company, were running night and day and paying out salaries in excess of a million a month. Bonuses of from $25,000 a year to $100,000 a year to leading officials were not un­ common. But within a month after the meeting had been held the bottom dropped out of everything, almost over night. By March 1, 1921, these mills, which had employed more than 10,000 workmen, were shut down tight. With the outlook so dark that it seemed doubtful if Coatesville could even support a base ball team, the writer made a canvass of the golfers of the city to find out how many had sufficient sporting blood to put up $100 each toward building a course; this was to be in full payment of a family membership for a year. To interest them some rash promises were made. These promises included a temporary course of five or six holes, to be constructed on meadow land and made ready for play by May 1. A com­ pleted nine-hole course was promised them by' September 1. About $4,000 was raised in a few days as a starter. The writer knew he could turn over a lot of dirt with that amount of money; but it was not enough even to look at a suitable farm, let alone buy one; so he decided the best thing to do was to steal a farm. The city of Coatesville has one of the finest water supplies in the state of Pennsylvania. A large lake, or rather reservoir, holding 330,- 000,000 gallons of water lies in a valley 2% miles northwest of the city. A fine stone road leads thereto. Surrounding this beautiful lake to the Aug. 15, 1922 UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 237 south, the city owned a farm of 135 acres, purchased so it might always protect its watershed. The city had been farming this land and making an unprofitable job of it. Cultivating the land also had a tendency to muddy the water supply. The writer, who had been a newspaper owner for many years and was also mixed up in politics a bit, held a conference with the City Council. He showed them how beneficial it would be to have this large lake surrounded by fairways and greens of velvety grass. He talked the city of Coatesville into leasing this farm for a rental of $500 a year and then clinched the deal by having the lease made for 60 years. A large farm house, which would cost at least $15,000 to build today, a tenant house, a big barn, and other buildings went along with the property. The lease provided that the club might do as it pleased with these buildings, even to tearing them down if so disposed. A man who had laid out many of the leading courses in the United States was secured without cost to locate the first nine holes. When he was about to purchase seed to the amount of $3,000 and was getting ready to send a golf architect at $50 a day, he was thanked for what he had already done but told that the club could not stand for any fancy stuff. It was a hurry-up job; but nine fairways were plowed, harrowed, and seeded and nine greens built and sowed to grass in a little over two months ’ time. The cost of seed was less than $1,000 and the cost of construction less than $2,000. In the meantime the temporary course of five holes had been laid out in a twenty-acre meadow, and the members were kept interested while the grass was growing on the new course. The temporary course was so badly crowded and the fairways naturally had to be so close together that play thereon was as dangerous as going “over the top” in the late war, but it all added zest and enthusiasm to the club. On August 6, or three weeks earlier than the date promised, the new nine-hole course was opened in the presence of more than a thousand people, including leading officials of the State. Dr. Edward Martin, Com­ missioner of Health of the State of Pennsylvania, and Richard J. Baldwin, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the Greens Committee of the Springhaven Country Club at Media, led the field. They were followed by a professional foursome made up of Messrs. J. J. Dougherty, Andy Campbell, Walter Wood, and Bob Barnett, all in the near-championship class. Behind them went the amateurs and the dubs, to the number of sixty or more. The course was used incessantly until the middle of December, while thereafter temporary greens were used all winter. In the fall of 1921, within a few months after the first nine holes were opened, work was begun on the second nine. This course was laid out by Mr. Cyril Hughes, of Cheshire, England. Every effort was made to correct mistakes which had been made in the construction of the first nine. The ground was plowed and permitted to lie fallow until spring. The greens were made with a putting surface of about 5,000 square feet and some even larger. Instead of being permitted to take the slope of the ground, as was done in some cases on the first nine, all were brought up level and the proper undulations put in. A heavy coat of manure was plowed down in the fall after the greens had been shaped. Then the best thing of all was done. The Club joined the Greens Section of the United States Golf Association, 238 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE Vol. II, No. 8 and all winter the writer fired letters to Dr. C. V. Piper for the latest dope. All the Bulletins issued by the Greens Section since it was organized were read, reread, and then read some more. Then in the early' spring of this year work began in earnest. Not a thing was done except on the best information obtainable from Messrs. Piper and Oakley. The fairways were given seven harrowings, which saw them at the finish almost like ashes. Seed,was sowed at the rate of 100 pounds to the acre by three wheelbarrow seeders, fourteen feet long each. The boxes on these seeders were made three times as large as the largest size made by the manufacturer, so each barrow would hold more than two bushels of seed. This was- done to prevent stopping so often to fill up and to guard against all possibility of missing in seeding. All the wheelbarrow seeders on the market are made too small. In addition to tripling the size of the boxes, I had the holes made larger so they would throw more seed. I permitted seeding only when you could not see a ripple on the lake surrounding the course. No seeding was done when there was anything like a breeze blowing. It is hard to find weather like this in April; but the wind usually falls toward evening and we would sow at that time, keeping it up as long as we could see, and then bringing the men out at daylight the next morning. The seed was covered by a brush harrow made out of light twigs. We used two brush harrows and two light rollers. To take advantage of good weather I used as many as twenty horses in a single day. It cost no more to use twenty, when you considered the length of the job, than it did to use four. Ten double teams would harrow all our fairways three times and roll them once in a single day. Part of the ground used had been in wheat the previous fall and part in corn. It would have been better to have sowed the entire field to some good humus-making crop and then plowed it down; but that would have meant waiting another year. So we went to it, giving the fairways 800 pounds of fertilizer to the acre, taking the formula from the Greens Section Bulletin. The greens, in addition to the horse manure plowed under in the fall, were given 100 pounds each of this fertilizer and about three cartloads of sieved mushroom soil worked into the surface. We sowed these greens to South German mixed bent and extra fancy reeleaned redtop at the rate of six pounds to each 1,000 square feet. We used bent and redtop on a fifty­ fifty basis. Dr. Piper said five pounds to each 1,000 feet was ample, and he is right; but we went him a pound better to guard against any mistake in weighing same. We sowed this seed with a wheelbarrow seeder, which puts it on very much more evenly than can possibly be done by hand. In fact if you sow by hand you will use twice as much to get the ground covered as we did with the wheelbarrow seeders. To put on six pounds to the green we had to go over the green in all directions at least six times with the wheelbarrow seeder and when we got through the entire surface of the green was gray with seed. We then dusted the green with sieved mushroom soil until it was black, raked lightly with very fine-toothed wooden rakes, and rolled very lightly. At this writing, August 1, we have a stand of grass on both greens and fairways which has been mowed for more than six weeks and which could have been played on a month ago. We shall not open the course, however, until about September 1, owing to lack of a water supply and to the danger of the greens being burned when cut low enough for play. We have been Aug. 15, 1922 UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 239 cutting them once a week with lawn mowers, setting the blades quite high. The grass on these greens is so very dense that you can’t find ground by separating the grass with your fingers. It’s so thick that little if any crab grass his crept in, although we have quite a bit of crab grass on our first nine greens. I am satisfied that crab grass is increased by short cutting. I cut one of the new greens a little shorter by way of experiment and im­ mediately crab grass started to come in. Ever since the grass on these greens was well established we have top- dressed them every two weeks with sieved mushroom soil and about once a month with a light coat of sand. The latter helps to hold the moisture and the mushroom soil stimulates growth and gives the grass a most wonderful green color. Of course we have been greatly aided by the rains, which have been abundant all summer. We built these new nine holes, sowed them, and have maintained them to date for less than $5,000. No better stand of grass could be had. I have mentioned the density of the turf on the greens and on the fairways. It is as thick as the hair on a dog’s back. We have had the advantage of cheap labor, 30 cents an hour up to July 1 and 25 cents an hour thereafter. I had the big steel companies haul all our fertilizer, mushroom manure, etc., for nothing; had them make us tee benches and sand boxes, and give us practically all our tools except mowers; in addition, they do all our repair work for nothing, and this helps a lot. Our membership has reached the 175 mark and we are absolutely out of debt; in fact, never have been in debt. While we have three millionaires in our membership, not one of them has been called upon to pay a dollar more than regular dues. In addition to building nine very fair golf holes and later nine more very excellent holes, the 18 with a total yardage of 6,200, we have re­ modelled the farm house into a most beautiful club house, attractively furnished, where dancing and social life is enjoyed along with golf and where most excellent meals are served. We placed a stewardess in charge of the club house, giving her rent, fuel, and light free, and all she makes. We have as many as sixty persons eat there a day. The food is fine and the service excellent. The club house is thus maintained without a dollar of expense and the members have every convenience and comfort they may desire. Almost every country club loses money on its club house if it attempts to operate it by hiring its own help. Next year we will put in an irrigation -system, and will have plenty of money to do it from regular membership dues, as our large capital expense is now a thing of the past. Our dues are $100 for a family membership, with golf privileges; $60 for a single membership, with golf; and $25 for a club membership, without golf. Almost all take the golf privileges, and we will have 200 members before the present season closes. Our success has been due to the determination to keep out of debt at all times, to make one dollar do the work of five, wherever possible, and to do nothing whatsoever in connection with the greens or fairways except strictly on the adviee of the Greens Section of the United States Golf Association. Our membership in the Greens Section costs us $15 per year, and I am satisfied it has saved us more than $1,500 this year alone. 240 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE vol. n. No. 8 Upkeep of Approach Areas Frank L. Woodward If golf has any merit whatever it is as a pleasurable, health-giving, uplifting pastime. The measure of the success of any golf course is the extent to which players who have once enjoyed it show an eagerness to return to it and play it again. If any course possesses so widespread an attraction that it is periodically for its own sake revisited by players from all over the coun­ try, it may justly lay claim to being a national institution. How many such are there ? As I write I can think of but one. Various considerations enter into the termination of what makes a superlatively fine course. Certainly sound architecture, variety, test of the game, and landscape beauty play vital and necessary parts, but they may all strictly be grouped under the single heading of proper construction. Another and an equally important element in the attainment of lasting success for a golf course is upkeep. It is to one feature of this upkeep (which unfortunately is rarely given separate attention) that I desire to address myself here. I refer to the care, or lack of care, given to approach areas, i. e., the ground from five to twenty yards in front of the green. This will, of course, not apply to such holes as are constructed to require a high pitched shot onto the green itself ■ these are few in number on any course and are usually guarded by bunkers, or by ground deliberately made rough, directly in front. The majority of holes are built with a clear opening to the green, varying in width, to be sure, but leaving an unobstructed opportunity to run up onto the green after a well-placed drive. Should not this ground immediately in front of the green be just as true, of just as even and dependable a quality, as the green itself? How many greenkeepers, or committees, insist upon this type of maintenance? It is probably true that a large proportion of the courses in America pay no especial attention to these approach areas, with the result that they are no better than the fairways, uneven and rough, with grass just a bit longer than that on the fairway, because the groundsman has been carefully taught not to let his horses or the big mower get onto the putting green. In most eases all that a player can do is to pitch up into this rough area and trust to luck. Of two balls equally well pitched as to direction and dis­ tance, one may stop dead and the other go shooting over the green, or one may break sharply to the side and the other run on merrily toward the hole. Such accidents are not properly rubs of the green and should be carefully provided against. All this introduces the’element of unfair­ ness, which robs the game of most of its satisfaction. Every player is en­ titled to have ground on which to pitch that he can trust. He should be able to play his ball confidently with the assurance that it will get fair treatment on alighting, and he ought to be able to come close to an ac­ curate calculation of the amount of run it will have on it after it is pitched. The remedy for the difficulty is simple—a little greater care and at­ tention to upkeep with a conscientious practice of the maxim that the ap­ proach areas should be just as carefully prepared and as carefully looked after as the putting green; they should have their own rolling, fertiliza- W 15, ii)22 UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 241 tioh, and cutting; they don’t need to be level, but they should be smooth, of even texture, and uniform in quality. At the Denver Country Club one man is employed whom we call the approach mower. He spends his entire time going from green to green, keeping the approaches cut and in good condition. He does not use a putting green mower, but the ordinary four-bladed hand lawn mower set low. The ground that he is to cover is determined by the committee with reference to the character of the shot up to the green called for at each par­ ticular hole, but in every event he cleans up all the spots near the green left by the fairway mower and not cut by the putting green mower. He does not liqZ-e a very large area to mow at any one green and can get over about half the course every day. The grass that he cuts is thus just a little shorter than the grass on the fairway, but not as short as that on. the put­ ting green. His employment is not required except during the short sea­ son during which grass is growing, but the cost of his services is many times repaid in added satisfaction enjoyed by the players. Every piece of approach ground is also given careful attention each spring and fall, has its own quota of fertilizer or top-dressing as regularly as the putting greens, and in every way is treated as a distinct and essen­ tial feature of the course to be kept up with as studied care as is devoted to any other portion. It is only by strict attention to niceties of this character that any course can be maintained at high standard, and no course that does not look after its approach areas as separate and indispensable features requir­ ing definite attention and treatment can hope to hold high rank or afford that lure of irresistable attraction which distinguishes this game of games and constitutes the determining test as to whether a course has the com­ manding. merit of permanent vitality. Hickory and Golf H. S. Betts, U. S. Forest Service I have often wondered which wood was utilized in the making of golf club shafts in the early days before golfers were acquainted with the virtues of hickory. It is evident, however, that when hickory was first introduced in the game and tested as a shaft material, it was such an improvement over the material then in common use that its adoption was prompt and sweeping. I believe that at the present time hickory is the universal wood for golf shafts, and it has been practically the only shaft material until within the last few years, when steel has appeared as a competitor. The combination of strength, toughness, and elasticity in hickory has made it the world’s foremost wood for certain purposes. As a shock-resisting wood its equal has not been discovered. The fame of the American axe is largely due to the hickory handle. Nowadays one is constantly running across statements about the scarci­ ty of hickory. Like the auctioneer, these statements repeat “going, going,” but they hesitate over the “gone.” Considering the demand, hickory is scarce ■ there is no doubt about it; but there is considerable left, and good stuff at that, although it is necessary to pick and choose more carefully than in the old days when there were fine stands in abundance. 242 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE Vol. n, No. s The name hickory is commonly used as if there were but a single species. As a matter of fact, there are some eight or ten different species, made up of true hickories and pecan hickories. The true hickories (shag­ bark, big shellbark, pignut*, and mockernut), furnish a very large pro­ portion of the high-grade hickory found on the market. The wood of the pecan hickories is less valuable from the standpoint of strength and toughness. Hickory is a tree of wide range and was formerly found in commercial quantities in every state east and in several states west of the Mississippi. Even yet, after several hundred years of use and abuse, hickory is still listed in the lumber cut of 13 states. This is evidence that it's range still extends over the whole east, although the cut is much diminished in quantity. Hickory generally grows scattered among chestnut, oaks, ashes, and other hardwoods and does best at low or moderate elevations. In the rich bottom lands of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers and their tributaries and in the Southern Appalachians there are still considerable supplies of virgin hickory timber. The remainder of the East has been pretty well combed over for hickory, and many areas which once furnished large supplies now yield but little. An estimate of the remaining supply is hardly more than a guess. The best data available place the total stand at 16 billion board feet, distributed as follows: Lower Mississippi Valley region.............. . .............. 7 billion board feet Central region (timber largely in woodlots)........ . 3 billion board feet Southern Appalachians............................................. 2^ billion board feet Atlantic and Gulf Coast region.............................. . 2% billion board feet Remainder of range................................................... 1 billion board feet The states with the largest supplies of standing hickory are in about the following order: Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia. These same states are estimated to contain about two-thirds of the existing supply. Figures on the consumption of hickory are difficult to. secure because a large part of the hickory used does not go through regular sawmills but is cut from the log into billets and shipped to vehicle or handle factories. The accompanying table shows the production of hickory lumber by states for 1909 and 1920. It is very probable that there was twice as much hickory used in 1920 as the total lumber production figures show. The handle trade alone uses yearly over 100,000,000 board feet. In Michigan in 1920 one-half of the hickory used by factories was in the form of lumber and one-half in the form of bolts. The table shows a striking drop of 66 per cent in the hickory cut during the last decade. It is quite probable, however, that some of this decrease is due to an increasing proportion of hickory being used without passing through sawmills. The weight of a piece of hickory is the best criterion of its strength; but in judging a single piece, means of determining weight are not always convenient, and a visual method is necessary. It has been found by an extensive series of tests made by the Forest Service that few growth rings * This Is not the bitternut of the middle states but is the hickory frequently known as “black” hickory, and is the best of the true hickories. Aug. is, ites UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 243 Hickory Lumber Produced in 1909 and 1920 State Number of active mills reporting United States............ Arkansas ....... :............. Tennessee ......... ............ Kentucky ...................... West Virginia .......... _... Indiana .......................... Mississippi .................... Ohio ............................... Missouri ........................ Louisiana ...................... Pennsylvania ........ ....... Virginia ........................ Illinois ........................... North Carolina ............ Alabama .. .................... Maryland .............. .. Oklahoma .................... Connecticut .................. Michigan ..................... . All. other states........ . 1920 2,686 174 306 259 206 267 79 309 130 43 134 179 70 104 1909 7,796 384 655 673 456 858 142 959 630 43 791 287 432 186 158 106 Quantity reported M feet B. M. 1920 1909 333,929 131,553 45,133 28,594 58,477 21,993 41,656 11,492 21,774 11,448 23,513 9,532 Per cent 1920 100.0 21.7 16.7 8.7 8.7 7.2 1909 100.0 13.5 17.5 12.5 5.0 7.0 9,345 6,818 6,370 4,913 3,799 2,982 2,848 2,327 21,967 21,774 33,259 7,704 15,267 5,528 11,095 3,132 7,076 4,267 2,572 2,442 1,850 10,665 7.1 5.2 4.9 3.7 2.9 2.3 2.2 1.8 6.9 6.6 6.5 10.0 2.3 4.6 1.6 3.3 0.9 2.1 1.3 0.8 0.7 0.6 3.2 60 177 . 142 657 9,092 426 indicate a stronger and tougher piece of hickory than many rings. Figure 1 shows sections of two hickory handles of slow (many rings) and fast growth (few rings). The best wood generally contains not more than 20 growth rings to the inch, although considerable good material may have more. A method of determining the resiliency or spring in a golf shaft is to strike the butt on a concrete floor, while held loosely in the hand. A clear ringing note indicates a “quick” shaft, while a dull sound indicates one with a slow recovery after bending. It is commonly held that “white” hickory is better than “red” hick­ ory. By “white” and “red” are meant the sapwood and heartwood, re­ spectively, as shown on the cross-section in Figure 2. The formation of wood in a growing tree takes place on the inner side of the bark. Each year a new growth ring is added, consisting of a hard and soft layer. The sapwood is constantly being added to on the outside and constantly turning into heartwood on the inside. The belief that white hickory is superior to red probably arose from the observation that young, rapid-growing hickory trees, which are nearly all sapwood, or white wood, generally have excellent strength properties. As the tree matures, however, this same sapwood is transformed into red­ dish heartwood; and a half-million tests made at the Forest Products Lab­ oratory of the Forest Service have failed to show any change in the strength of the wood of any species due to this natural change from sapwood into heartwood. A special set of tests upon many specimens of red and white hickory shows conclusively that, weight for weight, sound hickory has the 244 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE Vol. II, No. 8 same strength, toughness, and resistance to shock, regardless of whether it is red, white, or mixed red and white. The best hickory for golf shafts is heavy (although not necessarily the heaviest); has a clear ring when dropped, as stated above; and presents a glossy, oily surface when sanded smooth. This glossy surface is more noticeable in white hickory than in red hickory. A supply of hickory adequate to meet the demands both for internal consumption and for export depends on two things—cutting so as to in- Figure 1—Cross-sections of two hickory handles, one of slow, the other of fast growth Figure 2—Cross-section of hickory vehicle stock showing “white” sapwood and “red” heartwood Aug. is, .1922 UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 245 sure reproduction and. the reduction of waste in lumbering and manu­ facture. Hickory reproduces easily; and given a reasonable chance, a new crop will start promptly after a cutting operation. It can not, however, when in the seedling state, compete successfully with fire and cattle. The supply of large hickory is being exhausted, and it will in time be necessary to depend largely on second growth from small holdings, such as farmers’ woodlands. The waste in hickory is placed at 40 per cent of the .yearly cut of merchantable material. The unwarranted discrimination against red hickory is accountable for part of this, and the specialized character of hickory products for more. Frequently what is waste in the manufac­ ture of one product could be used as the raw material for another. The wood of hickory is superior to any other commercial wood in strength and toughness. For a number of special uses no. satisfactory substitute has been found. It behooves all golfers to do what they can to ensure a con­ tinued supply of a material essential to the royal game. How Course Construction and Maintenance Suffer from Poor Business Management W. A. Alexander, Chicago . . With the improvements in business the fire has again been lighted, and interest in new golf course construction and playing the game have been given a great impetus. Ninety per cent of the men having charge of construction of new courses, and thus representing their clubs, are se­ lected by their clubs on account of their business ability. Not one out of a hundred has had any experience in the work to be done. In addition to this, not five per cent of these men have the time or can afford to take the time or will sacrifice the time to give the golf course the same personal and intensified interest that they would give their own businesses. This is the answer