£ T I N } V USGA JOURNAL COMBINING TIMELY TURF TOPICS AFTER THE RECORD: THE PRIZE Ben Hogan receiving the Open Championship trophy from Fielding Wallace, USGA President, following his record score of 276 at the Riviera Country Club Photo by Les Silvera USGA JOURNAL COMBINING TIMELY TURF TOPICS PUBLISHED BY THE UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION Permission to reprint articles herein is freely granted provided credit is given to the USGA Journal. VOL. 1, NO. 3 JULY, 1948 Through the Green...................................................................... 1 What Wins the Open: Richard S. Tufts.............................. 4 Local Rules for Water Hazards : Isaac B. Grainger........ 6 When Eight Clubs Were a Bagful........................................ 8 Boiling Three Strokes Into Two: Francis Ouimet.......... 10 The Amateur and His Expenses: Edward B. Leisenring. . 11 Timely Turf Topics....................................................................... 12 The Public Links Championship: Totton P. Heffelfinger 18 Larry Was a Caddie: Maynard G. Fessenden...................... 20 The Referee: Rules of Golf Decisions.................................. 23 It’s Your Honor: Letters............................................................. 26 Subscriptions: $2 per year; seven issues per year: Spring, June, July, August, September, Autumn, Winter. Single copies—30 cents. Subscriptions, articles, photographs, and correspondence (except pertaining to Green Section ifiatters) should be addressed to: 73 East 57 th Street UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION New York 22, N. ¥. Correspondence pertaining to Green Section matters should be addressed to: Plant Industry Station USGA GREEN SECTION Room 307, South Building Beltsville, Md. Edited by Joseph C. Dey, Jr. and John P. English. Editorial Advisory Committee—John D. Ames, Chairman; „ Isaac B. Grainger, James D. Standish, Jr. All articles are voluntarily contributed. PRINTED IN U.S.A. USGA COMPETITIONS Invitations Desired for Junior Amateur Championship Invitations are cordially invited from clubs and educational institutions to entertain the USGA Junior Amateur Championship in 1949 and 1950. It is desirable, though not essential, that dormitory facilities be available for 128 players. Schedule for 1948 Dates entries close in the schedule below mean the last dates for applications to reach the USGA office. Championship Entries Close Amateur Public Links Closed Junior Amateur Amateur July 8 August 2 Women’s Amateur August 23 Sectional Qualifying Rounds Finished Championship Dates Team: July 17 Indiv: July 19-24 August 11-14 **July 19 to 30 Aug. 18 August 30- September 4 September 13-18 — Venue North Fulton Park G. C. Atlanta, Ga. Univ, of Michigan G. C. Ann Arbor, Mich. Memphis C. C. Memphis, Tenn. Pebble Beach Course Det Monte, Cal. * Exact date in each Section fixed by Sectional Qualifying Chairmen. USGA Journal: July, 1948 1 THROUGH THE GREEN Ah, California! A correspondent in California relays the information that the USGA leaflets on “Protection of Persons against Lightning on Golf Courses” serve as little more than causes for merriment in sunny California. The official advice under such conditions, of course, is to take shelter. “In this par­ ticular section of California,” our corre­ spondent writes, “lightning is such a rarity that on the few occasions when it does occur, the natives come out from shelter to see it.” Other Side of Etiquette The Etiquette of the Game incorporated in the Rules of Golf is concerned with the relation of players to each other in the in­ terests of making the game enjoyable for all. An informal addendum to these rules has been prepared by James E. Thomas, Farmington Country Club, Charlottesville, Va., and forwarded by the Lancaster (N. Y.) Country Club. This addendum has the same basic pur­ pose as Etiquette—to increase enjoyment. However, its rules concern only the rela­ tion of players to the course on which they play. It is designed to save the tees and greens and to spare the hazards. Since this is a particularly able formu­ lation of rules which should concern every green committee chairman and guide every player, we quote Mr. Thomas’s code here­ with : 1—Carefully replace all divots. 2—Do not throw ball wrappings, old score cards and other scrap paper on the course. Use waste receptacles. 3—Walk carefully on greens and pick up your feet. 4—Do not throw cigarettes and cigar butts on the tees or greens. They often make damaging scars. 5—Carefully lift ball marks on the greens. 6—Smooth footprints in all traps and do not climb bunker sides. 7—Walk carefully around the cup when sinking that short one. Lift the ball out of the cup, instead of using your putter to snake it out. 8—Do not scratch the green to mark spot of ball. Use a small coin or marker. 9—Handle flagsticks carefully. Lift and lay the flag on the green instead of dropping same. It should not be used as a rest post, or as a punch. 10—Observe tee markers. Tee in legiti­ mate area between markers. 11—Use a tee for playing that short hole; it will mean a smaller divot and will not interfere with your shot. 12—Do not kink hose to control sprinkler operation. It ruptures the hose fab­ ric, and hose is a scarce article. A Bit of Nostalgia It was nice and nostalgic when 150 friends of James D. Standish, Jr., gathered recently at the Country Club of Detroit to show their appreciation for his contribu­ tions to golf on the occasion of his retire­ ment from long service as President of the Detroit District Golf Association. Among them were six of the 32 qualifiers in the 1915 Amateur Championship—Rob­ ert A. Gardner, Chicago, the winner ; Sher­ rill Sherman, Utica, N. Y., a semi-finalist; Howard B. Lee, Joseph B. Schlotman and Lewis L. Bredin, all of Detroit, in addition to Mr. Standish. In the Championship 33 years ago Mr. Standish defeated two for­ mer Champions in successive rounds, Wil­ liam C. Fownes, Jr., and Francis Ouimet. Mr. Gardner is still winning; his 75 was low gross on Standish Day. Mr. Standish has held perhaps as many non-paying golf offices as anyone else, dating from his presidency of the Inter­ collegiate Golf Association in 1912-13. He originated the USGA Public Links Cham­ pionship and is currently a USGA Vice- President and Chairman of the Green Sec­ tion Committee. 2 USGA Journal: July, 1948 Cleveland Caddie Scholarships Museum Gifts The Cleveland District Golf Association, which devotes 73 per cent of its revenue to its Caddie Scholarship Fund, reports that five caddies are now receiving a col­ lege education through its funds and that seventeen caddies previously have been helped. J. H. Rutherford of Westwood is president of the CDGA. Not Too Drab Jimmy Demaret on the last day of the Open wore a little green cap, white tee shirt, quite red trousers, red-and-green- checked socks, and green alligator-skin shoes. Americans Abroad Curtis Cup Match—USGA team of women amateur golfers defeated British Isles, 6% to 2}4, at Birkdale, England. British Ladies’ Championship—Miss Louise Suggs, Atlanta, defeated Miss Jean Donald, Scotland, in final, 1 up. British Amateur Championship— Frank Stranahan, Toledo, defeated Charles Stowe, England, in final, 5 and 4. Width of Fairways In reply to an inquiry as to the proper width of fairways, the USGA has quoted the following from its Golf Championship Manual, which it issues to clubs holding USGA competitions for guidance in pre­ paring their courses: “The normal width of a fairway should be approximately 50 yards; the fairway may be bottle-necked to require a very ac­ curate drive between 275 and 325 yards from the tee (200 to 250 for women’s com­ petitions). The fairway should be cut at five-eighths inch (for clover, one-half inch). ' “In establishing a fairway width of ap­ proximately 50 yards, it often is necessary to permit margins of the fairway to grow into rough. When this is done, such new rough is usually more severe than the old rough, as fairway grass is more lush. Care should be taken to prevent having ex­ tremely more difficult lies one yard off the fairway than fifteen yards off. Such un­ fairness can be tempered by cutting such new rough somewhat lower than old rough.” Richard D. Chapman has contributed two interesting items to the USGA Golf Museum. The 1940 Amateur Champion gave an exact duplicate of the wooden­ headed putter he used in winning the quali­ fying medal and the title at the Winged Foot Golf Club. “The original was either misplaced or lost,” he explains. He also donated a steel-shafted blade putter used by his father, the late John D. Chapman, in winning the United States Seniors’ Golf Association Championship in 1931. Jack Level, of Elmhurst, N. Y., has con­ tributed a booklet which he believes to be the first about golf printed in the United States, entitled “Athletic Games of Skill.” Although it is undated, Mr. Level esti­ mates the date as about 1884, partly be­ cause the text makes no mention of golf being played in the United States. The booklet, which originally sold for 10 cents, contains the following: “A spiteful South of England cricketer once . . . defined golf as ‘the art of knock­ ing a ball into a hole and then hooking it out.’ But the game, originally a native of Scotland, has of late years been acclimat­ ized in the South of England; golf is played in the neighbourhood of London ... in India, Australia and on the Cape of Good Hope.” Championship Entry Forms Entry blanks are available for the last two USGA Championships of 1948—the Amateur and the Women’s Amateur. These are the only events in which entrants must be members of USGA Regular Member Clubs. Entries, filed on USGA forms, must arrive at the New York office as follows: Amateur Championship—by 5 P.M. on Monday, August 2. Women’s Amateur Championship—by 5 P.M. on Monday, August 23. Entries for the first USGA Junior Ama­ teur Championship close Thursday, July 8. Foreign Exchange In the Dutch Open near Amsterdam this month there will be five prizes, ranging from 1,000 to 300 florins ($375 to $117.50), but “owing to difficulties with foreign cur­ rency, no entrance fee will be charged.” USGA Journal: July, 1948 3 New Books SPORTSMAN’S CORNER Two books which contribute in serious fashion to the literature of the rules and history of golf were published recently. The first is “The Rules of Golf, Re­ vised,” edited by Francis Ouimet (Garden City Publishing Co., Inc., Garden City, N. Y., $1). Its object is to increase knowl­ edge of the USGA Rules of Golf by illus­ trating each with sketches by Art Krenz. “Too many times, unfortunately, both rules and golf etiquette are violated,” Mr. Ouimet writes, “because the players, if they have read the regulations at all, have done so in a perfunctory fashion . . . prac­ tically saying, ‘to heck with the other fel­ low; I’m out here to enjoy myself.’ That attitude is neither good for themselves nor the game, and it is, of course, very unfair to others who are more meticulous of their observance of the rules and the etiquette.” The method of attack is to take the literal wording of each Rule, illustrate it with right-and-wrong sketches, and append an editorial note where appropriate. It is an attractive presentation, and the visual in­ terpretations should be easily absorbed. © The second book is the “Official Golf Guide, 1948,” edited by Fred Corcoran (A. S. Barnes & Co., New York City, 5(H)- It is a handbook containing 1947 sum­ maries and past records of all national, sectional and State championships in the United States; biographies of 39 leading amateurs and professionals; officers of na­ tional and sectional golf associations; mem­ bers of the Golf Writers Association, and the USGA Rules of Golf. Grantland Rice has written the dedica­ tion to the late William D. Richardson, first editor of the Guide; Bing Crosby has written the foreword, and Fielding Wal­ lace has contributed an article on the USGA. Among several new features this year are special articles summarizing highlights, oddities, scoring records, “firsts,” etc., in previous USGA Open and Amateur and PGA Championships. It’s the sort of book you can hardly do without in locker-room arguments. Courtesy Boston Herald Ted Bishop In the semi-final round of the 1947 John G. Anderson Memorial Four-Ball Tournament at the Winged Foot Golf Club in New York, Ted Bishop and Ed Wyner, of Boston, became in­ volved in an extra-hole match with Arthur Lynch and John Smith, of New York. As darkness settled, the four had reached the 22nd green. Bishop’s ball lay 40 feet away in 4. Despite darkness which made the hole almost impossible to see, he holed the putt for a par 5. Lynch was left with a ten-foot putt for a birdie 4 to win the match and putted three feet past the hole. Before he could putt again for the half, however, Bishop knocked his ball away. “I wouldn’t want to win a match under these conditions,” he said. “Let’s finish it to­ morrow morning.” When they met again early the next morn­ ing to play the 23rd hole, Lynch and Smith won to enter the final. (The USGA Journal will welcome nominations for the Sportsman’s Corner in future issues. The calibre of the player does not matter.) Alice in Blunderland If you read the last issue of the USGA Journal, you might have had trouble de­ ciding what Horace Rawlins’ winning score was in the first Open Championship in 1895. On page 8 it was noted that he scored 91-82—173, and that was right; but on the front cover (of all places) he was credited with 137 for 36 holes, which was an example not of how age improves things but of our carelessness. 4 USGA Journal: July, 1948 What Wins the Open By RICHARD S. TUFTS Chairman, USGA Championship Committee What makes an Open Champion? Skill? Yes, but sometimes skill alone isn’t enough. Breaks of the game? Occasionally. When a player has the requisite skill and gets the breaks, he usually is the winner— but always provided his skill and his luck are undergirded by self-control, the power of mastering his emotions instead of being a slave to them. That is a vivid impression we received during this year’s Open Championship at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles. To appreciate it, you have to realize the situation: When Tension Mounts Here are great players competing for a prize dearly desired. The urge for victory is strong. Every shot counts; one slip can be fatal. Although golf is a game and the fate of nations does not depend upon it, it is the livelihood of the professional— and every man’s livelihood is important. So the Open is an intense competition. In that situation, the self-control and the sportsmanship o f leading players were memorable. For example: Ben Hogan and Lew Worsham were leading with 67s on opening day. On the first tee of the second round, Hogan hooked his drive badly. “Out of bounds,” every­ body thought, probably including Hogan. Though his share in the lead was apparently vanishing, Ben just shrugged and quietly asked his caddie for another ball. No dra­ matics. No temperamental flailing of the ground with his club. Just “Give me an­ other ball.” Self-control. As it developed, Hogan’s first drive was in bounds by an inch or less. The ball was precariously perched, ’way above his feet. He played a small safety shot short of a barranca just beyond the drive zone, sent his third toward the green, and scored a par 5. On the next hole—Riviera’s hard­ est par 4, 466 yards long—he had a birdie 3. There, perhaps, is a clue to what makes Ben Hogan tick. He has the forward look —the ability to put the last shot out of mind and to work on the next one. He is his own master. There is the Open Cham­ pion of 1948. Let’s go back two years to the 1946 Open at Canterbury in Cleveland. Ben sent his approach shot to the green of the last hole, about 25 feet from the cup. He had two putts for 284, which would have tied for the Championship; one to win. His approach putt was a bold attempt for victory. It slipped some three feet beyond the cup. His next putt—the one which would have tied—did not drop. But Ben Hogan was smiling as he signed his card and returned his score of 285. He was smiling the smile of a man who is a champion inside himself. You could go on and on about things like this . . . how Lew Worsham this year on the 28th hole at Riviera flubbed two shots off the green, took a 6 for the 315- yard par 4 hole, and continued calmly about his business even though he had lost his first-round lead if not his Champion­ ship . . . how Jimmy Demaret in the last round holed four birdies in five holes from the 62nd through the 66th, then missed a 4-foot putt for another bird which might have changed the complexion of the tourna­ ment, and continued as debonair as ever . . . how Jim Turnesa became the first player in history to score 280 in the Open, only to have Hogan and Demaret surpass his score, yet Jim continued his usual, self- possessed self . . . how Bobby Locke, Sam Snead, Herman Barron and other contend­ ers took the bitter with the sweet and re­ mained sportsmen and gentlemen. There is nothing meek and mild about the leading players. When occasion re­ quires, they stand up for their rights firmly. But it is an inescapable impression that their control is not confined to the play of a golf ball. Solomon put it this way in his Proverbs: “He that is slow to anger is better than USGA Journal: July, 1948 Club-Testing Photo by Les Silvera John D. Ames (background), Chairman of USGA Implements and Ball Committee, measuring markings on iron clubs at the Open Championship with the USGA’s new micrometer-microscope device the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” For that quality, among others, we salute Ben Hogan and most of his fellows. Markings on Iron Clubs All was not sweetness and light at the Open. Just before the tournament, about 35 players learned that markings on their iron clubs did not conform with USGA specifications. Many players buffed their club grooves down on an emery wheel in Willie Hunter’s pro shop. USGA policy is this: Every player is presumed to use clubs and balls which con­ form with USGA rules. No attempt is made by the USGA to ferret out imple­ ments which may not meet the standards. Golf’s code of honor applies here just as it applies to a player’s certification of his score. Instead of having a police system, the USGA posts a notice somewhat as fol­ lows at its Championships: “Players in doubt about markings on iron clubs may consult the USGA Committee.” As a result, many players submitted clubs for checking prior to the 1947 and 1948 Opens. Last year many clubs were out­ side the specifications when measured with a finely graduated steel ruler and magnify­ ing glass. Realizing that this method of measure­ ment was not perfect, the USGA in 1948 purchased a new device combining a mi­ crometer and a microscope which enabled measurement by anyone within 1/2,000 of an inch. On March 3. 1948, John D. Ames, Chair­ man of the USGA Implements and Ball Committee, requested manufacturers to submit current iron clubheads for checking, “in order that there may not be under any circumstances a repetition of what occurred at the 1947 Open.” Mr. Ames advised the manufacturers of the results of his tests. The majority of the 1948 iron heads were within limits; a few were not. It is difficult for the USGA to under­ stand why all new clubheads do not con­ form with the rules. The present speci­ fications were agreed to by leading manu­ facturers in 1940. To allow ample time for club-makers to change dies, the effective date of the specifications was deferred to January 1, 1942. There has been no change in them in the interim. Yet at this year’s Open, many clubs were outside the rules. The clubs had not been tampered with. Their faultiness was not caused by the players (whose disposition to observe the Rules of Golf was note­ worthy) but by club-makers. On the other hand, a few borderline clubs which were passed at the 1947 Open, after being tested by the devices then used, did not measure up to standard on the USGA’s new instrument in 1948. Ben Hogan, among others, apparently felt that the non-conformity of his and others’ clubs, when tested at Riviera, cre­ ated the impression that players were try­ ing to evade the rule. The USGA is convinced that the players had no such in­ tention. Rather, manufacturers of improper clubs had apparently failed to tell players (Continued on page 22) 6 USGA Journal: July, 1948 Local Rules for Water Hazards By ISAAC B. .GRAINGER Chairman, USGA Rules oe Golf Committee Golf balls have a perverse way of seek­ ing out water hazards. Some water haz­ ards have an equally perverse way of not lending themselves to application of the Rules of Golf in a fair or reasonable manner. For example: A ball came to rest in a water hazard immediately behind a putting green. On the far side of the hazard was a bound­ ary line. Where should the player drop a ball in order to observe Rule 17 (2a)? Blank & Stoller Isaac B. Grainger Another ball drowned itself in a lake paralleling the line of play. The lake was a quarter of a mile wide. Should the player drop a ball so as to keep the last point at which the ball crossed the hazard margin between himself and the hole?—even if he could hit a quarter-mile shot across the lake ? Local rules are necessary to take care of such situations A case recently came to the Rules of Golf Committee which em­ bodies some of the most troublesome points connected with special procedure for water hazards. It is re-printed below in the hope that it will help club committees prevent unnecessary tangles and in the further hope that local authorities will realize the neces­ sity of careful survey of such situations. The Questions No. 48-46. R.17(2);LR We have a meandering barranca (small creek, usually dry in summer and wet in win­ ter) which parallels several fairways and practically encircles several greens. The bar­ ranca is played as a hazard. On a number of shots the barranca is parallel to the line of play and it is customary to lift for a penalty of one stroke, dropping the ball opposite the point where it first came to rest in the hazard, on either side of the barranca. We take it a local rule is necessary to cover this situation. Our principal question, however, has to do with shots to several greens which, if long, may go over the green into the hazard. I have drawn and enclose herewith sketches of holes Nos. 3, 16 and 18, where this most often occurs. For example, at No. 3, if a shot crosses the green and rolls into the hazard, we would like to be sure that under Rule 17(2) the proper procedure is to drop on the far side of the hazard in order to comply with Rule 17(2) (a), keeping the spot at which the ball crossed the other margin of the hazard between the player and the hole. To do this requires dropping on the margin of No. 4 green. In the case of a shot over No. 16 green, it may require dropping on the edge of No. 18 green, or possibly on the far side of No. 18. It has been suggested that in these situa­ tions the ball should be dropped, not on the far side of the hazard, but on the near side, perhaps taking the ball back across the green so that it is not nearer the hole. It seems to the writer that this would not be in accord­ ance with Rule 17(2) (a). We, of course, understand that the player could play in accordance with 17(2) (b), but this ordinarily results in an extremely diffi­ cult shot. Can you confirm to me the proper interpre­ tation of the way to play a shot under Rule 17 (2) (a) ? If you can give us any sugges­ tions as to a good local rule, we will be grateful. John C. McHose Los Angeles, Cal. The Answers A fundamental principle of Rule 17 (2a) is that the water hazard must be kept between the player and the hole. The last point at which the ball crossed the hazard margin determines the line on which a ball shall be dropped. However, there are many instances where it would be more equitable to allow different procedure by local rules (see Recommenda­ tions for Local Rules for Water Hazards, 1 and 2, on page 58 of 1948 Rules of Golf booklet). Thus, we offer the following com­ ments on your particular cases : 1. Distinctive means should be used to mark off sections of the water hazard for which special rules are made, USGA Journal: July, 1948 7 RED STAKES PARALLEL . . WATER A AU RED STAKES HAZARD 7 BALL DROP Conditions requiring local rules as used on St. Louis Country Club’s 347-yard eighth hole in 1947 Open Cham­ pionship. (1) When ball lay in creek between red stakes, a ball could not have been dropped fairly under Rule 17(2a), as conditions on far side of creek were unplayable. To have permitted dropping ball on green side of creek would either have resulted in an unfairly difficult lie or would always have allowed ball to be dropped nearer hole. Therefore, “Ball Drop” area was created—see item 3(a) of answers below. (2) Rest of creek to right of fairway (not between red stakes, and excluding cross creek at lower left of dia­ gram) was designated “Parallel Water Hazard,” and local rule allowed dropping ball within two club-lengths of point where ball last crossed hazard margin. 2. Your procedure regarding sections of the barranca which parallel the line of play is generally proper but a local rule is necessary. We suggest the following local rule: Hole No.----: Ball in parts of water hazard marked by red stakes (or marked “Parallel Water Hazard”)—a ball may be dropped within two club-lengths of either side of hazard opposite point where ball last crossed hazard margin, not nearer hole, under penalty of one stroke. 3. Regarding a ball in a water hazard be­ hind or to the side of a putting green, you are correct in understanding that in order to observe Rule 17(2a), it would usually be necessary to drop a ball on the far side of the hazard; only such procedure would satisfy the fundamental principle of keeping the water hazard between the player and the hole. There is no limit on how far behind the haz­ ard a ball may be dropped. However, where conditions make such pro­ cedure inadvisable, the following possibilities are suggested: (a) Establish a special area marked “ball drop,” possibly on the near side of the hazard, so that balls might be dropped thereon under the following local rule: Hole No.----: Ball in water hazard be­ tween red stakes near putting green—a ball may be dropped upon the area desig­ nated “Ball Drop,” under penalty of one stroke. In such a case, it is advisable for the “ball drop” to be in a location which minimizes the possibility of a ball being dropped nearer the hole than the spot where the original ball last crossed the hazard margin. It is funda­ mental that a ball may not be advanced ex­ cept by striking it. (b) As an alternative to the above, adopt a local rule as follows: Hole No.----: Ball lying in the water hazard between red stakes may be treated as unplayable under Rule 8. (Rule 17(2a) for water hazards need not be observed.) No Provisional Ball A popular misconception exists that a provisional ball may be played when you think your ball may be in a water hazard. However, that is definitely prohibited by Rules 17(2), fifth paragraph, and 19(e). The subject has been covered in decision 48-24, which was published in the June issue of the USGA Journal, page 25. We suggest that you look it up. It should be pointed out that the Rules for water hazards apply also to casual water in a hazard which is not a water hazard. 8 USGA Journal: July, 1948 When Eight Clubs Were a Bagful The first USGA Championships were played at Newport. R. I., in October, 1895, but as early as June of that year observers were viewing with dismay a tendency of golfers to carry too many clubs. This ad­ ditional evidence that there is nothing new under the sun is revealed in a scrapbook of old newspaper clippings recently pre­ sented to the USGA Museum by Frank W. Crane. Mr. Crane, who is 81, joined the New York Times in 1894 and believes he was the first golf writer in the United States. He also believes he wrote the first editorial on golf in this country, on the occasion of Walter J. Travis’ victory in the 1904 Brit­ ish Amateur Championship. His gift of a reference book of clippings covering the first years of golf in the United States was reviewed in the June issue of the USGA Journal. X Among the clippings is a story in the New York Herald of June, 1895, titled, “Hints to Young Golfers” and emphasizing “above all things, avoid the use of needless clubs. It would require a horse and wagon to lug around the green the numerous re­ cent inventions. The finest players use few clubs, seldom carrying more than eight or ten and often not half that number, and the bulk of the work falls on three or four clubs. Many a fine round is made by a professional with but a ‘cleek,’ or with a ‘cleek,’ ‘iron’ and ‘driver.’ “There is a record of a professional playing an amateur, and winning, too, at that, ‘niblick’ against everything; and in the minute books of one of the Scottish clubs (Aberdeen), there is note of a wager between two members whereof the one thought so little of the other’s prowess as a golfer that he undertook to beat him with a champagne bottle and ball as against a stock of clubs. “But it should be said that this wager was recorded in the minutes as ‘of jest’ and was probably made in the sma’ hours of the morning when bottles and brains were alike light.” Miss Margaret Curtis carried only four clubs when she played in her first USGA Women’s Amateur Championship in 1897 at the Essex County Club, Manchester, Mass. Only 13 years old then, Miss Curtis played with a brassie, cleek, mashie and putter. She used the same four clubs in her second Championship at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Long Island, in 1900. Incidentally, Miss Curtis’ brother, Gree­ ley Stevenson Curtis, stamped numbers on each of her clubs. This was an unusual practice at the time, and it may be that Miss Curtis used the first numbered clubs in history. In addition to interesting data about early clubs, Mr. Crane’s clippings shed in­ timate light on results obtained with them—• and the old gutty ball—and other ac­ coutrements. A story in the New York Herald of November, 1895, reports that Mrs. C. S. Brown of New York, in winning the first USGA Women’s Amateur Championship at the Meadow Brook Club, Long Island, “wore a gray dress, with scarlet blouse, black necktie and hat, and a cape with Tartan plaid lining thrown over her shoulder.” Presumably Mrs. Brown was too encum­ bered by her cape to set any long-driving records, because “the longest drive was made by Miss Harrison of Shinnecock Hills,” the New York Sun reported. “Charles W. Barnes, her scorer, paced the distance from the tee to the ball and found it to be 128 yards.” All was not serious championship play in those days, however. In November, 1895, Ransom H. Thomas, vice-president USGA Journal: July, 1948 9 Public Links Golf in 1899 Van Cortlandt Park, in New York City, was the first municipal golf course in the United States and still serves New York’s millions. Here is a scene in a tournament for the NEW YORK HERALD Cup in 1899. Raynor Godwin is missing a putt for a half on the 15th hole in his match with H. E. Brown. The picture apeared in the HERALD of November 5, 1899. Courtesy of H. B. Martin of the Stock Exchange, and his rival, Alexander H. Tiers, played an informal match at the Morristown Golf Chib that was given a column of type in the Times. J. B. Dickson, in behalf of their many friends, offered a cup to stimulate their rivalry, and interest was so great they had to tee off early to evade the arrival of a gallery and brass band which appeared after Thomas had won by six holes. The gallery missed seeing the two play around in the rain in hip rubber boots and red coats but was privileged to attend the un­ veiling of the cup. It proved to be “made of tin, a conglom­ eration of breadpans, wash tins and other useful articles, soldered together, making a cup with all sorts of curves and twists. It was graced with three funny little han­ dles and further decorated with green rib­ bons and yellow chrysanthemums. . . . “Mr. Tiers felt so badly at losing the trophy that he immediately challenged the owner to play for it again, and Mr. Thomas smilingly complied, saying he could beat his rival, even out of his long, hip boots, any day. Mr. Tiers said he couldn’t and there they stand, waiting to meet some other day.” Among the clippings is a story on, ap­ parently, the first inter-city team match, a precursor of the Lesley Cup play which started ten years later. The 1895 clippings show that the St. Andrew’s Golf Club de­ feated The Country Club, Brookline, by seven holes on August 24 at St. Andrew’s and lost a return engagement at Brookline by eight holes. The victory of C. M. Hamilton in the first public golf tournament at Van Cort­ landt Park, New York, on November 28, 1896, is described. Hamilton led a field of 38 players with a score of 52-47—99 and won a cup donated by the members of St. Andrew’s. The course, owned by New York City, is called the first public links in the United States. In another report on the course there, Mr. Crane expressed dismay at the caddie fee of 25 a round since, at private clubs, “fifteen cents is the usual rate.” 10 USGA Journal: July, 1948 Boiling Three Strokes Into Two By FRANCIS OUIMET Open Champion 1913, Amateur Champion 1914-31, Member or Captain of Every Walker Cup Team It has been said that Connie Mack, fnan- ager of the Philadelphia Athletics, con­ siders pitching the essence and core of a successful baseball team. He evaluates good pitching as representing nearly 80 per cent of a team’s success. What, then, is the most important part of a game that combines power and force with finesse, such as the game of golf? A tee shot requires power whereas a chip shot requires delicacy of touch. Of course, t-here is really little similarity between baseball and golf, because one calls for team effort, the other is individual. The important thing in golf will always be getting the ball into the hole, legiti­ mately, of course. How to do it is a mys­ tery that cannot be fully explained. Years ago while searching for wisdom, we asked Ted Ray which he thought was the most important shot in golf. He an­ swered forthrightly that in his opinion the tee shot was the all-important one. He was a tremendous fellow who could lash out long drives. To be able to hit a golf ball a long distance from the tee gives one the opportunity of reaching the green with a shorter shot. Then we queried the great Vardon. His comments were brief and to the point. He thought iron play was the medium that produced low scores, because good iron shots put one in a position to go down in one putt sometimes, and certainly two al­ ways. Unfortunately this system eluded even the wonderful Vardon every so often. Not satisfied altogether, we talked to Walter J. Travis who, without any excep­ tion past or present, was the most depend­ able person we have ever seen on a put­ ting green. He may be just a name to the modern golfer, but when he said that he thought putting was the most valuable con­ tribution to any low score or to any match that was won, we felt he had the soundest reason of all. Certainly if we are to take present-day standards as the yardstick to success, we must agree with Mr. Travis. There are so many fine golfers in the United States today who drive well and play irons accu­ rately that it comes down to a matter of putting which decides who is going to be the winner. One can recover from a wild tee shot. We have seen it happen over and over again. An iron shot that turns left or right into a trap is blasted onto the green, and more often than not near the hole. But when that three-foot putt slides by the cup, it counts just as much as the 300- yard drive in the matter of strokes. It is much more upsetting to the morale of the player. Therefore, we will cast our vote with that of Mr. Travis. Not so long ago we chanced across an article by Bernard Darwin that appeared in the London Times years ago, referring to a British Open won by Walter Hagen. As you may know, Darwin has a most de­ lightful way of writing golf. In this arti­ cle, he spoke of Hagen’s masterly putting that had stood out through four rounds of medal play. He mentioned the fact that Hagen made many mistakes up to the greens, but it was “his uncanny ability to boil three strokes into two that won him the championship.” Think that over when you are trying to determine which is the most important stroke in golf. In the USGA Open playoff at St. Louis last year, Sam Snead was on the last green, about 18 feet from the hole. Lew Worsham was over, close to the edge of the rough with a difficult chip To make. They lay alike. Worsham played his stroke beauti­ fully and had the fortune of catching the hole-rim as well, which slowed down his ball. Snead putted short, missed the next and Worsham holed his to become the Open Champion. Worsham could have been excused for taking three strokes to hole out from the fringe of rough, but the records show that he was able “to boil three strokes into two.” USGA Journal: July, 1948 11 The Amateur and His Expenses By EDWARD B. LEISENRING ;■ , Chairman, USGA Amateur Status and Conduct Committee Within the next six weeks the USGA will conduct two amateur tournaments in which; contestants will be permitted to ac­ cept expense money. Lest false impres­ sions arise, it needs to be stressed that both tournaments are exceptional. It is still a basic rule that a player for­ feits amateur status for accepting expenses, in money or otherwise. The only exemp­ tions are: (a) Players in the USGA Amateur Pub­ lic Links Championship at Atlanta in July may accept, from funds administered by a USGA representative, money for travel and up to $6 per day for living expenses. (b) Boys under 18 may accept expenses. Thus, any player in the USGA Junior Amateur Championship at the University of Michigan in August may have his ex­ penses paid. However, a special rule for this Championship limits the sources from which expenses may be accepted and pro­ hibits receiving them from commercial sources. (c) The other exceptions pertain to USGA financing of the Walker Cup and the Curtis Cup Teams and to players rep­ resenting schools, colleges and the mili­ tary services when competing under their auspices. The reasons for the exceptions are self- evident. The reasons for barring expenses to amateurs generally should be equally ap­ parent. If there were no such rule, there doubtless would arise a class of players who would wander from tournament to tournament, with their expenses paid, and who would in effect make the playing of golf their business. They would not be amateurs in any sense of the word. It would not be fair for them to compete against others who played solely for pleasure. There you have an essential reason for having any Rules of Amateur Status at all. Their purpose is to provide a basis of fair competition. i The professional presumptively holds an advantage over the amateur by rea­ son of devoting him­ self to his profes­ sion, which is an honorable one. Any­ one who makes golf his business should compete with profes­ sionals. E. B. Leisenring Actually, there is only one Rule of Ama­ teur Status. It is the Definition of an Amateur Golfer, Section 1 in the USGA code, and it provides simply: “An amateur golfer is one who plays the game solely as a non-remunera- tive or non-profit-making sport.” The rest of the Rules deal with interpreta­ tions and exceptions and with procedure for reinstatement. Any golfer who is motivated solely by the spirit of playing the game as a sport, for pleasure and recreation, should be able to answer almost any question that can arise on the subject. But every amateur has a further duty to know the technical Rules of Amateur Status, equally as much as he has an obli­ gation to know the rules of play. If he does not do so, he may find himself one day in the same bewildered position as the chap who accepted expenses to the Ama­ teur Public Links Championship — quite properly—but then accepted expenses to another tournament—and thereby disquali­ fied himself from amateur competition. The USGA has no police system. It ex­ pects amateurs to be as honorable in main­ taining their status as they are in returning the proper score. Golf’s code applies equally off the course as on it. It is largely because of this code that the game has thrived and retained its charm. It is a code in which golfers can take justifiable pride. 12 USGA Journal: July, 1948 TIMELY TURF TOPICS from the USGA Green Section SAVE LABOR The following lines are reprinted from Turf News, the official organ of “The Heart of America Greenkeeping Associa­ tion” : “WHERE DOES THE TURF PRODUCTION DOLLAR GO? Labor . . . Fertilizer . . . Supplies . . . Equipment “Since 1939 there has been a steady in­ crease in production costs which goes some­ thing like this: “Labor up 156%. Fertilizer up 15%. Supplies up 29%. Equipment up 30%. “From 50% to 80% of every golf course maintenance budget goes for labor, so the big problem is to reduce the man hours of labor without lowering the standards of maintenance. How can this be done? 1. “Substitute (profitably) mechanical power for man power wherever pos­ sible. 2. “Minimize time used for moving from place to place. Schedule work as­ signments for each man so that the second job starts where first one ends. 3. “Replace old obsolete equipment with new, modern, more efficient equip­ ment. Keep machinery in first-class working condition. 4. “Train men to accomplish the great­ est amount of work with the least amount of energy.” INSECTICIDE-FERTILIZER MIXTURE Dr. R. T. White, Entomologist for the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quaran­ tine, U. S. Department of Agriculture, re­ ported in the February, 1948, number of the Journal of Economic Entomology the results of “Application of Milky-Disease Spore Dust with a Commercial Fertilizer.” In order to extend the spore dust suffi­ ciently to provide for uniform spreading over a large area, 24% pounds of the dust. containing 100 million spores to the gram, was mixed with 400 pounds of a 10-6-4 fertilizer and applied to one acre of turf. The following conclusions are quoted from Dr. White’s report: “Satisfactory distribution of the disease spores was obtained by means of a fer­ tilizer spreader. Data from observations in a plot treated with a 10-6-4 commercial fertilizer mixed with milky-disease spore dust show no reduction in the viability of the disease organism due to the fertilizer. The results were about the same as usu­ ally obtained with the spot method of applying the spore dust. The data show rather conclusively that milky disease will reduce high larval populations of the Japanese beetle, and that the disease or­ ganism may spread rapidly to nearby un­ treated areas.” The Green Section has received recently notices from several companies with ref­ erence to DDT, chlordane and other in­ secticides combined with fertilizer in a ready-mixed form. At least one of these companies is manufacturing a product con­ taining both DDT and spores of the milky- white disease. When it is practical to apply an insec­ ticide at the time when fertilizer is applied, such mixtures will be very useful. Two operations can be combined in one, and the fertilizer serves as an extender for the insecticides which usually are difficult to distribute uniformly because of their small volume. INTERESTING READING ‘‘Controlling Weeds in Turf with 2,4-D.” (1946) J. A. DeFrance. Misc. Publ. 30. Rhode Island Agricultural Experiment Station, Kingston, R. I. “Down to Earth.” Vol. 4, No. 1. Sum­ mer 1948. A Review of Agricultural Chem­ ical Progress. The Dow Chemical Com­ pany, Midland, Mich. “Golf Range Operators Handbook.” Copyright 1947 by National Golf Founda­ tion, 407 South Dearborn Street, Chicago 5, Ill. Price $1.00, postpaid. USGA Journal: July, 1948 13 The Army Learns from the USGA Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agricultural Engineering—Photo by W. J. Mead Dr. Fred V. Grau, director of the USGA Green Section, addressing lltli Fort Belvoir Post Engineer School on the lawn in front of the Administration Building, Plant Indus­ try Station, Beltsville, Md. Every six weeks a group of sixty post engineers from Fort Belvoir devotes a day to the study of turf grasses and their uses at the Beltsville Turf Gardens. The lawn is weedy bluegrass which was aerified and planted vegetatively on 3-foot centers to U-3 Bermudagrass in May. The next Post Engineer Field Day will be held on August 19th, the USGA Green Section and the Bureau of Plant Industry cooperating. FROM THE QUESTION BOX The following questions and answers were published in the Question Box of the May issue of “The Bull Sheet,” official publication of the Midwest Association of Golf Course Superintendents. “Q. What results have been obtained by aerifying and spiking with new equipment designed for that purpose? Can this equip­ ment be rented in the Chicago area? “A. The results have been very gratify­ ing. The benefits noted are: More water holding capacity; more air for the roots; stimulation of growth; more heat toler­ ance, and comparatively little damage at the time of treatment. Yes, equipment can be rented. “Q. How can we eliminate sand burrs in the rough on sandy soil? “A. This problem has been referred to the Practical Research Committee as no one has had experience with it. “Q. What results have been obtained by the use of all soluble, complete fertilizers to be sprayed? “A. Liquid fertilizers are being used satisfactorily in spray rigs for greens and tees at present. “Q. Which form of 2,4-D is the most dangerous to use with regard to damage from drift? “A. Esters are the most volatile and would be likely to cause the most damage to ornamentals by drift. “Q. What advantage, if any, does the low-gallonage system of applying 2,4-D have over high-gallonage applications? “A. Gallonage has not shown much bear­ ing on the effect of 2,4-D compounds. Water consumption will be less, the equipment needed for application will be less costly, and the equipment will be more simple.” CONFERENCE DATES January 13-14, 1949...................... Maryland Mid-ABantic Association of Green­ keepers, at Lord Baltimore Hotel, Baltimore, Md. Ernest N. Cory, University of Mary­ land, College Park, Md. February 21-24........................ Pennsylvania H. B. Musser, Pennsylvania State Col­ lege, State College, Pa. 14 USGA Journal: July, 1948 2,4-D INVESTIGATIONS In the March, 1948, number of “Botani­ cal Gazette,” James W. Brown and John W. Mitchell of the Bureau of Plant In­ dustry, Soils, and Agricultural Engineer­ ing, U. S. Department of Agriculture, re­ ported the results of some recent 2,4-D in­ vestigations in an article entitled, “Inacti­ vation of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid in Soil as Affected by Soil Moisture, Tem­ perature, the Addition of Manure and Autoclaving.” The summary of their article follows: “1. The rate of inactivation of 2,4-dich- lorophenoxyacetic acid in soil varied ac­ cording to the moisture content of the soil during storage; the highest level used (30%) resulted an most rapid inactivation. “2. Inactivation of 2,4-D in soil also in­ creased with the temperature at which the mixtures ' were stored, the most rapid in­ activation occurring at 70° F., the highest temperature used. “3. Applications of 2,4-D that were mixed into the soil were inactivated during a shorter period of time than were like amounts applied to the soil surface. “4. Light applications of manure to soil low in organic matter materially hastened the inactivation of 2,4-D. “5. The inactivation of 2,4-D in soil was significantly reduced by autoclaving.” Carl J. C. Jorgensen and Charles L. Hamner of the Department of Horticul­ ture, Michigan State College, reported re­ sults of other 2,4-D work in the same number of the “Botanical Gazette.” Their investigations dealt with “Weed Control in Soils with 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid and Related Compounds and Their Residual Effects Under Varying Environ­ mental Conditions.” The following summary is quoted from their article. “1. In Coloma sand an application of 2 p.p.m. of the sodium salt of 2,4-dichloro- phenoxyacetic acid (sodium 2,4-D) killed from 95% to 98% of all weed seed present in the soil, while 8 or 16 p.p.m. made the soil virtually weed-free. Seeds of weedy grasses were killed in sand with concen­ trations of 8 and 16 p.p.m. of sodium 2,4-D. “2. There were no appreciable differc-^es in weed-seed killed by the acid, the sodium salt, or the methyl ester of 2,4-D, applied to Coloma sand. “3. Higher temperatures resulted in dis­ appearance of toxicity of sodium 2,4-D from the soil more rapidly than did freez­ ing or subfreezing temperatures, while the compound was equally effective as a weed­ seed killer under all these temperatures. “4. Differences in pH value of Coloma sand did not appreciably affect the rate of loss of toxicity under the conditions of the experiment. “5. In water-saturated flats, sodium 2,4-D apparently disappeared in 3 weeks, while in air-dry flats toxicity was still present after 8 weeks. “6. Eight p.p.m. of sodium 2,4-D were ineffective in killing weed seeds in muck. “7. Corn was more highly resistant to 2,4-D materials under all conditions than either pea or radish.” TURF FIELD DAYS August 19, 1948............................ Maryland Twelfth Ft. Belvoir Post Engineer ■ School, 9 :30-3 :30 o’clock. Plant In­ dustry Station, Beltsville, Md. September 1-2..........................Rhode Island For Greenkeepers, at Kingston, R. I. September 3.............................Rhode Island Second Annual Lawn and Garden Field Day. J. A. DeFrance, Rhode Island State College, Kingston, R. I. September 20-21.................... Pennsylvania H. B. Musser, Pennsylvania State Col­ lege, State College, Pa. October 15...................................... Maryland Turf Gardens, Plant Industry Station, F. V. Grau, USGA Green Section. Beltsville, Md. USGA Journal: July, 1948 15 Planting Japanese Lawngrass in Bluegrass Planting a selected strain of Japanese lawngrass (Zoysia ja- ponica) vegetatively in established bluegrass lawn at the Plant In­ dustry Station, Belts­ ville, Md. Two - inch plugs were set on 24- inch centers in holes made by the Aerifier, slightly enlarged with wooden dibble and pressed firmly with the foot. Total cost about $3 for 1,000 square feet. Complete cover­ age of Zoysia is ex­ pected in two growing seasons. The area re­ mains attractive and in use during growing season. Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agricultural ^Engineering ■—Photo by Otis H. Greeson EXPERIENCE WITH SNOWMOLD “Snowmold hit hard at our course in St. Paul, Minn., this winter. A 6-inch snowfall the 6th of November, preventing our usual fall treatment and covering lush grass on un­ frozen ground, did the expected with a vengeance. Strange as it may seem, some untreated courses came through unharmed. What is the answer? “We have learned from bitter experience that treating in fall, and again in spring, is necessary for peace of mind and survival of the grass. A fall application of 0-12-12 was planned the latter part of October. How­ ever, we found that, because of coarse parti­ cles in the material, our spreader could not deliver 100 pounds to a 5,000-foot green. We mixed 200 pounds of 0-12-12 with 100 pounds of organic fertilizer, enabling us to open the spreader wide enough to alloys the coarse material through at the desired rate. “Our practice is not to apply nitrogen in the fall in order to avoid, tender grass., We felt a twinge of guilty conscience when we discovered the severe damage, thinking that the nitrogen was instrumental, or that it was at least a contributing factor. Fortu­ nately for a check, an area on one green on which we attempted the 0-12-12 application clear and which did not receive any nitrogen, was just as badly damaged. “Our two nurseries (one of Arlington and one of Washington) went out with the greens, giving no choice of methods for repairs. “We have seeded six greens, using two pounds of redtop to one of Astoria bent on three of them, and half-and-half on the others. We used approximately three pounds to 1,000 square feet. We scarified, with sharpened rakes, quite severely, applied the seed and a light topdressing, again raking it in and matting, as after any topdressing job. We varied the procedure somewhat. On one green we scarified and spiked; on an­ other, we used the spiker only. We are now hoping for growing weather and at least a partial recovery of the nursery for patching purposes. “Knowing what to do and not doing it is equivalent to ignorance. Alibiing doesn’t bring back grass, either.” (Taken from a letter written to the Green Section by Art W. Anderson, Uni­ versity Golf Club, St. Paul, Minn.) 16 USGA Journal: July, 1948 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Soil Analysis and Grass Identification— Enclosed are two samples of soil from our greens and a bunch of grass of which we have a great deal. Will you analyze the soil and identify the grass? Will close cut­ ting kill the grass? (Kentucky). Answer—The moist soil samples loos­ ened the gum on the envelopes in which they were sent and they became thoroughly mixed in the mails so that we cannot do anything with them. Our advice is to take new samples and submit them to your ex­ periment station at Lexington for testing. A number of fertilizer companies also maintain a soil-testing service. The grass you enclosed is Poa annua, or annual bluegrass, which thrives on the dense, compacted clay soils which you have in your greens. Poa annua dies in the summer, leaving bare ground which fills with crabgrass and clover. Close cutting will not kill it. The physical condition of your soil is far more important than the chemical status as indicated by soil tests. Your greens would improve under a program of deep aeration, followed by working in a com­ bination of coarse sand and peat to loosen the soil, to aerate it and to provide more favorable conditions for root growth. You would do well to plant sprigs of Arlington (C-l) bent into the holes made by the aerating machine. 4' Grub Control on Fairways.—We had considerable damage from beetle grubs in 1947, and are going to treat fairways this coming season. Lead arsenate is so high in price that we were wondering if DDT could be used as a suitable substitute. How do they compare for control of beetle grubs? (New Jersey) Answer.—Lead arsenate must be used at about 400 pounds to the acre to obtain a good control of grubs. At 25 cents a pound, this treatment will cost $100.00 an acre for materials. The effects will last for several years. DDT used at the rate of 25 pounds of ac­ tual DDT to the acre (50 pounds of 50% wettable powder or 250 pounds of 10% dust) should give good control of grubs at a cost of about $20.00 to $25.00 an acre for the material. The permanence of the DDT is not well known as yet. It may last for three to four years. It has an advan­ tage in that it will also control chinch bugs, sod webworms, cutworms, leafhoppers, and probably other turf insects. We believe that you will be well advised to use DDT. It may be applied dry in a mixture with fertilizer or it may be sprayed on the turf. There is no danger of burning. Consult with your local or State entomologist as to the best time to apply it. X Management of Bentgrass Fairways.—We find that our fairways are becoming more heavily populated with bentgrass in spite of our efforts to hold Kentucky bluegrass. What are your suggestions for proper management of bent for good fairways? (Pennsylvania) Answer.—We find very little data in the literature on this subject. On the basis of experience and observations, we offer these suggestions for management of bentgrass fairways. Research in progress may give us more definite answers in the near future. 1. Maintain a slow, steady growth of grass by sensible fertilizing. Do not over­ stimulate the turf at any time with heavy applications of available nitrogen. 2. Maintain the phosphorus content of the soil with an annual application of phos­ phate. Use nitrogen as the grass requires it. 3. Avoid the use of creeping bentgrasses which tend to become fluffy and matted. 4. Cut the grass closely and cut it fre­ quently. High, infrequent cutting de­ velops a “sheep pelt” from which it is impossible to play a controlled shot. 5. Water only when needed to keep the grass alive and healthy. Diseases are. encouraged by overwatering. USGA Journal: July, 1948 Crabgrass Control on Fairways.—Our fair­ ways are good in the spring but by midsum­ mer they are solid crabgrass. We have been advised to use a treatment for the crabgrass which will cost a minimum of $40.00 an acre for materials. By killing the crabgrass, can we expect good fairways throughout the season? (Maryland) Answer.—Crabgrass can be killed by methods costing far less than the figure you mention but no method of destroying crab­ grass known today will guarantee you good fairway turf unless one grows good grass and keeps it so. Chemicals are tools to use in renovating unsatisfactory turf but they do not produce good turf. As long as you try to produce fairway turf with Kentucky bluegrass in your area you will have crab­ grass. About the only adapted fairway grasses which we have seen in your area which are free of crabgrass in July and August are Bermuda grass, Zoysia grasses, and some strains of bentgrass. Consideration should be given to these grasses in your fair­ way program. A Poor Turf On Approaches.—Why is the turf on our approaches so thin and the soil so hard? (Virginia) Answer.—Your difficulties are probably due to the fact that in building the course the soil structure on the approach was ne­ glected. Approaches suffer from a very heavy concentration of vehicular and foot traffic. Approaches commonly get double watering from greens and fairways. Most greens slope to the approach so as to facili­ tate play. Surface water collects on the ap­ proach, aggravating the condition. The com­ bination of saturated soil and heavy traffic creates a soil condition in which few grasses can grow satisfactorily. Topdressing Greens.—Why are they top­ dressing the greens? Answer.—In the judgment of the course superintendent, the greens need topdressing to render the- putting surface true so that the ball will roll where it is putted. Ball marks, foot marks, divots made by a thought­ less golfer who dashed the turf with his putter when the ball failed to drop, or who 17 twisted on his spiked heel to give the ball “body English,” tiny pits from dollar spot, from weeds removed by the workman’s knife —all help to produce a surface that is not true. The topdressing fills the tiny holes and the low places so that the ball will roll true and drop in the cup—if it is putted cor­ rectly. The topdressing also may be a carrier for a fertilizer, a fungicide, an insecticide, or for whatever the greens may need at that particular time. X Pocketed Green—Why does our’No. — green down in the hollow get thin and hard in the summer? Answer.—No. — green is entirely sur­ rounded by trees and brush and there is a lack of air drainage when the trees are in full leaf. Air stagnation tends to increase humidity and thus encourages diseases which thin the grass. The roots from the trees grow into the green and rob the grass of essential moisture and nutrients. This necessitates more frequent watering and thus the soil becomes hard and the grass gets thin. The axe and saw are handy tools for keeping grass on the wooded holes. Keeping the tree roots out of the green will help too. 1 Construction Costs of Golf Course.—We are interested in building a nine-hole golf course on a few acres of rolling meadow land. Will you provide us with information on the construction of greens, tees and fairways; costs of seed and fertilizer; and estimates of entire costs? (Maryland) Answer.—The building of a golf course should be done according to a definite plan. The golf course architects are in the bus­ iness of drawing plans. We believe that you would be well advised first to consult an architect. Information can be obtained from the American Society of Golf Course Architects. Robert Bruce Harris, 664 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill., is President; Robert Trent Jones, 20 Vesey St., New York, N. Y., is Secretary-Treasurer. We could not render an accurate estimate of costs with­ out first knowing the areas of the various types of turf to be established, the yardage of earth to be moved, the number of trees to be removed, the need for drainage and many other similar details. Most of these estimates can be made only by the architect. 18 USGA Journal: July, 1948 The Public Links Championship By TOTTON P. HEFFELFINGER USGA Vice-President and Chairman of the Public Links Committee To play a game for the sake of the game, rather than for material gain of any kind, is true amateur sport. One of the most refreshing golf events is, therefore, the Amateur Public Links Championship. Hopeful players have for months been planning vacations so as to play in this year’s tournament in latter July if they survive sectional qualifying tryouts. The successful ones will gather at the North Fulton Park Golf Course in Atlanta. They will temporarily cease to be ac­ countants, policemen, teachers, carpenters, students, salesmen, railroad workers. They will just be golfers and sportsmen. There will be no vast galleries, no ad­ mission fee for spectators, no commercial aspects whatever. There will just be 210 fellows who love to play golf, compet­ ing with one another for a USGA Championship. It will be a sports event in the best sense of the term. Bill Korns and his Salt Lake City friends won’t be there this year—Atlanta’s a bit too far—but Bill wrote a letter recently: “We are going ahead with plans to build up a fund to be used in the following years. “I feel that it is a privilege to work to­ ward this end. Friendships made and the fellowship that surrounds this tournament are an integral part of good sportsmanship, all things to be valued by any participant.” To encourage that sort of spirit, the USGA is delighted to spend the several thousand dollars which is its part of the championship costs, without any return other than 50<£ of each $3 entry fee (the remaining $2.50 is distributed locally among qualifiers for allowable expenses). Several thousand dollars more will be spent by the Atlanta Public Links Association on local arrangements. Quality of play is high. Six times the Championship qualifying medal has been won with scores below 140 for 36 holes. Semi-finalists are invited to play in Sec­ tional Qualifying Rounds for the Amateur Championship. This year the Public Links will be en­ tirely at match play for the first time, be­ ginning July 19. The Team Championship, on July 17, will be at 18 instead of 36 holes, and three-man teams will represent whole qualifying sections rather than in­ dividual cities, as formerly. There have been 2,729 entries. Wilfred Crossley will defend the Indi­ vidual Championship he won in last year’s final with Avery Beck of Raleigh, N. C. Crossley then lived in Atlanta, but has since moved to New York. Atlanta won the 1947 Team Championship. Although Atlanta is a city of golf cham­ pions, this will be the first USGA cham­ pionship there. Georgia hospitality has already been evidenced by construction of a new clubhouse at North Fulton Park. As President of the Atlanta Public Links As­ sociation, Don Gavan is in charge of ar­ rangements. Among those helping are Verne Murrah; George Clayton; Ed Miles, USGA Public Links Committee member; Keith Conway of the USGA Sectional Af­ fairs Committee; Robert T. Jones, Jr.; Charles R. Yates; Misses Louise Suggs and Dorothy Kirby; the Atlanta Women’s Golf Association, of which Mrs. O. B. Keeler is president emeritus, and the At­ lanta Junior Chamber of Commerce. The “father” of the Public Links Cham­ pionship is James D. $tandish, Jr., of De­ troit, chairman of the .'first USGA Public and Municipal Golf Courses Committee in 1922. Mr. Standish was Chairman of the Pub­ lic Links Committee 1922-27 and again 1945-47. He donated the Individual Cham­ pionship Cup. He is now a Vice-President of the USGA and describes the beginnings of the championship as follows: “At a meeting of the USGA Executive Committee on February 1, 1922, it was de­ cided that a Public Links Championship USGA Journal: July, 1948 19 Holder and Donor of Standish Cup As “father” of the USGA Amateur Public Links Championship, donor of the trophy and Chairman of the Public Links Committee last year, James D. Stand­ ish, Jr., (right) of Detroit, presented the cup to the winner, Wilfred Crossley, after the 1947 tournament in Minneapolis. should be held, and the event was awarded to the Ottawa Park Course in Toledo at the request of the late Sylvanus P. Jermain, president of the Toledo District Golf Association. “The Committee had no way of antici­ pating how many entrants to expect, or how the entrants would raise their allowance of traveling expenses plus $4 a day. It was a matter of great satisfaction when 140 entries were received. “Less than half the players wore golf shoes. About one in three started by plac­ ing his sand tee on one of the flat metal tee markers then in use. They were, of course, dissuaded. “The winner was Eddie Held, St. Louis, who defeated Dick Walsh, New York, 6 and 5, in the final. Walsh won the title the following year at Washington, and both of the first finalists developed into excellent competitors and members of private clubs. Held is now a professional. “Although the Committee had to wink at several inadvertent infractions of rules, the first championship was a great success. So few really knew what the Rules of Golf meant that the foundation given in the rules was considered to be worth the whole undertaking. “One of the most unusual incidents that ever took place during a golf match oc­ curred during the event. Two players had just made their second shots on a hole near the finish when a pistol shot sounded in the rear rank of the gallery. A thoroughly disinterested spectator had chosen that par­ ticular moment to commit suicide. After the excitement quieted down, the match continued.” Before the second championship was held, the late Hon. Warren G. Harding, then President of the United States, kindly donated a trophy for team competition. Prior to 1939, any community could be represented by four players, determined through local qualifying rounds, in the In­ dividual and Team events. The event grew in popularity until a record entry of 248 appeared for the 1938 championship. The field then was too large for proper handling. In order to control the size, a system of Sectional (not local) Qualifying Rounds was established in 1939. That year 2,401 players entered the Sectionals, held at 33 points, and 190 qualifying places were allotted for the championship. The entry in 1946 reached 3,586, a record for a USGA Championship and believed to be a world record. 20 USGA Journal: July, 1948 Larry Was a Caddie By MAYNARD G. FESSENDEN President, Western Golf Association Larry was a caddie. He liked his job and did his work well. He was courteous, capable and always on the job. Naturally, the club members thought well of him. When Larry reached the age for college, his family couldn’t afford to continue his education. It looked as if he would be left behind. At this point, one of the members thought of the West­ ern Golf Association and its Evans Schol­ ars Foundation. M. G. Fessenden Investigation proved that Larry could qualify for one of the scholarships, and he was appointed an Evans Scholar, his full tuition provided by the Evans Scholars Foundation. Evans House, on the Northwestern Uni­ versity campus, became his new home. No meals were served at the modest residence, purchased and maintained by WGA, but Larry stepped out and got a job waiting on tables for his board. He added some odd jobs for spending money. Larry found time to do his share in keeping the house slicked up, too. Better still, he became a brilliant physics student. World War II was in progress, and scientists were needed to perfect man’s most devastating instrument—the atomic bomb. Soon Larry was in New Mexico, hard at work in the development of this revolutionary mode of warfare. Later he returned to Northwestern. Today, Larry, the caddie grown up, is a respected member of the physics faculty at the University of Illinois. His case is not unique. “Typical” is a better word. For example, there are Lieut. Comdr. Horace Bent, USN, and Tom McManus, a commercial airline captain who recently wrote WGA headquarters: “I’ve come a long way since I was a caddie. A college education and World War II add up to my present earnings of $11,000 a year.” Then there are Bill Froom, the first Evans Scholar in 1930, who is director of radio at an Illinois state teachers college, and his classmate, Harold Fink, a key executive with a publishing firm. These and other Evans Scholars alumni form golf’s greatest monument to the cad­ die. They have been Phi Beta Kappas and campus leaders and have fanned out into medicine, law, teaching and business. The accomplishments of the 82 Evans Scholars alumni serve as an incentive and challenge to the 20 undergraduates now in school, as well as to the many who will follow in the future. The organization which sponsors the Evans Scholars plan is Western Golf As­ sociation, founded in 1899 and recently dedicated to the caddie side of golf. It is a national association composed of club and individual members. Caddie Training Program During the war, the supply of caddies fell far short of the demand. The boys available were young and untrained. The WGA decided something had to be done. Caddies, reasoned WGA leaders, are in­ dispensable. The USGA Rules of Golf, which WGA is urging all its members to follow, make 22 references to the lad who is the player’s “partner.” So WGA embarked on another national program to aid clubs in solving the prob­ lems of recruiting and training caddies as well as in administering club caddie services. Member clubs in 30 States now are pro­ vided with complete caddie information in the WGA Caddie Committee Manual. This .53-page booklet contains full recruiting and training data for caddie committees and club professionals. In addition to the incentive of college scholarships, caddies also are attracted by the Honor Caddie plan. This allows mem­ ber clubs to award annually handsome USGA Journal: July, 1948 21 Evans Scholars Show Their Appreciation Evans Scholars alumni keep in close touch with the boys in college. Here Lieut. Comdr. Ned Bent shows fellow-alumni, gathered in Evans House at Northwestern University, the trophy they presented to Chick Evans on his 50th birthday. Admiring the gift are Ed Teske, Bob Leler, Clyde Dewitt and Bill Johnson. Bent is Officer-in-Charge of the Northwestern Naval B. O. T. C. unit. Courtesy of Western Golf Association WGA Honor Caddie badges to their best caddies. In turn, the Honor Caddies be­ come potential Evans Scholars. The scholarship fund, with assets ap­ proaching $100,000, is being directed to­ ward sending more caddies to college. Reports of improved caddie service throughout the nation are especially grati­ fying to Charles (Chick) Evans, Jr., founder of Evans Scholars Foundation. Chick approaches threescore years, and his enthusiasm for caddie work is as bright as in 1916 when he conceived the idea of caddie scholarships. Income from member club dues—every golf club in the nation is eligible to mem­ bership—is used to defray the costs of ex­ panding the caddie service program. Evans Scholars Foundation, on the other hand, derives its income from annual $5 individual memberships, gifts and bequests. Profits from the annual Western Amateur and Open Championships assist. The scholars attend the college of their own choosing and are enrolled in the Uni­ versity of Michigan, Loyola, American Academy of Art, Michigan State College and Northwestern University. WGA looks forward to the day when houses similar to Evans House will be established at leading colleges throughout the nation as campus homes for future Larrys. How fast that day is approaching is evi­ dent by the recent plan of affiliation of the Wisconsin State Golf Association and the Illinois Women’s Golf Association with the WGA. Other State and regional associa­ tions are invited to establish working rela­ tionships with WGA. 22 USGA Journal: July, 1948 WHAT WINS THE OPEN (Continued from page 5) about results of USGA tests made earlier in the year. Had the manufacturers done so, they would have obviated pre-tourna- ment problems at Riviera. Several of the top finishers at Riviera, including Hogan, Demaret, and Barron, use clubs made by the same manufacturer. All voluntarily asked Mr. Ames to check their clubs just before the Open. Their clubs were found faulty. Yet early in April, 1948, Mr. Ames had advised the manufac­ turer that his products “do not meet the specifications.” It is true, as Hogan pointed out, that the USGA has a measuring device this year different from the one used last year. It is accurate to a finer degree. But we daresay it is no more accurate than the means used by manufacturers to measure their club-stamping dies and to check the results.. The basic rule from which the specifica­ tions spring is older than the specifications. The rule has long been: “Club faces shall . . . not bear any lines, dots, or other mark­ ings with sharp or rough edges made for the obvious purpose of putting a cut on the ball.” Pursuant to that, the specifications pro­ vide in part, with respect to grooves: 1. The angle formed by the walls of grooves shall be at least 90 degrees. 2. Width of grooves shall not exceed 35/1,000 of an inch. 3. The flat surface between grooves shall be at least three times the width of the grooves; if grooves are less than 25/1,000 of an inch wide, the flat surface between their nearer edges must be at least 75/1,000 of an inch. Players in doubt about their clubs should have them tested before attending compe­ titions. As manufacturers agreed to pro­ duce only clubs conforming with USGA specifications after January 1, 1941, they doubtless would be willing to test players’ clubs and, if necessary, correct them. Mr. Ames met with representatives of six leading manufacturers on May 18, 1948. It was the consensus that there was no need to change the specifications. Hogan’s Record 276 1st 2d 3d Par Rd. Rd. Rd. 4 4 4 5 4 4 4 3 4 5 3 4 Hole Yards 1................... 513 2................... 466 3................... 415 4................... 245 5.................. 432 6................... 166 7................... 402 8.................. 385 9................... 422 Total out 3,446 4 35 4 31 4 36 4 5 4 10................... 315 4 11.................. 569 6 12.................. 445 4 13................... 440 4’3 14.................. 180 3 3 15................... 440 5 4 16.................. 145 3 3 ' 4 5 17................... 585 18 ................ 455 4 ❖ 4 * 5 4 5 4 3 3 4 3 5 Total in............3,574 36 . 36 Grand Total..7,020 71 67 36 72 4th Rd. 4 4 4 3 3 3 4 4 4 33 3 4 4 3 5 3 5 4 36 69 4 33 3 5 4 4 3 5 2 5 4 35 68 Record Scores in Open The Open at Riviera was remarkable for record scoring, especially as Riviera is one , of the most testing courses on which the s Open has ever been played. Not only is it the longest in Open history, measuring 7,020 yards with a par of 71, but it is exacting, especially in placement of drives. A chief reason for the low scoring was the superior quality of the putting greens, which, thanks to the care of Lloyd Mona­ han, course superintendent, provided a splendid stage for Hogan and others to capitalize on their remarkable skill. The fine architecture of the course also deserves credit. A properly designed course should yield itself to low scores when well played. Hogan’s winning score of 276 was five strokes lower than the former Open record set by Ralph Guldahl in 1937 at Oakland Hills, Detroit. Demaret, who finished sec­ ond with 278, and Jim Turnesa, third with 280, also surpassed the previous record of 281. Sam Snead established a new Open rec­ ord for the first 36 holes with 69 - 69 - 138. The old mark was originally set in 1916 by Charles Evans, Jr., with 70 - 69 - 139; it was later tied by Snead in 1939 and Chick Harbert and Dick Metz in 1947. Evans used seven clubs in 1916. USGA Journal: July, 1948 23 THE REFEREE Decisions by the USGA Rules of Golf Committee Example of symbols: “No. 48-1” means the first Decision issued in 1948. “R. 14(3)” means Section (3) of Rule 14 in the 1948 Rules of Golf. Ground Under Repair Practicing Before Match No. 48-26. R. 7(5) Q: The 1948 changes in the Rules of Golf, particularly Rule 7(5), were under discus­ sion. Granted that in tournaments a committee is well informed and can define and mark ground under repair. What happens in local club play when the greenkeeper makes re­ pairs as the occasion arises? Unless the re­ pair is of major character, the chairman or her committee is seldom notified. Suppose a committee does not know that the greenkeeper yesterday decided to repair a broken drain crossing one of the fairways, also insert a square foot or so of new sod in worn places on one or more putting greens. The usual Ladies’ Day play gets under way. Meeting these conditions (unmarked), in stroke play the player can proceed under Rule 1(4). In match play, no referee, must the player make her own decision? Sub-paragraph (b) : Where new bent or sod has been inserted in the green, there can be no doubt that it is repair even though not marked. Must player proceed according to Rule 1(4) in stroke play? In match play with no referee? Can yesterday’s cup (that is, the plugged hole made when cup was changed) be considered ground under repair and so treated according to Rule 16(2 and 3) and the note giving precedence over stymies? Mrs. Robert Hurka Chicago, III. A: In match play, player should discon­ tinue play and request ruling, else proceed at risk of opponent entering claim under Rule l(2a). New sod is not necessarily ground under repair. Its condition is determining factor. Old cup locations are not ground un­ der repair. New Rule 7(5) does not alter former USGA interpretations but simply in­ corporates them in body of Rules. Ground under repair basically means what the term states. © No. 48-27. R. 21(3) Q: May player practice on or on to the putting greens before start of play in match play the day of the competition? Tony Butler Harlingen, Texas A: Yes. Rule 21(3) does not apply to match play. X Opponent’s Ball: Knocking Into Hole No. 48-30. R. 18(7, 9) Q: In match John Doe’s ball is on the lip of the cup. In attempting to hit the ball thereby conceding the next putt, his opponent hits the ball into the cup, accidentally or otherwise. At the time John Doe was lying 3. Please give me John Doe’s score for the hole. Peter Rizzolo Bloomfield, N. J. A: John Doe’s score was 4. If the opponent had not holed out, it would have been better for the opponent to require Tohn Doe to lift his ball as provided in Rule 18(7). Had John Doe’s ball not been within six inches of the hole and if the opponent had not holed out, the opponent would have lost the hole under Rule 12(5). Obstructions in Hazards No. 48-31. R. 2(1), 5(4), 7(4) Q. 1: I find what I consider an important change in the new Rules not included in those listed on pages 75 and 76. For instance, if the play of a ball in a hazard (not a water hazard), say a sand trap, is interfered with by a drain cover, it can be dealt with in ac­ cordance with Rule 7(4b or 4c). The hazard was not mentioned in the 1947 Rules. Am I correct ? A. 1: Yes. 24 USGA Journal: July, 1948 Re-Playing from Tee, Stroke Play Q. 2: I am puzzled by what I read on page 75 under Rule 5(4). Turning to Rule 5(4), I do not find that they are related to each other. Where am I wrong? A. 2: Rule 5(4) prohibits re-playing a stroke played out of turn from the tee in stroke play. Violation of that provision re­ sults in a two-stroke penalty—see Rule 2(1). Questions by James D. Dyer Pittsburgh, Pa. mean that sand in the fairway not blown on the grass or sprinkled on the course for its preservation is a hazard, or would this come under “bare patches?” A. 2: Ordinarily sand in such circum­ stances should not be considered a hazard, but the local committee should settle the mat­ ter in the light of conditions and fair play. If such sand is not considered a hazard, a player is still subject to the restrictions in Rule 7(1). Questions by Fred L. Riggin, Sr. Port Huron, Mich. Ball Striking Opponent No. 48-32. R. 12(5) Q: In a match Tommy Tailer’s opponent teed off on the first hole and the ball struck a tree and bounded back across the tee, hitting the bench and the starter table and almost hit Tommy. I told Tommy that if the ball had hit him, he would have lost the hole. He claims he wouldn’t have because he hadn’t hit a shot yet and hence he hadn’t actually started the match. Bob Goldwater Phoenix, Ariz. A: Mr. Tailer would have lost the hole if the ball had struck him. See Rule 12(5). Fence Is Not Obstruction No. 48-34. R. 7(4) Q: Kindly let us know if the new ruling in regard to artificial obstructions would ap­ ply in the case of a ball resting against or near enough to a wire fence to interfere with the swing. Our entire course is enclosed by a wire fence. William Miller Rumford, R. I. A: Rule 7(4) specifically excludes fences and fence posts from classification as artifi­ cial obstructions, hence no relief is given. Sand No. 48-35. R. 7(1), 17(Def.) Q. 1: Sand is defined as a hazard in Rule 17. Every fairway is bordered by orange groves growing in sand. If you are a foot off the fairway, you’re in plenty of sand. Is this sand a hazard? A. 1: Yes. Q. 2: The rule only exempts “sand blown on to the grass or sprinkled on the course for fits preservation, bare patches,” etc. Does this Lifting for Identification in Hazard No. 48-36. R. 11(1), 17(le), 13(3a) Q: If a competitor wishes to identify his ball, may he lift it from a hazard if he re­ places it in a comparable lie before playing his stroke? I contend that the rules govern­ ing hazards cover this question—Rule 13(3a). Mrs. P. A. Parker Lakeland, Fla. A: A ball may be lifted for identification at any place, and replaced as provided in Rule 11(1). Also see Rule 17 (le). However, it is not the intent of the Rules to allow lifting for identification when identi­ fication may be established by other circum­ stances, as, for instance, by a caddie, or where it is known full well where the ball came to rest. When a buried ball is lifted and re­ placed, the stroke to be played is apt to be altered; therefore, sportsmanship indicates that the ball be played as it lies whenever possible. Rule 13 (3a) gives ample protec­ tion if a wrong ball should be played from a hazard in stroke play. When Obstruction Is Not Obstruction No. 48-41. R. 7(4) Q: A and B playing match. B hooks to left of 18th green 15 feet away from sign reading “No Practicing on 18th Green.” Sign is in line of shot but is fixed solid in ground. Referee rules ball must be played as it lies because ball is more than two club-lengths from fixed sign. Is that ruling correct? San Gabriel Country Club San Gabriel, Cal. A: Referee’s ruling correct. Rule 7(4) does not apply. Ball Striking Flagstick No. 48-42. R. 7(8), 18(Def.) Q: Rule 7(8) provides: “In stroke play when a competitor’s ball lying within twenty yards of the hole is played and strikes the flagstick or the person standing at the hole, the penalty is two strokes.” USGA Journal: July, 1948 25 Rule 18 provides: “The ‘putting green’ is all ground, except hazards, within twenty yards of the hole being played.” Does a player take a penalty of two strokes under Rule 7 if the stroke is played from a hazard within twenty yards and strikes the flagstick? W. E. Stitt Oakmont, Pa. A: Yes. Dew: Not Casual Water or Loose Impediment No. 48-43. R. 2(5), 18(3) Q: During a four-ball match, a heavy fog and a fine mist had deposited moisture on the putting greens. It was like a heavy dew. There were no puddles of water, merely a heavy deposit on the grass blades, which slowed down putts, and so the balls picked up moisture and “kicked” up drops behind as they rolled along. One of the players in­ sisted he had a right to use his putter to scrape aside the moisture from the line be­ tween his ball and the hole, on the theory that he had a right to remove any foreign material which was an impediment to his putt, so long as the club was not laid with more than its own weight on the ground. The other players insisted that he could not do so. Their argument was that the deposit of water was hardly “casual” water as defined by the rules, and even if it were “casual water” the player’s only privilege would be to move his ball to another spot, and that would be useless because the moisture cov­ ered the entire green. They also contended that the moisture on the grass did not come within the definition of loose impediments which may be removed or scraped away. My opinion was asked and given, to the effect that the player had no right to scrape the moisture away, but this view was not ac- «epted. Will you please advise whether, un­ der the conditions stated, the player had a right to clear away the moisture so as to give himself a drier path from ball to hole? William D. Mitchell New York, N. Y. A: The player had no such right. The conditions described were not loose impedi­ ments or casual water. The player therefore violated Rule 18(3) and was disqualified for the hole, but the disqualification did not apply to his partner (see Rule 2(5)). The course should be played in the condi­ tion in which it is found. tee, B states that, in his opinion, one-of A’s clubs, an iron, has face markings that do not conform to the USGA specifications. An immediate .check of this club revealed it had an illegal face marking. What is the penalty A is subject to under match play conditions? A. 1: If the club were used, the player was disqualified—see Rule 2(4). Hole Made by Greenkeeper Q. 2: In a list of artificial obstructions in Rule 7(4) one example reads “a hole made by the greenkeeper.” Does this mean that a ball coming to rest in a hole made by the greenkeeper when he removed a tree from the course can be lifted without penalty? (the stump hole being left open and not filled in). A. 2: Yes. It is the duty of the local committee to define a hole made by the green­ keeper, just as ground under repair should be defined. Ordinarily, a stump hole should be so classified. Questions by Jim Ferrier Chicago, Tit.. Casual Water No. 48-39. R. 1(4), 8(1), 16(1); LR Q. 1: Kindly settle a point about casual water, Rule 16(1). A ball landed in water and mud in the fairway and was completely buried. We hunted about three or four minutes and the party gave up the ball for lost. After he hit the second ball, the original ball was found. Does the second ball void the first ball and is there a two- stroke penalty? Both balls were played out. A. 1: As the player abandoned the first ball, the second ball must be continued in play. See Rule 8(1). If the first ball lay or were lost in casual water, the player could have proceeded under Rule 16(1). If the contest were at match play, the player had no right to hole out both balls. For stroke play, where there is doubt as to rights, see Rule 1(4). Q. 2: Is heavy or loose mud surrounded by water in the fairway considered casual water? We are playing winter rules. A. 2: Mud is not casual water. See Rule 16 (Definition). Face Markings on Irons No. 48-44. R. 2(4), 7(4) Q. 1: A and B are playing in a match play tournament. After A drives off the first The Rules of Golf do not recognize “win­ ter rules.” Questions by Mrs. Frank L. Olmstead Seattle, Wash. 26 USGA Journal: July, 1948 IT’S YOUR HONOR Golfers and Scorers To the USGA: I am constantly distressed to find how very little the so-called Golfer knows or even cares about the Rules of Golf. I am of the Old School and feel that no matter how well a man may execute his shots—accurate and fine form—he is not a Golfer unless he has a knowledge of the Rules of Golf. A big difference between a low scorer and a Golfer. J. C. Jester Athens, Ga. USGA Junior C hampionship To the USGA: I am glad the USGA is going to in­ augurate and take charge of a Junior Championship, because this will prevent commercializing and will stimulate in­ terest in golf among the boys throughout the country. Amateur events of this kind should be under the control of organizations simi­ lar to yours and mine. Oscar Furuset Director and Former President Oregon Golf Association Winter Rules To the USGA: I have always thought that Winter Rules were used only when a course is '‘unfit for play”; therefore, it is not golf at all, and the players are only out for fresh air and exercise. If and when I find it too wet to play golf, I place my ball any time I want to, anywhere I may be (rough or hazards) and enjoy being outdoors. I am undoubtedly old-fashioned, but there you are. A. M. Reid New York, N. Y. New Members To the USGA: We hereby apply for membership in the United States Golf Association as a Reg­ ular Member. The club members realize the fine work that the USGA has done to better the game of golf. In turn, they wish to pro­ vide full cooperation in order that such a fine organization may continue. Lt. William D. Bryan, Sec.-Treas. Fort Shafter Golf Club Honolulu, T. H. To the USGA: We hereby apply for membership in the United States Golf Association as an Associate Member. Our course is semi­ public. We are glad to have this opportunity to become associated with an institution that has done so much for golf. Russell A. Shields Bob O’Link Golf Club Detroit, Mich. It’s Still a Game To the USGA: Every article in the Spring issue of the USGA Journal should prove useful to anyone who thinks golf is still a game and not a way to gamble over the week­ end. The article by J. Martin Watson {The Glorious Game of Golf) should be read by everyone who plays. Too many people think the main idea is to get the ball in the hole in the fewest strokes possible, regardless of how it is done. They make many of their mistakes in both etiquette and rules because of ignorance rather than intentional viola­ tion. Naturally, the most interesting part of the Journal to me is Timely Turf Topics. I have written the Green Section many times and made several trips to Beltsville. At all times I have been greatly helped. Charles S. Hutzler Chairman, Green Committee Jefferson Lakeside Club Richmond, Va. * -» * Editor’s Note: The USGA Journal invites com­ ments on matters relating to the welfare of the game and will publish them as space permits.