USGA JOURNAL COMBINING TIMELY TURF TOPICS PUBLIC LINKS FINALISTS City of Los Angeles Kenneth J. Towns with the trophy symbolizing the USGA Amateur Public Links Championship, which he won at Los Angeles by defeating VVTHiain E. Betger. Both represented San Francisco. Betger is a left-hander. rs«A JOURNAL COMBINING TIMELY TURF TOPICS PUBLISHED BY THE UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION Permission to reprint articles herein is freely granted (unless specifically noted otherwise) provided credit is given to the USGA Journal. Vol. II, No. 4 August, 1949 Through the Green..................................................................................... 1 Walker Cup Memories ......................................... Francis D. Ouimet 5 Golf’s Bottle Neck: Courses ............................. George Schneiter 9 My Golf Creed............ .................................................. 10 The British Walker Cup Side ................................. John P. English 11 How the Modern Ball Plays............................Robert Trent Jones 15 The Public Links Championship ............ ........... Joseph C. Dey, Jr. 18 The Club Pro in Competition ......................................... Al Brosch 20 The Referee: Decisions by the Rules of Golf Committee........... 21 Timely Turf Topics: USGA Green Section One Man’s Methods ..................................... Charles G. Wilson 25 Hints on Brownpatch Control .............. 31 Chinch Bug Control.......................................................................... 32 Chlordane in Fertilizer for Soil-Insects Control ...................32 It’s Your Honor: Letters ...................... 33 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 matters) should be addressed to: Correspondence pertaining to Green Section matters should be addressed to: UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 73 East 57th Street, New York 22, N. Y. USGA GREEN SECTION, Room 307, South Building, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Nd. Edited by Joseph C. Dey, Jr. and John P. English. Advisory Committee—John D. Ames, Chairman; Isaac B. Grainger, Curtis W. McGraw, James D. Standish, Jr. All articles voluntarily contributed. PRINTED IN U. S. A. USGA COMPETITIONS FOR 1949 Walker Cup Match: August 19 and 20, at Winged Foot G. C., Mamaroneck, N. Y. Men’s amateur teams, British Isles vs. United States. (Dates entries close mean last dates for applications to reach U.S.G.A. office, except in the ease of the Amateur Public Links Championship. For possible exceptions in dates of Sectional Qualifying Rounds, see entry forms.) Championship Amateur Entries Close Sectional Qualifying Rounds Closed Aug. 16 Championship Dates Venue Aug. 29-Sept. 3 Oak Hill C. C. (East) Rochester, N. Y. Girls’ Junior Closed None Aug. 15-20 Women’s Amateur Aug. 12 Aug. 30-31 Sept. 12-17 Phila. Country C. (Bala), Phila., Pa. Merion G C. (East) Ardmore, Pa. USGA Journal: August, 1949 1 THROUGH THE GREEN A 67 at 67 Golf is a game for both the young and the old, but only the seniors can achieve the ambition of “shooting their age.” In this respect alone, the younger golfers cannot even challenge. The trick has been done, both here Pach Bros., N. Y. Eugene G. Grace and abroad, but not so often that it does not remain a rarer distinction than making a hole-in-one. One of those who has done it is the industrialist, Eugene G. Grace of Bethlehem, Pa. At the age of 67 he scored a 67 on his home course, the Saucon Valley Country Club. The score was well earned; Saucon Valley will test the best young amateurs in the USGA Championship two years hence. Mr. Grace has never had time to play serious tournament golf, but he has won the club championship at Saucon Valley and at Country Club of Northampton County. He also is a member of the National Golf Links of America and Pine Valley, where he has scored a 71. When A Didn’t Play B San Francisco has quite a golf cru­ cible, whence sprang this year’s USGA Puhi ic Links individual Champion and runner-up and the Champion Team. The crucible is the San Francisco City Cham­ pionship, and to gain a glimmering of what it’s like, listen to George MacRae He was Tournament Director last year, is President of the Northern California Golf Association, and has long been a member of the L'SGA Public Links Com­ mittee. “We had 1,123 entries in the 1948 City Championship,” recalls Mr. MacRae “Further, we had to send off two matches simultaneously in the early rounds in order to save time. In other words, there were four players in each group, but there wrere two separate matches in progress—A vs. B and C vs. D. “In the 61st flight, for players who had scored 87 in the qualifying round, four players who were strangers to one another appeared at the first tee when their names were called. After proper introductions, they teed off in proper order. “They played the full round. Then they discovered that each man was play­ ing the w rong opponent. “What did we do? Why, we just had them replay, of course.” It is reported that another contestant requested permission to discontinue play, claiming a heart attack. Soon thereafter he was seen practicing putting, and it wasn’t long before he was back at the first tee, boldly inquiring: “Where’s my opponent?" How to Prove a Point The Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jer­ sey has had some remodeling done dur­ ing the last year. One of the questions 2 USGA Journal: August, 1949 faced by the architect, Robert Trent Jones, was whether some of the proposed cupping areas were too difficult on the fourth green of the lower course. Mr. Jones had carefully worked out seven teeing positions and seven spots for the hole, making a total of 49 possible combinations on this par-3 hole. He contended right along that the changes were fair. The argument practically ended when, in the final trial spin over the course, Mr. Jones holed a No. 7 iron from 135 yards away. Footnote on Maturity For age is opportunity no less Than youth itself, though in another dress. —Longfellow The race is not always to the young, even in the United States Seniors Golf Association Championship. Usually, the title is won by a “fresh­ man" member who is eligible by reason of having passed his 55th birthday but who has not yet started to number his years in the 60s. This year, Joseph M. Wells of East Liverpool. Ohio, who was competing in Class D for contestants from 60 to 64, showed the "freshmen" the way around Joseph M. Wells two Westchester County courses and won the title for the first time. Mr. Wells is 60 years old and was competing for the sixth time. By way of proving that 60 years are no handicap in golf, he played the Blind Brook Club course in 70 on the first day and assumed the burden.of leadership over a field of 350. Leadership proved to be no partic­ ular handicap to him. On the next day, he played the Apawamis Club course in 75 for a winning score of 145. Brackett B. Fernaid of Rhode Island finished second with 75-73-148. The new Champion sailed shortly after the Championship for England with the I nited States Senior Team which defeated the British Seniors, 7 to 5, at Woking last month. It was the first renewal of the international matches since 1938. The United States won the last match by defeating both Canada and Great Britain. John G. Jackson was Captain of the Team. The other members were S. W. Creekmore, Robert A. Gardner, William C. Hunt, John F. Riddell, Jr., Fitzwilliam Sargent, Harrison Smith and Duane L. Tower. The secretary of the USSGA. Sherrill Sherman, accompanied the group, which also will play in Sweden. Handicap Classes VV hen handicaps are properly awarded, a 20-handicap man should be on even terms with a scratch man in a competi­ tion for a net prize. Nevertheless, high- handicap men usually need a little en­ couragement to enter week-end handicap tournaments in which scratch men also may compete. Therefore, the custom of dividing players into classes according to their handicaps has become well estab­ lished. The fairest method of dividing the players sometimes proves a puzzler for committee chairmen, however, and one of them recently asked William O. Blanev. Chairman of the USGA Handicap Com­ mittee, for his view. Mr. Blaney’s answer provides a guide for a subject on which there are no fixed rules: “The proper grouping will depend on the number and caliber of the players at each club. At my own club, where there USGA Journal: August, 1949 14 and under 15 to 20 21 and over are 500 to 600 playing members, we have three classes: Class A • Class B Class C “We have a large wall rack in the locker room containing the handicap cards of each player. These cards are of three colors, depending on the class, and they have space for the players to enter their scores for every round played during the year, as well as space to list their 10 lowest scores. “This seems to work very well, but might not be suitable for every club. The grouping should be dependent on the potential number of players in each class. For example, our Class A used to include those handicapped at 10 and un­ der, but it was found that there were not enough players in that handicap range to warrant suitable prizes. By upping the limit to 14, more players were in­ cluded, larger entries were received and better prizes awarded. A little experi­ menting should disclose the most desir­ able grouping.” Accuracy The ten members of the USGA Walker Cup Team have averaged 3.1 holes in one, at last report. John Dawson has most—seven. Concave Faces The Rules Governing Form and Make of Golf Clubs state in part: “Club faces shall not embody any degree of con­ cavity . . .” A golf-club manufacturer has placed on the market a No. 5 wood concerning which he advertises: “The slight con­ cavity from toe to heel, leaving the striking point of the face straight, tends to correct a slice." Attractive as this may be to chronic slicers, the club did not conform to the Rules and would provide cause for dis­ qualification in competitions. THE FASCINATION OF GOLF You may hitch your golfing ambitions to a star, but when you reach the star, you will be awed by your lack of knowledge of the fine points of the game. And therein lies its eternal fascination. —History of Golf in Southern California SPORTSMAN’S CORNER 3 Herman Barron It was not done as a public gesture, and so little was made of it at the time. Yet the Goodall Round-Robin Tournament last Spring was a reminder that Herman Barron earned a place in the Sportsman's Corner by his notably unselfish actions in connection with the same tournament a year ago. Barron is professional at the Fenway Golf Club, White Plains, N. Y., and the tournament was played at the neighboring Wykagyl Country Club for the benefit of the New Rochelle Hospital. As soon as the tournament was scheduled, Barron went to work and sold a thousand tickets around his club. His effort helped to make possible a donation of $15,070 to the hospital, which received the entire proceeds. Instead of resting on that pre-tournament contribution, however, Barron went out and won the first prize of $2,500. From that purse, he then made another personal donation of $500 tc the hospital. In telling the story of Barron's unostenta­ tious generosity, Elmer Ward, the tournament sponsor, called it "as unselfish a contribution" as he has seen in golf. Police Golf Organization James J. Molinari, of the San Fran­ cisco police department, wants to form a national police golf organization. He requests interested peace officers to com­ municate with him at 1480 Douglas St., San Francisco, Cal. Jim Molinari has long been a prom­ inent contender for the USGA Public Links Championship. He and his asso­ ciates have an active golf group in San Francisco. 4 USGA Journal: August, 1949 Oak Hill: Scene of the 49th Amateur The Amateur Championship will be played for the first time in upper New York State, starting at the end of this month, and the Oak Hill Country Club, near Rochester, has made appropriate preparations to provide a suitable test over its East course. The course is exacting, well wooded, and the few changes deemed necessary to stiffen it have been routine. Ben Hogan set the record at 64 in few other players who are exempt by reason of past successes. Willie Turnesa will enter a defense of his title. Oak Hill was founded in 1901 and is in its 24th year at its present location. Otto A. Shults is president of the club and chairman of its tournament com­ mittee. He is assisted by William C. Chapin and James W. Weldon, presi­ dent of the Rochester District Golf Asso­ ciation, as vice-chairmen, Gay R. Levis, These three Rochester, N. Y., golf executives are playing a large part in the preparations of the Oak Hill Country Club for the USGA Amateur Championship. Left to right: James W. Weldon, President of the Rochester District Golf Association; Otto A. Shults, President of the Oak Hill Country Club; William C. Chapin, Chair­ man of the Oak Hill Country Club Golf Committee and an entrant in the Championship. Rochester Times-Union 1942. Dr. George M. Trainor holds the amateur record of 66. Since this 49th Amateur Championship again will be entirely at match play, there will be no opportunity for anyone to lower these records officially. Members of both the British Isles and United States Walker Cup Teams have entered, for the first time since 1936. To their number will be added the survivors of 34 Sectional Qualifying Rounds and a Fay Blanchard, Joseph J. Judge and Joseph J. Myler. Chairmen of other committees are: Fred Allen and Dr. George M. Trainor, grounds; Charles C. Lennox, admissions; Jacob B. Greiner, Jr., caddies; Joseph T. Adams, public information; Joseph J. Myler, finance; Arthur Robinson, house; Elmer Thaney, gallery; Jack Barry, scoring; John D. Roche, program; Louis Cartwright, transport, accommodations. USGA Journal: August, 1949 5 Walker Cup Memories By FRANCIS D. OUIMET Member, USGA Walker Cup Team 1922-23-24-26-28-30-32-34; Captain, 32-34-36-38-47-49 When George Herbert Walker con­ ceived the idea of bringing together ama­ teur golfers representing the USGA and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland, he was hopeful of accomplishing two things. The first and most important was to have the players understand one another and thereby bring about a closer friendliness between the two great nations they represented. Secondly, by this close association in a sporting match they could better keep the standard of the game on the highest possible plane. That his sound reasoning has borne fruit must be a source of great satisfac­ tion to Mr. Walker. I know of no inter­ national contest that is played more keen­ ly or with more consideration toward the opponent than the Walker Cup Matches. Lloyd George’s View That the Matches serve a useful pur­ pose can be emphasized by a remark made by Lloyd George in 1923 at a complimentary dinner given to the Ameri­ can Team at the House of Commons. Responding to a toast, the great British statesman arose and stated simply: “The two teams, British and American, in Walker Cup play could accomplish more good than all the statesmen in London and Washington put together." Perhaps I should not repeat his words, but the fact remains in the 11 matches played to date, covering a period of 27 years, the competition has well proved its worth and, as a vehicle of good will, must take front rank as long as inter­ national amity is a desirous factor in our fast-changing world. Someday a full history should be written of Walker Cup competition. Then ample attention could be given to the many players who have competed with­ out stinting anvbodv. In this effort. I am obliged because of time and space to mention only a few of the most promin­ ent matches. Unfortunately, I must forego the foursome matches. Though they are fully as important in the final outcome as some of the singles, they are played first and their true value is sometimes overlooked in the enthusiasm that follows the concluding individual contests. Yet I would be lacking in candor and fairness if I did not mention the great British foursome team of Cyril Tolley and Roger Wethered. In the early Twenties, they were about as fine a combination as one could ask for, and they gave their American opponents a hard day. Nor can I soon forget the gallant show put on by Alec Hill and Cecil Ewing at Pine Valley in 1936 against George Voigt and Harry Givan. Voigt and Givan held a lead of 7 up with 11 to play. We had won the first two matches and the third had finished square, so a victory for the Americans would make the task of winning the cup a bit easier. The British pair, to their credit, never quit trving. One by one they cut into the seven-hole lead and .at the 35th hole thev had evened the match. The final hole was halved, so ended the match. To Ewing and Hill must go the laurel wreath for a remarkable recovery, the finest comeback in foursome play in Walker Cup competition. Singles Decide Issue However, the singles matches, coming as thev do on the final day. really decide the issue. If one team falls behind in the foursome matches, of which there are four, that team must pull itself up by the bootstraps, so to speak, in the singles. That happened to our side in 1923. We had lost three of the foursome matches, winning one. In the inaugural 6 event of 1922, the match between Jess Sweetser and Chubby Hooman was level at the end of 36 holes, and Hooman won out on the first extra hole. Since that time, any Walker Cup match which finishes square at the end of 36 holes is not continued. No points are awarded to either side. A Stiff Assignment Entering the singles in 1923, we were trailing, three points to one. Assuming that each match would be won or lost, this meant that the United States must w’in five of the individual contests to gain a tie. I was paired against Roger Wethered in the number one match. At the end of the morning round I was 2 down. Tolley was up on Jess Sweetser. Bob Gardner w’as having a close battle with Robert Harris. The late George Rotan was 6 down and four to play against Willis Mackenzie, but Rotan brought his match within reasonable bounds by winning the last four holes. Max Marston, who recently passed on, enjoyed a good lead. Dave Herron was winning, but generally speaking the team as a whole was in bad shape at the end of the morning round. I believe, taking our position at its worst, that at one time the American players were 24 holes in arrears, collectively speaking. I made little headway against Wethered. Each time I seemed to be in a fair way to reduce his lead of twro holes, he w’ould hole a long putt. I had managed to cut his margin to a single hole as w’e came to the 14th, the 32nd hole of the match. That was a heart breaker. The 14th hole at St. Andrews, with all its subtleties, is difficult. Par is 5 although that day one could get up to the hole with two long shots. My second was just short of the green, and Roger’s was on the back edge, at least 40 feet away. When I rolled my ball to within two feet of the hole, I felt reasonably certain that my good 4 w’ould at the very least gain me a halved hole. Nothing of the kind happened. Wethered hit his long putt up over the slight incline right into the middle of the cup for a 3. and I was again 2 down. The 15th was halved in 4s. Par on USGA Journal: August, 1949 the last three holes at St. Andrew’s w’ould be 4-5-4. I won the 16th with a 3. We halved 17th in 4s. On the final hole, I wras 18 feet from the cup on my second and Roger was several feet outside. He putted to within eight or ten inches from the hole and laid me a three-quarter stymie. The roll of the green favored me slightly in that there was a drift from right to left and his ball wras on the low side. How’ my ball escaped his I will never know’, but it just squeezed by, caught the high edge of the cup and fell in for a 3 to tie the match. I scored no point, but it was better than losing one. From then on things began to happen. Sweetser was beaten by Tolley, but in succession Gardner, Rotan, Marston and Fred Wright won their matches to put us ahead 5 to 4. You will recall that, in the morning round, Rotan had been 6 dow’n with four to play and bad w’on the last four holes. In the afternoon he took seven of the first eight holes and finally w’on by 5 and 4. Wright w’as 2 down and three to play against Ernest Holderness and finished 3-4-3 to win by a hole. If my memory serves me, Herron dis­ sipated a useful lead against John Wilson and was beaten on the home green. The matches w’ere even again at 5-all, with the last match on the course. Doctor Willing was playing Willie Murray. I can remember but one thing regarding this match. We all rushed out to the 17th green. Thousands of persons were there. I do not recall whether the Doctor was 1 up and two to play or dormie 2. I do recall quite vividly that he had a nine-foot putt to end the match and give us victory. He was a good man in such a spot. From the moment he hit his ball, there was no doubt but what it was going to find the hole rim. We had beaten a fine team the hard way, and as far as I am concerned the 1923 Walker Cup Match was the greatest that has ever been played, up to now. Moe’s Comeback There have been other exciting mo­ ments. too. Those of us who played at Sandwich in 1930 will never forget the performance of Don Moe. In his match USGA Journal: August, 1949 7 First Match for the Walker Cup The young Bobby Jones, then 20, attempts a difficult putt during his No. 2 singles contest against Roger H. VVethered in the first Match for the Walker Cup at the National Golf Links of America. Southampton, Long Island, on August 29, 1922. Jones defeated Wethered, 3 and 2, and went unbeaten in five Walker Cup singles contests. The USGA Team also won this first Match, 8 to 4. against J. A. (Bill) Stout, he was 4 down after the morning round. Stout had had a 68. After luncheon Bill started 3-3-3 and was 7 up. He was still seven holes to the good with 13 to be played. Don got every one of those seven holes back and, standing on the 18th teeing ground, the match was even. Moe hit a long iron three feet from the hole after a good tee shot and won the match by a hole. That is in the record book but two things are not. The record does not state that Moe’s final round was played in 67. Neither does it mention Bill Stout’s classic re­ mark. Removing his spiked shoes in the locker room, Bill said, with no display of disappointment or irreverence, “That was not golf; that was a visitation from the Lord.” Then there was the match at The Country Club, Brookline, Mass., in 1932. On September 2 that year the sun was in total eclipse. That is not important inso­ far as a Walker Cup Match is concerned, but both events made it an unusual day. It was hot and humid. Not a leaf on the many fine trees that grow on that course moved for hours. Instead of the usual lovely green fairways and putting greens and trees, there was a golden haze that made one feel just a little bit eerie. I know I felt that way. In any event, some of us who had finished the morning end of our matches wrere having lunch. The Walker Cup itself was reposing calmly on a rock behind the 18th green, where Harry Vardon sat in 1913 for a picture. Leonard Crawley, the splendid British sportsman, was competing against George Voigt. One has to play a forcing shot to the 18th green at The Country Club because there is a network of traps guard­ ing the green in front. Leonard was going to be up at any cost, and he banged an iron with great firmness, hoping, I sup­ pose, to hit the back edge of the green. He hit his shot altogether too well. The ball landed on the road directly in back of the green and on the first bounce struck the Walker Cup full on. It was like the old dinner gong ringing at 12 noon. It seemed to me there was a noticeable dent in the famous trophy, although I may be wrong. The last time I was near enough to examine the Cup, it was in perfect condition. If the dent had been removed, more is the pity because for historic reasons if nothing else it would have been just as well to allow it to 8 USGA Journal: August, 1949 remain. It would add greatly to the tradition of the competition. My memory, though, is somewhat hazy as to whether the Cup actually was dented or not. Crawley Dents Cup Leonard Crawley is regarded as a great games player by the British. A brilliant cricketer, he took up golf several years after his university days. Long hours of practice and close application made him a splendid golfer. He was ex­ tremely popular with the American boys, and I am very fond of him. In 1934 we sent a team to St. Andrews. To pass away the time, most of the Americans gathered in our private living room after dinner to play a little game of hearts, well known to most Americans. The night before the foursome matches, wre gathered around the table as usual. A knock came on the door and in walked Leonard. After the usual introductions, we invited him to participate. He knew’ the game of hearts and accepted. He sat next to me. Invariably on the deal I would find the queen of spades in my allotment, and at the proper moment I would present it to Leonard. (The queen of spades carries a high penalty if you happen to get caught with it in your hand at the conclusion of play.) Leonard was most unlucky, although the stakes were small, in holding the infamous queen. We all enjoyed the evening im­ mensely and Leonard proved himself to be a fine sport as well as a real addition to the party. With the foursome matches behind us, it was my duty to place our singles line­ up in a sealed envelope, and send it to the Royal and Ancient Club at a given hour. The British Captain did the same. Tlie sealed envelopes were opened and the pairings were turned over to the press. I had put myself in the number thiee position and you can well imagine my surprise and pleasure to learn that my opponent in the singles match was to be Leonard Crawley. I must say things broke well for me and badly for Leonard during the morn­ ing round, and I was able to go to the luncheon table with a fair lead. Two good putts at the start of the afternoon round increased my margin. With nine holes remaining, I was well ahead. Leonard, still fighting, drove the 10th green, which measured 310 yards, and w’on the hole w’ith a 3. I missed the iron to the Eden, and it was his hole with a par 3. On the 12th he pitched stone dead for anothei- winning 3. I did manage to halve the 13th with a 4, but Leonard barely missed a 10-footer for his fourth successive 3. I was now dormie 5. Queen of Spades Lawson Little and Tolley had carried a huge gallery in the match ahead, and when Little defeated Tolley, their gallery picked us up. Leonard played two great shots to the back of the 14th green and was in a fair way to win the hole and keep the match alive. I was on the putting surface in three, about 15 feet from the hole. Leonard played a fine approach putt to within three feet. I putted rather cautiously down the slippery slope and my ball stopped on the very edge of the hole, directly in front of Leonard’s three- footer. He studied every possibility of holing his ball. I had laid him a com­ plete stymie. After looking the thing over from every conceivable angle, he turned to me and said; “What is that Francis, the bloody queen of spades?” Who but a grand sportsman could think of such a remark at such a time? Those are the incidents surrounding XX alker Cup play that make it a wonder­ ful event. That our Teams up to now have been eminently successful ij beside the point. Someday the tide will turn, and when it does, I hope and trust that our players will prove themselves to be sportsmen of the same quality as the British. It is nice to be a member ol a winning XValker Cup team. There is a great deal of personal satisfaction in this. But the friendships gained seem to me to be worth ever so much more than winning a XValker Cup. That I believe is what George Herbert Walker hoped for when he donated the trophy, and I sincerely wish that this same thought will be car­ ried on. to perpetuity. USGA Journal: August, 1949 9 Golf’s Bottle Neck: Courses Tournament Bureau Manager, Professional Golfers’ Association By GEORGE SCHNEITER Many articles have expressed concern as to where the future golfers will de­ velop, since each year fewer caddies sift into the game. Personally, I see no reason to become alarmed. The promotion of golf in schools and colleges is the means not only of developing many excellent golfers but of stimulating golf activity in each community through the school golf teams and golf classes. The college golfers who become stars will be decided assets to either amateur or professional ranks. Their college backgrounds will have prepared them to meet the many problems confronting bigtime golfers, including public, radio and press relations. Cary Middlecoff, the new USGA Open Champion, and Skip Alexander a mem­ ber of the Ryder Cup Team, are college graduates. They attribute their interest in golf to their college team matches and scholastic tournaments. School and college golfers are being taught the fundamentals of sound golf by competent PGA professionals who have the ability to analyze and expound the technique used so effectively by the leading professional and amateur players. The bottle neck, as I see it, is not in developing more golfers; it is in what to do with the golfers! Each year golf courses in desirable locations are being dismantled and the property subdivided for real-estate projects. With more players developing, the dismantling of courses presents a serious problem. At Los Angeles, in order to play on a Saturday, one must call the Griffith Park Golf Courses before 7 A.M. the preceding Monday. Otherwise, all times will already have been assigned. A similar situation prevails throughout the entire United States. Imasine going out to play eighteen holes and spending six to eight hours! This is a common George Schneiter occurrence on public courses on week ends in America today. There is no doubt that the bottle neck of golf is the lack of courses. More golfers will develop each year, but who will build the courses? Various city and county officials will have to be educated to the view that ade­ quate golf courses are as necessary as parks and playgrounds. Figures will show that the courses will be a source of revenue to cities and counties. More colleges eventually will build golf courses as parts of their institutions. Wealthy individuals might be induced to provide for the construction of courses as memorials. Large corporations might be persuaded to construct golf courses to serve their employees. I might recommend that golf associat­ ions and manufacturers’ representatives form an active committee to put in motion immediately the machinery for promotion of golf-course construction. 10 USGA Journal: August, 1949 “My Golf Creed” When James W. Spangler of Seattle was active as a banker, golfer and toast­ master in 1933, he composed “My Golf Creed” for the public benefit of his golfing opponents. He read it frequently at golfing dinners. The Creed has con­ tinued in circulation and has been re­ published in the Seattle Golf Club’s “Divot Diggers Digest.” Forest Watson of Seattle believes it deserves even wider circulation. We agree. Here it is: My handicap is Eighteen. I am not interested in hearing that you are not playing down to your admit­ ted handicap. I do not care to risk more than ten cents a point on this game. I prefer to play first and second ball. Please do not propose at the end of the first nine that the basis of the contest be modified. Do not embarrass me by asking me to concede any of your putts. I will volun­ teer to do so if in my judgment it is deserved. I admit it is a nice day for it. Kindly refrain from a review of your previous golf performances. It will be appreciated if you will avoid the usual, hackneyed, insincere expres­ sions common to golf such as: ‘That won’t hurt you any’; ‘Oh, too bad’ (Meaning goodie! goodie! goodie! when uttered by an opponent); ‘You should have had it’ (also meaning goodie! goodie! goodie! under same authorship); ‘We don’t pay on the drive’; et cetera, et cetera. Any complimentary expressions by an opponent concerning my shots will be understood as having an ulterior purpose and lacking sincerity. I am aware that my practice swing is fair; please indulge me at least one on each tee—it’s the most perfect part of my game. It does not inspire me any to have other players engaging in practice swings when I am about to shoot. The following imperfections in my golf performance are well-known to me: Looking up. Coming back too fast. Standing too far ahead of the ball. Standing too far behind the ball. Playing off the left foot. Not following through. Bending left arm. Lunging at the ball. Stance too open. Stance too closed. Not pivoting. Teeing ball too high. Teeing ball too low. Tightening up. Too much right hand. Not enough right hand. Hitting ball on down instead of upswing. Left foot too far forward. Left foot too far back. Wrong grip. The above-mentioned faults have been pointed out to me by Bob Johnstone and also by one or more high-handicap men in practically every game I have played during the past 20 years. Calling my attention to these errors will be superfluous; no offense will result but your time could be more profitably em­ ployed. I will, however, appreciate it if you will, in a loud voice, call to my at­ tention any imperfections which are not listed above. The score card contains the local Rules. I shall expect you to apply them as scrupulously as though I were watching. If I am ‘up’ on the last tee, I do not wish to give an additional one-half stroke or more and play the last hole ‘double or nothing.’ I prefer, while at golf, not to be drawn into a discussion of business or economic subjects nor hear such discussion pur­ sued by others. If you must play ‘Ship, Captain and Crew,’ when this golf contest is finished, please make it a separate engagement not employed for the purpose of altering the monetary result of our golf. I reserve the right to refuse to shake. Yes, I have heard the one about the banker with the glass eye, also the one concerning the banker who wished to shield his mother from the knowledge of the fact that he was a banker. If it is agreeable to me to engage in a return match, I will so indicate at the appropriate time WHEN THE GAME IS WON When I've played my last shot to the home hole And the span of my life has been run, If I've kept the respect of my caddie, I will feel that the game has been won. Tho I've gathered no honors or trophies And have played like the poorest of dubs, Yet a prize I'll have won if I've kept the respect Of the caddie who carried my clubs. And if in the Great Book of Judgment, These words are writ after my name, "He kept the respect of his caddie," I will know that I won at the game. -JUDGE EARLE F. TILLEY USGA Journal: August, 1949 11 The British Walker Cup Side By JOHN P. ENGLISH The Match for the Walker Cup between amateur Teams representing the British Isles and the United States pro­ vides followers of the game here with their first opportunity to see the new British Amateur Champion, S. Max Mc­ Cready, in competition. He has a game well worth studying. He proved the point by defeating Frank Stranahan and Percy B. Lucas A veteran of the last Walker Cup Match, Mr. Lucas will serve as playing Captain for the British Isles. He plays left­ handed. William P. Turnesa on successive days at Portmarnock, Ireland, last May. Mr. McCready is one of four Irishmen representing the British Isles at the Winged Foot Golf Club, near New York, August 19 and 20. The other six mem­ bers of the Team are Englishmen. In the group which will attempt to regain the Cup, there is not a single Scotsman, although the game was nurtured in that land. The individuals are not so well known in this country, perhaps, as the members of prewar teams, because most of the Englishmen devoted the war years to the service of their country. Nevertheless, they now are accomplished golfers. The Team members will be: James Bruen, Jr., Ireland Joseph B. Carr, Ireland R. Cecil Ewing, Ireland Percy B. Lucas, England S. Max McCready, Ireland Gerald H. Micklem, England Ernest B. Millward, England Arthur H. Perowne, England Kenneth G. Thom, England Ronald J. White, England Mr. Lucas will serve as playing Cap­ tain and is one of the six veterans of Walker Cup play. The other veterans are Bruen, Carr, Ewing, Micklem and White. Commander J. A. S. Carson, Secretary of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, came with the Team. They also are accompanied by Fred Robson, the professional at the Adding­ ton Golf Club in Surrey, who played against America on three Ryder Cup Teams. The larger American ball will offer few problems; they have been practicing with it abroad. On the day after the Match, the British Isles Team will go to Southhampton, Long Island, for a three-day visit at the National Golf Links of America, scene of the first Match for the Walker Cup in 1922,and then to the Oak Hill Country Club, near Rochester, N. Y., for the USGA Amateur Championship, Ausust 29 to September 3. Its members are ex­ empt from sectional qualifying. Follow­ ing the Championship, the Team will spend three days at the Pine Valley Golf Club, scene of the 1936 Match, and it will sail on the Brittanic, September 8. Leonard G. Crawley, the golf writer for the London Daily Telegraph and a member of four previous Walker Cup Teams, will accompany the Team and seek the USGA Amateur Championship. The expenses of the British Isles Team are being defrayed from a special per- 12 USGA Journal: August, 1949 James Bruen, Jr. Joseph B. Carr R. Cecil Ewing manent fund instituted last year, not only for the Walker Cup Teams but also for other amateur teams which meet the Dominions from time to time. Until this year, the Amateur Cham­ pionship Fund bore the cost of these com­ mitments, but with the increases in travel and administrative costs, that source be­ came inadequate. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club therefore invited all Clubs to contribute annually a sum not exceeding the amount of the yearly dues of one member for the permanent support of the Matches. Biographies of the members of the British Isles Team follow: James Bruen, Jr. When Mr. Bruen is playing regularly, he is one of Britain’s most colorful and formidable golfers. Mr. Bruen won the Boys’ Cham­ pionship in 1936, the Irish Closed Ama­ teur in 1937 and 1938, the Irish Open Amateur in 1938 and was first amateur in the British Open in 1938 and 1939. At the age of 18, he played in the No. 1 position on the 1938 Walker Cup Team; he and Harry Bentley halved John Fischer and Charles Kocsis in four­ somes, and he lost to Charles Yates in singles. He came back after the war to win the British Amateur in 1946. but he did not enter a defense of his title or play with the Walker Cuo Team in 1947. He reore- sented Ireland against England, Scot­ land and Wales in 1937, 1938 and last spring. Mr. Bruen, who is 29, is an . insurance broker and lives in Cork. He is married and has two children. Joseph B. Carr A veteran of Walker Cup competition at 27, Mr. Carr played with the British side in 1947, defeating Ted Bishop in singles and, with Cecil Ewing, losing to Mr. Bishop and Skee Riegel in four­ somes. He was beaten by Dick Chapman in the third round of the British Amateur in 1948. In earning the privilege of represent­ ing Ireland against England, Scotland and Wales since the war, Mr. Carr has won nearly all the leading Irish cham­ pionships, including the Open Amateur in 1946, the East of Ireland Champion­ ship six times, the West of Ireland three times and the South of Ireland once. He was first amateur in the Irish Open in 1946 and 1948. Mr. Carr lives in Dublin, is married and is a clothing company director. R. Cecil Ewing Mr. Ewing is a veteran of the last three Walker Cup Matches. He defeated Ray Billows at singles in 1938 but was beaten by John Fischer in 1936 and by Willie Turnesa in 1947 and also lost in two foursomes. The oldest British Team members, at 39, he is also the only player on either side who has competed in three Matches. A leading Irish golfer for 15 years, he was a semi-finalist in 1936 and run- ner-uo to Charles Yates in 1938 in the British Amateur. He lost to Mel Heath in the third round of the USGA Amateur Championship at Garden City Golf Club in 1936. Mr. Ewing has been win­ ning Irish titles regularly since he was USGA Journal: August, 1949 13 S. Max McCready Gerald H. Micklem Ernest B. Millward Arthur H. Perowne Kenneth 20 and has represented Ireland in inter­ national matches eight times since 1934. He won both the Irish Closed and Irish Open Amateur Championships in 1948. He lives in Ballina, County Mayo, is married and has two children. He rep­ resents a brewing company. Percy B. Lucas The Captain of the British side, Mr. Lucas is the most prominent left-hand­ ed golfer in competition today and has competed internationally since 1936, when he played on the English teams against Ireland, Scotland, Wales and France. He was a reserve on the Walker Cup Team that played at the Pine Valley Golf Club in 1936 but did not get into G. Thom Ronald J. White the competition. He did, however, reach the third round of the USGA Amateur Championship at Garden City Golf Club, bowing to Scotty Campbell. Popularly known as Laddie, he is a graduate of Cambridge and served six years in the Royal Air Force, earning the D.S.O. and Bar, the D.F.C. and the Croix de Guerre and retiring as a wing commander. He won the Boys Cham­ pionship in 1933, the Herts Amateur in 1946 and 1947, the St. George’s Chal­ lenge Cup in 1947 and the President’s Putter in 1949. In the 1947 British Amateur, he was defeated by Ted Bishop in the fourth round. Last spring, he was defeated by Ronnie White at the 20th hole in the third round. 14 USGA Journal: August, 1949 Mr. Lucas, who is 33, was a member of the 1947 Walker Cup Team. He and Leonard Crawley defeated Bud Ward and Smiley Quick in -foursomes. Dick Chapman defeated him. in singles. He lives in London and is a company direc­ tor, and is married and has one son. S. Max McCready Mr. McCready defeated Frank Strana­ han and Willie Turnesa on successive days to win the British Amateur last spring and earn a place on the Walker Cup Team for the first time. He was comparatively unknown as a golfer before the war. Although he was a reserve for the British side in 1947, he did not get into the competition. During the war, Mr. McCready served seven and a half years in the RAF. From 1940 to 1942, he was a flying instructor at Maxwell Field, Alabama, and he later saw service as a pilot in England and North and South Africa. Although he is employed in the tobacco business in London, he was born and educated at Belfast, Northern Ireland, and repre­ sented Ireland against England, Scot­ land and Wales in 1947 and 1949. He won the Jamaican Amateur in 1948. He is 31 and married. Gerald H. Micklem Mr. Micklem came into prominence by reaching the semi-finals of the British Amateur in 1946, defeating Frank Stranahan en route. He won the English Amateur in 1947 and the Prince of Wales Cup in 1948. He earned a place on the Walker Cup Team in 1947 and played in the singles, losing to Skee Riegel, and represented England in international matches in 1947 and 1948. During the war, he was a major in the Grenadier Guards and served in North Africa and Italy. He is a graduate of Oxford and a member of the London Stock Exchange. He lives in Kent and will celebrate his 39th birthday on the Sunday before the Match. He is a member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. Ernest B. Millward Mr. Millward has represented England against Ireland, Scotland and Wales since 1947, but he came into prominence by carrying Willie Turnesa to the 18th green in the semi-final round of the British Amateur last spring. Earlier in the Championship, he had defeated Ronnie White, the English Champion, in the fifth round. An engineering officer and Commando captain who served in India and Burma during the war, Mr. Millward won the Dorset and Southwest Counties Cham­ pionships last year and played in the United States last winter. He will be making his debut in Walker Cup play. He is a property manager and lives in Bournemouth, is 27 and single. Arthur H. Perowne The youngest member of the Team, Mr. Perowne is 19 and captained the British Boys side in international match­ es three years ago. Nevertheless, he has made a formidable record for his years. He competed in the final trials for the Walker Cup Team and won the Swedish Amateur Championship two years ago. He has represented England in international matches for the last three years and won the Norfolk Amateur in 1948. Mr. Perowne, called Sonny, was born and lives in Norwich, where he works a farm. He is single. Kenneth G. Thom Mr. Thom earned his place on the Team by going to the semi-finals of the British Amateur last spring, and he carried Max McCready, the subsequent winner, to the 20th green before bowing. Although he was runner-up in the Boys’ Championship and a quarter-finalist in the British Amateur in 1939, he did not establish himself as an internationalist until after the war. He served through the war as a warrant officer and bomb­ aimer in a Lancaster. In 1946, he was runner-up in the English Amateur. In 1947 and 1948 he won the Middlesex Amateur, and for the last three years he has represent­ ed England against Ireland, Scotland and Wales. He is making his debut in Walker Cup competition. Mr. Thom who is 27, lives in London and is occupied with road transport. He is married. Ronald J. White A veteran of the 1947 Walker Cup Match, Mr. White helped the British to two of their four points. With Charles Stowe, he defeated Frank Stranahan and Dick Chapman in foursomes; and he also overcame Fred Kammer, Jr., in singles. Last spring he won the English Amateur and the Golf Illustrated Gold Vase, but he was defeated by Ernest Millward in the fifth round of the British Amateur. Mr. White is a solicitor and lives in Birkdale, Lancashire. He was a pilot in the RAF during the war and was retired with the rank of flight lieuten­ ant. He has represented England in international matches for the last three years, and captained the winning team last spring. He is 28 and married. USGA Journal: August, 1949 15 How the Modern Ball Plays By ROBERT TRENT JONES Golf Course Architect In the Spring, 1949, issue of the USGA Journal, John D. Ames, Chairman of the USGA Implements and Ball Committee, wrote an article on the present length of the ball as compared to its pre-war length. The comparison was based on tests made at the Armour Institute by the USGA in 1941 and again in 1948 with some 6,000 balls at variable tem­ peratures. Increase Indicated It was Air. Ames’ conclusion that there might possibly be an increase in the length of the ball over its pre-ivar level and that this could be due to the use of improved materials. The manufacturers, however felt that there had been no increase. Before the USGA Open Championship at Canterbury in 1940, I became in­ terested in the idea of testing the length of the drives of the players in the field as a determining factor in the placing of traps and the designing of greens in golf courses. In order to do this, I requested the privilege of making these tests dur­ ing the tournament. Consent was readily given, and it was pointed out that the USGA was also very much interested in the results of these tests. We chose the fifth hole at Canterbury Golf Club, near Cleveland, for the test, this being the most level hole on the course from the tee up to the 290-yard mark. At this point, a slight hill made the hole run uphill. Since the majority of the drives were unable to reach the incline, the test was made under what we think were fairlv normal conditions. An effort was made to keep an accurate tabulation of the wind direction and its approximate strength as a factor in aid­ ing the drives during the various periods of the day. No attempt was made to do this with mechanized equipment for the accurate measurement of the wind veloeitv: it was done more bv ‘‘feel" as to whether the wind was slight, medium, or hard. The result of these tests showed that the average drive for the complete field during the second day of the championship at Canterbury was 253.4 yards. We have recently made another check of the complete field in the 1949 Open Championship at the Medinah Country Club, near Chicago. This check was made on the 10th hole, which is per­ fectly flat. It so happened that a bound­ ary fence along this hole made it possible to check accurately every 10 feet of the drive. For this reason it was also possible to check both the flight and roll of the ball, which was not done at Canterbury. The condition of the fairway turf wTas about the same as it had been at Canter­ bury, though possibly it was a trifle hard­ er. The wind on the 10th hole came con­ stantly from one direction, from the back of the tee, therefore aiding the drive. The variation in the wind according to our best guess was 5 to 15 miles an hour, and it came sometimes in gusts, during the course of the day the survey was made, there was a constant breeze aiding the tee shot. The average length of the drive for the whole field on the first day of the Championship at Medinah was 260.2 yards. The flight of the ball for the field was 231.9 yards. Shots that were under 215-220 yards were not counted, as these were not indicative of the normal tee shots of players of this caliber. Shots that split the center of the fair- wav averaged 263.5 yards, and the aver­ age flight of these drives was 233.9 yards. Certain players obtained a much longer roll than others, but the type of swing of these players had a bearing upon the carry and roll. For example, the long hitters. Jimmy Thomson. Chick Harbert and Skip Alexander, have swings of the tvpe that give a high trajectorv, 16 USGA Journal: August, 1949 49th OPEN GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP OF C.S.G.A. Medinah Country Club—No. tl Course, Medinah. III. COMPARATIVE DISTANCES OF DRIVES-FIRST ROUND-JUNE 9, 1949; MEASURED ON 10th HOLE Mitchell . . Morris . . Krutilla . . Ncgorski . Harter . . Sanok . . Broward . Arnold . . Lehman Prentice Kertes . . Cooper. . Nary . . . Cruickshank Kirkwood Thacker Blevins . . Forther . . Wood . . Barron . . Worsham. Burch . . . Brown . . Foy .... Penna . . Alexander Metz . . . White . . Morey . . Sipula . . Teal . . . Barfield Bradley. . Kocsis . . Palmer . . Middlecoff Gilles. . . Paulsen. . Goggin . . Hill .... McCarthy. Ervasti . . Emery . . Farlow . . Kinsman . Snead . . Riegel . . Bulla . . . Bernardi . Fondren Isaacs . . Torza . . . O'Leary Barber . . Kepler . Doser. . Rhodes . Jewett . Pavella . Mangrum Little . . . Harbert. . Kennedy . Gafford Fazio . . . Smith . . . Turnesa Evans. . . Strange. . Pomy . . . Harden . . Ghezzi . . Ferentz . . Keiser . . Toiler. . . Jones. . . Plemmons Stephenson Evans. . . Lamb . . . Caspio . . Beljan . . Bolesta . . Hutchinson Bond . . . Monti . . Greiner . . Vines . . . Gibson . . Susalla . . Haskell . . Petropolo . Harmon Furgol . . Stranahan Kreuger Berry . . . Simpson . Quick. . . McHale. . Douglas . Spears . . Dwyer . . Harper . . Foulis. . . Thompson Peele . . . USGA Journal: August, 1949 17 1. E 4. E A » CARRY rr-RIGHT ROUGH ROLL 1 ~ 1 rl —LEFT ROUGH c —CENTER FAIRWAY tr-TRAP GN LEFT rf-RIGHT FAIRWAY t-TOPPED If-LEFT FAIRWAY AVERAGE DRIVE-260.2 YOS. Harris Haefner Brosch . Thomson Wansa . Hunter . Sarazen Demaret Ward . . Luther Shirai. . Patroni . Fischesser Hall . . Novick . Moore . Robinson Williams Harrison Haas . , Locke . . Webb , Milward Ford . , Burke . . Manero Hamilton Platte . . Barnum Goss . . Burke . . Campbell Shute . . Nelson . Schneiter Ferrier . Dietz . . Frisina . Todd . . Guldahl Byrd . . Ryan . . Boehm . Hamblen Wagner Stahl . . Hackett. Martin . Oliver . Walkup Gaddie . Lyons. . McGraw Huge . . and their shots had very little roll. Play­ ers with swings of the type of Claude Harmon’s, more upright swings of the closed-face school, obtained longer rolls. The accompanying chart will give a clear idea as to the number of hooks and slices and the number of balls that went into the trap, 230-240 yards from the tee. According to our statistics, there is an increase of seven yards in the length of the average drive between the test made in 1940 at Canterbury and the test made in 1949 at Medinah. The machine tests made by the USGA indicate a slight increase in the distance of the ball, which could account for this difference. There are other variables that might have a bearing on the difference, such as the slight differences that might have been brought about by the velocity of the wind. This was pointed up the second day of the 1949 Championship when, during a dead calm, a check was made on 20 players who had played the day before. During this period with no wind, the drop was about eight yards per player. This of course would not ac­ count for the difference between the Can­ terbury check and the Medinah check, for in both cases there was an aiding wind. The length of the cut of the grass and the hardness of the ground could also be variable factors, but from the ap­ pearance and feel of the turf it is our opinion that this variation was very slight. It may be possible that longer hitters are now qualifying for the Championship in the various sections of the country, although this theory should not be given too much credence. The design of the hole might tend to offset this difference slightly, although it is our opinion that, with these two particular holes, this is not the case. Both holes adapted themselves to free, lusty swings. It was interesting to note that as far as the low scoring players and the name golfers of the country are concerned, thev are all in the big-hit category, as can be seen by the accompanving graph. 18 USGA Journal: August, 1949 The Public Links Championship By JOSEPH C. DEY, Jr. USGA Executive Secretary Eddie Kletcke had a starting time of 7:45 A.M. for his first match in the USGA Amateur Public Links Champion­ ship at Los Angeles last month. His opponent failed to appear—he overslept and was the only man in the field of 210 who didn't keep his engagement. So there was Eddie, all set to go—'but no opponent. He was disappointed at not having a game. You felt rather badly that Eddie had had to get up with the City of Los Angeles William E. Betger, 26-year-old San Francisco policeman, reveals the left­ handed form that took him to the final of the Public Links Championship. larks, even though he went into the second round by default; so you mildly sympathized with him. “Makes no difference to me,” said Eddie. “In my business, we have to get up at all hours.” Eddie, you see, is a city fireman in Chicago. His is the sort of spirit that makes the Public Links Championship one of the most refreshing events on the USGA cal­ endar. It is a competition among true lovers of the game, “ the amateurs w ith­ out tarnish, as John Maynard of the Los Angeles Examiner described them. No competition is more truly in the spirit of the game than this one. An atmosphere of good fellowship prevails, the local hosts always provide abundant entertainment both on and off the golf course, and the players contest stroke for stroke keenly. In the first four rounds at Rancho 193 matches were played, and 28 went extra holes. The contestants are always avid to learn more and more about the Rules of Golf and to play bv the Rules. An unusual number volun­ tarily submitted iron clubs for examina­ tion of face marking before play began. One of the nicest things of all is the surprised modesty of several contestants when, unexpectedly, they find themselves well along in a national championship. Take Lou Barnes, for instance, a 36- year-old sales engineer from Alhambra. Cal. “ Can this really be me?” said Lou when he reached the semi-finals at Rancho. “Vi hy, I m a 5-handicapper, and I ve been planning to go back to work from day to day.” Quality of play is high. The new Champion is Kenneth James Towns, of San Francisco, and in most of his eight matches he was better than Rancho's par of 71. Ask Ralph \ ranesic, of Denver. Ralph met Ken in the fifth round. Ralph played USGA Journal: August. 1949 19 City of Los Angeles Ben Hogan received a tremendous ovation when he appeared unexpectedly at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, scene of his 1948 Open triumph, to speak at a dinner for contestants in the recent USGA Amateur Public Links Championship. Pictured above, left to right, back row: Harold Harvy, George Cronk and Win Austin of the Los Angeles City Council; Maurie Luxford, President of the Los Angeles Recreation and Park Commission and General Chairman of Los Angeles’ Committee for the tournament; Joe Novak, President of the PGA; C. Pardee Erdman, member of the USGA Executive Committee; George Hjelte, General Manager of the Los Angeles Recreation and Park Department. Front row: Totton P. Heffelfinger, a Vice-President of the USGA and Chairman of the USGA Public Links Committee: Mayor Fletcher Bowron of Los Angeles; Ben Hogan; Joseph C. Dey, Jr., USGA Executive Secretary; C. Tony Pereira, member of the Los Angeles Recreation and Park Commission. the first nine in 35, even par, having eight 4s and one 3—but Ralph found himself 4 down. Ken Towns, you see, went out in 31. He finished off the match by 6 and 5, playing the 13 holes in five birdies and eight pars. There were eight 3s on his card. Rancho measured 6,805 yards for the Championship and was watered throughout. In the semi-final round, Towns holed a birdie 3 on the 36th green to establish his winning margin over Philip J. Kun­ kel, of Salt Lake City. For the 32 holes of the final, Towns was one above par in winning by 5 and 4 from William E. Betger, a fellow San Franciscan. Twenty-year-old Ken Towns is a player of real promise. He is a sturdy young man cast in an athletic mold. He has an excellent temperament for golf which is reflected in a modest and quiet de­ meanor. He has a game of great power and a keen putting touch. San Francisco monopolized main hon­ ors not only in the Individual Champion­ ship but also in the Team Championship, winning the Harding Cup with a three- man score of 221 for 18 holes stroke play. The San Francisco sectional team comprised Paul A. Millett, 69; Martin Stanovich, 73, and John M. Maughan, 79. There was a tie at 225 among Denver, Honolulu and Toledo. Thirty-three teams entered the competition, played two days before the all-match-play Individual Championship. Los Angeles did an outstanding job in arrangements for the Public Links Championship. Its committees were won­ derfully organized under the general chairmanship of Maurie Luxford, Presi­ dent of the Los Angeles Recreation and Park Commission. 20 USGA Journal: August, 1949 The Club Pro in Competition By AL BROSCH Professional and Course Superintendent, Cherry Valley Club, Garden City, N.Y. A club professional who competes in the Open Championship has a good deal more to lose than a tournament player. The tournament player need face only his own intimates at the next stop on the tour. The club professional will have to explain what happened to all his club members! Seriously, though, the club professional is at a disadvantage when he takes time off from his regular job to compete against seasoned, year-around tourna­ ment players in, say, the Open or PGA Championships. When one of us is for­ tunate enough, as I happened to be last June, to lead the Open field through even 36 holes, I look upon it as a miracle and do not attempt to explain it. My job is two-sided. I am both pro­ fessional and golf-course superintendent at the Cherry Valley Club. From March 15 to the time of the Open Champion­ ship, I gave approximately 300 lessons and superintended the conditioning of the course. Spring is the season when members most need lessons, after their winter lay-off, and it is the season when the course and shop require a good deal of care. In recent years, labor problems alone have been sufficient to keep a fel­ low busy. No one other than a golf professional can realize all the things it takes to op­ erate a job successfully. In spite of these duties, I should find time to practice. The urge is present, but the energy is not. Practicing consists of three things: loosening up, perfection and exercise. Most golfers practice only for the ex­ ercise. When practicing, each shot should be considered important. Once the player has loosened up, he should concentrate on each stroke and let the exercise take care of itself. A few moments of con­ centration are worth hours of practice. Al Brosch Some years ago I was told that addres­ sing with the club centered directly be­ hind the ball was important, and this is one of the things I try to make habit­ ual by practice Making one’s own decisions in the course of a round is another of the most important factors in achieving a con­ sistently good game. In the Open at Medinah Country Club, my game held together well except on the greens. Why some putts go in and others stay out, no one can say. These things are not the most import­ ant in life, however. Undoubtedly, secur­ ity and contentment at a job and at home have a far-reaching effect. One’s acceptance at a club can have much more than a dollar value. USGA Journal: August, 1949 21 THE REFEREE Decisions by the USGA Rules of Golf Committee Exampie of symbols: "No. 49-1” means the Section 3 of Rule 7 in the current Rules of Golf. first decision issued in 1949. "R. 7 (3)” means Ball Striking Two Others No. 49-28. R. 12(4c) Q: In a stroke play tournament, on the green a player’s ball struck another player’s ball, then caromed off and struck a second player’s ball. Is the penalty two strokes, or is there two strokes penalty for each ball struck? Marjorie C. Pace LaCanada, Cal. A: There is one penalty of two strokes, under Rule 12 (4c). Ordering Opponent’s Caddie from Flag No. 49-30. R. l(2a), 2(1), 7(7) Q: In match play, A sends his caddie to attend the flagstick while B plays. Before playing, B orders A’s caddie away from the hole, leaving the flapstick unattended. B’s ball strikes the flagstick. A claims the hole on the ground that B refused to allow A’s caddie to attend the flagstick. Should A’s claim be upheld? Haynes Waters Savannah, Ga. A: Under Rule 7(7), either side was entitled to have the fla bushels to 1.000 square feet. Mr. Glover used and favors uncut sto­ lons for this type of planting because cut stolons are hard to cover. Also, uncut stolons have their root systems partly intact, thus giving a much faster “take” yvith less mortality. The stolons yvere then hand-covered yvith the previously mentioned soil mix­ ture. Although this “bucket method” is slower and requires more time later in 28 USGA Journal: August, 1949 leveling the putting surface than would topdressing, Mr. Glover feels the extra time is worth-while—again because the mortality rate is lower and the catch is quicker. Immediately after planting, the greens were watered thoroughly. Newly stolon- ized greens should never be allowed to dry out. The greens were stolonized on Sep­ tember 1, 1946, and with an intensive program of fertilization, topdressing and watering, they were in condition for play by the following June. Maintenance Aerification Of all the problems that confront a greenkeeper, compaction is one of the worst. The enormous amount of traffic in a limited area creates a compacted con­ dition which virtually excludes oxygen from the soil unless corrective measures are applied. The aerifier is used at Fairfax Coun­ try Club in both the spring and the fall. To quote Mr. Glover, “Fairfax was open for play every day this past winter. Had it not been for the aerifier, the course would have been closed on several oc­ casions.” Aerifying was completed this year on May 1. Soil cores are removed and com­ posted. Fertilizing and watering immedi­ ately follow the aerifying operation, and after a short lapse of time just enough topdressing is added to level the putting surface. The looser and more open the aerifier holes can be kept, the better will be the results. The VL’-inch spoons are used on the greens at Fairfax, and the 1-inch spoons are used on fairways and tees. Fertilization Mr. Glover follows an intensive fertil­ ization program on his greens. He delays fertilizing until late in the spring, (this year April 8), but from then until July 1 he applies a total of 4 or 5 pounds of actual nitrogen to 1,000 square feet. The same amount of actual nitrogen is also applied over an equal period of time in the fall, starting with the advent of cooler weather. The fertilizer mixture used consists of inorganic 6-10-4, with organic Agrinite added to bring the an­ alysis up to a 7-5-2. The addition of an organic fertilizer supplies many trace elements that would otherwise be lack­ ing in a straight program of inorganic fertilization. As previously mentioned, all the greens at Fairfax are planted vegetative­ ly from bentgrass strains developed by the USGA Green Section. Mr. Glover believes that these superior strains may require more fertilizer than do seeded greens. This is especially true with the Arlington (C-l) strain of creeping bent­ grass. Sulfate of ammonia is also used to a limited extent and in small quantites (V2 pound of actual nitrogen to 1,000 square feet) to stimulate growth follow­ ing an attack of a fungus disease. Raking Raking of greens is another of the many vital jobs that must be done on several occasions during the year. It is also a job that confuses the layman to the utmost, because raking is done at Fairfax (and should be done) when the green is growing vigorously and looks its best. The greens are thoroughly raked at Fairfax on five different occasions dur­ ing the spring and raked again five or more times in the fall. The direction is reversed with each subsequent raking. It is felt that the following benefits are derived from raking: (1) Destruction of stolon mat; this mat prevents air and water movement into the soil and har­ bors fungus organism. (2) Coarse stol­ ons are kept cut off; graininess is elim­ inated, thus making a smooth putting surface. Disease Control This section can be conveniently di­ vided into two subheadings which will permit discussion of spray-management procedures used in controlling the two most serious diseases (brownpatch and dollarspot) found in the Washington area. USGA Journal: August, 1949 29 Before discussing these disease-control practices it might be well to mention that proper attention to green construc­ tion, fertilizing, aerifying, raking, water­ ing and selection of bentgrass stolons is as important as, or perhaps more im­ portant than, the actual preventive spray measures that are employed. In this area the main damage from dollarspot is confined to the spring and fall of the year. Usually by the end of May dollarspot damage has lost its severity. However, it is again in evidence during the middle of September and lasts until cold weather sets in. Treatments usually are started some­ time in April, the exact date depending on the weather. The first treatment ap­ plied is a double dose of Crag 531, a cadium fungicide. The fungicide is mixed in the 150-gallon spray tank at the rate of 1 pound of fungicide to 25 gallons of water. It is applied as a fog that covers a 12-to-15-foot width. It is applied from a straight nozzle and is delivered under a pressure of 250 to 300 pounds. Two men control the operation while walking backward over the green. One man handles the hose; the other controls the nozzle. By this method two men can spray 18 greens in four hours. Unless trouble occurs, the greens are not sprayed again until a three-week period has elapsed. At this time a single dose (3 ounces to 1,000 square feet I is applied and usually carries the green through the spring dollarspot season. Around the middle of September, a double dose is again applied for fall disease control; again, depending upon the weather, one or more subsequent, single-dose treatments will be applied at approximately a three-weeks interval. Brownpatch is most severe during the hot. humid summer months. Treatments for brownpatch control are usually be­ gun at Fairfax Country Club about the middle of May. At this time the danger New Green Section Subscribers Commercial Firms Cargill, Inc., Seed Division, Minneapo­ lis, Minn. Link’s Nursery, Inc., Clayton, Mo. Mock Seed Company. Pittsburgh, Pa. from dollarspot infection still exists and Calo-clor is applied for dual protection. This is an excellent practice when the weather isn’t hot enough to cause dis­ coloration from use of the mercury com­ pound. Mercury is an excellent fungi­ cide for providing dual control, so long as a high nitrogen level is maintained. This application of Calo-clor usually gives control through the dollarspot sea­ son, or up until June 1. Calo-clor is ap­ plied at the rate of 2 ounces to 1,000 square feet. During the remainder of the summer a regular weekly spray treatment of Tersan (tetramethyl thiuramdisulfide) is followed. In a dry season 2 ounces of Tersan to 1,000 square feet are ample; otherwise the 3-ounce rate is applied. In laying out a spray program a strict schedule cannot be adhered to. Unfor- seen troubles often arise that require additional spray treatments. For ex­ ample, a heavy thundershower on the evening following application would to a great extent nullify control. From this statement it is obvious that the longer the spray remains on the grass leaves, the more lasting will be the control. Watering A good inexpensive source of water is a prime requisite on a golf course. Fair­ fax Country Club, with its storage dams and centrifugal pumps, has such a source that will deliver up to 125 gallons of water a minute. At Fairfax the greens and approaches are watered early in the morning. There the two main reasons for this practice: (1) Watering at this time removes dew and fungus mycelium from the grass blades: fungi require a moist medium for growth, therefore danger of infec­ tion is most pronounced at this time. (2) Watering is fast and unhampered bv the plav of golfers. Fairways Construction With the exception of fairway No. 8 and part of fairway No. 6 that were formerlv in pasture, all fairways were newlv constructed. 30 USGA Journal: August, 1949 Stumps were removed, the ground was leveled to specifications and then fal­ lowed for 10 weeks. After fallowing, 3 tons of ground limestone and 1,000 pounds of 20 per cent superphosphate were applied to the acre by spreading with a fertilizer spreader. This mixture was disced in with an orchard disc. The fairways were then “toothed combed” to remove roots that had been dug up by the discing operation. The areas were then disc-harrowed lightly in prepara­ tion for seeding. The seed mixture con­ tained 10 per cent creeping red fescue, 35 per cent Chew’ings fescue, 40 per cent Kentucky bluegrass, 10 per cent domes­ tic ryegrass, and 5 per cent Astoria Colonial bentgrass. Seed was applied at 125 pounds to the acre, using the fertil­ izer spreader. Fairways were then raked lightly with a spike-tooth harrow’, dragged and cultipacked on the contour. Five hundred pounds of a 6-10-4 inor­ ganic fertilizer to the acre was also ap­ plied just prior to seeding. The fairways w’ere seeded between September 10 and 20 and were ready for play the fol­ lowing June. Maintenance The fairways have been fertilized every fall since their construction w’ith a 6-10-4 inorganic fertilizer applied at the rate of 1,000 pounds to the acre. Clover was a problem the first tw’o years following construction. Continu­ ous high nitrogen fertilization has cor­ rected this problem. Aerification has been necessary on the fairways having high degree of slope. The aerifier admirably has served its intended use on these slopes by estab­ lishing myriads of small pockets that trap water and prevent the fertilizer applications from washing down to the bottom of the hills. The fairways are not irrigated, yet the turf is vigorous and well knit, and weeds are practically nonexistent. Weeds are no problem at Fairfax Country Club, because desirable grass species extend their root systems to a depth of from 10 to 12 inches and are growing so vigor­ ously that it is impossible for weeds to invade them. Chemical weed control has not been used, and it is felt that such methods are completely unnecessary when regular mowing and adequate fer­ tilization is practiced on adapted grasses. Chemical weed control at best is a temporary measure unless it is fol­ lowed by intelligent management, and it is far from being the panacea that some people think it is. Tees Golf tees are the only problem areas that now’ exist at the Fairfax Country Club. The problem originated in their construction; the cost of building a golf course is such that where limited funds are available corners must be cut at some point along the line. How’ever, the tees are gradually rounding into shape. Mr. Glover feels that his tees of the fu­ ture will be combination tees of warm­ season and cool-season grasses. He is working toward that objective at the present time. The southern grasses will have the growth and vigor necessary to repair intensive wear and damage brought about by summer play, while the cool-season bent and bluegrasses w ill accomplish the same purpose during the fall, winter and spring when they are growing most vigorously Bunkers From the standpoint of the relative area involved, bunkers are the most ex­ pensive maintenance problem on the course. One man at the Fairfax Countrv Club does nothing but work on bunkers. The bunkers must be hand-weeded (chemical control is not favored, be­ cause it is felt that chemicals strong enough to control weeds would burn the greens since explosion shots scatter sand over the green*, hand-edged, hand­ trimmed and mowed. Raking should be done every day, and at the Fairfax Coun­ try Club an average of 50 tons of sand must be replaced each year. The Fairfax Country Club has only 41 bunkers. Many golf courses have anv- where from 100 to 200. The time, effort and cost of maintaining such areas is be­ yond comprehension. USGA Journal: August, 1949 31 HINTS ON BROWNPATCH CONTROL Early Morning Watering. The water washes the dew and the guttated water from the blades of grass and returns the dissolved nutrients to the soil to be used by the plants. This helj )s to dry the green more quickly for mowing and for the early players. Disease is discouraged by removing moisture and nutrients from the grass. (USGA Bulletin, May, 1933). Water Management. Just enough water to keep the grass healthy is good management for brownpatch control. Watering sufficiently to keep a clay green soft enough to hold poorly hit shots is a sure way to weaken the grass and make it more susceptible to disease. Keep the greens on the dry side and make the shots hold by aerifying the soil. Hydrated Lime. When brownpatch hits, it is because excessive moisture and high temperatures have joined hands in the right combination. To spray more water (with a fungicide) on the green when there is too much there already is a good way to invite more trouble. Hydrated lime dusted on dry at 3 to 5 pounds to 1,000 square feel helps to dry the surface and has been very success­ ful in checking brownpatch when spray treatments did no good. (Note: Any treat­ ment will be more effective if the soil has been well aerated). Resistant Grasses. One does not go out overnight and change the grass on any green. A change to the better grasses that are more resistant to brownpatch takes time and merits a well-planned program. The Right Fungicide. Two excellent fungicides for brownpatch are Tersan and mercuric chloride (bichloride of mercury). Tersan is safer but some mercury is needed occasionally when it seems that Tersan is losing its effective­ ness. A preventive program is preferred because brownpatch can hit faster than some people can act. It is better to lock the stable door before the horse is gone. Good Air Drainage. Where trees and shrubs pocket a green to stagnate the air, the best “fungicide” is an ax or a saw. Plants need air to live. Putting green grasses have only % inch of leaves in the air; trees have 40 to 50 feet of leaves in the air. Give the grass at least a fight­ ing chance to breathe. Good Soil Drainage. We’ve preached subdrainage and surface drainage until we are blue in the face, but some don’t read or come to our meetings. A healthy plant doesn’t readily become diseased. A layer of clay or sand in the green to stop air and water circulation is a sure way to produce a weak, shallow-rooted turf that is easy pickings for brown­ patch or anything else. If you can’t re­ build the green, the least you can do is to aerify and get roots down 4 or 5 inches. Good Management. Matted grass which sheds water like a duck’s back is an invitation to overwater because the water all slides off. Many greens are ruined because they have too much grass on them. A green that becomes scuffed and rough around the cup after a fewr rounds is a matted green. Brushes and mowers are made to remove excess grass so vou don’t have a “thatched roof.” Vigilance. Few real greenkeepers sleep well during brownpatch season. W hen they “smell” brownpatch, they watch the barometer, the thermometer, the humidity and the other courses in their vicinity. Their wives get fretful and the children don’t eat well. The man who brings his greens through a bad summer with no damage from brownpatch has earned his year’s salary. The secret is vigilance and knowing how to treat the greens before they get brown patch. Pre­ vention is better than cure. CHINCH BUG CONTROL Brown and dead patches in lawn in the eastern United States during sum­ mer and early autumn may be caused by chinch bugs. Close examination may disclose heavy populations of chinch bugs at the borders of the affected areas, under crabgrass leaves and around the crown of turf plants. A tin can opened at both ends, forced into the turf an inch or twro and filled with warm water, will cause the chinch bugs to float to the top in five to ten minutes. The most distinctive feature of chinch bugs is the disagreeable, musty odor which they emit when crushed. Chlordane Five pounds of a 5 per cent dust to 1,000 square feet will destroy both adult and immature bugs in 24 hours or less, giving protection for two to three months or longer. A treatment made on July 1 would protect the turf for the season. DDT Five to six pounds of a 10 per cent dust to 1,000 square feet of lawn area gives best results, but from one to two weeks in midsummer are required for complete kill. Reinfestation begins to appear in from seven to eight weeks after treatment. The effect is much slower than when Chlordane is used. DDT - Sabadilla Five pounds of the formulation (12U per cent DDT and 2'A per cent Saba­ dilla ) to 1,000 square feet of lawn area gives better results than does DDT used alone, but it is much less efficient than is Chlordane. Residual protection lasts for I1/? months and it takes from six to ten days for complete kill. Methods of Application Any of the insecticides may be ap­ plied as taken from the package or they may be combined with sand or fertilizer as a carrier. The author mentions Mil- organite as an ideal material to be used as a carrier, because it does not burn the grass and it flows evenly in any kind of weather. Grass should be dry when applications are made. Mowing the lawn before or immediatelv after the USGA Journal: August, 1949 treatment is helpful for coverage and settling the dust. Any good fertilizer spreader is ideal equipment for distribu­ tion. Thorough mixing is important and this may be done by putting the materials in a pressed paper or metal drum with a tight top. By rolling and turning a thorough mixing is assured. (Excerpts from Circular 168, May, 1949, by J. C. Schread, Connecticut Ag­ ricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Conn.) Chlordane in Fertilizer For Soil-Insects Control Mixtures of Chlordane with fertilizer materials have controlled soil insects satisfactorily when broadcast over the soil surface and disced or harrowed in lightly on seedbags, or when applied to the surface of turf on lawns, golf courses and pastures, and watered in. Stimu­ lated plant growth has been reported from numerous areas attributed not only to a direct stimulation but also to the control of the organisms that attack root systems. Some of the insects which Chlordane controls have not even been mentioned in turf literature as affecting turf grasses. It appears that organisms enter through the feeding scars. Chlordane exhibits a wide margin of safety to plant roots. From rates of 1 pound of actual Chlordane to the acre for controlling mole crickets to 10 pounds to the acre for controlling Japanese beetle grubs, no injury has been observed on any plants. The best guide for mtixing Chlordane with fertilizer is to use the correct poundage of Chlordane per acre blended with the correct fertilizer and quantity of fertilizer for the crop in question. Chlordane may be blended with fertilizer as a diluted dust, as a wettable-powder concentrate or as an emulsion concentrate. Mixture under observation for 192 days indicated no appreciable loss of Chlordane. Chlor­ dane should not be mixed w’ith fertilizers containing appreciable amounts of lime or other alkaline materials. (Abstract of article by Dr. C. C. Comp­ ton in Agricultural Chemicals. Vol. 4. No. 5. May. 1949) USGA Journal: August, 1949 33 IT’S YOUR HONOR Rhode Island Caddie Fund TO THE USGA: It is probably due to the fact that we have not told you before, but we are just a little bit "jealous" of the splendid pub­ licity you give to caddie scholarships, yet not a word about the John P. Burke Memorial Fund. This fund is Rhode Island Golf Associ­ ation's memorial to John P. Burke, former Intercollegiate Champion who made the supreme sacrifice, and all Rhode Island golfers who served our country in World War II. It was established in 1946, and we already have three caddies in college: one at Brown, one at Providence College and the other at Holy Cross—which is par for the course. With the best of luck to all caddie scholarship funds and to the USGA Journal, ALLEN H. CHATTERTON, President Rhode Island Golf Association Pawtucket, R. I. Observing the Rules TO THE USGA: This is in the way af an appeal to the USGA to call the attention of golf clubs to the necessity of correcting the growing tendency to ignore the Rules of the game. The USGA has always taken great pains to make and clarify the Rules, but little is being done to insist on their observance. As a golfer of more than 50 years experience, I am amazed and distressed at the general disregard of the Rules, without which no competition can be fair. Many players will admit that they have never read the Rules. They get along without them and prefer not to have their attention called to them. Further, such players are elected to serve on committees. Few professionals make any effort to call attention to Rules and usually have a very sketchy knowledge of them. There are few of the old school left, and it would seem that, if the USGA can do nothing about it, the game has a very limited future. CHARLES MORRIS YOUNG Radnor, Pa. Par-5 Holes TO THE USGA: I am going to tell you what I saw in the South. I saw a woman get on the green in two shots. The hole is longer than 500 yards, and she used a drive and No. 3 iron. 1 saw a man do the same thing on a hole measuring 535 yards. He used a driver and No. 7 iron. 1 saw a 320-yard green hit on the carry. Last spring at Wykagyl, Cary Middlecoff said he got home on every par-5 hole in two shots and made birdies. This was done in a single round. Just to show you how much we need a shorter ball, in all the rounds of golf I played at Wykagyl (and I was once the pro there), I never made a birdie like MiddlecofF did. Every birdie was earned and was made by a fine approach shot or putt. I broke par, with one other man. It was quite a thing and the club gave a prize of $500. No club seems to know the par of its course. They are arguing about par at Wykagyl. There is no need for an argu­ ment. Per is 67. If Wykagyl had a hole of 325 yards, as many courses have, there would be more arguments. There is too much distance, or variance, in the ball to fix par figures, and they are making the ball longer every year. ELIJAH HORTON New York, N. Y. Japan Golf Association TO THE USGA: We take great pleasure to inform you that Japan Golf Association, the leading organization in this country, has been revived and will sponsor the first All­ Japan Pro Golfers' Championship, to be held at the Sagami Golf Course near Tokyo on July 26 and 27, 1949, since the Pacific War ended. Over 100 pro golfers will struggle for 100,000 yen and the trophy. Hoping your aid as a rooter to flourish their meeting. TEIICHI ADACHI Tokyo, Japan. Editor’s Note: The USGA Journal invites comments on matters relating to the welfare of the same and will publish them as space permits.