JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT HOGAN'S ALLEY — AT MERION Ben Hogan bids for the Open Championship with a long iron shot to the 72nd green while an estimated 15,000 spectators hold their breath. The shot hit the green, and he made his par 4 io tie. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT 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. Ill, No. 3 July, 1950 Through the Green ..................................................................... 2 USGA Acquires “Golf House” ............................. Joseph C. Dey, Jr. 5 How It Feels To Be a Horse ........................................................ 6 The New Ben Hogan ...........................................................John D. Ames 9 Rulings in the Open.................................................... Isaac B. Grainger 12 Concentration Is the Key .................................................. Patty Berg 13 Pilgrimage to St. Andrews ............................. William C. Campbell 14 Slow Play ................................................................................... 19 When Caddies Carry Double ....................................................... 20 The Referee: Decisions by the Rules of Golf Committee ........... 27 Turf Management: USGA Green Section Turf over the United States .................... 29 Williams Honored for 28 Years in USGA Service .................................... 34 Soil Water and Soil Air: Their Relationship to Turf Production Marvin H. Ferguson 35 Turf Picture at Beltsville ............................................................................... 36 It’s Your Honor: Letters .......................................................... 37 Published seven times a year in February, April, June, July, August, September and November by the UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 73 East 57th Street, New York 22, N. Y. Subscriptions: $2 a year. Single copies: 30c. Subscriptions, articles, photographs, and correspondence, except pertaining to Green Section matters, should be sent to the above address. Correspondence pertaining to Green Section matters should be addressed to USGA Green Section, Room 307, South Building, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Md. Entered as second-class matter March 3, 1950 at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 3, 1879. Edited by Joseph C. Dey, Jr. and John P. English. Advisory Committee—John D. Ames, Chairman; Isaac B. Grainger, Totton P. Heffelfinger, Curtis W. McGraw. All articles voluntarily contributed. PRINTED IN U. s. A. USGA COMPETITIONS FOR 1950 Curtis Cup Match: Sept. 4 and 5 at Country Club of Buffalo, Williamsville, N. Y. Women’s amateur teams, British Isles vs. United States. for applications to reach USGA office, except in the case of the For possible exceptions in dates of Sectional Qualifying Rounds, (Dates entries close mean last dates Amateur Public Links Championship. Championship Entries Close Amat. Public Links ------ Junior Amateur ------ Amateur July 24 Girls' Junior August 11 Women's Amateur August 10 see entry forms.) Sectional Qualifying Rounds ------ Team: July 1 Seneca G. C. Championship Dates Venue Indiv.: July 3-8 Louisville, Ky. Muly 11 July 19-22 Denver C. C. I August 8 August 21-26 Minneapolis G. C. Denver, Colo. ------ Aug. 28—Sept. 1 Wanakah C. C. Minneapolis, Minn. * Aug. 24-25 September 11-16 Atlanta A.C. (E. Lake) Hamburg, N.Y. Atlanta, Ga. + Except Indianapolis, July 6; Salt Lake City, July 7; Phoenix, July 8; St. Louis and Charlotte, July 10. tExcept Honolulu, July 31; Salt Lake City, Aug. 7. *Except Pittsburgh, Aug. 28-29. USGA Journal: July, 1950 1 Golf Bites Dog Courtesy The Evening Bulletin, Philadelphia This boxer has certainly been infected with the golf bug. Nothing less than utter fanaticism would lead any animate being io pilfer a ball all teed up and about io be struck in the Open Championship. This happened to Johnny Bulla in full view of the crowd on the 14ih tee at Merion during the Golden Anniversary USGA Open. (P. S. — The dog got away with it.) 2 USGA Journal: July, 1950 THROUGH THE GREEN ODE TO MY GOLF CLUB Ties that Were Ties! Full twenty years have passed, I ween Since first I trod thy verdant green. So swift those years have passed away I? seems as though 'twas yesterday When 'neath thy sturdy oak trees' shade, I watched the patterns that were made By April's fleecy clouds that passed And painted shadows on the grass. I've oft explored thy forests deep In winter, when the flowers s'eep, Where mighty giants rear their crests, With clinging snow their branches dressed, Huge columns standing firm and tall Like marble pillars 'gainst the walls Of old cathedrals, stern and gray. In coats of sleety mail arrayed. And as I gazed upon the scene Again I hear, as in a dream. The sighing winds that soothed the air Like ancient monks at evening prayer. While moonlight drifted through the bars The branches made, and countless stars Their lustre added to the glow Of diamonds on the drifting snow. Again in spring when violets nod And lift their velvet eyes to God, They seemed to breathe a humble prayer To Him for His protection there. I've stood beside thy gentle stream And watched the ripples flow between Its sun-drenched banks, and marked the glade Where flowering bushes furnished shade To song birds, who in glad return Did waken echoes in the burn, With gladsome song above their nest And lulled the rushing stream to rest, Again at eve when day was done, I've watched the lengthening shadows come, And as they reached on every hand They wove for me a fairyland. A happy land and through the haze Again I dreamed of other days, And friends of old came trooping by With cheery smile and sparkling eye. And once again I firmly clasped The hand of friendship in my grasp. Now as the winged years have Town To join the year of ages gone I give my pen, now old and worn, To others who shall carry on. And if thy praises still they sing I shall rejoice, remembering. —JUDGE EARLE F. TILLEY. How many times can golfers tie? Two Scottish professionals, David Sutherland and John Campbell, tied four times—at 140, 77, 70 and 72—at Pollok and Gleaneagles in the professional championship of Glasgow in 1924. Sutherland won on the fourth play-off, 74 to 77. Macdonald Smith and Gene Sarazen tied three times at the Salisbury Country Club in Garden City, N. Y., in the Metropolitan Open of 1926. They tied at 286 after 72 holes. In the first two play-offs they tied again at 70 and then a* 72. In the third play-off Smith won, 66 to 70. Most extra holes in championship play were walked by Frank Strafaci and John Humm in the semi-final round of the Long Island Amateur Championship in 1947. They went 11 extra holes before Strafaci won on the 29th green at Pomonok. Maurice McCarthy and George Von Elm went 10 extra holes in the second round of the USGA Amateur Championship at Merion in 1930, Mc­ Carthy winning on the 28th hole. Limiting Hole Scores We have been asked several times whether or not a limit should be placed on the number of strokes a player can enter on his score card for any one hole when his actual score for that hole has been three, four or more strokes over par and when the card is to be turned in for handicap purposes. At first glance, it would seem that when a player runs into one or more of these “disaster” holes during a round and scores, say, a 7 on a par-3 hole or an 8 on a par-4 hole, a fair procedure would be to limit that hole score to either two over par for all players or USGA Journal: July, 1950 SPORTSMAN'S CORNER The crowd had engulfed the putting green, eager to honor its hero. It swept past one of the other players in this three-cornered play-off, paying no attention to him. He, for his part, just stood still, and took it. He was plainly let down. You couldn't blame him. He had made a game contest, but things just hadn't gone his way. Once before, in another play-off, he had won the Open. This time he was runner-up, and the crowd passed him by. His caddie was swamped, not only by the throng but also by having to hold his player's golf bag and the flagstick, which he had held off at one side of the green while the winner was holing out. He couldn't move. He couldn't even make his way to the hole to return the flagstick, so thick were the spectators. His player took the flagstick then, and placed it in the hole. That was Lloyd Mangrum's last act on the Merion course in this year's Open. A few minutes later he was at the presentation of prizes. He was his jaunty self again. The USGA President had just remarked on the wonderful course of the Merion Cricket Club, and the crowd had promptly corrected him—it's the Merion Golf Club now. The golf course used to be part of the Merion Cricket Club, and the USGA President had known it as such for much of his life, having played in championships there years before. It was just a simple slip of the tongue. But Lloyd Mangrum couldn't miss the chance. When it was his turn to speak, he quipped: "The USGA surely know the Rules, even if they don't know what course they're at." He had bounced right back from the dis­ appointment of his defeat by Ben Hogan. It was the second time he had done it within a short period. Not many minutes before, back on the 17th tee, the USGA Rules Chairman had told him that he had sustained a two-stroke penalty for lifting his ball when in play on the 16th green. Mangrum had holed that putt to climax a great recovery and to remain only one stroke behind Hogan, with two holes to go. 3 Lloyd Mangrum But now, on the 17th tee, he was informed of the penalty. He had an iron in his hand, preparing to tee off. He jammed it into his golf bag, obviously discomfited. "Do you mean I had a 6 instead of a 4?" he asked. "Yes," said the official. It was an unpleasant, tense moment. There went Mangrum's last hope of winning. Three strokes behind and two holes to go. Lloyd Mangrum himself broke the tension. "Well," he said, a slow smile dawning on his face, "I guess we'll all still eat tomorrow." to two over par for the lower handi­ capped players and three over par for the higher handicapped players. This practice is followed under some handicap systems, particularly those of the Current type which are designed to show the at-the-moment caliber of a player’s game and which are based on a large percentage of the player’s most recent scores. The question was discussed when USGA Golf Handicap System was being formulated, and it was decided that such a limitation was not essential to the suc­ cess of the USGA system. USGA Golf Handicap System is a Basic system, designed to evaluate a players’ inherent ability to play the game of golf. Under it, a player’s handicap is computed from the lowest 10 of his last 50 scores, a relatively small percentage of total scores, and it is believed that it 4 USGA Journal: July, 1950 would be rare indeed to find many, if any, “disaster” holes in those lowest 10 scores. Thus, the need for a handicapper to review every card of every player to make sure such a limitation was enforced would be, in the vast majority of cases, a needless waste of time. Withdrew Chick Evans withdrew from the Open Championship. Since he will turn 60 this month and had entered for old times’ sake (he won the Amateur at Merion in 1916), there was no reshuffling of favorites when the av ord was received. Yet it was news. In explaining his withdrawal, he wrote: “This is the first time in my life that 1 have ever entered a tournament and then withdrawn. I have yet to with­ draw when out on the course.” How many others can make that state­ ment ? Advice By Experts This season has produced, in addition to some fine championships, three ex­ cellent books in the how-to-play classi­ fication. They are by professionals who have proved they know how to play, too—Patty Berg, Cary Middlecoff and Joe Novak. Miss Berg’s book is titled “Golf Illustrated” and published by A. S. Barnes & Co. As the title indicates, photographs dominate, and the legends carry the message in a style simple enough for any beginner. Middlecoff resumes the doctorate he put aside when he became a golf pro­ fessional, and the title of his book is “Golf Doctor.” The publisher is Whittle­ sey House. While Middlecoff starts with the fundamentals, he proceeds upwards to a fairly high level and offers some excellent “top drawer” tips for experts in the later chapters. There is nothing jaded about Middle- coff’s advice. He learned most of his lore in the three years since he turned professional, and it is still fresh as he passes it along. He concludes with the remark: “I consider my first year and a half as a golf professional on the tournament circuit as the hardest work I ever did in my life. In the past year and a half, however, after having developed both an attitude and a method of going about my work, golf once again has become a game of pleasure to me—even though it is my means of making a living.” Novak, the President of the Profes­ sional Golfers’ Association, has attempted to simplify the seemingly complicated details of the golf swing in a book called “Par Golf in 8 Steps” and published by Prentice Hall. Under the Novak system there are only eight points to check, four in the position and four in the swing, and in condensed form they are: The Position 1. Place the club to the ball with the left hand. 2. Adjust the foot position. 3. Relax the right knee to complete the grip. 4. Turn the right heel out. The Swing 1. Rock the club forward. 2. Rock the club back. 3. Start the club from the ball with the right hand. 4. Swing through. A Doctorate Marvin H. Ferguson, Agronomist in charge of Research for the Green Section, has been granted his Ph. D. degree at the University of Maryland. His thesis was concerned with the nutritional re­ quirements of Zoysia in relation to growth and seed production. Dr. Fergu­ son began work for the Green Section in 1940 and has been engaged in turf re­ search since that time. Charles G. Wilson, Agronomist for the Green Section, at the same time received his B. S. degree from the University of Maryland. USGA Journal: July, 1950 USGA Acquires “Golf House” By JOSEPH C. DEY, JR. USGA Executive Secretary The USGA dream of “Golf House” has nearly come true. A five-story building at 40 East 38th Street in New York City has been purchased to serve as the future home of the United States Golf Association and its Golf Museum and Library. Work will soon go forward on alterations so that the USGA may occupy part of the building late in September. Until then, the USGA will maintain its present quarters at 73 East 57th Street, New York City. The building, which will be known as "Golf House" “Golf House,” is a 25-foot-wide limestone­ front, American basement dwelling, with elevator. It was purchased by Golf House, Inc., a New York corporation formed by the USGA for the purpose of acquiring and holding this property. The purchase price was $72,775, including a mortgage. Total estimated final cost of the project of establishing this national center for golf is approximately $100,000. “Golf House” will be a monument to the devotion of thousands of golfers to the game’s best interests, for it is being established with funds contributed by individual golfers, clubs and associations throughout the United States, as well as Canada and South America. It will house the hundreds of invaluable golf memorabilia in the USGA Golf Museum, such as famous clubs, balls, photographs, engravings, documents and medals, in addition to the USGA Library, which will become available for reference by golf-lovers. It will also be the USGA’s quarters. To establish this national center for golf, 2,655 contributors had given $46,233.85 at this writing- When several thousand golfers agree on something, it must be a right sort of thing. In fact, it must be a near-miracle. Golfers are pretty independence-minded: just look at the variety of putting stances. A high point in agreement among golfers was reached recently when every one of the 418 members of the Manufac­ turers’ Golf and Country Club, near Philadelphia, enrolled as a Founders. Richard F. Alley, club president, is a proponent of unanimity. Since it is now necessary to reach the goal of $100,000, all golfers are cordially invited to participate in this major cooperative venture. Donations of any (Continued on Page 21) 6 USGA Journal: July, 1950 How It Feels To Be a Horse How does a player feel when he knows that someone has a heavy bet riding on him? What is the attitude of leading amateurs toward organized gambling in golf? We polled the 1949 Walker Cup Team about it. Those who replied were unanimous in holding organized gam­ bling to be detrimental to the best interests of the game. Some tournament sponsors feel that Calcutta pools, for example, are a stim­ ulus to golf. If that be so, it is only a part-truth. The other part is that golf has flourished because of its own innate charm, and it will decline if it becomes merely a vehicle for gambling. More important than all this, of course, are the moral considerations. The game is the thing, and always has been. It is the players’ game. Here, then, are what some members of th? last Walker Cup Team think about it: Ray Billows, Poughkeepsie, N. Y.: I feel that Calcutta pools are detri­ mental to golf. They can’t help but injure the good fellowship and sports­ manship which are the finest aspects of amateur golf. A ticket-holder usually can’t refrain from advising his player, and the player finds it difficult to ignore such a person. I was a finalist in a tournament in which the referee of the final held the ticket of my opponent. I knew of this situation and, believe me, that match was difficult to play. I felt, and justi­ fiably so, that a couple of decisions were definitely unfair to me. Ted Bishop, Boston: I have felt for some time that gambling in golf, particularly Calcutta pools, is detrimental to a player’s concentration. I can’t think of any tournament in which I have ever played that has put my game under greater pressure than ihose in which Calcutta pools, or similar Boston Herald Ted Bishop types of pools, were involved. The fact that a friend or friends of mine bet on my ability to win takes a lot of the competitive feeling out of the play. In many cases, as a player nears the semi-finals or final, the person who has bet on him approaches him on the course with a reminder that he has money in­ volved, and seems to expect the player to try that much harder—the result being that concentration disappears, and play is impaired. John W. Dawson, Los Angeles: This is rather a ticklish subject, as most sponsors of Calcuttas argue that the pool stimulates interest in the tourna­ ment. I am heartily against gambling in any sports and especially when it applies in any way to golf. However, I am not against the $1 or $2 Nassau game that most everyone plays. I would consider this in the category of a friendly wager instead of gambling. When the betting gets over $2 Nassau then it gets into the gambling class, and I have seen many friendships lost because of heavy losses. Calcutta pools are put on for the enter­ tainment and the interest of the investors. They are most unfair to the player because of the pressure that it puts on USGA Journal: July, 1950 him to try to save his sponsor from losing money. I have seen instances where the “owners” of players have offered advice on wind, clubs, fastness of greens, etc.; also instances where the player was under terrific pressure not from the other players but because of the large sum of money depending upon his every shot. Most friends who purchase players in Calcutta pools are very fair and do not bother their players. However, now and then I have seen owners plague the player to see that he trained just right. In a few instances they have even accused the player of being yellow and giving up. In Calcutta pools the player has every­ thing to lose and nothing to gain. I am very much against them. It is embarrassing to have people bidding on you as if you were a horse. Charles Kocsis, Detroit: Frankly, I cannot say that I have ever been disturbed over any wager made on my behalf while playing in a tournament. I can recall a few instances when I was advised that so-and-so had a few dollars on me to win. Such remarks either before or during a match have no in­ fluence one way or the other in my method of play or determination to win, and they might just as well be left un­ said. I have never been a gambler in any sense of the word. My stakes are a dollar Nassau whenever the occasion demands it. Neither $1 nor $100 would increase my desire to win. I happen to be one of those individuals who don’t like to lose at any time. My efforts to win are every bit as great when there is no money at stake. To consider gambling as a whole and its influence on the game, it could be­ come a serious detriment if left un­ checked. The USGA should be highly commended for its stand regarding this issue. “Little sins lead to big sins.” If some controls are not instituted in local events to regulate the evils, they are bound to multiply and eventually creep into national events. The game of golf as a pastime would soon lose its great popularity and high esteem were big-time gambling ever allowed to gain a hold. The saddest part of gambling, in my opinion, is that those who cannot afford it are usually the ones to get hurt, and it is a very poor influence on young players. Bruce McCormick, Los Angeles: The matter of the Calcuttas is quite a heavy question. From my own view, I would rather see them not held. There is a very heavy impost on you when you know someone has paid $4,000 or some such amount for you. Then they watch you pretty closely. If you do happen to play badly, you are apt to be accused of being out drunk, or any number of other things. It really isn’t fair to the player, and it isn’t any pleasure for him. People will come up to you and ask if you are playing well. I always say “no,” and ask them not to buy me. Of course, during the auction someone always bids and the sale goes on. Once a friend and I were tied for first in a medal play tournament with one hole to go. My friend drove the last green and had a fifteen-foot putt for an eagle. I drove short of the green and chipped up about four feet from the hole. My friend missed, and I had to hole the putt to tie, which meant $4,000 to my ticket-holder. That surely was a long putt. Of course, there is increased interest in a tournament for some people by having a Calcutta. I don’t like to see them get so large, though. I would rather play and enjoy the fun of competition without having such a heavy feeling on my mind of losing so much money for someone if I play badly or miss a few putts. James B. McHale, Jr., Philadelphia: During my participation in amateur tournaments there have been few occa­ sions when I have been involved in Calcutta pools, and then only out of town, where the owner of my “ticket” was a total stranger, hence it had no effect on me. 8 USGA Journal: July, 1950 Winning a championship involves such concentration that I would not relish the added pressure of knowing large stakes were wholly dependent on my golf. The disappointment in losing a tournament is keen enough without the feeling that it has been an expense to an unknown party or perhaps a friend. It is my sincere hope that the disastrous effects of gambling never infiltrate this ancient and time-honored game. Skee Riegel, Tulsa: I have had little or no contact with persons who might have “bought” me in pools. I have, however, been ap­ proached by persons who have made individual bets on me against certain players in both amateur and open tourna­ ments, both as an amateur and now as a professional. The first few times this happened, it did have a detrimental bearing on my play. I took it very much to heart when 1 lost, and brooded over how the indi­ vidual must have felt about me, until I beard a spectator approach a top tourna­ ment pro one day and say to him, “Play hard, I’ve got a bundle riding on you.” The player snapped back, “If you’re stupid enough to bet, you worry about it. Don’t tell me your troubles.” The pro then turned to me and said, “There’s a fellow who probably has got ten bucks bet, and I’ve got a champion­ ship at stake.” Then and there I stopped worrying about the gamblers. There is, however, an incident in which I believe a Calcutta pool had a detri­ mental effect on a player. In the 1946 Trans-Mississippi at Denver, a player sold for a large sum and was defeated in the first round. Although he never said so, I know, as did everyone else, that it influenced his play. The ticket-holder was his boss. William P. Turnesa, New York: My attitude as a player toward gambling in general on golf can best be brought out by summarizing an incident that took place comparatively early in my competitive career. James B. McHale, Jr. Okada Studio I was busily immersed in the hard job of matching par in one of our West­ chester tournaments when a spectator ap­ proached me as I was about to play a difficult bunker shot. “Concentrate on this one, Willie.” he said very grimly. “You’ve got to put this shot up close. I’ve got five hundred bucks in the Calcutta riding on you.” I was quite upset by the tone of his interruption, and walked out of the trap. I handed him my wedge and said rather testily, I admit, “Here’s the club. Why don’t you play the shot? I’ll bet on you.” As this incident infers, there is enough pressure on the tournament golfer without adding to his burden the knowledge that someone stands to win or lose large sums of money on his performance. There is no logic to it, but I know that other amateur “’horses” are also overcome by a feeling of guilt when a man who has lost by betting on us plaintively laments the thousands he would have won if we had come through. Since a professional is disposed to a financial assessment of his golf, I would consider him a “horse” of a different color. USGA Journal: July, 1950 9 The New Ben Hogan By JOHN D. AMES Chairman, USGA Championship Committee The Open Championship at Merion Golf Club, near Philadelphia, was a milestone in golf, not just because it happened to be the Golden Anniversary USGA Open but for many other reasons. First, let’s talk about the Champion. While Ben Hogan was certainly the Champion at Riviera in 1948 (where he set the Open scoring record of 276), at Merion in 1950 he was a great Champion. This is true not only because of the comeback he made from his near-fatal auto accident, but because Ben has be­ come a man of noticeably great character, with his gentle smile, his humbleness, his willingness to converse a little with one and all. As for his physical recovery, Ben Hogan sincerely wants people to forget it. He wants to be regarded in exactly the same light as every other competitor. We ought to respect his wishes. Yet his comeback must be mentioned. Without it, the history is not complete. With it, there is inspiration for many people- Quite simply, it is the story of the spirit within the man—the spirit that springs from faith. Ben Hogan’s spirit had far outrun his physical convalescence much more than a year ago. He was injured, you will recall, in February, 1949. He was then the Open Champion. He had to give up his title without lifting a club. But he did not give up the idea of defending the Championship until almost the very last moment—a few days before the tournament. Now it can be told that Ben Hogan actually filed entry for the 1949 Open Championship in May. It was accom­ panied by this message: “I am getting along great just now, up all day and walking as much as pos­ sible. The doctor tells me walking is the only cure for my legs, so that’s my daily thought and effort. “Enclosed is my entry for the Open, with the hope that I will be able to play. Up to now I haven’t taken a swing, but miracles may happen. Would you please do me a favor and not release my entry? If I can play I should like it to be a surprise. I hope and pray that I may see you in June.” The USGA, of course, did not announce that entry. Now, with great reluctance, Ben says we can talk about it. He will dis­ like this sort of story, because he has breadth of vision enough to know that thousands of others have passed through crises in their lives, without public notice; and he does not think he is special. But this seems a pretty good time to make the record complete. The third and last scheduled day of the Open at Merion was Hogan’s first attempt at 36 holes since his injury. He was obviously tired in the afternoon round, but held himself together to gain a tie at 287 for first place with Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio. This was seven over par for 72 holes. Pennsyl­ vania laws, prohibiting the playing of sport for which admission might be charged on Sunday morning, gave Ben another half-day of rest, for which he must have been grateful. Playing for Par In the play-off, Hogan broke par by one stroke with a 69, Mangrum had 73 and Fazio 75. Hogan played a great round of marked control. He obviously played for par and let the other contenders take care of themselves. Many times he did not go directly for the pin but went to the center of the green or to a safe place where two good putts would give him par. With putting luck he might have had a phenomenal score. From tee to green his play was practical­ ly flawless. 10 USGA Journal: July, 1950 Everyone Smiled at Merion The Evening Bulletin, Philadelphia The pleasure apparently was unanimous when James D. Standish, Jr., President of the USGA, presented the Open Championship trophy to Mr. and Mrs. Ben Hogan after the play-off at the Merion Golf Club. George Fazio, who finished third, is at the extreme left, and Lloyd Mangrum, who was second, is at the right. Hogan holds a unique position. He has won two Open Championships and the war-time Hale America Open. This was the first time Lloyd Mangrum had been beaten in an Open play-off. Merion was much to his liking, as it is a course for accuracy and Lloyd has been generally straight off the tee and has a phenomenal touch in his chipping, put­ ting and trap shots around the green. It is impossible to say whether the two- stroke penalty which Mangrum drew for touching his ball while in play on the 16th green made any difference in the outcome. Mangrum had just birdied the 15th to trail Hogan by only one stroke, and parred the 16th (except for his penalty) after having played short of the quarry. Had it been his honor on the 17th tee, a par 3, the psychological aspects of the two finishing holes might have been different. However, no one knows the answer to that. In any case, Hogan holed a tremendous putt for a bird 2 on the 17th and sealed the Championship. Mangrum won the 1946 Open at Can­ terbury after a double play-off with Byron Nelson and Victor Ghezzi, and he played at Merion like a champion. It seemed as if it wasn’t his turn to win. George Fazio played steadily through the four tournament rounds and had a good round in the play-off. His play this year should mark him as a top contender. Much could be said about the great skill of the professionals and many amateurs. Their control of the golf ball, on a course where control wTas absolutely essential, was remarkable. A Great Course The Championship could not have been played on a finer test of golf, or one in better physical condition. The rough had been trimmed to a modest length 10 to 12 feet from the edge of the fairway, and from then on had been allowed to grow naturally. Twenty days of rain in May had given a strong growth to all the grass and a good pitch­ ing softness to the greens, although the surfaces for putting were extremely fast USGA Journal: July, 1950 but true. In other words, it was a course on which anyone who was having an exceptional round could score exceedingly well. This was the case with Lee Mackey, Jr., unattached professional from Bir­ mingham, Ala., who shot a 64, six under par, in the first round and who by this feat now holds the lowest single-round record for the Open. Distance at Merion was not a requisite. The Evening Bulletin, Philadelphia Lee Mackey, Jr. Many players used irons off some tees, Some remarkably long shots were played, however. Sam Snead reached the fourth green with a spoon second—a hole measuring 595 yards with a brook im­ mediately in front of the green. Bill Nary reached the center of the second green with two shots—it is a 555-yard hole, much of it uphill. But the course took its toll, partic­ ularly on Saturday afternoon. Mangrum, Dutch Harrison, Johnny Palmer, Cary Middlecoff, the defending Champion, and two or three others all had a good chance of doing better than 287. For some reason or other, the first-nine-holes scores 11 in the afternoon for these players were around 40 and 41 rather than nearer the par 36. Mangrum himself scored 76 when anything less over the par-70 course would have won the tournament. Hogan’s estimate was this: “I’ve never before played a course where you are so constantly on the defensive. There’s never a chance to take the offensive.” Speed of Play For Saturday’s 36 holes it was deter­ mined that play by 2s would be faster and easier on the players than by 3s. It definitely worked out that way. The average time per couple, both morning and afternoon, was approximately 3 hours 25 minutes. Considering the delays caused by the need for gallery control, play proceeded very smoothly, especially on the “tight” Merion course. The fastest Saturday round was 2 hours 50 minutes, and a number of early start­ ers were under three hours, before the galleries grew to great size—perhaps as great as ever saw the Open. Thus, on Saturday, play by couples required the average player to be on the course less than seven hours for the two rounds, whereas play by 3s sometimes has taken between eight and nine hours. The Sunday play-off, wiih three com­ petitors, required 4 hours 40 minutes, but this needs to be analyzed. The play must have been delayed by the gallery nearly 1 hour 30 minutes all told, since with the tremendous flow of people back and forth across the fairways it took nearly five minutes to a hole before the gallery was in position to allow play to proceed. Prize money for professionals was increased on the eve of the Champion­ ship, as follows: first, $4,000, instead of $2,000; second, raised from $1,500 to $2,500; and every player who returned a 72-hole score beyond 30th pro place received $100. Thus, instead of a $10,- 000 total as originally planned, the final awards amounted to $14,900. The increases applied to the Golden Anniver­ sary Open only. 12 USGA Journal: July, 1950 Rulings in the Open By ISAAC B. GRAINGER Chairman, USGA Rules of Golf Committee Several incidents involving the Rules of Golf arose in the 1950 Open Champion­ ship. Most attention was focused on Lloyd Mangrum’s handling a ball in play on Merion’s 16th green during the play­ off with Ben Hogan and George Fazio. Mangrum was 15 feet from the hole in 3. Fazio was away, off the green. To keep his ball from interfering with or assisting Fazio’s, Mangrum lifted his ball, under Rule 11 (3 and 3a). Wh en it came his turn, Mangrum replaced his ball, restoring it to play. He addressed it and was about to putt. Suddenly he stopped. He reached down, picked up the ball, blew on it (to remove an insect), replaced it again, and then holed the 15-foot putt for a seeming par 4. Apparently that kept him j'ust one stroke from Ben Hogan, with two holes to go- But in picking up the ball when in play, Mangrum infringed a primary Rule. If there is one Rule which best expresses the whole idea of the game, it is the one which provides, in effect, that once you tee your ball you should not touch it again until you have holed it out. There are certain exceptions, but that is primary. Rule 10(2) provides: Ball Played Wherever It Lies and not Touched. A ball may not be touched and must be played wherever it lies except as otherwise provided for in the Rules or local rules. Except in a hazard, the player may, without penalty, touch his ball with his club in the act of addressing it, provided he does not move the ball.” Mangrum’s action, although an inadvertence, cost him a two-stroke penalty. There is no statement of penalty directly connected to Rule 10(2), but, in the absence of any such statement in any Rule, the general penalty applies, as stated in Rule 2(1) : “The penalty for the breach of a Rule or local rule is the loss of the hole in match play and two strokes in stroke play, except when otherwise specifically provided in the Rules.” On Merion’s first hole Fred Haas, Jr., drove into a bunker. His recovery was too strong and went out of bounds. What to do? Should he place a ball in the bunker, or drop one? Rule 9(1) provides that in a hazard a ball shall be dropped in such a case. Incidentally, suppose that before drop­ ping the second ball the player were to smooth the hazard ^soil displaced by his first stroke, at the place where he must drop the second ball. He would then violate Rule 17(1), and a penalty of two strokes would result in stroke play. The exception in Rule 17(le) would not apply. Skip Alexander’s ball hopped into the moving caddie bag of a preceding player. Rule 15(2) governed: “If the ball lodge in anything moving, a ball shall be dropped, or if on the putting green placed, as near as possible to the spot where the object was when the ball lodged in it, without penalty.” Alexander’s approach shot on the 18th in his first round came to rest on a tent flap lying on the ground. A little gust of wind blew it off the flap before Alexander arrived at the ball. Wind is not an outside agency under Rule 15, and so Rule 15(3) did not apply. The ball then came to rest on a path, and Alexander’s stance and stroke were interfered with by a radio cable ihen lying on the ground and by a tent rope. Both are artificial obstructions and were moved without penalty (see Rule 7(4a) )- Whereupon Alexander played a magnifi­ cent shot from the hard-surfaced path, across a bunker and onto the green, eventually holing out for a 68. Had the tent interfered, Alexander could have had relief without penalty under Rule 7(4c). Cary Middlecoff, the defending Champion, and Sam Snead were involved in separate questions whether a ball were unfit for play. Rule 14(lb) provides (Continued on Page 20) USGA Journal: July, 1950 13 Concentration Is the Key By PATTY BERG USGA Women’s Amateur Champion, 1938 AH the phases of golf such as stance, address, grip and wrist action are im­ portant to a sound game, but the first requirements are your mental attitude and your power of concentration. In order to keep your score in the low 80s. these two fundamentals should be foremost in your mind. Do away with the idea of chance in golf. A low score is not obtained through luck, for this element is no part of the formula for good golf. However, } our frame of mind and your determina­ tion to study and work are essential. Perhaps this sounds like all work and no play. On the contrary, golf is not a drudgery. If you have the desire and will to play well, improvements will come and kindle the spark of incentive. “Is it worth all this just to become a good golfer?” you ask. “Certainly,” is the answer. Golf is an ideal hobby which you can enjoy from early youth until late in life. Though it is advisable to start young, early participation isn’t essential to acquire skill. The strength of a Charles Atlas is not needed, either. Men and women with perseverance have often overcome severe physical handicaps to shoot scores that would shame many able-bodied persons. A one-armed golfer in St. Paul, Minn., plays consistently in the 80s. Some of our better feminine golfers play superbly with slight wrists and hands. These girls have not achieved success through their strength but by months of study with a capable instruc­ tor. followed by weeks of earnest practice and concentration. Let us glance at the advantages golf offers. Patty Berg Golf develops your power of concen­ tration, for your ability to concentrate will govern the rapidity with which you learn and the degree of skill you obtain. Character, personality and poise can be yours through golf. Every hour spent in practicing develops your coordination, grace and rhythm. Through golf, many friendships evolve which will be im­ portant in molding your personality. I am not letting out any secret when I tell you that the only short cut to success in golf is in learning correct methods at the outset. It is just as easy to start properly as improperly, and good golf is easier to play than poor golf. After watching an expert, your comment usually is, “It certainly looks easy.” In observing a poor golfer, you note that every motion seems an effort. A motto worth remembering while learning or practicing is that there is no perfection but always room for improve­ ment. 14 USGA Journal: July, 1950 Pilgrimage to St. Andrews By WILLIAM C. CAMPBELL Semi-Finalist, USGA Amateur Championship, 1949 For fortunate amateur golfers the world over, all roads led to the Mecca of St. Andrews, Scotland, last May. There, before the altar of the storied Old Course, sacrifices were offered at the shrine of golf. Frank Stranahan was the only one in the truly international entry of 340 to go through the six days of seemingly continuous struggle unbeaten, yet even the vanquished carried away with them a fond memory of a Championship which could have been held nowhere else in the world. Certainly, for the Americans who par­ ticipated in this first British Amateur at St. Andrews in 14 years, many of the legends of golf became real. We fairly wallowed in the traditions of St. Andrews, many of us for the first time, and we came to appreciate why golf there, and hence golf at its best every­ where, is more than a game, why it is a heritage to be enjoyed and also to be respected and maintained. Traditional Weather We learned that good weather does at times happen along that eastern coast line of Scotland. Yet I believe most of us were glad, at least for the sake of tradition, that the Championship week saw little calm or sunshine, and offered a considerable sampling of rain and a cold east wind from the North Sea. The constant blow, combined with the sand foundation on all British seaside courses, kept the fairways firm and the greens slippery. This un-American weather gave us the appearance of clothes horses; a view of almost any teeing ground would have revealed an American changing the number of his thicknesses with a change of wind, rain, and temperature. The British are more practical, realizing that the whims and moods of nature are ever­ changing. They do not generally engage World Wide Photo "Dynamite" Goodloe and Billy Campbell pose together during the British Amateur io illustrate the fact that golfers come in all shapes and sizes. in the American practice of “putting on and taking off.” Many of us wore gloves between shots and found that pajamas under trousers and rain pants were a good idea. The wind, so strong and cold as to add the problem of watery eyes, rather necessitated a rain jacket and several sweaters. If our swings were shorter than they had been at Memphis, there was good cause! Gene Sarazen had told me that the Old Course would be a “disappointment” at first but “will grow on you.” I believe that all of us first-viewers now agree with Gene. The course itself is not at first so impressive, nor does it appear difficult on the initial round. It holds infinite variety, however, especially in ball bounces and wind, so that confidence does not come easily. Il has been often and well said that USGA Journal: July, 1950 15 St. Andrews tests the golfers’ thinking as no other, for it seldom plays the same twice even though it is generally flat and to the casual eye uninteresting. Trouble is often unseen but nonetheless effective. Deep and numerous fairway bunkers are the chief offenders, ably assisted by the fairway mounds. The greens are tremendous, and only four are single greens. The others do double-duty on both the out nine (white flags) and in-nine (red flags). Putts of more than 100 feet are not infrequent and can be much longer; the green used for No. 5 and No. 12 is reputed to encompass a full acre. The greens, thin of grass and hard of ground, with end­ less undulations like those at the Augusta National Golf Club, the wind and the uneven fairways cause many a gray hair. Even if the course itself didn’t merit a player’s fear, the endless legends about its previous victories over golfers would, if only because of the names ascribed to such fabled workers of woe as the Valley of Sin and Hell’s Bunker. The only reprieves are the rewards awaiting an artful “Scot’s approach,” the low one from any distance that the Britisher manages to hop, skip and run dead to the hole, or a big hook from a tee to an adjacent fairway, where a slight hook m’ght be bunkered wedge-deep in one of the fairway traps which look like small bomb craters. To suggest even minor changes in the Old Course is beyond question, for. as a member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club said, “Man cannot change what God has made.” What Makes St. Andrews We came away agreed that St. Andrews meets one definition of a “good test”— it requires the player to adapt his game to it. Most of us believed, I am sure, that match play there was, in fact, a concurrent matching of the two players’ brains and abilities against the hazards and chances of the Old Course, rather than simply a match of the players against each other. That may be why St. Andrews remains in a class by itself today. Also unique is the atmosphere of gulf that pervades the ancient town of St. Andrews, supposedly Scotland’s oldest township. It is historic for its ruins of cathedral and castle, famous for its thriving University (the students adorn the town with their red robes), pic­ turesque for its crowded stone buildings of old design, beautiful for its setting on a gentle slope extending to fertile, rolling farmland. It overlooks an ample beach bordering the bay which practi­ cally surrounds the course, with the peaks of the Eastern Highlands, often snow-covered, in the distant background beyond Carnoustie and Dundee. There are modern touches, such as the sweater-and-tweed shops which cater to the fascinated American tourists and the constant roar of the planes of a jet squadron of the RAF, stationed a few miles up the coast. The essential dominance of golf, however, is proved by the effective request of Commander J. A. S. Carson, Secretary of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, that the RAF planes not fly low on the day of the final. The St. Andrews People The large number of golfers in the town of 8,000 are served by four full courses, all of which are kept busy. The courses are owned by the town, and course rules are laws of the town. Every­ one seems to play, old and young, men and women, and the tremendous practice putting greens, 500 feet long, are practi­ cally community meeting places. The history of the game is local lore; almost anyone can tell you what Bob Jones used for his third shot on the 14th hole in his second round of the Open in 1927, or the like. Shots are long remembered and the slightest unusual remark between players, to a caddie or to the crowd can become an historic incident. Galleries are huge and well-mannered because they all know golf. Though 16 USGA Journal; July, 1950 naturally pulling for the Britishers to win, they are polite to all. They are well-controlled by marshals in white coats, and the galleries are almost always kept off the narrow, two-way course itself. An explanation for their universal interest in golf is that the summer evenings are long, and they may play until after 11 P. M. All have time to learn the game, and all seem to have the inclination—as Americans enjoy movies or canasta. The weather is bracing enough to preclude our type of golfing fatigue, so that 18 holes at St. Andrews is slight effort indeed. "The Rules of Golf" The old caddies are the best indication of the people’s love of the game. Many of them are quite elderly. All wear ties and business suits, all seem healthy from their lifetime of caddying and all exhibit a most remarkable love of golf, especially as they hover near the caddie shop over­ looking the 18th green to watch matches come in. Their interest extends into the evening, regardless of weather. When I differed with my caddie on a minor point of Rules and explained how the USGA Rules read, he aloofly advised me, “Sir, here we play the Rules of Golf.” That ended the discussion. The Championship was well reported in the American press. Special mention, however, is due the winner, Frank Stranahan, who though twice 1 down with three to go, played well indeed to survive the long week. His play in the final was really excellent, though a fresh wind from the West made putting most difficult and the scores deceptively high. Frank’s conduct, which the press has sought to inspect rather closely on some of his previous British jaunts, was com­ pletely admirable throughout. They couldn’t find anything about him to criticize. He was, indeed, a worthy Champion and gave no one a chance to think otherwise. Those of us who know Frank best and watched him there most closely realize what a sweet victory his was, for prob­ ably no man ever wanted more to win or adapted his every action and thought to that purpose so steadfastly. Even the British were bound to appreciate his extreme determination and his con­ tinuous exhibition of complete self­ control. An excellent impression also was made by Dick Chapman, whose fine play all week carried him to the final and whose sportsmanship and friendliness won the acclaim of all. Jimmy McHale, who barely lost to Chapman in the semi-final after a succession of low scoring rounds, also was admired and his style of play was generally likened to that of the top professionals. “Dynamite” Goodloe, who started his opening round in a blowing rain (five sweaters and jackets) with an eagle and made six straight 3s, the best golf of the week, captured the hearts of all with his sincere personality, sport­ ing generosity, colorful sweaters and hats, big drives and Georgia accent before he finally failed in the sixth round. Ed Gravely made a fine im­ pression after “byeing” and “walking” into the third round. Of course, the veterans Francis Ouimet, Chick Evans and Ellis Knowles are as popular in Great Britain as here. Crosby's Following The many other American golfing visitors, bringing our total to 32, found a friendly hospitality. Willie Turnesa is highly respected there, but the biggest crowd-puller was Bing Crosby, who was followed by some 10,000, more than viewed the entire championship at Carnoustie when Willie won in 1947. They guessed Bing might not last long, so they came out on the rainy Monday morning and were thrilled by his birdie- birdie-par start to go 3 up. Then he became a victim of the Old Course which, due in part to the rule against golfing on Sunday, he had not seen prior to his match. Bing was in his best humor and voice and had to be protected from the Scottish autograph fad and from mobs of fans. His caddie confided that, “Mr. Crosby has too much fun to play winning golf.” His opponent said that Bing had given away the match. USGA Journal: July, 1950 17 Much has been written on both sides of the Atlantic regarding the length of lime required by the Americans in gen­ eral and some of us in particular to play our best golf. Although the writer is considered to be an authority on the subject, it will suffice to allow that American golf does proceed at a slower rate of speed. Perhaps this might be regarded as a national characteristic, in the golfing sense, and it may bear no relation whatsoever to the better golfing results which it has been the Americans’ good fortune to enjoy in recent competi­ tion with the British. Certainly slow play in itself does not lower scores, but a close observation of the better players of Great Britain and United States respectively, among pro­ fessionals as well as amateurs, discloses that in all phases of the game the Americans appear to be more studious and careful in their shot-making. Doubtless some of the younger of the Americans especially have carried their deliberations to an extreme, and this appears to be the consensus of British critics. The USGA is aware of the problem, however, and has taken steps to insure speedier play. Slow Play and Scores The correlation between time and score, however, when seen as a reverse proportion, may be worthy of comment by others less involved in the problem than the writer, who was somewhat prejudiced against hasty goif after taking the time and trouble to play 3,500 miles from home. It is hard to conceive of a more unfortunate situation than seeing the roll on one of those compli­ cated St. Andrews greens—after the putt Frank Stranahan and Dick Chapman at St. Andrews, Scotland. Wide World Photo 18 USGA Journal: July, 1950 has been missed. At any rate, British observers found a very obvious bone of contention and made the most of it. Of much interest to those who inquired was the sentiment of many who are close to British golf in favor of limiting the field for match play in future Champion­ ships. Certainly this may be necessary when the event is brought back to St. Andrews, for the players all but over­ loaded the Championship and there were too many whose only qualifications were low handicaps. The fourth tee became a terrible bottle neck in the early matches, with as many as three groups waiting at times. Another indication of the problem came when one American finished his third-round match at 6 P.M. on Wednesday and teed off for his fourth al 6:30 P.M., to finish in time for a 10 o'clock dinner. A suggestion which may surprise many came from one of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club’s self-styled and prominent revolutionaries. He believes that qualifying should be required on a stroke-play basis, at 36 holes, and that the low 32 scorers should be drawn for match play at 36 holes for each match. Whatever the solution, if any, it cannot be denied that this year’s Championship saw more than its share of the breaks of the draw, especially because of the number of golfers who might not properly be termed of championship caliber. I found not much enthusiasm for the seeding of the better players so as to avoid their early meeting, but the limitation of qualifiers by stroke play or otherwise and even the lengthening of early matches to 36 holes caught the fancy of many. For One Code Enough cannot be written or said about the need for coordination of the controlling bodies of golf in Great Britain and the United States on the Rules of the game. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club kindly supplied us with summaries of the differences between the two codes, but a lawyer would have had difficulty in assimilat­ ing all the details. It is to be hoped that, at the proposed meeting of the two governing bodies next year, some success can be achieved in eliminating the points of difference which complicated the thinking of the contestant from abroad if not his play. A minor and obvious example is the difference in stymie rules. If there is to be any stymie rule, on which subject considerable difference of opinion exists there as well as here, it might at least be the same in both codes. Other examples are less obvious but just as important and dangerous to the unknow­ ing competitor from afar. Words cannot express the satisfaction felt by those of us who have been lucky enough to make the pilgrimage to St. Andrews this year. No treat to a golfer could compare with such an experience. It is suggested, however, that if anyone is planning a future trip to the British Amateur, the itinerary should include play not only on the Old Course of St. Andrews but also rounds at Carnoustie, Muirfield and Prestwick and a look at Gleneagles, all in Scotland, as well as a few days’ jaunt through the Highlands, the mountain and lake country of Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Isle of Skye and the beautiful and cultural capitol of Edinburgh. For Stranahan, the 1950 British Cham­ pionship was a great victory. For all of us who went, it was a thrill in the broader sense for we all won by our experience. The meeting there of golfers from the world over to share the common denominator in a way which achieved a rare degree of friendship among the participants certainly has significance in the problem of all nations in getting along with one another. St. Andrews thus will mean a lot to all of us in many ways in the years to come. USGA Journal: July, 1950 19 Slow Play The pace and the mode of play by some golfers have now reached the state where they closely resemble civil engi­ neers, with all due respect to that profes­ sion. One person who doesn’t like the unfortunate slowness of today’s golf is P. W. Furlong, of Pomona, Cal., who has written the USGA as follows: “It now takes me five hours to play a leisurely three-hour round of golf 11 “If a few strokes were added to the scores of the professionals who take longer than three hours to complete any 18-hole competition, this deplorable situation would soon correct itself. “Beginners naturally try to copy the professionals both as to golf swing and mannerisms. This is normal and as it should be. “So the novice or run-of-the-mill golfer attends one of the big tournaments io see how the professionals and scratch amateurs do it. Here is what he sees: “I. Professionals squatting on every putt and usually from at least two sides of the cup. Presumably this is necessary to read properly a green with which they are already very familiar. “Meticulously going over every blade •of grass between their ball and the cup, regardless of whether the putt be 60 feet -inch cut with virtually no attention and little water; it is far from perfect turf but shows great promise. Del Griggs, President of the Wilshire Country Club, is not so active as form­ erly but still one of the great boosters for the turf program in Southern California. William P. Bell is now Bell & Son. Both are busy building golf courses. Newkirk and Martin building turf nursery of bents and U-3 Bermuda. Leonard Feliciano, Superintendent at Pebble Beach, is a great believer in raking brushing greens. His favorite turf is on No. 18 fairway, nearly solid red fescue. It is the golfers’ choice, too. He showed us some great bluegrass-fescue turf “where the water didn’t quite reach.” Bents and velvetgrass predominates where water collects in excessive amounts. Evidence of underfed turf is strong. Peter Hay, at Pebble Beach, works closely with Leonard. Pete is as inter­ ested in the course as Leonard is. Frederick (Tony) Layton, Superin­ tendent at Cypress Point, like Leonard, plays the game well and understands the course from the player’s standpoint. The Seaside greens are close-cut, fast and delightful to play. He and Leonard share equipment; the motorized rake is a favorite. Best fairway turf is bluegress and red fescue where “the sprinklers don’t quite reach” and on mounds where excess water runs off. Program of in­ creased feeding and decreased irrigation was suggested. Bay Area—San Francisco Ted DeTatta, Superintendent at Green Hills Country Club, is starting on fairway improvement, aided by James Wilson, Green Committee Chairman. Greens have a sand layer where roots stop. Ted says rented Aerifier paid divi­ dends on water saved on sloping fairways and in deeper roots on greens. He ex­ pects to use 12-4-4 on fairways, with a good shot of 16-20-0 ammophos in the fall. More fertilizer and less water will produce higher quality turf; the weed problem is largely one of starved turf. J. J. McElroy, University of Cali­ fornia Extension, arranged the first Northern California Turf Conference at Berkeley, and there is a unanimous re­ quest for a second in 1951. A wide­ awake, energetic extension agronomist, trained in turf and assigned to turf work is most urgently needed in California, as in many other states. A request for such a man is before the U. of C. authorities. William Sousa, President of the Northern California Greenkeepers’ Asso­ ciation, arranged for the Director of the USGA Green Section to visit courses in the Bay Area. Each course visited contributed $25 to Green Section travel expenses, which is gratefully acknowl­ edged. Ed de Silva, of the Del Rio Country Club in Modesto, has a great set of Sea­ side greens, three years old. He really believes in brushing and close mowing. Fairways are seeded to Bermuda, blue­ grass and Seaside bent, now mostly Seaside. Extra fertilizer and less fre­ quent watering would result in Bermuda- bluegrass combination which makes the best fairway turf we saw in California. Dewey Longworth and Luigi Gal- letti at Claremont Country Club, in Oak­ land, are a great pro-greenkeeper combi­ nation. They have some of the best records in existence. Luigi has top- dressed greens seven inches deep in 42 years without layering, something of a record. Worst weed problems on fair­ ways are where runoff water collects (excess water). There are no weeds in Bermuda-blue turf where “sprinklers don’t quite reach.” USGA Journal: July, 1950 33 Aubrey Babson, San Jose Country Club, in San Jose, did a great job of seeding a steep lawn near the clubhouse with Alta fescue. This grass seems to have a future for turf on West Coast, loo. Merion blue on a home lawn looks great. Aubrey appreciates sub-drainage under greens and wishes he had more. Aerifying is doing a lot of good on greens. Best fairway turf is Bermuda- blue on fairway edges “where traveling sprinklers don’t quite reach.” Ellis Van Gorder at Stanford Uni­ versity Golf Course, Palo Alto, showed some excellent Seaside bent putting greens, with deep, healthy root systems and no evidence of overwatering. Ques­ tion arose as to why localized dry spots occur. Non-uniform soil conditions is best answer so far. Portland, Ore. Jack King, Secretary, The Oregon- Washington Greenkeepers’ Association, arranged for golf-course visits and dis­ cussions on turf management. Donald Junor, Portland Golf Club, like many others, wants to get rid of Poa annua. The process will be com­ plicated by deep felt mat under greens which holds water and will not allow fertilizer to penetrate. Fertilizer seems inadequate, water appears excessive, velvet grass is prominent. Henry Lucks, Lloyd’s Golf Course, had good greens, watered seldom, and deep roots. He checks Poa by using three ounces sodium arsenite to a green, mixed in bucket of sand. Fred Federspeil, Royal Oaks Club, Vancouver, Wash., has a three-year old course. Greens are good but No. 7 is deteriorating on account of solid clay base and waterlogged soil. Fairways of bent, bluegrass and Chewings fescue were excellent. Other visits included Columbia-Edge­ water where Jack King is Superinten­ dent, Riverside Golf and Country Club, where Walt Mackie is Manager, and Dave Geanoli is Superintendent. Both courses are recovering from flood of 1948. Arthur H. Craig, Manager, and Bill Sanders, Superintendent, at Alder­ wood, are a good team. The course is recovering from the flood. Red fescue is doing well in fairways. Alta fescue is seemingly well-adapted. Alderwood was host to the group at dinner and a long, profitable discussion followed. Green­ keepers’ association helped to cover USGA travel expenses and their aid is appreciated. La Grande, Ore. Don Wagner and Dwight Hopkins, of H. L. Wagner & Sons, guided a tour over hundreds of acres of grass grown for seed. Merion bluegrass is looking good and some seed will be available this fall. Penn State Chewings fescue acreage is increasing. Other grasses look good. Minneapolis, Minn. Minneapolis Golf Club, scene of the ]950 USGA Amateur Championship, was inspected. The course is well designed. Fairways are mixed bluegrass and bent. Town and Country Club, in St. Paul, is preparing for USGA Women’s Amateur Champ’onship in 1951. Evansville Country Club, Ind. The really good, playable fairway turf is Bermudagrass. Two fairways were completely covered with water that over­ flows every year from the river. The water recedes about the time the Ber­ muda breaks its winter dormancy, leaving perfect summer fairways. This Club has outlined a program for future fairways of Bermuda combined with cool-season grasses. Seaford Country Club, Del. Reginald “Reg” Giddings has one of the finest grass nurseries. He has combination tees of U-3 Bermuda and Poa bulbosa that are nearly perfect. The grass was developed in his own nursery from small samples received from the Green Section many years ago. Green Hill Yacht and Country Club, Md. New putting greens of Arlington (C-l) bent are having a tough fight because of insufficient nitrogen. New pro-green­ keeper Elmer Lowe and Mr. Schiller, 34 USGA Journal: July, 1950 Green Committee Chairman, are looking forward to continued improvement through added fertilizer and other good management practices. U. S. Naval Academy, Md. Captain Jones has outlined a program of planting U-3 Bermudagrass into the new athletic field and the varsity foot­ hall field. Calcium cyanamid will be used to sterilize the new field before planting. The varsity field will be planted by sprigging U-3 into Aerifier holes. Plainfield Country Club, N. J. This old course was not designed for ease of maintenance. Three greens have no surface drainage and in many of the fairway areas deep pockets occur that present the same difficulty. Steep banks that prevent the use of power equipment are the rule rather than the exception. Course showed a remarkable recovery from the drought of last year. Country Club of the Everglades, Fla. Roy Bair, agronomist at the Ever­ glades Experiment Station, is experi­ menting with mixtures, including bent­ grass for winter greens. Roy is making good use of this course as an addition to his experimental plots. Bermuda selec­ tions at Belle Glade show great promise- WILLIAMS HONORED FOR 28 YEARS IN USGA SERVICE F. H. Williams, Executive Secretary of the USGA Green Section has been presented a wrist watch which bears the following inscription: To F. H. Williams In Recognition Of Loyal Service 1922 - 1950 The United States Golf Association Green Section In a letter accompanying the wrist watch, Richard S. Tufts, Chairman of the Green Section Committee, wrote: “The members of the Executive Com­ mittee were individually very happy to have the opportunity of showing in a small way their appreciation for your loyal interest in the Association’s affairs and of recognizing the fact that you have served the Association for a considerably longer period than any other employee. They have asked me to extend their con­ gratulations to you and I would like to express my personal good wishes and appreciation to you.” Williams began work for the Green Section in March, 1922. At that time Dr. C. V. Piper was directing the in­ auguration of turf investigations for the Green Section in cooperation with the Bureau of Plant Industry. Dr. R. A. Oakley of the Bureau of Plant Industry and Dr. W. S. Harban, Vice-President of the USGA, were also among the pioneers with whom Williams was associated. Dept, of Agriculture F. H. Williams The Green Section has seen many changes since 1922. Dr. John Monteith, Jr., and Dr. Fanny-Fern Davis are among others undir whose direction Willi mis has served. In a large measure, the continuity of aims and efforts that has characterized the progress of the Green Section has been due to Williams’ continuous service. USGA Journal: July, 1950 35 SOIL WATER AND SOIL AIR: THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO TURF PRODUCTION By MARVIN H. FERGUSON Agronomist in Charge of Research, USGA Green Section Greenkeeping superintendents and others interested in turf production are becoming increasingly aware of the im­ portance of maintaining a proper balance between soil moisture and soil air. In order to understand the relationship of water and air in the soil, it is necessary to become acquainted with a few basic facts. Soil ordinarily contains about 50 per cent of solids and about 50 per cent of voids, or pore space. A sandy soil usually contains a little less than 50 per cent pore space, and a heavy (fine-tex­ tured) soil ordinarily contains a little more than 50 per cent pore space. The pore spaces in soil are of two kinds: capillary pore spaces and non­ capillary pore spaces. The capillary pore spaces are important from the standpoint of the moisture-holding capacity of the soil, while the non-capillary pore spaces are of greater importance from the stand­ point of aeration. The pore spaces of the soil must be filled by either air or water. When the water comes in, air goes out; when the water goes out, air comes in. Soil water may be divided into three classes: Gravitational water is that water which percolates through the soil and drains out by the force of gravity. Capil­ lary water is that water which is held as a thin film around the soil particles and which is held against the force of gravity; this is the water that the plant depends upon for its supply of moisture. Hygroscopic water is that water which is held very tightly by the soil particles and which cannot be taken up by plant roots. Therefore, the capillary water is the kind with which we are most concerned. A good soil holds a great deal of capil­ lary water, but it also contains enough non-capillary pore spaces to allow the gravitational water to percolate readily through the soil. <$>---------------------------------------------------------------------------■$> COMING EVENTS Aug. 8—New Jersey Field Day. New Jersey Agricultural Ex­ periment Station, New Bruns­ wick, N. J. Ralph E. Engel. State College, Pa. H. B. Musser. Sept. 6-7—Rhode Island Field Day. Rhode Island State College, Kingston, R. I. J. A. DeFrance. Sept. 11-12—Penn State Field Day. Pennsylvania State College, Oct. 15-16-17—Third Annual Nation­ al Turf Field Day. Beltsville Turf Gardens, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Md. Fred V. Grau. Oct. 25-27—Central Plains Turf Foundation Turf Conference, Manhattan, Kan. L. E. Lambert. <£------------------------------- 4> Soil structure, or the arrangement of soil particles, is also an important con­ sideration. Many good agricultural soils are made up of fine particles which are aggregated into composite granules, or crumbs. Soil under turf, which is sub­ jected to traffic in both wet and dry weather, often undergoes a structural change. The aggregates, or crumbs, are broken down and rearranged in a more compact condition. This breakdown of structure in the upper portion of the soil produces the condition which is known as surface compaction. When soil par­ ticles are rearranged and fitted together more closely, the amount of pore space is diminished, the movement of water through the soil is hampered and air is virtually excluded from the soil. The foregoing considerations all relate to the conditions affecting the balance between the moisture content and the air content in the soil. It is necessary to consider the needs of the plant with refer­ ence to this moisture-and-air relationship. Plants take in water through their roots. It is generally believed that the transpira­ tion of water from plant leaves exerts a pull or tension on the soil moisture. 36 USGA Journal: July, 1950 However, it has been proved by a number of experiments that oxygen must be present at the surface of the plant roots before water can be taken into a plant. When oxygen is lacking, root cell membranes are impermeable to water. Therefore, under certain condi­ tions it is possible for a plant to wilt while the roots are standing in water. Almost every greenkeeper has observed this condition on a putting green and has supposed that the green was suf­ fering from “scald.” While this may seem impossible, the green actually was suffering from drought because air was lacking and the grass roots were imper­ meable to the abundant soil moisture. The plant also requires oxygen for the process of respiration. Respiration pro­ vides energy, and the plant requires energy for the intake of nutrients, The salt solution in grass roots (sap) is much more concentrated than is the soil solu­ tion. Ordinarily under such conditions the nutrients would move out of the plant roots and into the soil. The energy pro­ duced by the process of respiration enables the plant to absorb nutrients against the gradient. Thus it is shown that in the absence of oxygen, the grass plants cannot provide the energy neces­ sary for food intake. In the absence of good aeration, grasses may be poorly nourished even though there may be a plentiful supply of available nutrients in the soil. The practical turf grower need not remember all the details of the compli­ cated relationships which exist between the plant and its environment. He should remember, however, that it is important to maintain a proper balance between air and moisture in the soil. He should also remember that surface compaction and pool- drainage are the two greatest hindrances that are encountered in the maintenance of proper soil-moisture and soil-air conditions. TURF PICTURE AT BELTSVILLE Bluegrass Spring got off to a slow start. March and the greater part of April were cold and dry. The rains came in May—21 days of rain, along with cool weather. As a result of these weather conditions, the soil became saturated and common bluegrass, where grown alone, was severely damaged. Large areas of the bluegrass turf that surround the Plant Industry Station have rotted out. This has occurred on the high spots as well as on the flats. Merion (B-27) came through with flying colors. Bents Disease was severe on bentgrass. Helminthosporium leaf spot (no known chemical control) was most severe on our creeping bent plots. These plots, con­ sisting of bent selections which are be­ ing evaluated for disease susceptibility, were also damaged by dollarspot. No chemical control is being used. How­ ever, two sffains, Arlington (C-l) bent and experimental strain (C-l 15) from Dahlgren, Va., came through this trying period relatively free of disease. All others (more than 100 under test) were damaged with varying degrees of severity. Tall Fescues Our 17-acre front lawn of Alta fescue has been outstanding all spring. Justice fescue, a strain developed by Dr. E. N. Fergus, of the University of Kentucky, was superior to all other tall fescues under %-inch mowing test. Common Alta, mowed continuously for the past three years at %-inch, is being allowed to seed for future breeding work and selection. Zoysia Japonica Zoysia japonica was a full 10 days earlier than U-3 Bermuda in greening-up this spring. It is now growing actively and presents an ideal turf. Zoysia looks more and more like our lawn and fair­ way grass of the future. Outstanding selections were increased in the green­ house last winter for planting this June. USGA Journal: July, 1950 37 IT’S YOUR HONOR Thanks to Golf TO THE USGA: I was glad to receive the communication from the USGA, and it is my pleasure to enc'cse my subscription towards "Golf House." I might mention that golf, even as I play it, has meant a great deal to me over the years, and in addition to the pleasure I have had from mingling with the many people, it has also meant a lot to me physically. Game Deserves a Home TO THE USGA: I would like very much to have a small share in the founding of "Golf House" and enclose my check for that purpose. That game of golf has given me a great deal of pleasure over the years, and some anguish, too, when my swing went wrong. It seems that such a game deserves a headquarters. GEORGE A. REEVES G'en Head, N. Y. FRED L. ANDREWS Denver, Colo. Praise for Stranahan TO THE USGA: We Wish We Could TO THE USGA: Thanks a lot for your recent letter. I feel it is a privilege and an honor to be asked to be one of the patrons of "Golf House" and am enclosing a small check to cover my share. Incidentally, it's a pity "Golf House" cannot put on display the fine friendships that have been formed by those playing in various golfing events in our district. As the years roll by, it is not our best scores or our wins that we remember most clearly. The highlights that stand out particularly in my memory are these: Emma Betz and her insistence on living up to the letter of the Rule book, finally getting it through my thick skull that any concession to an accepted Rule was not generous or an act of a good sport but only made it tougher for my opponent next time she found herself in a similar situation. Remember Detroit and Glenna's match with Mrs. Higbie? Talk about your will to win! I galleried that dormie-four re­ covery. I don't think I'll ever forget it. I like to think of the example of pure courage that Mrs. Fox gave us when she played golf up to a day or two before her death. Finally, I remember a Griscom Cup tournament at Merion, where another one of my friends played a remarkable round teamed with her blind father. I learned a lesson in patience and affection that day I hope I never forget. ANONYMOUS Philadelphia, Pa. The purpose of my letter is to extol Frank Stranahan, recent winner of the British Amateur Golf Championship. Throughout the tournament he conducted himself with dignity and showed fine sportsmanship. His acceptance speech was very thorough, sincere and modest. He played without delay and could in no way be criticised. He deserves a great deal of credit, for he has come a long way from his first appearance in England in 1946. He has had to fight against dis­ appointments and adverse criticism in the past, but he has done so and won the Championship this time in about the worst weather I have ever seen. His swing is vastly improved and now appears quite natural and without effort. To attain this goal he has had to practice hours on end and at times discard all that he thought was correct. For these reasons he deserves great credit. DICK CHAPMAN Osterville, Mass. Lead Arsenate is Pink TO THE USGA: In reference to your item entitled "Golfers Beware" in the June issue, lead arsenate is pink, not white. Was white once but is colored now, so that it will not be confused with non-poisonous hydrated lime. KENT BRADLEY Mountain View, N. J. Editor's Note: The USGA Journal invites comments on matters relating to the welfare of the game and will publish them as space permits.