USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT FREE MILK FOR LOUISVILLE CADDIES At the Louisville Country Club in Kentucky members treat their caddies to a glass of milk each round through a procedure detailed on page 7. In describing dietary and caddie-relations reactions, this picture of the boys with Professional Eddie Williams serves better than words. 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. 2 June, 1950 Through the Green __ ______________________________________ 1 When the Open Champion Won $150 ............ 5 Milk for the Caddies ..........................................John P. Castleman 7 Oak Hill’s Memorial Trees ............................... John R. Williams 8 Helping Hands for the Juniors ............................. John P. English 10 How to Talk about Golf ........................... Horton Smith 13 How to Behave though a Guest ......................Joseph C. Dey, Jr. 14 The First USGA Year Book _____ ____________________________ 15 Why a 36-Hole Windup in the Open?......................... John D. Ames 16 Protection from Lightning___________ _______________________ 17 Ties in Handicap Matches _____________________ ___________ __ 18 “Golf House” and the Talking Putter............................... 19 The Referee: Decisions by the Rules of Golf Committee_______ 25 Turf Management: USGA Green Section The Green Committee Chairman and his Superintendent .... Richard S. Tufts 29 Green Section Services .................................................................. Fred V. Grau 30 Visits by Green Section Staff..................................James D. Standish, Jr. 31 Compaction, Drainage and Aeration ........................... M. H. Ferguson 32 American Society of Agronomy Turf Report ..................... 34 National Turf Field Day ...................... 35 It’s Your Honor: Letters .......................................... 37 Published seven times a year in February, April, June, July, August, September and November bv 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. y 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. (Dates entries close mean last dates for applications to reach USGA office, except in the case of the Amateur Public Links Championship. For possible exceptions in dates of Sectional Qualifying Rounds see entry forms.) Sectional Qualifying Rounds — June 8-9-10 Entries Close ”• — 1 Merion G. C. (East) Championship Championship Venue Dates ’ Open Amai. Public Links — *June 4 to 18 Team: July 1 Indiv.-. July 3-8 Junior Amateur June 26 tJuly 11 July 19-22 Ardmore, Pa. Seneca G. C. Louisville, Ky. Denver C. C. Denver, Colo. Amateur Girls' Junior July 24 August 11 — Aug. 28—Sept. 1 Wanakah C. C. ^August 8 August 21-26 Minneapolis G. C. Minneapolis, Minn. Women's Amateur August 10 Aug. 24-25 September 11-16 Atlanta A. C. (E. Lake) Hamburg, N.Y. Atlanta. Ga. ’Exact date in each Section fixed by Sectional Chairmen tExcept Indianapolis, July 6; Salt Lake City July 7; Phoenix, July 8; St. Louis and Charlotte, July 10. iExcept Honolulu, July 31; Salt Lake City, Aug. 7* USGA Journal: June, 1950 1 THROUGH THE GREEN Golf And Art To paraphrase Mark Twain, a good many persons talk about recreating the beauties of golf courses in oils or water colors, but very few do anything about it. One of the few is Erwin S. Barrie, of Greenwich, Conn. The first showing of Mr. Barrie’s oil paintings of famous golf holes at Ekwanok, Greenwich, Gulf Stream, Pine Valley, Pinehurst and Yale took place in Pinehurst, N. C., during the Golden Anniversary of the North and South Amateur. There was to be a subsequent showing at the Grand Central Art Gal­ leries in New York, which Mr. Barrie manages. A golfer who enjoyed visual art thus had a rare opportunity to enjoy Billy Campbell’s victory on the Pinehurst course and Erwin Barrie’s interesting exhibition indoors. Number Your Tees! Playing a medal round on Long Island, two ladies holed out on the eighth and then drove from the 12th tee. As they approached the green they dis­ covered they were playing the wrong hole. The tees had not been numbered, and there was nothing to guide them. The committee absolved them and permitted them to go immediately to the ninth tee and resume their round. It is a committee’s duty to designate the stipulated round. The Amateur A good many golfers don’t know how to spell the word “amateur,” else they’re pulling our leg when they write us about the “Ametour Championship” and the “Amature Status Committee.” But it’s all right with us if they mean the same things as G. K. Chesterton did when he wrote in “Robert Louis Stevenson”: “The word amateur has come by the thousand oddities of language to convey an idea of tepidity; whereas the word itself has the meaning of passion. Nor is this peculiarity confined to the mere form of the word; the actual character­ istic of these nameless dilettanti is a genuine fire and reality. “A man must love a thing very much if he not only practices it without any hope of fame or money, but even practices it without any hope of doing it well. Such a man must love the toils of the work more than any other man can love the rewards of it.” Greenkeepers Need Help There is a good deal that golf club members can do to assist their green­ keeping superintendent in maintaining the course and reducing the budget, but it is not always brought to their attention. The Yahnundasis Golf Club, near Utica, N. Y., has done something notable about it, however. Early in the playing season, Yahnun­ dasis assembled its members for a Golfers’ Evening, features of which were talks on the new Rules by Mr. Sherrill Sher­ man, Secretary of the United States Sen­ iors’ Golf Association, and on greenkeep­ ing by Major Tom Bowen, the greenkeep­ ing superintendent. Bowen is a product of the Utica caddie ranks and rose from private to major in the Army engineers. Like a good soldier, he made the most of his opportunity. Bowen did not restrict himself simply to a plea to replace divots, particularly on fairways and on tees of short holes, in these days when caddies often carry two bags and so may not be near the player when the divot is taken. He detailed other player habits which mar 2 USGA Journal: June, 1950 turf and increase the cost of maintenance. In particular, Bowen asked the mem­ bers not to drop burning cigarettes and not to spin on their heels or scuff their spiked shoes on the putting surfaces. He asked them to report unfavorable condi­ tions which might develop between his normal rounds of inspection. He asked them to smooth the sand after playing from a bunker, and always to play their tee shots from the teeing ground indi­ cated by the markers. All these little transgressions make the course less pleasurable, and their repair increases the greenkeeping costs. The First Cup? Mention in the November, 1949, issue of a trophy which was won at the Kebo Valley Club in 1894 developed evidence of an even more venerable cup, one that is claimed to be the first cup offered for competition in the United States. The cup, pictured here, was presented by Theodore A. Havemeyer for a junior foursome competition at the Newport Golf Club in 1893. It was won by Henry 0. Havemeyer, son of the donor, and Henry R. Winthrop on the Club’s first nine-hole course at Brenton’s Point. Actually, the final came as something Curtis Cup Ladies The following ladies have been selected to represent Great Britain against the United States in the Curtis Cup Match September 4-5 at the Country Club of Buffalo, N. Y.: Miss Jeanne Bisgood, Miss Jean Donald, Miss Philomena Garvey, Miss Elizabeth Price, Miss Frances Stephens, Mrs. George Valentine, and Mrs. A. C. Critchley, captain. Mrs. Critchley is the former Miss Diana Fishwick. Mrs. Edwin H. Vare, Jr., of Philadel­ phia, has accepted a USGA invitation to captain the American team again. Person­ nel of the American side has not been selected. Birth of the Brassie Once upon a time, before the days of the No. 2 wood, there were wooden clubs known as “brassies.” Not just one “bras­ sie” but a “brassie spoon,” a “brassie niblick” and even a “bulger brassie niblick.” The “brassies” are said to have originated at Blackheath, on London’s Commons, where no wooden sole would stand up on the hard and gritty lies. According to tradition, Royal Black­ heath Golf Club was founded in 1608, after James I, the Scottish king, ascended to the throne of England, although there is no written evidence of any society of Blackheath golfers prior to 1787. of an anticlimax. Young Havemeyer and Winthrop advanced impressively and were scheduled to play Victor Sorchan and Columbus Baldwin. Apparently the latter were not optimistic as to their prospects, for they attended a yacht race instead. At 5 o’clock, the committee awarded the cup to Havemeyer and Winthrop by default. After acquiring the cup, the young men tossed a coin for possession. Win­ throp won the toss and has retained the cup ever since. Both have match boxes which they won as golf prizes in earlier years at Newport. Mr. Havemeyer, Sr., fostered the intro­ duction of golf in Newport in 1890 and ,hrst unofficial “amateur champion­ ship there in September, 1894. When another “amateur championship” was USGA Journal: June, 1950 3 held at the St. Andrew’s Golf Club, Mr. Havemeyer was among those who en­ visioned the need for a national authority in golf. He assisted in the formation of the USGA, was named its first President, donated a permanent trophy for the Amateur Championship, and was host- extraordinary during the first USGA Amateur and Open Championships at Newport in October, 1895. New Magazines When it comes to golf, the Metropoli­ tan New York area is divided into three parts, like Gaul—Westchester County, Long Island, and northern New Jersey. Such are the complications of suburban travel that only rarely do golfers from one part cross fairways with those from another part. It occurred to Johnny Dolan and Sid Dorfman, who do their golfing in New Jersey, that these tripartite golfers might like to sit down together through the pages of a monthly magazine, and with that thought “The Metropolitan Golfer” was born. The first issue appeared in May, with a dozen feature instructional articles, foreign correspondence by Leonard Crawley, and news items. Dolan and Dorfman seem to have played the first hole in par. The Women’s Golf Association of Philadelphia, starting its 53rd year, has distributed the first issue of Par-Tee Lines. The purpose of the sprightly four- page folder, edited by Eleanor Jones, is to keep the members informed of all newsy goings-on within the Association. It will be published “now and then.” Low-Downest Course The Del Rio Country Club in the Imperial Valley at Brawley, Cal., claims to be the low-downest golf course in the country. At one point it is 120 feet below sea level. SPORTSMAN'S CORNER It is by no means uncommon for tournament golfers to call penalty strokes on themselves, many times with no one else having seen a rule violated. There are numerous cases of meticulous adherence to the code by the top players. In the recent Greenbrier tournament (at White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.), Ed Furgol, Detroit professional, went out of his way to keep to the letter of the rules. On the 13th hole Furgol flew one wide of the fairway and deep into the rough. He hit a provisional ball also. After a short search, his caddie found what appeared to be his first ball, not more than a wedge pitch from the green, while the alternate ball was at least a No. 5 iron away. It was the same make ball Furgol was using and brand-new, to boot. But it had a 5 on it, and Furgol believed he had hit a 2. With that doubt in his mind, Furgol took the penalty shot and played the alternate ball, ending up with a bogey 5 on the hole. Under any circumstance, Furgol could have played the first ball without any chance of criticism, and had a good chance at a birdie 3. His amateur partners also took 5s, and it ended counting heavily against them. But they admired Ed's sportsmanship. —Lawrence Robinson Reprinted by permission from the New York World-Telegram and Sun Golfers Beware! Are you one of those golfers who: Hold used wooden tees between their lips? After putting on the green, wipe a blemish off the ball with the tongue? Pick up a blade of grass or a little flower off the course and dangle it from the lips? If so, the National Safety Council has a bit of advice for you. Don’t do it! On these inconsequential things there may be enough arsenate of lead or an­ other poisonous substance being used against insect plagues to give you a severe stomach-ache. Many clubs have used tons of the deadly powdered white lead, and there is danger to your innards if enough of the poisons accumulate. 4 USGA Journal: June, 1950 British Title to France When Golfers Grow Old The British Women’s Championship has gone to France for the third time. The winner, Vicomtesse de Saint Sau- veur, is no stranger to golf honors—as Mlle. Lally Vagliano she won the British Girls’ Championship in 1937, and she has several times been champion of France. Other French winners of the British championship were Mlle. Simone Thion de la Chaume (now Mme. Rene Lacoste) in 1927 and Mlle. Nanette LeBlan in 1928. An unusual feature of the last Amateur Championship at the Oak Hill Country Club was the employment of Rosemary and Elizabeth Connaughton, twins of 17 years, as forecaddies. They are the daughters of James Connaughton, green­ keeper at the Monroe Golf Club in Pitts­ ford, N. Y., and have been caddying at that club for four years. They score around 100 themselves and are considered excellent caddies. Golfers, of course, are not like other folk in most respects. But they do grow older with the years. Sometimes this presents a problem to golf clubs. The Rockville Country Club in Rock­ ville Centre, N. Y., recognized this when it commented to its membership: “It has been obvious for a long time that our golf course does not get much afternoon play. We can’t condemn our members for growing older, but we saw a chance to inject some young blood into our club without too great a strain on playing conditions. “We are going to accept a limited number of golfers in the age group from 21 to 30 at the following special rates: male—$75 plus tax, female—$50 plus tax. “The only restrictions are that the men in this group cannot tee off before 10:30 A.M. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. The women in this group will be subject to the same restrictions as the regular full golf membership for women.” Life Begins at 40 The Los Angeles Country Club offers a solution to the problem of the young in spirit who have outgrown the champion­ ship bracket. It holds a “Life Begins at 40 tournament, at 18 holes stroke play. Contestants are divided into four clas- ses—from 40 through 49, 50 through 59, 60 through 69, and 70 and over. There are two flights in each of the younger two classes, and gross and net prizes in all classes. Handicaps are generous. Each con­ testant is permitted to add one-third of his age to his full handicap. The idea is similar to that behind the venerable “Twa Days” tournament at the Glen View Club, Chicago, where the field was limited to golfers over 35 in order that the young champions should not come and sweep the field. USGA Journal: June, 1950 5 When the Open Champion Won $150 The Open Championship this year provides a field day for the golf historian. Not only is it the Golden Anniversary USGA Open but its venue is the Merion Golf Club near Philadelphia, and Merion has been a rich source of grand moments in golf. This is Merion’s ninth USGA event. But the historical associations of this year’s Open are even broader than Merion’s own generous record. They Horace Rawlins First Open Champion reach to the very beginnings of organized golf in America—back to a blustery October day in 1895 when Horace Raw­ lins became the first Open Champion at Newport, R. I. That was the first, and this year’s is the fiftieth. Because of the two world wars, championships were not held in six of the intervening years. Horace Rawlins was a 19-year-old assistant professional, playing in the third tournament of his life, when he toured the nine-hole Newport course four times in a day for a 36-hole score of 45-46-41- 41—173. His prize was $150 in cash and a $50 gold medal. There were ten other entrants. This makes strange comparison with the field this year of 1,388. Now the Championship record for 72 holes is 276, held by Ben Hogan; the single­ round record is 65, made by an amateur, James B. McHale, Jr. If the winner now be a pro, his earnings are measured not only by the $2,000 USGA first prize money but also by all manner of sup­ plementary income. Rare is the Open Champion whose title is not worth between $25,000 and $50,000. "A Wild Horse" The Newport Golf Club course in 1895 was 2,755 yards long for the nine holes, and the golf writer for the New York Sun described it thus: “The course is rocky, rough, and swampy in many places, and artificial bunkers have been placed at many points to increase the natural difficulties. The putting greens are in fine order and the open greens are close and thick. A few yards beyond the tee for the harbor hole is a rock about thirty feet high, which has to be cleared in the drive to make a good score, and around the putting green a semi-circular bunker has been built, this being the only hole in the country so guarded.” In recounting Rawlins’ performance of 91-82—173 for 36 holes, the writer said: “Today Rawlins was a wild horse, and he could not be stopped.” His victory was a great upset. He was born at Benbridge, Isle of Wight, and learned golf while a caddie there. He came to the United States less than a year before he won the first USGA Open. Willie Campbell, professional at The Country Club, Brookline, Mass., attracted the Sun reporter’s attention at Newport: “In playing for the cop (third) hole on the last round his ball flew out into the road, counting a lost ball. His next drive sent the ball into the face of the stone wall by the road, which runs parallel to the links. He moved the ball 6 USGA Journal: June, 1950 Scene of the Golden Anniversary Open The first tee and clubhouse of the Merion Golf Club. out a club’s length, and by the local rules should have received a penalty of one stroke. T. A. Havemeyer (USGA President), who was scoring for the men, said the penalty would be two strokes, basing the verdict on the rules of the United States Golf Association. Campbell protested against the ruling, and as soon as Mr. Havemeyer had a chance to read the local rules the protest was granted. Campbell then went on and holed out in 48.” A True Amateur The first LSGA Amateur Champion­ ship had ended just the day before at the same course, but: “All the amateurs, except A. W. Smith, a Canadian, evaded the issue with the professionals,” said the Sun. “Smith played a strong game, showing special skill in putting and driving as far as the best. His card at the end showed he was even with James Foulis for third place. “ ‘You divide third money, Mr. Smith,’ said Mr. Havemeyer as the Canadian stepped off the home green. “ ‘My dear fellow,’ said Mr. Smith, ‘I want to win or nothing. I am an amateur and cannot accept money.’ “One of the incidents was a long drive made by James Foulis in going to the meadow hole. He drove from the tee and was 218 yards by actual measure­ ment. This means, too, by the actual carry, as the ball did not roll a yard. (The reporter neglected to mention whether the violent wind was with or against him.) At Niagara-on-the-Lake, MacDonald (Charles B. MacDonald, the first USGA Amateur Champion) won the long driving competition by a stroke which sent the ball 179 yards, roll and carry both. The longest authentic pro­ fessional drive is Willie Park’s drive from the cliff tee at St. Andrews of 243 yards; this shows when the violent wind is taken into account what a good drive Foulis made .. . doing« professionals are tt ri!” detad by the scores which follow. I nlike the games between the amateurs, the drives and the play through the green were safe in force and direction, and the bunkers were seldom an obstacle. Davis, however, although on his home links, managed to find nearly every bunker and hazard. This was because Willie Dunn’s good play rather rattled him; but the best player might be excused for showing irritation under such circumstances.” USGA Journal: June, 1950 7 Milk for the Caddies By JOHN P. CASTLEMAN Chairman, Golf Committee, Louisville Country Club, Louisville, Ky. Members of the Louisville Country Club are distributing 6,500 bottles of milk among their 100 caddies this season in an unusual welfare program which rewards both parties. Each caddie is treated to a half-pint bottle of milk as he walks off the ninth green. The cost of the program is defrayed by a charge on each member of 5 cents a round. The members are so enthusiastic about the program that they rarely, any more, walk impatiently toward the 10th tee. They insist that their caddies take advan­ tage of the free milk and wait until the boys have finished before teeing off. Balanced Diets John Collis is one of our many mem­ bers who find it gratifying from the players’ standpoint. “The boys are more courteous and more workmanlike,” he said. “I don’t believe any boys can fail to appreciate the good will behind such a practice.” New caddies are initiated into the system without ado by veterans of the milk plan. “I don’t give a dern what they did there,” one was overheard to say, “at this Club you drink it and like it.” It is now three years since the plan was inaugurated and it has won the approval of doctors, dentists and dieti­ tians. The Louisville Country Club hopes the plan will be copied by clubs from coast to coast. Some of the boys who caddie in Louis­ ville, like some boys who caddie else­ where, do not receive a regular, balanced diet. Realization of this fact was the first step in formulating the free-milk plan, which already has resulted in the distribution of 13,500 bottles. The club does not believe that its plan will completely correct deficient diets, but it does believe it helps the situation to some extent. There seemed a possibility at the outset that any plan to distribute free milk to caddies might work to the dis­ advantage of the club professional, Eddie Williams, because it would operate in competition with the tonic stand. Wil­ liams brushed this aside and volunteered to administer the plan himself. “Our caddies are assets to the club,” Williams said. “We want healthy boys. We want boys who know the members think of them as people, not just ball-hawks.” The only remaining obstacle to fruition of the plan was to wean the boys away from a steady diet of carbonated bever­ ages. The members took care of that by insisting that the boys try it for a while, at least. Milk made the grade. “We have established a relationship that will stick in later years,” one member told me. “It’s going to be hard to con­ vert these boys to any of the current ‘isms’ after they have seen the leading doctors, lawyers and merchants of their town take time out to see that they get their milk.” The free-milk plan has created a warm spot in our club life that we all share. And we’re going to keep it that way. ON THE GREEN The greens at your club will putt better if, in lifting a ball, you do not scratch the green to mark its position. Use a coin or similar marker. Under normal conditions, it is con­ trary to the rules to change balls on a green or anywhere else during the play of a hole. USGA Rules of Golf 10 (3) provide that: “A player must hole out with the ball driven from the tee unless it be lost or unplayable or played out of bounds or into a water hazard or casual water or become unfit for play. In any such case a player may substitute another ball as provided in the Rules.” 8 USGA Journal: June, 1950 Oak Hill’s Memorial Trees By JOHN B. WILLIAMS, M.D. Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, N. Y. In the Garden of Eden planted by God, There were goodly trees in the spring sod. Landscaping at golf clubs, as a rule, is confined to the area about the club­ house and its approaches. Many clubs ------------------------------------------------------- ------------- <$> New Subscribers To Green Section Service Commercial Firms Belleview-Biltmore Hotel Co., Detroit, Mich. Buchanan-Cellers Grain Co., McMinnville, Ore. Chesmore Seed Co., St. Joseph, Mo. Garfield Williamson, Inc., Jersey City, N. J. Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd., Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada Kellogg Seed Co., Milwaukee, Wis. Lyon, John D., Inc., Belmont, Mass. Scherer, George J., Rock Island, Ill. Sluis and Groot of America, Inc., Palo Alto, Cal. Cemeteries Catholic Cemeteries Association, Cleve­ land, Ohio. Golf Course Architects Glissmann, Henry C., & Son, Omaha, Neb. Stanley Thompson & Associates, Guelph, Ont., Canada Individuals Chapman, Rose-Marie, Mrs., Washing­ ton, D. C. Clark, John J., Wichita, Kans. Dannenbaum, Walter, Rydal, Pa. Weldele, Frank J., Youngstown, Ohio Park Departments Wichita Board of Park Commissioners, Wichita, Kan. Private Estates Davies, Joseph E., Mrs., Washington, Clayton Heafner Charlotte, N. C. D. C. USGA Journal: June, 1950 29 Correspondence pertaining to Green Section matters should be addressed to: USGA Green Section, Room 307, South Building, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Md. THE GREEN COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN AND HIS SUPERINTENDENT By RICHARD S. TUFTS USGA Secretary and Chairman of USGA Green Section Committee Even the Chairman of the House Com­ mittee and the Chairman of the Handicap Committee do not have the opportunity to bring the pleasure and satisfaction to fellow members of their Club that is offered to the Chairman of the Green Committee. His good judgment and wise decisions will largely determine the ex­ cellence of the playing conditions at his club and the cost of maintaining these conditions. L nquestionably, the success or failure of a Green Committee Chairman’s term of office will be decided by his relation­ ship with the greenkeeper or greenkeeping superintendent. The care of a golf course today requires far more than the ability efficiently to manage labor and plan work. A modern golf-course superintendent must have, among other varied informa­ tion, some knowledge of biology, plant pathology and chemistry, a technical proficiency which few Green Committee chairmen can hope to attain. Therefore, it is well for the Chairman to start by realizing that his superintendent must be an expert technical man as well as a capable manager. If the superintendent is a good man, he merits the unqualified support of his Chairman, but if he is not, it is the first duty of the Chairman to find the best man available and put him in charge of the course. In working with the superintendent, it is important for the Chairman to become familiar with daily maintenance and operating problems. Without this in­ formation, he cannot know what the superintendent is up against and be in position to help him in the efficient per­ formance of his job—as he might by the purchase of some new piece of equip­ ment, an expensive treatment of the greens, a change in some feature of the course to cut maintenance costs or simply protecting the superintendent from un­ reasonable demands of Club members. The Chairman should remember that he is probably the only member of the Club close enough to the superintendent to appreciate his difficulties and that, therefore, the success of the entire opera­ tion depends largely upon his ability to work sympathetically with the superin­ tendent. Budgeting One thing that a Chairman should require of his superintendent is the preparation of a careful annual budget. Not only does this practice provide valu­ able information for the Club directors 30 USGA Journal: June, 1950 but it serves as a control of the operations and makes for better planning of the work. There should likewise be a long-range plan for architectural changes in the course, in case any are considered desir­ able, and a long-range plan for turf improvement. Each year a decision should be made as to what part of these long-range plans should be incorporated into the budget. A further requirement the Chairman should establish for the superintendent is that he keep himself well posted on all the latest developments in greenkeeping. The superintendent should be a mem­ ber of the National Greenkeeping Superintendents’ Association and should when possible attend the annual meeting of this important organization. He should likewise join the local greenkeepers’ association, keep in touch with his state extension services and attend all local greenkeeping or turf conferences. It is also desirable that the Club keep in touch with modem trends in turf development by cooperating with local groups or with the USGA Green Section to carry on, either at the club or coopera­ tively with other clubs, any limited amount of research that might be recom­ mended. Funds for these activities should be included in the budget. It sometimes happens that a superin­ tendent who is quite capable in all other respects will fail to take advantage of the services which are available to him through the USGA Green Section and the other organizations operating for his benefit. The Chairman can render no more complete service to his Club than by insisting that the superintendent take every advantage of these opportunities to better equip himself to carry on his work. For his conscientious and sympathetic interest in his job, the Green Committee Chairman will be richly rewarded by his close identification with a fascinating study, to wit, the maintenance and management of outstanding special-pur­ pose turf. GREEN SECTION SERVICES By FRED V. GRAU Director, USGA Green Section Every USGA Member Club and Course and every Green Section Service Sub­ scriber is entitled to Green Section services. Many who are entitled to the services do not use them. The Green Section exists as a part of the USGA for the purpose of developing a national program of turf improvement designed to give Member Clubs and Courses and Subscribers more complete information on the subject of turf management. Information is developed through a program of research at Beltsville, Md., and at 16 cooperating state and regional experiment stations throughout the country. Information is developed also through close cooperation with green­ keeping superintendents by observing successful practices. The information is disseminated (1) through the USGA Journal, one copy of which is sent free to each Member Club and Course and to each Green Section Service Subscriber, (2) through articles in other publications, (3) through lectures at turf conferences and meetings spon­ sored by cooperating groups, through correspondence and through advisory visits for which travel expenses and a service fee are charged. The membership dues for clubs and courses and the Service Subscription dues for non-golf and commercial turf interests entitle the clubs, courses and firms to all services, at no additional cost, except advisory service visits. These services in­ clude (1) free advice by correspondence on any subject related to turf manage­ ment, (2) identification of weeds, grasses or seeds, (3) expert and unbiased opinion on the most effective use of chemicals, seeds, equipment, water, fertilizers and so forth, (4) examination of specimens of soil to be used in build­ ing putting greens or other specialized USGA Journal: June, 1950 31 Visits by Green Section Staff to USGA Member Clubs and Courses By JAMES D. STANDISH, JR. President, United States Golf Association Personal consultation service on greenkeeping and turf management matters by members of the USGA Green Section Staff to USGA member clubs and courses and to Green Section service subscribers is now avail­ able at $50 per day of service, plus traveling and living expenses. This policy was established by the USGA Executive Committee at its spring meeting. If several clubs or subscribers avail themselves of such service during one trip of a Green Section representative, the fees and expenses will be prorated among them. Any such service to organizations not USGA member clubs and courses or service subscribers will be rendered at the rate of $100 per day, plus expenses. It will be appreciated, of course, that the Staff does not have un­ limited time for such engagements. The Green Section will continue to give free advice and information by correspondence to USGA member clubs and courses or service sub­ scribers. 4------------------------------------------ turf areas (the Green Section cannot do soil testing; this service is available at all state experiment stations, some county agents’ offices, commercial laboratories or through some fertilizer concerns), (5) distribution of samples of new grasses. Advisory service visits by members of the Green Section Staff are available to all golf clubs and turf interests on the basis of (1) refund of travel expenses and (2) payment of service fee. Green Section Service Subscriptions are available to all turf interests which are not eligible for USGA membership. These include all commercial interests which serve turf (seedsmen, fertilizer dealers and manufacturers, chemical companies, equipment dealers and turf nurseries), turf associations, green- keepers’ associations, bowling clubs, golf-course architects and builders, park departments, schools, ball clubs and others. Service Subscription dues are the same as the dues of a Regular Member with an 18-hole course, $35.00 a year. This money goes into the Education Fund, of which 30 per cent is allocated to Green Section administrative expenses and 70 per cent to the establishment of cooperative research projects at various experiment stations in the United States. The Green Section has been active in helping to organize local, state and regional groups and to assist them in organizing a turf program which will benefit all turf interests in the area. The Green Section staff coordinates research programs over the United States and aids in programming the various turf confer­ ences and field days—in short, it serves as a clearing house. Working in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture and with state experiment stations, the USGA Green Section offers unbiased, up-to-date information on all subjects related to turf management. Service is available not only to golf but to all turf interests. Some of the outstanding contributions of the Green Section to turf management since 1921 are: Development of the use of arsenate of lead on turf for insect and weed control. Development of chemicals for the con­ trol of turf diseases. Weed control methods. Selection and testing of improved vegetated creeping bentgrasses. Turf management practices. 32 USGA Journal: June, 1950 Development of Zoysiagrasses for turf purposes. Development of Merion (B-27), a superior bluegrass. Development of a national decentral­ ized cooperative program of research and education in turf management. Research projects now being sponsored by the Green Section are designed to answer many of the knotty problems facing us today. Results will be published regularly in the USGA Journal. COMPACTION, DRAINAGE AND AERATION By M. H. FERGUSON Agronomist, USGA Green Section The summer of 1949 was one of the most difficult seasons that many green­ keepers have experienced for the main­ taining of turf. While the reason for the difficulty was most often considered to be weather conditions, observations made over a large part of the country indicate that compaction has been the major factor contributing to the loss of turf on greens. Many skilled green­ keepers are able to keep turf on their greens year after year in spite of poor soil conditions, but when a year like 1949 comes along, even the most highly skilled superintendent is hard put to keep his greens in good condition when any controllable factor is less than op­ timum. Since 1945, one of the pet themes of the USGA Green Section has been improved drainage and aeration. Scarcely a turf conference has been held since 1945 which did not have on its program at least one paper pointing out the impor­ tance of good physical soil conditions together with good drainage and good aeration. The subject has been empha­ sized repeatedly here and in other maga­ zines. During 1947 and 1948 the Green Sec­ tion effected a cooperative agreement with Saratoga Laboratories for the sole purpose of studying the physical soil factors associated with good putting greens and poor putting greens. The findings were reported in the USGA Journal in June and July, 1949. Inasmuch as many clubs have not taken steps to improve the physical soil con­ ditions on their greens, perhaps it would be well to reiterate some of the principles involved. Compaction of soil near the surface results from traffic of players on the green and from the operation of main­ tenance machinery. Some compaction of this kind is likely to occur regardless of the type of soil mixture used in building the green. This relatively thin layer of compacted soil can be broken up by regular spiking. Spiking may be accomplished by the use of hand-operated, hollow-tined forks or by the use of power-operated machines designed for the purpose. A more serious type of compaction is that which occurs throughout the soil from which the putting green is built. This condition is built into a green by the use of a too-heavy soil mixture. This type of compaction can be corrected only by rebuilding the putting green and using a soil mixture which contains suf­ ficient sand to preclude the possibility of compaction. Compaction is detrimental to a putting green because of several reasons. First, a hard green is unacceptable from the players’ standpoint. The greenkeeper is likely to over-water the green in an effort to soften it so it will hold a golf shot. Secondly, compaction interferes with the movement of moisture and air in the soil. Drainage is retarded and grass becomes unhealthy. Another factor which contributes to poor drainage is layering in the soil. Any soil fraction used alone in topdres­ sing a putting green will produce a layer. Such a layer will retard water movement by capillary action whether the layer be clay, sand or organic material. Putting greens which are built on heavy soils require drain tile, a thick gravel blanket or both in order that gravita­ tional water may be removed rapidly from the soil. The above-mentioned drainage factors all pertain to internal drainage. Surface USGA Journal: June, 1950 33 At Canadian Turf Meeting Ontario Agricultural College Turf scientists from the United States addressed the Royal Canadian Golf Associa­ tion's Turf School at the Ontario Agricultural College. Three were, from left to right, O. J. Noer, Agronomist, Milwaukee Sewerage Commission, Milwaukee, Wis., Dr. Fred V. Grau, Director, USGA Green Section, and Dr. L. H. Dickinson, Agrosiologist, University of Massachussetts, Amherst, Mass. drainage is also highly important. Sur­ face water should be removed from a putting green in at least two directions. The effects of poor drainage neces­ sarily are combined with the effects of poor aeration. Soil is composed of solid particles and pore spaces. The pore spaces are filled with air and water. In a normal soil in which plants thrive, the soil particles are surrounded by a thin film of capillary water and the remainder of the pore space is filled with air. In a compacted, poorly drained soil, water fills the entire pore space and air is excluded. Thus good drainage and good aeration go together. They cannot be separated. It is well known that turf growing in a poorly drained soil develops a shallow root system. An equally important factor, though perhaps not so well recognized, is that the plant requires oxygen for the uptake of mineral nutrients from the soil. Wh?n air is excluded the plant suffers from malnutrition even though the soil may contain sufficient quantities of these essential elements for good growth. It is therefore evident that compacted, poorly drained, poorly aerated soil produces weak, shallow-rooted plants. Turf thins out, unfavorable weather pro­ duces scald and diseases are extremely difficult to control. Turf in such a weak­ ened condition is easy prey for any pest. In the preceding paragraphs no men­ tion has been made of water management. Water management can be the salvation or the downfall of a greenkeeping super­ intendent. Many are so highly skilled in this phase of greenkeeping that they are able to grow good turf even under adverse conditions. However, it is generally recognized that greens which are constructed and maintained with proper regard to drainage can suffer a great deal more abuse from faulty watering than can a green which is poorly drained. It is hoped that clubs which suffered last year from unusual weather condi­ tions will take steps to remedy faulty conditions and that they will be better prepared for the next period of unfavor­ able weather. 34 USGA Journal: June, 1950 AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AGRONOMY TURF REPORT The Turf Committee has had neither the occasion nor the opportunity to meet during the year but several matters have been discussed by mail. A mail survey was made among the members for information on the value of hormone treatments for lawn-grass seeds. Replies were unanimously nega­ tive. This report has been substantiated by R. H. Porter in The Botanical Review, Vol. XV, No. 5, May, 1949. Thus, it can be stated authoritatively that “hormone-treated” lawn-grass seeds have no extra value to justify a premium being paid by the consumer. The distressing water situation in many parts of the country is such that the Turf Committee recommends strongly in favor of studies to save water. It is well known that many extensive turf areas consistently are overwatered. This results in a wastage of precious water and in deterioration of turf quality. Research, resident teaching and extension teaching can render valuable service not only to turf but to all agriculture and to industry by stressing these factors: 1. Reduce runoff and save rainfall by keeping soil open and porous by cultivation, aeration and other cultural practices. 2. Reduce irrigation needs by more adequate fertilization. 3. Increase the use of drought- tolerant and low moisture-re­ quirement grasses. There is a real need for wider co­ ordinated testing of new types of turf grasses in uniform turf nurseries similar to the uniform nurseries of forage gras­ ses which had yielded so much valuable information. It will be important to organize these nurseries soon because of the accelerated breeding program on turf grasses now in progress at several experi­ ment stations. The USGA Green Section and the Division of Forage Crops and Diseases, U. S. Department of Agricul­ ture, offer their services in developing these nurseries. Research in turf has reached a new high level in quantity and in coordina­ tion. It is obvious that both resident teaching and extension teaching need support and encouragement in this specialized phase of agriculture so that the full value of contemporary research may be realized. Many of the recom­ mendations for the establishment and care of lawns, for example, have resulted in repeated failures at a huge total cost to millions of taxpayers. The present effort to produce a satisfactory chemical to control crabgrass is a frank admission that the grasses in common use are un­ satisfactory. We are forced to continue to recommend them until there is some­ thing better. It is the considered opinion of the Turf Committee that equal effort be expended on each of the several methods of crabgrass control (as an example) : 1. Biological (better grasses) 2. Chemical 3. Mechanical 4. Management It is the pleasure of the Committee to report that the performance of several new strains of turf grasses are definitely superior to commercial types now on the market. They include: 1. Merion (B-27) bluegrass. Characterized by high degree of tolerance to Helminthosporium leafspot, high degree of apo­ mixis, tolerance to close mow­ ing (as close as % inch), and tolerance to heat and drought. 2. U-3 Bermudagrass. Character­ ized by fine texture (similar to bentgrass), high degree of cold tolerance, extreme wear resis­ tance and drought tolerance. Reproduced clonally. 3. Tifton 57 Bermudagrass. Char­ acterized by high tolerance to disease, aggressiveness, fine tex­ ture, and ease of maintenance. Reproduced clonally. 4. Z-52 strain of Japanese lawn­ grass. Characterized by medium texture and good summer color USGA Journal: June, 1950 35 (both similar to B-27 bluegrass), aggressiveness, freedom from weeds, ease of maintenance and heat, cold and drought and insect tolerance. Reproduced clonally. From observations and from fragmen­ tary data, the Committee expresses the opinion that one of the fruitful lines of research in specialized turf is the study of combinations of cool-season and warm­ season grasses. An approximation of acreage in grass and turf along highways in Texas, Kansas and Georgia indicates that roughly 2,000,000 acres of land are involved. It will be virtually impossible to obtain accurate figures for all the states, but it is at once apparent that the roadside areas in the United States should be of concern to all of us, regardless of our interests. Well-turfed shoulders can contribute to the safety and the appear­ ance of a highway. Noxious weeds in highway areas are of direct concern to land owners in agricultural areas. Lowered costs of establishment and maintenance are of interest to everyone. The committee recommends a continu­ ing study of this phase of turf work. The Department of the Army has furnished these figures which represent additional acreage in grass hitherto un­ reported: National cemeteries_____ Army posts, camps and 769,826 stations -------------------------- 1,077,020 226,780 Army industrial facilities ... 2,073,626 Other military land classed as hay, pasture or range totals 1,780,500 acres. It is obvious that the specialized uses of grass for various types of turf are receiving less than their share of atten­ tion in relation to the acreage involved, taxes paid and with respect to their relative value. It is recommended that the turf uses of various grasses be given their commensurate share with forage uses in research, teaching and extension programs. Experiment Stations are urged to develop close cooperation with turf associations to insure research studies of a practical nature for maxi­ mum support for the turf program. 1949 Turf Committee F. V. Grau, Chairman NATIONAL TURF FIELD DAY Plans for the third annual National Turf Field Day at Washington, D. C., October 15, 16 and 17 have been dis­ cussed by the joint planning committee of the USGA Green Section and the Mid­ Atlantic Association of Greenkeepers. The Committee consists of Hugh McRae, President, Mid-Atlantic Association of Greenkeepers, Robert Scott, William H. Glover, R. P. Hines, 0. B. Fitts, Dick Watson, Marvin H. Ferguson, Charles G. Wilson and Fred V. Grau. On Sunday evening, October 15, there will be a meeting of all technical men engaged in turf work for the purpose of outlining turf research work now in progress throughout the United States, the entire evening will be devoted to this feature. On Monday, October 16, the group will visit the turf plots at the Beltsville Turf Gardens, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Md. A short social hour and dinner are planned for that evening. On Tuesday, October 17, visits will be made to two golf courses, the newly built Woodmont Country Club, near Rockville, Md., and the Fairfax Country Club in Fairfax, Va. At these courses the group will see various kinds of turf under actual play. There will be features on tees, greens, fairways and nurseries. Field Day headquarters will be the Hamilton Hotel, 14th and K Streets, Washington, D. C. Please make your reservations directly with the hotel. Further information may be obtained from Hugh McRae, 3029 Klingle Road, N. W., Washington, D. C., or O. B. Fitts, Columbia Country Club, Chevy Chase, Md. 36 USGA Journal: June, 1950 Relationship of Hormones and Inhibitors to Seed Germination An abstract of “Recent Developments in Seed Technology" by R. H. Porter, The Botanical Review, Vol. XV, No. 5, May, 1949. The discovery of growth-promoting substances has resulted in their exten­ sive use in greenhouses, nurseries and orchards. The effect of these new com­ pounds on the germination of seeds has been investigated, but in general their value has been shown to be limited. In contrast to the stimulatory effect of growth-promoting and other sub­ stances on seed germination, a number of workers have found little or no bene­ ficial effect and in some cases injury from the use of various substances in certain concentrations. The compounds used with little or no benefit on a great variety of plant seeds include ascorbic acid, colchicine, Hormodin “A,” in- doleacetic acid, indolebutyric acid, indol- 3-acetic acid, K a-naphthalene-acetate, lacto flavin, levulinic acid, naphthalene acetamide, naphthalene acetic acid, thiourea, vitamin Bl and 13 commer­ cial hormone dusts. The list of treated seeds included both dormant and non­ dormant types, and in most cases plant­ ings were made in the field to observe plant growth and yield. In all these experiments significant increases in ger­ mination were rare; generally germina­ tion was the same or less than from untreated seed. The data that have been published rela­ tive to the effect of growth-promoting and other substances on dormant and non-dormant seeds of many kinds of «>------------------------------------------------------ COMING EVENTS Aug. 8—New Jersey Field Day. New Jersey Agricultural Ex­ periment Station. New Bruns­ wick, N. J. Ralph E. Engel. Sept. 11-12—Penn State Field Day. Pennsylvania State College, State College, Pa. H. B. Musser. Oct. 15-16-17—Third Annual Nation­ al Turf Field Day. Beltsville Turf Gardens, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Md. Fred V. Grau. -------------------------------------------------------€> plants indicate that their value is limited to a very few special types, such as dormant lettuce seed, injured cereal seeds and seeds of orchids and some parasitic plants. Until more data to the contrary are accumulated, it appears that general use of these substances is not warranted. [This abstract is published in answer to a number of questions regarding the value of “hormone-treated lawn seed.” The members of the Turf Committee of the American Society of Agronomy were questioned as to their knowledge of any practical value of hormone treatments on grass seeds. All replies were in the negative. It is safe to say, then, that our members, subscribers and readers are not justified in paying a premium for turf grass seeds that are “hormone- treated.”—Editor] FOR CLEAN SAND TRAPS The USGA Green Section is making a nationwide survey of successful methods of keeping sand traps free of vegetation. Your participation is solicited. Within two weeks after you receive this issue, please write a paragraph or two telling “How I Keep My Sand Traps Clean.” Send along a good 8 by 10 inch glossy picture showing how you do it if you have a picture available. We will close our files on this subject 30 days after publication in order that the story can be published in time to be used during the 1950 growing season. Address your letter to: USGA Green Section Plant Industry Station Beltsville, Maryland If you have another subject to discuss, please write it on a separate sheet so as to simplify our filing. USGA Journal: June, 1950 37 IT’S YOUR HONOR Slow Play and Scores TO THE USGA: If it is a common occurrence to take six to eight hours on our public courses to play 18 holes on week-ends, thus making courses the bottle-neck of golf, would it not be possible to require playing singles match play? Thus golf would become a game of pleasure, played in the old, traditional way, and very likely the round would be completed in three hours or less. By thus doubling the rate of flow, the acreage would perhaps give the same number of games—and games of pleasure, not torture. Possibly handicaps based on purely stroke play would not be feasible. But the object of the game, after all, is fun, and 18-hole stroke scores and scientific handicaps may not be the be-all and end- all of golf, as seems to be too widely thought. Surely, I suggest, someone could be ingenious enough to work out a way of getting around an 18-hole course pleasur­ ably in about three hours, provided the fetish of medal play be dropped. AUSTIN Y. HOY Southport, Conn. Billy Howell Still Wins TO THE USGA: It will probably interest you to hear about Billy Howell and what he has been doing since he distinguished himself at the age of 19 by helping to defeat the British in that memorable Walker Cup Match at Brookline, Mass., in 1932. After finishing at Virginia Military Institute, he became attracted to Texas and settled here to raise a family and become a successful and respected business­ man. Billy doesn't play a great deal of golf now, but about the time the crocuses and red-buds begin to bloom he moseys out to the course. In June, when the city championship is held, he shows the stuff of a seasoned campaigner. He won this tournament four times in a row. It is plain that Billy Howell has acquired something from his golf besides a good game. I suspect that these attributes were important factors in his selection to the Walker Cup Team and to command a naval gun crew during the war, as well as in producing the stability of character that has brought him to a respected posi­ tion in his home community. CLIFFORD C. WHITNEY Bryan, Tex. More Unusual Aces TO THE USGA: Pfc. Lester J. Breeden of Oceanside, Cal., stationed at Camp Pendleton, made a hole-in-one on November 27, 1949. This was the first game of golf he ever played, and it was on the 13th hole. He is a left-handed Marine, to boot. That's quite an accomplishment—what say? BERNIE GUENTNER Professional Memorial Golf Course Oceanside, Cal. TO THE USGA: Our son called from Northwood Country Club, very much excited, to say he had made two holes-in-one on the back nine while playing with three members of our club. He made his first hole-in-one on No. 13 and made his second on No. 17. His score was 65 on the par-71 course. Eddie was 17 last August and won the sectional qualifying medal last summer at Birmingham in the USGA Junior Amateur Championship. MRS. E. D. MERRINS Meridian, Miss. TO THE USGA: One week-end in August, 1940, Bill Blaney and his companions were assigned to start their round at the seventh tee of the Brae Burn Country Club in West Newton, Mass. Blaney came to the 150-yard sixth hole, the last of his round as he was playing the course, needing a hole-in-one for a new course record of 67. After some joshing, he set up his ball and holed it. J. P. ENGLISH Chappaqua, N. Y. Editor’s Note: The USGA Journal invites comments on matters relating to the welfare of the game and will publish them as space permits.