U G -A. JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT MASTER AND PUPILS Byron Nelson got rapt attention from future greats of golf when he held a clinic on the eve of the Junior Amateur Championship at the University of Illi­ nois, Champaign, Ill. With the 1939 Open Champion, sec­ ond from left, now a member of Mac­ Gregor Golf, Inc., are, left io right, Donald M. Bispling- hoff, Orlando, Fla.; Mason Rudolph, Clarksville, Tenn., who was the defend­ ing Champion, and Robert Watt, Clarksonville, Tenn. 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. IV, No. 4 August, 1951 Through the Green ..... . ................. 1 Sportsman’s Corner.............................................Miss Beverly Hanson 3 The Case for All-match Play.......................................Harry Robert 5 How Golf Came to Town and Country................................................. 8 Pictures, Not Words ................................. 9 The Spirit of the Public Links Championship.................................... 10 Art for Golf’s Sake............................................ .......... Harry Robert 12 ............ Richard D. Chapman 15 Playing from Trouble Stroke and Distance for Out of Bounds.............. Isaac B. Grainger 16 What the Open Figures Show........................... Robert Trent Jones 17 PGA Support of the Rules................................... Maurrie O’Connor 19 The Why of Amateurism ...................................Robert T. Jones. Jr. 20 The Red Coats Are Still Coming............................................................. 21 The Referee: Decisions by the Rules of Golf Committee................ 22 Turf Management: USGA Green Section Turf Management Hints for August ............................................................... 25 Brown Patch Observations on Bentgrasses.............. ....... John B. Rowell 28 1951 National Turf Field Days ........................................................................... 30 Questions and Answers .................................................................................. 31 It’s Your Honor: Letters.......................................................................... 33 Published seven times a year in February, April, June, July, August, September and November by the UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 40 East 38th St, New York 16, N. Y. Subscriptions: S2 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 331, Administration 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 Harry Robert. 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 1951 (Dates entries close mean last dates for applications to reach USGA office. For possible exceptions in dates of Sectional Qualifying Rounds, see entry forms.) Championship Girls' Junior Entries Close — Sectional Qualifying Rounds none Championship Dates August 13-17 Women's Amateur — none August 20-25 Amateur August 13 August 28 Sept. 10-15 Venue Onwentsia Club, Lake Forest, Ill. Town and Country C., St. Paul, Minn. Saucon Valley C. C., Bethlehem, Pa. USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 1 THROUGH THE GREEN Canada vs. the United States There is a picture hanging in “Golf House”, showing men with handlebar mustaches who played in a team match between Canada and the United States at Toronto in 1898. On the United States side were Rob­ ert Bage Kerr, Foxhall P. Keene, C. B. MacDonald, H. J. Whigham, G. G. Hub­ bard, H. M. Harriman, D. R. Forgan, A. M. Coats, J. F. Curtis, George D. Fowle and Jasper Lynch. MacDonald was the first USGA Amateur Champion, Whigham was the second and Kerr was Secretary of the USGA. For Canada there were J. Percy Tay­ lor, Vere Brown, George T. Brown, F. G. H. Pattison, Dr. F. C. Hood, W. A. H. Kerr, George S. Lyon, A. W. Smith, W. H. Blake, J. Stuart Gillespie, Stewart Gordon and Colonel G. A. Sweny. Gor­ don was Secretary and Colonel Sweny President of the Royal Canadian Golf Association. On Friday, September 7, a few days before the start of this year’s USGA Amateur Championship at Sau- con Valley, Teams from Canada and the United States will meet again. It will be an informal contest, an abbreviated ver­ sion of the Walker Cup Match. The teams will play four foursomes at 18 holes in the morning and eight singles at 18 holes in the af­ ternoon. The Walker Cup Match is played over two days, all matches at 36 holes. C. Ross Somerville The scoring system will be the same; each match won will count one point, a halved match will count no points. The USGA has invited members of the 1951 Walker Cup Team to represent our side but a player is not expected to make the trip unless he would make it anyway, by reason of having qualified for the Amateur. If he doesn’t qualify but still wishes to appear for the match, he will be welcomed. C. Ross (Sandy) Somerville, who has won the Canadian Amateur six times and won the USGA Amateur in 1932, will captain the Canadian Team. The Smith, a Mighty Woman She In the Merion Golf Club’s women’s club championship at Ardmore, Pa., this year, Miss Josephine Smith won the first flight; Miss Evelyn Smith won the sec­ ond; Miss Betsy Smith won the fourth and Mrs. Marvin W. Smith won the fifth. Despite the terrific handicap of not being a Smith, Mrs. Harold Pender won the third flight. A Golf "Discovery" Excepting only the very proficient, golfers are constantly dreaming of a “se­ cret” or discovery which will suddenly lift them from the valleys of the duffers to the peaks of the expert. There is a “se­ cret”, but most of us do not want to share it. It is arduous, gruelling practice, con­ centration and attention to detail. Occasionally someone does find some­ thing that helps, though, and Hugh Mc­ Dermott, writing in British Golf Month­ ly, passes on what he calls his “discov­ ery”. McDermott tells how his left hand glove split open and became useless while he was playing not long ago. He had worn a glove for about ten years and he con­ tinues :“.... My hand felt naked without it. It was a very worried McDermott who grasped the driver and hit the ball. To my amazement, I hit that ball a long, long way.” Then, he relates, he hit a superb 5 2 USGA Journal and Tlrf Management: August, 1951 iron shot, much longer than he had been hitting. McDermott says he felt a new lease on life, re-united with his club grip. “There was an intimacy of hand and grip which was like the handshake of two old friends.” Well, not to make it a long story, he says the feeling continued, that he hit the ball with great confidence and putted ex­ ceptionally and has since played a strong, attacking game. He reports that his left hand is losing that “sissy” look and urges everyone to have a round without that glove. After all, he points out, you can always go back to it. British Open to Faulkner Max Faulkner, son of a professional and formerly assistant to Henry Cotton, emerged as Champion with a score of 71- 70-70-74-285 in the British Open at Port­ rush, Ireland. Antonio Cerda, of Argen­ tina, pushed Faulkner with 74-72-71-70- 287 but failed to overtake him, as did Charley Ward, who closed with a 68 for 290. The winner will be seen as a member of the British Ryder Cup Team at Pine­ hurst, N. C., in November. He played on the 1947 team at Portland, Ore., where Lloyd Mangrum defeated him, and on the 1949 side at Ganton, Eng., where Dutch Harrison defeated him. Bobby Locke, of South Africa, winner in 1950, finished in a tie for sixth at 293. Frank Stranahan, of Toledo, was low amateur with 295, but the event conflicted with the PGA at Oakmont and not one prominent professional from the United States competed for the historic Cham­ pionship. Not so the Canadian Open at Toronto. Jim Ferrier finished with 69-67 for 273 and first money. Fred Hawkins, El Paso, Texas, was second with 275. The first six and 11 of the first 12 were from the United States. Golf for Service Men Members of the armed services may now play Los Angeles municipal golf courses free on week days, and for half fee on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. The City Recreation and Park Commis­ sion gave the proposal unanimous support last month. The courses opened to the armed forces are the 18-hole Wilson and Harding courses, the nine-hole Roosevelt and the nine-hole Coolidge pitch-and-putt courses in Griffith Park; the 18-hole course and the nine-hole pitch-and-putt course in Rancho Park, and the 18-hole pitch-and- putt course in Holmby Park. Since servicemen are not required to wear uniforms on leave, they must present identification cards showing they are on active duty to qualify for these privileges. Golf for Women—1890 We have always advocated a liberal ex­ tension of the right of golfing to women. Not many years ago their position was most degraded. We therefore gladly wel­ comed the establishment of ladies’ links, which have now been generously pro­ vided for them on most of the larger greens. Ladies’ links should be laid out on the model, though on a smaller scale, of the “long round”; containing some short put­ ting holes, some longer holes, admitting of a drive or two of 70 or 80 yards as the average limit of a drive advisedly; not because we doubt a lady’s power to make a longer drive, but because that cannot well be done without raising the club above the shoulder. Now, we do not pre­ sume to dictate, but we must observe that the posture and gestures requisite for a full swing are not particularly graceful when the player is clad in female dress. Lord Wellwood (1890) In Praise of Golf "Miss Higgins" How on earth any one of us (in the 90’s) ever managed to hit a ball, or get along at all, in the outrageous garments with which fashion decreed we were to cover ourselves, is one of the great un­ solved mysteries of that or any age . . . I can remember when the sleeves were so voluminous that we always had to have an elastic strap around the left arm, or we should never have seen the ball at all. “Miss Higgins” (named after the Amer­ ican golfer) was indispensable on account of the width of the skirts. “Miss Higgins” USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 3 was an elastic band, which was slipped round the knees when the player was ad­ dressing her ball, and was the most use­ ful as well as the most unsightly of the many inventions to counteract the vaga­ ries and inconsistencies of la mode. The golfing girl of today should in­ deed be grateful that she need not play golf in a sailor hat, a high stiff collar, a voluminous skirt and petticoats, a motor­ veil or a wide skirt with leather binding. Mabel E. Stringer In Praise of Golf Average Score, V/2 The Los Angeles Country Club claims a. world record on its 120-yard No. 15 North Course hole last June 10. A four- ball match played the hole in a total of six strokes. Mortimer Kline and C. John Lloyd were playing Major Peckham and Elbert Hart­ wick. Mr. Kline pitched his tee shot into the cup for a hole in one. Mr. Lloyd promptly duplicated it. Mr. Peckham and Mr. Hartwick then hit beautiful shots and each holed out in two. How to Break 100- - -? Mike Weiss, author of the latest golf book to come to hand, starts with a ques­ tion: “Why another book on golf?” It’s a good question, and he gives a good answer: That nearly everything written in that vein is designed for atomic power, super golf. Mike’s book, 100 Handy Hints on How to Break 100, is for the dub. It contains some sensible advice to the duffer on using his head; some tips, a number of which seem queer (such as aiming at traps in order to stay out of them), and some amusing as well as re­ vealing anecdotes. The book is published by Prentice- Hall, Inc., who include with it a money back offer if you don’t shoot under 100 in 30 days—and no questions asked. Evans Scholar Robert H. Leler, an Evans Scholars alumnus, has been named to the execu­ tive staff of the Atomic Energy Com­ mission, further proof of the soundness and success of the caddie scholarship pro­ gram. Mr. Leler leaves the vice-presidency SPORTSMAN'S CORNER Mrs. W. G. Fraser By MISS BEVERLY HANSON 1950 Women's Amateur Champion—Now a Professional She really didn't want to play in the tourna­ ment—it was only to please friends, among them her childhood golf companion, Bobby Jones, that she returned after a 23-year absence to her home town of Atlanta to compete in the 1950 USGA Women's Amateur Championship. As she stepped to the first tee for the opening round, this Ottawa housewife and mother of a grown daughter found her opponent as unfamiliar to her as all the other contestants—25 years out of competition will do that! The housewife lost the first hole to Miss Betty MacKinnon of Texas, but quickly squared the match on the third hole and then the due! began as the two halved hole after hole until finally they approached the 18th all even. The Canadian visitor needed two shots to reach the green on this par 3 while Miss MacKinnon's ball lay just off the edge in one. The Texan chipped within three feet, leaving a treacherous, slippery putt for a par and possible win. After a half-hearted try at sinking her putt for a 3, the housewife marched over to the Texas girl's ball and picked it up, conceeding the hole and the match. A deep hush fell over the galiery, followed by warm applause as the significance of the scene struck them. Within seconds the press surged in, asking why had she given such a tough putt when it meant the match. Mrs. W. G. Fraser, the former Alexa Stirling, three-time winner of this Championship and three­ time runner-up, raised her head and said simply: "I've had my day; why stand in the way of youth?" 4 USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 of a pharmacal company for his new position. The former caddie from Bryn Mawr, of the Chicago district, is proving himself among the upper echelon of young executives in the nation. He is president of the Evans Scholars Alumni Association. Seven more Evans Scholars received diplomas in June. They were Aelred Geis, who was graduated Summa Cum Laude at Michigan State; Frank Tplan, first Evans Scholar graduated under the Allis Caddie Fund of the Wisconsin State Golf Association, at Wisconsin; Richard Wood, David Jackson, William Eaton, William Maloney and William Johnson, all at Northwestern. Improving with Age Making his first bid in the United States Seniors Golf Association Cham­ pionship a successful one, Tom Robbins, of Winged Foot, finished with three suc­ cessive birdies and won the title with 73-67-140. Mr. Robbins, a Texan who lived in Chicago before moving east, is 58 and seems to improve with age. His triumph in the Seniors followed victory Prescott S. Bush Tom Robbins in an invitation event at Shawnee-on- Delaware, Pa. Mr. Robbins needed two of those bir­ dies. Prescott S. Bush, USGA President in 1935, had finished with 76-66-142. Mr. Bush is a proficient golfer but never before had a broken 70 in competition. This time he scored a 66—with a ball out of bounds. Braid's Estate When James Braid, five times British Open Champion, died last November after a long and honorable professional career, he left what is said to be the largest estate ever bequeathed by a British pro, £29,297 (a pound is worth about $2.80.) Considering that the prize money in his playing days was trifling and that until 30 he was a club-maker for the Army and Navy Stores, his business acumen was remarkable. Ted Ray’s estate of £27,000 was re­ ported to be the previous high for a Brit­ ish pro. Those fortunes doubtless will be dwarfed by those which some present United States pros will leave. On the other hand, what the old pros made wasn’t merely money; it bought something in those days. It's Good to Know the Score Scorecards are useful things. Primarily, they’re designed for entering the score a player makes on each hole. The Hendersonville Country Club, in North Carolina, finds another use for its card. The card unfolds into a size about seven by ten inches and on the back are suggestions on Golf Etiquette, taken from a booklet, “Points on Golf,” written by the club professional, William H. Etheridge, in 1940. He reminds players of such points as making sure those ahead are out of range before playing, letting other matches through when playing slowly, getting off the green before figuring scores, keeping one’s self-control despite missed shots, and getting and learning the Rules of Golf. It’s a good scorecard. A Champion Passes In his own field, Carl F. Kauffmann, of Pittsburgh, had a record comparative to that Ben Hogan has made in the Open recently, even comparative to those of the Amateur stalwarts like Bob Jones, Jerry Travers and Walter Travis. Carl Kauffmann won the Amateur Public Links Championship three times running, from 1927 through 1929. Not soon will that tournament see a man to match the record of Mr. Kauff­ mann, who died last month in Pittsburgh of a heart ailment, at the age of 52. USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 5 The Case for All-Match Play By HARRY ROBERT USGA Assistant Executive Secretary Over the years, from 1895, the USGA has experimented with many methods of conducting the Amateur Championship. There have been qualifying rounds to se­ lect fields of 16, of 32, of 64. About the time of the first World War the tourna­ ment was conducted with an elimination round of 18 holes, after which the low 64 scorers proceeded through 36 holes more of qualifying for 32 places in the match rounds. Probably the most unpopular sys­ tem ever attempted was that used at Oak­ mont, near Pittsburgh, in 1925, when only 16 players qualified for match play and all matches were at 36 holes. As golf mushroomed through the United States, and more and more highly skillful players developed, it became neces­ sary to hold preliminary eliminations in localities scattered over the country, be­ cause it was not possible to accommodate them all in one Championship proper. In 1934, a radical departure was made. After sectional qualifying rounds, the Championship proper was held at all match play. The popularity of this method was instantaneous and the tournament continued under that system for three years. Qualifying at the site of the Champion­ ship proper was resumed in 1937 and re­ mained in vogue after the interruption of World War II. The first post-war Cham­ pionship at Baltusrol in 1946 was played under that system. Polls Uphold Match Play The USGA has always felt, however, that the Championships belong to the players, and a poll was conducted among the competitors after that tournament. The result left nothing in doubt. Of those who replied, 81 favored an all match-play tournament. Only 21 voted in favor of continuing the qualifying at the site of the Championship proper, and all-match play was restored. This would seem to have closed the is­ sue. Not so, however. With an ear to the ground, the Association has heard over recent years scattered criticisms of the all-match play system, so last fall another poll among the contestants was conducted. This elicited an even greater response than before, and although the figures were not so one-sided, they were decisive enough. A total of 140 balloted; 94 favored continuing the present plan, 45 favored a return to qualifying at the site of the tournament and one favored nei­ ther. Of those who voted for a return to qualifying, one later wrote that he was entirely satisfied with the present method of play. He might well be, having won major Championships at both. He is Dick Chapman, who won the 1940 USGA Amateur after winning also the medal at the tournament, and who this spring won the British Amateur at all-match play. In a space on the ballot for remarks, many stated the reasons for their pref­ erence. The reason most often put forth in favor of the present system was that after a player travels as far as most of them must to reach the site of the Cham­ pionship, he is entitled to at least one match. “I traveled 800 miles once and 1,000 miles another time and failed to qualify for match play,” wrote James A. Witten­ berg, of Memphis, Tenn. “I’d much rather lose a match than not play one at all.” “I feel that a lot of players would hesi­ tate to make a trip to the tournament not knowing whether they would qualify,” said George L. Coleman, of Miami, Okla. “Even though I lost my first match (22 holes),” said Jimmy Johnston, of Minneapolis, “I still felt I had been in the tournament. The method that allows the most to play, it seems to me, should be your goal.” Oddly, the same line of reasoning was advanced in favor of the other method. “Qualifying guarantees at least 36 holes of play in the Championship, which is im- 6 USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 Site of the Amateur Championship A chip shot over a bunker io the 18ih green at Saucon Valley Country Club, Beth­ lehem, Pa. The Amateur takes place on this course September 10-15. In background is the clubhouse. portant to us lesser lights,” wrote Richard Allman, of Philadelphia. “Since the field is cut in half the first day, it seems a long trip to play 18 holes,” said Dale E. Rose, of Mansfield, Ohio. “With qualifying at the scene of the Championship, a player gets a better chance to ‘average’ his game and this would, I believe, get a high class match play group.” “Under the present system, at least 50 or 60 are eliminated after traveling to the tournament and playing one round,” said James W. Paul, Daytona Beach, Fla. “These are eliminated under the old sys­ tem before being forced to travel all the way to the tournament.” The remarks of the players repeatedly showed that what is one man’s meat is another man’s poison. While some favored the present plan because it gives little known players more chance to spring up­ sets at the expense of well-known stars, others opposed it for the same reason. “I like very much the plan of qualify­ ing at the scene of the Championship be­ cause it creates greater interest,” said Donald Cole, Greenville, S. C., while Danny Carmichael, Columbus, Ohio, stated: “The present plan means more players at the tournament, more interest, more color.” “I don’t think the tournament can be made any more enjoyable than the one last year,” said Don Bisplinghoff, Or­ lando, Fla. “I personally think it is hard enough to qualify in your own section without going to another state to qualify again,” said Ray Palmer, Wyandotte, Mich. Yet, Fred Kammer, Jr., of Detroit, said: “I think qualifying is more fun for the player who can qualify sectionally.” One of the arguments most frequently raised by those who favor reverting to qualifying at the scene of the Champion­ ship was that a stronger field is assured by that method. Which Makes Better Field? “I believe qualifying at the scene af­ fords a better field of 64 than is left in the 64 at the end of two days of match play,” said Randall R. Ahern, of Detroit. John Sierge, Plainfield, N. J., argued: “I feel that the combination of medal and USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 7 match play at the Championship proper is a better test for a Champion.” However, Jack Purdum, Webster Groves, Mo., said: “I think your field is better if you have all-match play, as many young players cannot afford the risk of expense to come to the scene and not qualify. I also think all-match play makes the sectional entry larger and pub­ lic interest is greater than when the gal­ leries have to await two days of qualify­ ing before they can follow a good match.” Jack Malloy, of Oklahoma City, said: “In order that the Championship be thoroughly national in flavor, it is essen­ tial that as many players be on hand as it is possible to handle. With reduced places in sectional qualifying areas, it is obvious that some good players may not secure a spot.” On the other hand, some of those who favored qualifying at the Championship i emarked that if all match play is con­ tinued, they would prefer to see the field for it reduced to 128. “I think the bye is a sham and a disadvantage,” said John D. Culp, Jr., of Chicago, in support of that view. “Only 19 of the 46 byes won second round matches at Minneapolis. This may not always hold true but I hope I never get a bye.” Quite a few players indicated that they not only preferred qualifying at the Championship to all match play, but would prefer a stroke play Championship to either. However, William P. Castle­ man, Jr., of Dallas, Texas, declared: “The Amateur Championship, essentially match play, should remain as such. Otherwise, the prime purpose of the Championship is altered.” Clipping Used as Argument “I believe the Amateur should be con­ fined to as little medal play as possible,” seconded E. J. Rogers, Jr., of Oklahoma City. Enclosing a clipping from Golf World, written in retrospect after last season, R. A. Henry, of Madison, N. J., submitted it as expressing his views. Said Editor Bob Harlow in that issue: “Talk of reducing the number of players does not find a warm response among those who think it is a fine thing for the younger players to go to the Amateur and mingle with the veterans . . . We hope the USGA will not do anything to lessen the num­ ber of starters in this great event . . . Who wants a group of super golfers to contest the Amateur? It stands for some­ thing much bigger than such a contest.” A Convincing Argument Certainly no more cogent reasoning in support of the present plan was presented than that from Jerry J. Cole, of Mt. Ver­ non, N. Y. “I favor the present plan because of the broader scope of national representa­ tion,” he wrote. “By this I do not mean that poorer players are given a chance to knock off a star. Quite the contrary — more good players get into the matches. The difference between 150 and 200 men competing can be very great. “Take the 1950 Championship, for ex­ ample. Four out of the eight quarter­ finalists finished last or next to last in their sectional trials.1 If only 150 sectional places were allotted, these four may never have gone to Minneapolis! On the other hand, of the other four quarter-finalists, three led their sectional qualifying and one was exempt. This contrast is striking —the sectional leaders and those who squeaked through might very well have had their positions reversed. “The point is this: that even though a good player suffers an off day in his sec­ tional trial, he still has a chance to show his stuff in the long pull of the Champion­ ship proper.” It seems to us Mr. Cole has stated the case most powerfully. But however it seems to us, there is no doubt the players favor it, and in the USGA, as well as in the US, the majority rules. 1 Editor’s note—Mr. Cole knows whereof he speaks. The 1950 quarter-finalists fared as fol­ lows in their sectional qualifying: Frank Strana­ han was exempt. Sam Urzetta, who defeated Stranahan in the final, was low qualifier at Buf­ falo. William Shields was low qualifier at Al­ bany. Richard L. Kinchia tied for low qualifier at Hartford, Conn. Tom Veech won the last place at Milwaukee in a play-off. Bud Holschet tied for last place at Chicago. John P. Ward won the last place at Albany. Robert W. Knowles, Jr., won the next to last place at Hartford. 8 USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 How Golf Came to Town and Country When the women golfers gather at the Town and Country Club in St. Paul, Minn., for the USGA Women’s Amateur Championship, August 20-25, they will compete at a club with one of the most interesting histories in the nation. The Championship will be played in what is regarded as one of the warmest months of the year—but the club owes its origin to snow and ice and the Winter Carnivals for which St. Paul has been famous. The course is laid out over the same ground where the Town and Country Club first introduced the game of golf to that section in 1893 and which has been used for that purpose continuously ever since. Although not originally organized as a golf club, Town and Country is one of the oldest in the country and claims its course is the second oldest continuous­ ly played in the United States, preceded only by Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, of Southampton, N. Y. And it owes the introduction of golf to its membership to the laziness of a newspaper reporter. These intriguing facts are revealed in a letter written in 1930 by William F. Peet, a charter member of the club who started its golf in 1893 on the same grounds the course has occupied ever since. Organized in 1887 The club was organized by a group of young men in December, 1887, planned as another carnival club. Even in the beginning they had ideas for something more, as evidenced by the name they chose. The first clubhouse was a brick house rented on Lake Como, with grounds extending to the water’s edge. About two years later the club acquired several lots on the site where the present club­ house is located, issued bonds and raised enough money to build a new clubhouse. The Town and Country Club was not overwhelmed with members, however, because although it attempted a few sports, such as bowling, billiards and bicycling, there was really not a great deal for its members to do once they got out into the country. In the summer of 1893, a reporter on the St. Paul Dispatch, Charles Hawkes, was assigned to do a column of social items twice a week. He was not keen on the job and gave it a lick and a promise, merely calling on a few young men who managed to dig up items for him. In June, he called on Mr. Peet, who gave him what items he could think of, and then suggested Hawkes write an article about the game of golf which was just beginning to take hold in the East. Neither knew much about it, and Hawkes was too lazy to look up much on it, so he simply did a story to the effect that Mr. Peet planned starting golf at the Town and Country Club. The Scottish Influence The next day one George McCree, from Scotland, visited Mr. Peet, expressed hearty approval of his plan and offered his help. After thinking it over for a day or two, Mr. Peet took McCree out with him, and they mowed the grass on what Mr. Peet claimed was the first golf green west of New Jersey. That became the ninth green after McCree laid out the other eight, and Mr. Peet praised it as a cracking good nine. “There were few obstacles other than the cattle, which were our first and most serious hazards,” he wrote in that letter. The club’s first golf appropriation was for $50, to buy a set of real golf holes and flags to replace the tomato cans and fish poles with red rags attached which were then in use. A year or two later the club leased the pasture land on which it was playing by paying the taxes on it and a few years later acquired it for $40,000. The First Obstacle The game is not so easy as it seems. In the first place, the terrible inertia of the ball must be overcome. Lord Wellwood In Praise of Golf USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 9 Pictures, Not Words Following the premise that one picture is worth more than a few thousand words, however well chosen, the Hampshire Country Club of Mamaroneck, N. Y., is hitting its members right between the eyes on the care and upkeep of a golf course. Each Friday night a small cartoon depicting some responsibility of a golfer toward his course and fellow golfers is attached to the front of every locker. When the member comes out for the weekend, he finds it looking him in the face. The cards, 5 by 3% inches, were the brainchild of Sidney Fiddelman, vice- president of the Hampshire Country Club and chairman of its green committee. He had them prepared by a local printer. Hampshire has several of the cards. One warns the player to replace his divots, another reminds him to put trash in re­ ceptacles, another to rake footprints out of traps after playing from them, and so on. They are rotated on the front of the lockers. The practice is now about two months old. Reports from the club say there has been much more attention to these simple acts since the campaign to keep them be­ fore the members was started. “It has been very effective,” one of­ ficial reported. “It is a very inexpensive thing and has gotten a lot of results. The golfers are more conscious of their duties in this respect. “You know, you can write or say a lot of words on subjects like these, but just putting a picture before their eyes seems to get the story across with more impact. It’s a good stunt.” REPLACE PIVOTS! BE SURE TO PRESS THEM DOWN FIRMLY WITH s>. YOUR FOOT... p/CK UP PAPERS ARP PUT /Al RE­ CEPTACLES AT TEES... SEE THAT CADDIES RAKE OUT FOOTPRINTS Here are three of the cards that the Hampshire Country Club, of Mamaroneck, N. Y., rotates on the lockers of its members, changing the cards every Friday night. The plan was put into operation early this summer and the club reports that the pic­ torial reminders have gotten a lot of results. 10 USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 The Spirit of the Public Links Championship Different tournaments create different atmospheres. The Open sometimes seems grim. Golf is the professional’s business, winning the Open will set him up in big business and to him the tournament may be the most important event of the year. There is little point in any player en­ tering a tournament unless he tries to win, but the Amateur is not so business­ like as the Open. Fellowship is in evi­ dence, even in the rivalry. There is a spirit of gaity and fun at the Junior. The spirit of the Public Links Cham­ pionship is of its own distinct flavor, and its essence is service and co-operation. The public links player, as a rule, is one who cannot afford to belong to a private club. Competing at a course far from his home sometimes involves financial strain and sacrifice. This thought is never out of mind of those who conduct the event and they give unstintingly of themselves to make the tournament possible, pleasant and smooth for the contestants. He Did Everything No better example of this spirit could be cited than Phil Poppy, a member of the Milwaukee County Public Links Golf Association. Mr. Poppy, an accountant, gave up his two-weeks vacation to devote that time and great effort to making the tournament a success. During the week of July 9, Mr. Poppy did almost every odd job required around a golf tournament. He acted as caddie, The Presentation of the James D. Standish, Jr., Trophy Before Dave Stanley, left, received the Amateur Public Links Trophy from Totten P. Heffelfinger, USGA Vice-President and Chairman of the Public Links Com­ mittee, with Runner-up Ralph Vranesic standing by, the tournament produced the closest competition in history. Not only did Stanley have to go 38 holes to win the final, both semi-finals went overtime for the first time in American golf. Milwaukee Journal Photos USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 11 as caddie-master, fore-caddie, marshalled, and was generally johnny-on-the-spot wherever needed. That was typical of the co-operation of the association he rep­ resented. Its president, Walter Moynihan, was another helpful worker. A great measure of the success of the event was due to Gerald J. Schramm, Milwaukee member of the USGA Public Links Committee. Out of all this and from the field of 210 for the Championship proper, who found the Brown Deer Park golf course in excellent condition, emerged a most interesting Champion, Dave Stanley. Stan­ ley, a 20-year-old student of the Univer­ sity of California at Los Angeles and No. 1 on the UCLA golf team, had headed east for the Intercollegiate Championship. To his chagrin, he failed to qualify. He then turned to the Public Links Cham­ pionship. Escapes Early Attention He attracted but little attention in the early rounds, while eyes were focused on the defending Champion, Stanley Bielat, of Yonkers, N. Y., and Harold Haddok, of Denver, whose scoring was exceptional for the first two rounds. Had­ dock was still on hand after three days of play, but Bielat was dethroned by Ken­ neth Lanning, Rolla, Mo., student, in the third round, 2 and 1. The next day Had­ dock fell before Bill Lees, 31-year-old lumberman of Portland, Ore., 2 and 1. Lees pressed on to the semi-finals and there he was bracketed with Stanley. In the other semi-final was Ralph Vranesic, a Denver clerk, and Ralph (Pat) Schwab, 18-year-old high school graduate of Day­ ton, Ohio. Schwab, son of a professional, made a tremendous impression in the tournament and those who watched him predicted big things will be heard of him. Players like these were expected to pro­ duce exciting matches and the expected happened. For the first time in American golf history, both semi-finals went over­ time. Stanley squeaked into the final when Lees fluffed an approach from thick rough banking the 37th hole. Schwab missed a very short putt on the same green. There William Lees Wide World Photo Pai Schwab is a lesson for every golfer in his com­ ment afterward. “I wasn’t even thinking of the putt,” he said heart-brokenly. “I was worry­ ing about my drive off the next tee.” Stanley and Vranesic matched strokes the next day and they, too, went extra holes before the former won the Cham­ pionship on the 38th hole, breaking the previous record for the final set at 37 holes by Carl F. Kauffmann and William F. Serrick in 1927. A par 4 there made Stanley the second youngest Champion in the history of the tournament but Vra­ nesic had waged a fight for the title that will not soon be forgotten. Hitting powerful drives and putting sharply, Stanley jumped into the lead early and was 5 up after 27 holes. Then began one of the gamest comebacks any tournament has seen. Vranesic won the 28th, halved three holes, scored winning pars on the 32d and 33d holes, then snatched the 34th and 36th with birdies to send the match overtime. It was a grand uphill climb but Stanley still had something left and would not be denied. It was the first tournament for the young UCLA competitor, who got his first golf clubs only four years ago. Dayton, Ohio, gained the Team Cham­ pionship in the contest preceding the individual competition when it put to­ gether a 75 by Byron H. Hunt, a 79 by Walter Ireland and an 80 by Edwin Bohardt for a three-man score of 234. Peoria, Ill., fell just a stroke short on 79 by Robert Togikawa, 73 by Don Schrabulis and 83 by Walter Durdle. Atlanta, Ga., and Memphis, Tenn., tied for third at 237. . 12 USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 Art for Golf’s Sake Artists are sensitive souls, and no praise pleases them so much as that of fel­ low artists or persons of some artistic appreciation. Furthermore, expressions other than complimentary are to them as wormwood and gall. This generality, how­ ever, does not apply to Erwin S. Barrie, Director and Manager of the Grand Cen­ tral Art Galleries in New York and mem­ ber of the USGA Museum Committee. Mr. Barrie, an amateur artist and ar­ dent golfer, is now engaged on a series of paintings of famous golf holes. When these are exhibited, he finds he is able to enjoy the comments of many who have no feeling whatever for art and, what is more, sometimes his feeling of satisfac­ tion is in proportion to the invective his pictures elicit. During his exhibition last fall in the Grand Central Art Galleries, he glowed with pride when he heard artists and art students commenting on the organization, coloring and brushwork of his canvases. The collection was displayed during the winter at Pinehurst, N. C., and there Mr. Barrie found himself chuckling with even more pleasure when he would hear one golfer call to another: “Hey, Bill, come look at this! Remem­ ber that hole? Isn’t that one a devil? I’ll never forget that blasted thing.” “The difference in the reactions of the artists and the golfers was most amusing,” said Mr. Barrie. “The golfer generally sees just the hole, with no eye to the painting that created the image. I’m not sure that isn’t a higher compliment.” That Mr. Barrie’s creations are equally appreciated by divergent groups, although The Tenth Hole at Augusta National Mr. Barrie's most recent painting in his series of famous golf holes USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 13 The First Hole at Apawamis This painting hangs in "Golf House," a gift from Mr. Barrie to the USGA. in a different manner, is due to the fact that he qualifies for both. He has been a painter and his work has been iden­ tified with painting all of his adult life. He has been a golfer since boyhood. Be­ cause of his knowledge of golf, his pic­ tures twang a responsive chord within the golfer, who instantly recognizes the merits of the hole itself and is conscious of the fact that the scene is one he would see if he were playing there. Retains Golfer's Viewpoint “I would never paint a golf hole from any other viewpoint than that of the golfer,” he remarked. “My pictures al­ ways show the hole from where the golfer would drive, or play his second or his approach. That’s the way the golfer sees it.” Neither does Mr. Barrie ever paint any hole until he has played it, usually several times, and felt its mood. Unless the hole makes a special appeal to him, it never appears on his canvas. “The holes I have painted are scattered over the East,” he explained. “One of the most exciting courses I know is the Yale University course. Although the general public does not hear much about it, it has all the dramatic qualities of Pine Valley without Pine Valley’s menacing sever­ ity.” Mr. Barrie began the paintings about three years ago in an idle mood. After doing two or three, he thought: “Why not do a good series of these? Golf is surely the most scenic game.” The series now comprises about 25 pic­ tures and continues to grow. These pic­ tures can be called literally priceless, be­ 14 USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 cause none is for sale. The only way any­ one can have one is to receive it as a gift. His painting of the first hole at Apawamis hangs in “Golf House”, a gift to the USGA, and he presented two pictures to Richard S. Tufts, USGA Secretary, who has been one of his most encouraging in­ fluences in the project. Mr. Barrie displayed the pictures in Grand Central Art Galleries last fall with misgivings. “As manager of the Galleries, I make it a point never to compete with the art­ ists I handle,” he said. “I was afraid they might not take kindly to my show­ ing. To my pleasant surprise, they were enthusiastic. It was one of my most thrilling experiences. Eugene Speicher, one of our greatest artists and a golfer himself, was one of my biggest boosters.” The most recent painting in the series is of the tenth hole on the Augusta, Ga., National course, where the Masters’ tournament is played each spring. Bob Jones, who helped create the course, talked it over with Mr. Barrie and named the tenth and the thirteenth as his favorite holes. The artist decided upon the tenth, a 465-yard par 4, sloping gently down­ hill. Feels Like Celebrity “I chose a spot where I thought I was fairly safe,” he said, “but soon a ball landed close by. When the player came after it and saw what I was doing, he said he had just seen a collection of such paintings at Pinehurst. When he learned J had done them, he was delighted.” The collection has aroused so much comment among golfers, including well- known figures, that Mr. Barrie admits he sometimes feels quite puffed up. “The at­ tention makes me feel like a celebrity,” he said. Born in Canton, Ohio, he attended Chicago Art Institute after going to Cor­ nell University. Later he had an art gal­ lery in Chicago. Then he helped found the Grand Central Art Galleries and has man­ aged them for 28 years. Walter Gifford, Ambassador to the Court of St. James, was one of the founders of the non-profit organizations and its first Secretary and Treasurer. Mr. Barrie began playing golf as a boy of 15 in Ohio. “I started out with the guttie,” he recalled. He makes no pretense to being a star, but plays in the 80’s and has a grand time doing it. He is one of Jimmy Demaret’s few sartorial rivals, reveling in slacks and shirts of rainbow hues, which occasionally startle his friends at the Greenwich, Conn., Country Club. He specializes in hats, has about 25 of them, many of which he un­ abashedly classifies as eccentric. The more eccentric, the better he likes them. Colorful raiment appeals to the artist in him. Mr. Barrie has been put up for mem­ bership in the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews, Scotland, and hopes to crown his series with a painting of a memorable scene on the Old Course. “I will paint it better than I play it,” he remarked good-humoredly. “I am bet­ ter with a brush than with a mashie.” —HARRY ROBERT — • — She Must Be Wooed Golf is a fickle game and must be wooed to be won. No good can be got by forcing the game; and unless one feels fit and has a keen interest in the match, it is better not to play. It is no use going out and playing around in a half-hearted, listless, indifferent way. Playing in this way is ruinous to good golf. Further, golf is a business-like game, and should be gone about in a brisk, business-like way. It is far better to play and walk around the links smartly and quickly than to creep round at a snail- like pace. It is impossible to play good golf if you are thinking of something else all the time, and if you have any business worries, leave them behind when you go on the links. William Park, Jr. In Praise of Golf f USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 15 Playing From Trouble by RICHARD R. D. CHAPMAN 1940 USGA Amateur Champion, 1951 British Amateur Champion The expert generally has few recovery shots to play while the average golfer is faced with many in a single round. For the latter, fear of disaster causes the muscles to stiffen, and relaxation, a MUST throughout any stroke, vanishes. With the neces­ sary “know-how” your visits to the timber and waste lands will be far less frequent. Dick Chapman Once there, however, your problem is to re­ cover as rapidly and safely as pos­ sible. One mis­ take can often be remedied, but the old adage, “two wrongs do not make a right”, still applies. Bobby Locke has very wisely advised his friends and pupils to accept calmly the penalty for a poor shot and not to try to make up for it on the very next stroke or several mistakes in succession may result. When in trouble, play to the most advantageous position from where you can make your next good shot. When playing from the rough or sand here are some definite points to remember. The swing controls the physical problem and the eyes the mental. Take a shorter grip than normal and hold the club very firmly, especially with the left hand; with the hands ahead of the ball at address, open the clubface slightly and keep it that way throughout the stroke, otherwise the thick or tall grass will close it at im­ pact, causing a hooked or smothered shot. Lift the club away sharply from the ball so that the path of the swing will be DECIDEDLY up and down. Be sure to follow through with your hands fin­ ishing high and keep your eyes on the impact spot until you have completed your swing. The upright arc of the swing for trouble shots calls for a great amount of wrist action. As the arms near the end of the backward and upward motion, the wrists cock; this delayed action puts snap into the bottom of the swing and lofts the ball sharply from hazards. Most players feel they can best elevate the ball from trouble by attempting to lift it. This thought causes a flat arc which more often than not results in a half-topped shot. All golfers have an inate fear of hazards; they are naturally curious about the outcome of trouble shots. Keeping the head in position until the swing is complete will overcome the tendency to look up before the ball is struck. Train yourself to keep your head down by counting one - - two - - three - - slowly before observing the result. Masters of the Wedge In bunker play, Willie Turnesa, Gene Sarazen, Paul Runyan, and Johnny Re- volta stand out as masters of the wedge. I shall attempt to outline the basic points: The stance is opened 45 degrees from the line to the hole. The ball is addressed off the left instep with the clubface open and facing the hole. The feet are anchored firmly in the sand and the knees are quite relaxed during the entire swing to permit the feet to remain on the ground. At the start of the downswing, the right elbow must move to the inside of the right hip. The follow-through, with hands high, is most important; the clubhead MUST NOT finish in the sand or close after impact. Explosion shots interest all golfers; the difficulty in making this type of shot rests solely in the mind. If you will regard it as a regular rather than extra­ ordinary shot, you will approach the ball with much more confidence. The gener­ ally accepted theory for trap play is: “The more sand you take, the shorter distance (Continued on Page 20) 16 USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 Stroke and Distance for Out of Bounds By ISAAC B. GRAINGER Chairman, USGA Rules of Golf Committee It is natural for golfers to feel that occasionally the Rules impose penalties that are too severe, and to remark that such and such a Rule ought to be changed. They express these views with the utmost sincerity and can advance very good reasons for their attitude. It may not occur to them, however, that these very good reasons have been proposed by and to members of the Exec­ utive Committee over and over again, and that no Rule has ever been made without even better reasons in its favor. The following exchange of correspond­ ence between Milton A. Jentes, Chair­ man of the Green Committee of Elmwood Country Club, White Plains, N. Y., and the Chairman of the Rules of Golf Com­ mittee perfectly illustrates this point. In it, Mr. Jentes asks about a proposed change in a Rule which may become ef­ fective next year; and the USGA Rules Chairman explains why the USGA ap­ proves of it. Mr. Jentes writes: Dear Sirs: I was amazed to learn that the USGA and the British and Canadian rule making bodies had agreed on the penalty of both stroke and distance for an out of bounds ball. It is bad enough to lose a hole because of a lost ball or unplayable lie, both of which are often a matter of pure luck, but to have one bad shot, no worse than a mere topped ball, practically insure the loss of a hole and, in a qualifying round, to be out of the running if one hits two out of bounds, is rearing an obstacle against club co-operation with the rule making bodies. It seems to me that practically every golfer to whom I have spoken protests against this rule and that the result will be that most clubs will simply create local rules to cover the situation, notwithstanding the fact that for the last past few years member clubs have endeavored to eliminate local rules wherever possible. The trend in recent golf regulations showed an honest effort to minimize the luck element and to give relief from such things as guy wires and shelter houses, which previously could spoil a pleasant day. Except for the omission to prohibit practice swings in a hazard, the 1950 rules were a great improvement. Now along comes this bowing to tradition which can do the game no good and which will eventually go the way of the stymie, for which constituted authorities fought so long and uselessly. Milton A. Jentes Chairman Green Committee Elmwood Country Club The USGA replied as follows: Dear Mr. Jentes: As the Association is always glad to receive the view of those who are interested in golf, your letter is most welcome. It is particularly so at this time when there is under considera­ tion the adoption of a uniform Code for world-wide play. Recent conferences in London between rep­ resentatives of the Rules-making bodies of the United States, Great Britain, Canada and Aus­ tralia made possible the joint scrutiny of the accumulated experiences with every type of Rules application. Strangely enough, the most revealing experiences dealt with the situations to which you allude in your letter. Treatment of a ball lost, unplayable, or out of bounds has been a somewhat controversial subject over the years, and this has resulted in much Rules experimentation. However, this program of trial and error has brought to light the in­ consistencies and inequities which make neces­ sary the return to the original penalties which obviously seem severe. Various combinations of penalties have been tried for a number of years. The USGA has experimented unsuccessfully with “distance only” for “out of bounds.” On the other hand, the R & A for two years have applied “distance only” for “lost,” “unplayable” and “out of bounds.” They, too, discovered the unworkability of this somewhat popular liber­ alization. The answer to the problem is not as simple as some would think and does not stem, as you suspect, from “bowing to tradi­ tion.” The conferees reached their conclusions after applying the Rules of logic and equity. It was unanimously felt that there could be no variance in penalties for the three situations because of the disadvantage to an opponent or competitor from misuse of the discretion allowed to a player. For instance, if the “lost ball” penalty were less than that for an “unplayable ball” or a “ball out of bounds,” many cases would arise in which the player would prefer not to find his ball. If the lesser penalty were applied to a “ball out of bounds,” there would be (and there has been under existing Rules) a tendency to declare, without proper search, a ball to be out of bounds intead of lost. USGA competition has produced many of these doubtful cases almost impossisble of fair ad- (Continued on Page 24) USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 17 What the Open Figures Show By ROBERT TRENT JONES Golf Course Architect Who Prepared Oakland Hills for the Open When the Open Championship was played at Oakland Hills, Birmingham, Michigan, in 1924, the course was con­ sidered one of the finest tests of golf in America. Its par of 72 was considered one of the hardest to beat. It is significant that Cyril Walker won this Open Cham­ pionship with the score of 297 — nine strokes over par; and Bob Jones, defend­ ing his title, finished second with a score of 300—twelve strokes over par. But in 1924, driving contests were being won with distances in the neighborhood of 250 to 260 yards, while the distances re­ quired to win driving contests in 1951 are about 280 to 290 yards, and some­ times the winning distance is over 300. In the July issue of Golf Illustrated for 1924, directly after the Championship, in a discussion of the course, there is an interesting quotation about the par 4 holes: “The par 4 holes are of such length that only the longer players are able to reach in two, and they must hit drives nearly always of 250 yards, and follow them with full brassies.” This makes an interesting contrast to the clubs used by Ben Hogan on his last round on some of the longer par 4’s during the current Championship. On the first hole of 440 yards, he used a driver and a 7 iron; on the 437 yard fifth hole he used a driver and a 3 iron; on the 447 yard I4th hole he used a driver and a 3 iron; and on the 405 yard 16th hole he used a driver and a 9 iron. It is also interesting to note that Hagen lost the 1924 Championship by driving into the lake on the 16th hole after play­ ing a drive and a 1 iron; Hogan, in his last round used a driver and a nine iron. The conditions were not identical as the wind, when Hogan played was from the left, while Hagen’s approach to the 16th in 1924 was against a head-on wind. However, even taking this into considera­ tion, the difference in playing a one iron and a nine iron is quite a gap. Robert Trent Jones With the ball and equipment having progressed so far, is it not only fair to assume that the architecture of Oakland Hills had to be brought up to a standard comparable to the shot requirements asked of the players during the Open Championship of 1924? I, for one, can­ not concede that the current golfers are more powerful than the greats of former years. Gene Sarazen at 51 is hitting the ball 25 to 35 yards farther than he did during the Open Championship of 1924. Tests Basis of Changes The changes at Oakland Hills were not made impulsively but were made after exhaustive tests during the four preced­ ing Open Championships. My staff and I checked the flight and the roll of the ball, the number of shots in the rough on either side, to what extent the shots were missed, and, therefore, what could be 18 USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 considered a bad shot or a good shot. When the changes were suggested and made, they were done in conjunction with John Oswald, the Chairman of the Green Committee, who is a good golfer in his own right, and Al Watrous, the Club’s outstanding professional, who at 52 is the National P.G.A. Senior Champion. When a trap was located, Al Watrous was asked to hit shots to the proposed target area. After hitting many shots, it was decided whether the trap position was right or should be moved slightly one way or an­ other for fairness. Watrous shot a 69 two weeks before the Championship, and Chris Brinke, one of the Club’s better amateurs, shot a 71, and this before the rough was trimmed. The Basic Principle In any sport involving the use of a target, the nearer one gets to the target, the more often should he be able to hit it with consistency and accuracy. That, in a nutshell, is the basic principle in­ volved in the tightening of Oakland Hills, and in making Oakland Hills’ par re­ spectable again in the light of modern playing conditions. It will be noted that the 1951 Open score of 287 was only seven strokes over the tournament par as compared with Cyril Walker’s nine strokes over par in 1924, and Heafner's second position was nine strokes over par, compared with Bob Jones’ 12 strokes over par in the 1924 Open. It is my feeling that the golf in the two championships was comparable, taking into account the current conditions of each era. Figures below are the average scores for the leading ten players, for the leading 28 players, and for Hogan, Heafner and Locke, on each of the 18 holes, as compared with par. You will note that only on the two par 5’s, the sec­ ond and 12th holes, did the entire field of 28 better par. You will also note in the individual scores of Hogan, Heafner and Locke, that there was no particular hole on which all the players played badly. Hogan was good on holes which Heafner and Locke played poorly; and Heafner and Locke were good on holes which Hogan played badly. This was true of the whole field. Had there been any particular hole which all the players played badly, undoubtedly it would have had to be classified as a trick hole. However, the proof in the figures is conclusive: when a player missed a shot, no matter on which hole, he was punished for it; and when he played his shot well, par and under par were not difficult to achieve. Par 4 5 3 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 5 3 4 4 4 3 4 Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Leading 10 4.12 4.67 3.19 4.32 4.32 4.15 3.99 4.36 3.32 4.37 4.19 4.88 3.01 4.24 4.19 4.16 3.11 4.28 Leading 28 4.20 4.75 3.24 4.33 4.41 4.11 4.07 4.41 3.41 4.37 4.25 4.92 3.07 4.33 4.31 4.19 3.18 4.38 Hogan 3.75* 4.25* 3.5 4.5 4.- 4.25 4.- 4.25 3.25 3.75 4.25 5.- 2.50* 4.75 4.5 3.75* 3.25 4.25 Heafner 4.5 5.- 2.75* 4.- 4.- 4.5 4.25 4.25 3.25 4.25 4.- 4.75* 3.25 4.5 3.5* 4.25 3.- 4.5 Locke 4.25 4.75* 3.25 4.50 4.75 4.25 3.75* 4.- 3.25 4.25 4.25 4.75* 3.50 4.25 4.- 4.25 2.75* 4.- Average for four rounds under par. USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 19 PGA Support of the Rules By MAURRIE O’CONNOR Vice-president of the Professional Golfers’ Association of America As never before in the history of golf, the by-word for relations between the United States Golf Association and the Professional Golfers’ Association of America is “co-operation.” The aim of the USGA, parent body of golf in America, is the preservation of golf under the highest standards of sports­ manship, and the PGA, recognizing the USGA’s supreme authority, is bending every effort to work with the USGA to­ ward the betterment of golf in this coun­ try. One has to go back only a few years to recall when the PGA, in defiance of the USGA, advocated and permitted the use of 16 clubs in tournaments under its sponsorship. Conformity with USGA rules was brought about under the presidency of Ed Dudley. It has continued under Joe Novak—and so far as the present gov­ erning body of the PGA is concerned, there never again will be a day when the two Associations will be separated on such a basic issue. Policing on Local Level What most PGA members fail to realize is that the PGA can help golf a great deal by more closely policing its own tournaments on the local level. A year ago in New Jersey, during the sectional quali­ fying test for the national PGA Cham­ pionship, several players (including two who would have been qualifiers other­ wise) were disqualified by our tourna­ ment committee for unwittingly playing “winter” rules on only the first two holes of their rounds. Our tournament committee promptly disqualified them for that infraction of the Rules. It was hard for committee members to penalize their friends so sev- erly for an error which possibly did not affect the players’ final scores, but the committee adhered strictly to the USGA Rules. The incident caused a tremendous furor, but the committee’s forthright ac- Maurrie O'Connor tion brought credit to the PGA as a whole and gave determined notice to New Jersey golfers that the PGA is 100 per cent be­ hind the USGA in its enforcement of the Rules. Without such action on our part, golf would become a house hopelessly divided. The PGA and the USGA today are co-operating in many other ways, espec­ ially in the promotion of junior golf. We, on the Executive Committee of the PGA, are encouraging our members to foster junior golf through free lessons and by lending assistance in many other ways to the young boys and girls who are seeking to learn the game. This program is finding fruition in the national boys’ and girls’ championships which have been instituted in the last few years by the USGA. 20 USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 The Why of Amateurism By ROBERT T. JONES, JR. This Article by the “Grand Slam” Champion of 1930 Was Prepared for the Program of the 1951 Amateur Championship at Saucon Valley Country Club The basis for the distinction between an amateur and a professional golfer has always been that the latter, by reason of his “unlimited” opportunity for playing the game, might be expected to acquire greater proficiency. It is by reason of this distinction that competitions like our Amateur Championship, from which pro­ fessionals are barred, came into being. In each decade, at least, of our golfing history we have had one or more amateur golfers capable of competing on equal terms with the best professionals. There have been many more, and there will be many in the field at Saucon Valley, so capable if they had chosen to step into professional ranks. Some of the truly great champions of the game have achieved their glory as professionals after only mediocre success in amateur competition. It is these who have proven the validity of the distinction. Among them are Tommy Armour, Denny Shute, and, in Great Britain, Abe Mitchell. At this time, when so many sports are suspect, it is comforting to reflect upon the strict requirements of the USGA for PLAYING FROM TROUBLE (Continued from Page 15) the ball travels and, vice versa, the less sand the greater distance.” Contrary to this accepted teaching, my belief is that distance is obtained from the amount the clubface is opened or shut; as the clubhead is straightened for distance, the stance becomes less open and the ball is played nearer the center. I like to visualize the ball standing in the sand on two matchstick legs and that 'he club cuts these legs in half. The explosion shot means only one thing to me: the shot for the buried ball. In this case it is much better to take a 9 iron or pitching-wedge, since the flange of the sand-wedge, projecting downwards as it does, causes the clubhead to bounce the retention by a player of amateur status, and the fervor with which insis­ tence upon fulfillment is made. The fact that our amateurs must ob­ serve the highest ideals of amateurism has been the most potent influence in bringing about the present most satisfac­ tory condition of both professional and amateur golf. Because no man without some means, or a good job, can play a lot of golf as an amateur, many youngsters of good capabilities and good character have chosen to pursue golf as an honorable profession. On the other hand, because of rigid restrictions, there has been no temp­ tation for the amateur to attempt en­ croachment upon the prerogatives of the professional. More than in any other sport, the ama­ teur and the professional in golf are mutually dependent and mutually sup­ porting. In the truest sense, the championship at Saucon Valley will be a real Amateur Championship. before it can go sufficiently deep under the ball, thus spoiling the stroke. The stance and clubface are square, with the ball to the left of center, and the player must aim slightly to the right of the hole to compensate for the adverse pull on the left hand by the weight of the sand. Be sure to aim at least two inches behind the ball, hitting definitely under and through the ball or the shot will be ruined. NEVER leave the clubhead in the sand. It is almost impossible to obtain any stop on shots of this type unless the sand is wet. © A USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 21 The Red Coats Are Still Coming What the well-dressed golfer wore back in the Gay ’90’s would seem very warm in this August weather, but not even Joseph was attired in more colorful rai­ ment. The principal feature of that costume was a bright red coat. Several examples of these coats have been added to “Golf House” recently. Henry 0. Havemeyer, son of the first President of the USGA, sent two, which had been his own. One was of the Newport Country Club in 1896, the other of the Yale University golf team of the same year. Mr. Havemeyer was a member of the first Yale golf team and recalled the other members: Rossiter Betts, Roderick Terry, the two Smith brothers, Courtlandt D. Barnes, John Reed, Jr., and his late brother, Frederick C. Havemeyer. Mr. Havemeyer also gave nine old yearbooks of the Newport Country Club. John B. Ryerson, whose father, Arthur Ryerson, attended the first meeting of the USGA on December 22, 1894, twice visited “Golf House” this summer. First he brought in some old magazines in response to an appeal in the Journal. Later he brought a red coat of the Otsego Golf Club, a red vest, and a woman’s red golf jacket which his mother had worn. A club owned by the late Governor Al Smith, of New York, was sent in by Johnny Gaucas, professional at the Van Schaick Island Country Club, Cohoes, N. Y. “I used to be Al Smith’s regular cad­ die,” he wrote, “and one day he asked me if I had any clubs. I told him I didn’t so he gave me the club.” Mr. Gaucas presented also a Winches- ter mashie, a Lenox niblick and a Wright and Ditson putter. Other 1951 contributions not previous­ ly mentioned in the Journal are: P. H. Karcher, Anvers, Belgium, reprint of David R. Forgan’s well known definition of golf, printed on ancient printing presses with material from the original workshop of Plantin (16th Century). Dr. Robert J. Smith, Buffalo, N. Y., 32 books on golf and several old golf magazines to help complete Library files; two copies of “A Blind Man Breaks Eighty”, in braille. Board of Greenkeeping Research, Bingley, Yorkshire, England, copies of its Journal to complete Library files. Temple Publicity Services, Bristol, England, packet of booklets on golf clubs in Britain. Joseph C. Dey, Jr., Glen Cove, N. Y., British ball autographed by members of the victorious USGA Walker Cup Team, which defeated Great Britain, 6-3, at Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, England. George W. Klewer, Chicago, a magnifytee. Dick Baxter, Taconic Golf Club, Williams­ town, Mass., shank-proof mashie. C. J. Sennett, Greenfield, Mass., Tom Morris driver with unusually small head. Henry F. Bolesta, Tampa, Fla., Spalding cleek with wooden inset in face and old Spalding brassie. Richard D. Chapman, Osterville, Mass., orig­ inal putter used by Mr. Chapman in winning the 1940 Amateur Championship. Prentice-Hall, Inc., copy of 100 Handy Hints on How to Break 100. Saucon Valley Country Club, Bethlehem, Pa., photographs of “Golf House” interior and copies of framed sepias of USGA Amateur Champions. “Golf House” is being purchased and equipped by lovers of the game, and thus far more than $80,000 has been contrib­ uted toward the goal of $100,000, donated by 4,624 individuals, clubs and associa­ tions. Contributions of any amount are welcome. Following are Founders not pre­ viously recorded in the Journal. B G Mrs. J. V. Beam, Jr. David A. Graham, Jr. c Donald Frederick Clarke E Harlan M. Ellis Raymond W. Ellis F Joseph G. Feldman H Miss Beverly Hanson Ernest Hill L Pfc. Roger Larson Vance W. Liddell M Fred W. Matzie R Mrs. Ellis Randall Tommy D. Redmond Leonard L. Robinson Y Fred W. Young CLUBS Albany Country Club, N. Y. Augusta National Golf Club, Ga. (second contribution) Somerset Hills Country Club, N. J. Wykagyl Country Club, N. Y. 22 USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 THE REFEREE Decisions by the USGA Rules of Golf Committee Example of symbols: "No. 51-1" means the first decision issued in 1951. "R 7(3)'' means Section 3 of Rule 7 in the 1951 Rules of Golf. Balls Close Together in Bunker No. 51-6. D. 1; R. 11(4), 12(2, 4, 4e) Q. 1: There were four players, two against two, playing one match of two low balls and also a match of low ball. The ball of player A was in a sand trap and so was the ball of one of his opponents, D. A’s ball was 4% feet back of D’s. A used his putter in playing the shot; his ball struck D’s ball and knocked it out of the trap. (a) Does D have to place his ball back in the trap, or can he choose to play it where it came to rest? (b) Could A have had D’s ball lifted and marked before he made his shot? (c) Please explain the difference between Rule 12(4) and 12 (4e). A. 1: Although we are willing to answer inquiries regarding duly constituted matches, we must decline to rule on complicated com­ binations which the Rules do not recognize, as, for example, playing singles and four-ball matches simultaneously. The following answers pertain to a four-ball match (see Definition 1) : (a) D was obliged to replace his ball. See Rule 12 (4e). (b) A could have obliged D to lift or play his ball—see Rule 11(4). (c) Rule 12(4) applies to singles, three­ somes and foursomes (as defined in Definition 1). Rule 12 (4e) applies to three-ball, best-ball and four-ball matches. Striking Ball Twice Q. 2: Clarify Rule 12(2), Striking Ball Twice. Player in trap in playing 3 hit his ball twice, once in the sand and once in the air on his follow through. When his ball comes to rest, is he lying 4 or 5 counting the penalty? A. 2: Four. Questions by: Rudy Adams Porterville, Cal. Responsibility, Replacing Ball No. 51-9 Def. 1; R. 2(1, 5), 3(2), 10(5a) Q: During a mixed foursome event, all balls were on the putting green. The player away was about to putt, then asked that one of the balls in his approximate line be marked. The caddie laid a coin behind the ball and picked it up. The player then asked that the coin be moved away, also. This the caddie also did, moving the coin two spans sideways. Eventually it came time for the player to putt whose ball had been marked. Unknowingly this player placed his ball in front of the coin where it lay and putted out, requiring two putts to get the ball in the hole. Then one of his opponents claimed the player who had just holed out had incurred a penalty for not replacing the ball in its proper position before putting. Should the player be penalized when his ball had been marked by a caddie at the other player’s request? Should not the claiming player have been responsible for seeing the ball which he had asked to be marked be accurately returned to its original lie? Finally, if the ball was not replaced at its original lie, was it not out of play until so re­ stored? Even though the player had holed out through no error of his, could he not then have restored his ball to its proper lie and putted it in the hole without penalty? Question by: Harry Winters Inglewood, Cal. A: It apparently was a four-ball match, not a foursome. For distinction between four­ some and four-ball match, see Definition 1. It is a custom of the game for a ball to be lifted and marked only by the player or his side, including the side’s caddies. If a caddie for the player’s side marked the ball, even without the player’s knowledge, the player is not excused; it is up to the player to insure that his ball is replaced properly. The opponent has no responsibility in that connection. Rule 10(5a) provides: “When a ball is lifted and dropped or placed under the Rules, unless otherwise provided, it must be dropped or placed as near as possible to the place where it lay and must come to rest not nearer the hole.” Ball Hitting Another, Stroke Play 51-11 R. 12(4), 18 (Def.) Q. 1: In four-ball stroke play, A and B are partners, and C and D are partners. A’s ball is er, the green near the hole. C chips his ball and it strikes A’s ball, knocking it nearer the hole. Does A replace his ball in its original position, or let it stay where it was knocked to, or does he have a choice of either procedure? A. 1: Although the Rules of Golf do not provide for four-ball stroke play, it would be equitable to apply the usual stroke play Rules. Il the balls of C and A were on the putting green as defined in Rule 18, C incurred a penalty of two strokes. If C’s ball was not on the putting green, there was no penalty. In USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 23 either case, A’s ball had to be replaced im­ mediately. See Rule 12(4 c and d). Q. 2: Under the same conditions, what would the decision be in match play? A. 2: In four-ball match play, there would be no penalty and A’s ball would have to be replaced. See Rule 12 (4e) Questions by: Lewis W. Hood, Jr. Biloxi, Miss. Putting Out of Turn 52-12 R. 2(2), 18(8} Q. 1: A and B are playing a match in which the Nassau system of scoring is being used. They are playing stymies. A putts out of turn, B does not recall the putt. What is the penalty for A and B? A. 1: It depends upon the circumstances. Assuming there wTas no referee: (a) If both players were unaware of Rule 18(8) and played from the next tee before any claim was made, there was no penalty and the hole stands as played. (b) If the players agreed to exclude the operation of Rule 18(8), both disqualified them­ selves under Rule 2(2). (There is nothing in the question to indicate that any such agree­ ment existed). Q. 2: Would the penalty be the same if this breach of the rules occurred during the last nine holes of play? A. 2: Yes. Questions by: Mrs. M. F. Cunningham La Grange, III. Sand Is a Hazard 51-13. R. 17 (def.) Q.: My ball came to rest in what I considered light rough and I touched the ground or sand with my club. My opponent claimed the hole, insisting that it was a hazard, since it was a sandy area and such an area must be considered a hazard because, according to USGA, sand is a hazard. To further his argument, he insisted that Tommy Armour had ruled that all sand that lines the fairways of Florida must be con­ sidered hazards. I claimed that club officials must define such an area as a hazard before it must be played as a hazard, that a sweeping rule that makes all sand a hazard is unfair, particularly in Florida, where all fairways are lined with sandy rough or sandy bare wastes. A.: Sand is a hazard-see Rule 17 (Defini­ tion) . The rule exempts only “sand blown on to the grass or sprinkled on the course for its preservation.” It is a duty of the course authorities to de­ fine the hazards. Where sand prevails in great abundance, the local committee might be jus­ tified in adopting a local rule to provide that sand is a hazard only when within a bunker or other well-defined hazard. If that were done, the player still would be subject to the restric­ tions in Rule 7(1). Question by: Vincent Eldred West Palm Beach, Florida Ball on Green Moved by Another No. 51-11. R. 12(4), 18 (Def.) Q. 1: In four-ball stroke play, A and B are partners, and C and D are partners. A’s ball is on the green near the hole. C chips his ball and it strikes A’s ball, knocking it nearer the hole. Does A replace his ball in its original position, or let it stay where it was knocked to, or does he have a choice of either procedure? A. 1: Although the Rules of Golf do not provide for four-hall stroke play, it would be equitable to apply the usual stroke play Rules. If the balls of C and A were on the putting green as defined in Rule 18, C incurred a penal­ ty of two strokes. If C’s ball was not on the putting green, there was no penalty. In either case, A’s ball had to be replaced immediately. See Rule 12(4 c and d). Q. 2: Under the same conditions, what would the decision be in match play? A. 2: In four-ball match play, there would be no penalty and A’s ball would have to be replaced. See Rule 12 (4e). Questions by: Lewis W. Hood, Jr. Biloxi, Miss. Repairing Ball-Marks on Green No. 51-17. Et. 6; R. 7(7), 12(lb), 15(3), 17(2), 18(3, 4) Q. 1: Six years ago the tournament com­ mittee established a local rule which allowed players to remove their balls from divot holes (pit marks) on the clipped portion of the putt­ ing green and to place such balls immediately beside these holes before making their putts. Players were also allowed to reconstruct all divot holes which were in their line of roll with a tee. A few golfers have insisted that we have definitely violated the Rules of the USGA in putting this rule into effect. A. 1: The Rules of Golf do not permit a player to repair divot marks between his ball and the hole. Rule 18(3) and (4) prohibit a player from touching the line of putt, from placing a mark anywhere on the putting green, and from testing the putting surface by roughen­ ing or scraping it. Where the greenkeeping staff is not available to make frequent repairs as is done at USGA competitions, players should observe Section 6 of Etiquette, which provides that after the play of the hole is complete, the player should see that any ball hole made by him in the putting green is eradicated. Ball Striking Flagstick Removed Q. 2: My interpretation of Rule 7(7) is that a player loses a hole if he or his caddie has removed the fir g and laid it off the green and his opponent’s ball subsequently hits it. An op­ ponent might deliberately shoot for the flag in­ stead of the cup and if the flag is many feet off line it seems unfair to allow him to win a hole under these conditions. A. 2: Your interpretation of Rule 7(7) is correct. The USGA feels that no modification 24 USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 is necessary. The Rules of Golf are framed on the assumption that golfers play honestly. Ball Moving After Address Q. 3: In regard to Rule 12(lb), if a player addresses a ball and then walks away from it and the ball moves before he returns to re-ad- dress it, should he be penalized one stroke? A. 3: Rule 12(lb) is explicit and provides: “If a ball in play move after the player has addressed it, he shall be deemed to have caused it to move and the penalty shall be one stroke.” Ball Moved by Ball Outside Match Q. 4: A player has approached on to a green and his ball has come to rest. If a ball struck by another who is outside of the match hits his ball, does he play the ball from where it lies or should he replace his ball as near as is possible to where it originally lay? A. 4: If the lie of a ball at rest be altered by any outside agency except wind, the player shall place a ball as near as possible to the place where the ball originally lay, without penalty—see Rule 15(3). A ball outside of the match is an outside agency. Questions by: Dr. Milton Fenner Sacramento, Calif. Balls Exactly 6 Inches Apart No. 51-25. R. 18(7) Q.: Please wire stymie rule clarification. If balls are exactly six inches apart do you lift or putt? Question by: Horton Smith, Secretary PGA of America Oakmont, Pa. A.: If balls are exactly six inches apart, there is no relief under Rule 18(7). Balls must be within (repeat, within) six inches for Rule to operate. Smoothing Footprints in Hazard No. 51-24. R. 17(1), 2(1) Q.: Is there a penalty for a player who smooths out her footprints and does not get out of the hazard and when making next shot goes back to original lie? Question by: Mrs. Theodore J. Meindl Chicago, III. A.: The player loses the hole in match play or is penalized 2 strokes in stroke play—see Rules 17(1) and 2(1). Exception (e) in Rule 17 (1) does not apply here because the player has been assisted in subsequent play of the hole. Practice Before Match Play No. 51-26. R. 21-3 Q.: Is practice putting on green to be played in match competition legal on day of play, or does Rule 21 apply only to stroke play? Question by: Lt. Norman Butler, OFC Dayton, Ohio A: Rule 21 applies only to stroke play. STROKE AND DISTANCE (Continued from Page 16) judication because of the prevailing foliage and turf condition. Having arrived at the aforementioned pre­ mise, that the penalties should be the same, we analyzed the application of the less severe penalty of “distance only.” The two-year trial period by Great Britain produced some interest­ ing discrepancies, but the most convincing arguments came from experiences with the unplayable ball. There are many cases in which no penalty results. As an example, a player is 15 yards from the flagstick with a bunker intervening; he flubs his shot into the sand and it comes to rest either in a good or bad lie. If he feels inexpert in playing from sand, he merely declares the ball unplayable and drops it back on the turf. That he has lost distance is of no importance (at most, only a few yards), because the next shot in his mind is easier from the turf than from sand. As another example — a hole of 125 yards — the player’s tee shot strays into the woods, the ball lies well but the player is blocked out from the green, requiring another stroke before play to the green is possible. The opponent is helpless when the player elects to return to the tee for another try at the green. The result is again no penalty because the distance lost is immaterial. In the same case, the player may have played a provisional ball from the tee before going forward to ap­ praise the situation. If the provisional ball is played well and reaches the green for a pos­ sible one-putt, he would be quick to choose the latter. If the provisional ball comes to rest in a bunker, or other difficult lie, the player has the privilege of playing either the original or provisional ball depending upon which gives the greater advantage. These various alter­ natives result in severe inequity to an opponent or competitor. Under the “distance only” penalty, very seldom, if ever, would a “shanked” shot be played from where it comes to rest. Many more examples could be given to prove that discretionary privileges should be ac­ companied by severer penalties in order to dis­ courage a player from taking advantage of others — a privilege never intended under the Rules. I wish to assure you that every pro­ posal to the respective governing bodies by the conferees was made only after considera­ tion of all of the experience of the past and the foreseeable future effects upon play. Isaac B. Grainger Chairman, Rules of Golf Committee USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 25 Correspondence pertaining to Green Section matters should be addressed to: USGA Green Section, Room 331, Administration Building, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Md. TURF MANAGEMENT HINTS FOR AUGUST Compiled by the Green Section from Contributions from Co-operators in the National Co-ordinated Turf Program Watch for algae on poorly-drained turf areas where soil tends to be tight and compact. Open the soil by aerifying or forking to let air in. Dust the areas with hydrated lime, applied at about 2 pounds to 1,000 square feet. Use as little water as possible. August is a good time in many areas during which to fertilize tees and fairways with high-organic fertilizer. Thorough aerifying just prior to applying fertilizer (or lime) will get the material into the root zone, where it belongs and where it won’t wash away with the next heavy rain. Start now to prepare a weed-free plot of soil for a turf and grass nursery, if you don’t have one. By all means plant a plot of every new and promising disease­ resistant grass you can procure, to see if it is good for you. Until you try it you will never know for yourself. Have you talked with your extension entomologist recently about your insect problems? Remember that insect control is the first step in weed control. Turf which is damaged by insects can’t fight weeds. Turf Book Sales Good The USGA-sponsored book, TURF MANAGE­ MENT, by H. B. Musser, is finding a place with superintendents, green committee chairmen, ath­ letic field superintendents, home owners, and many other turf enthusiasts. Book sales have exceeded expectations and yet we find that many people who can use the book to excellent advantage do not have it or do not know about it. Landscape architects and landscape gardeners should have this book for reference because it refers intimately to every-day problems which these specialists encounter. Your local bookstore may have it but if not, you may send your order directly to: United States Golf Association, 40 East 38th Street, New York 16, N. Y. The price is $6.00, which should be included with the order. It is time to plan your fall program of crabgrass control, particularly to stop seed production. It is not necessary to achieve 100% kill of existing crabgrass plants so long as no seed is produced. At this time of year sodium arsenite and p. c. (potassium cyanate) are favored materials. Mechanical control of crabgrass is be­ coming more popular. Many superinten­ dents report no crabgrass problem since using flexible combs on fairway mowers. 26 USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 Will You Be Among Them This Year? Plan now io attend the 1951 National Turf Field Days at the Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Md„ October 7-9. This is the group that attended 1949 Field Days. In background is Administration Building, new home of Green Section offices. The use of the most disease-resistant grasses that are tolerant of close mowing is still the best way to control weeds and to have Better Turf. Aerifying wet soils to let air and mois­ ture out is a good use of this equipment. Keep spoons clean and keep hollow tines open for most effective results. Plugged equipment is inefficient. Cool-Season Grasses August is considered a good time to seed superior cool-season grasses into warm-season turf. If you must still use ordinary cool-season grasses it will be best to wait about another month. Fall renovation of unsatisfactory turf should begin in August. Sodium arsenite and thorough aerification are two basic considerations as well as the introduction of a better grass. Water control and occasional use of hydrated lime (2 pounds to 1,000 square feet) may be as effective as fungicides on putting green turf during hot, muggy spells in August. Stinkworms, if you have them, are most active in hot weather. Chlordane is a rec­ ommended material for their control. Notice how earthworm casts in fairway turf are pasted down when wet? Many times the turf is killed under the “but­ ton” and a bad lie results. Chlordane con­ trols earthworm casts for $10 to $12 an acre. Fall treatment of broadleaf weeds with 2, 4-D is good practice. Remember how we used to lose balls under plantain leaves ? Clover can’t stand repeated light doses of sodium arsenite, which also checks many insects. Endothal, a new chemical, is being tested for clover control and shows promise. Twenty years ago this July 4 past, a young man from Nebraska came to work for the Green Section as a student assis­ tant to start work on selective chemical weed control and to help edit The Bulletin of the USGA Green Section. His name is Fred V. Grau. 20 Years Ago Frequent light sprinkling is bad for lawns but good for crabgrass. Deep soak­ ing at maximum intervals is a sound prin­ ciple on any turf. A quotation, in part, from The Bulletin of the USGA Green Section, Vol. 11, No. 8, August, 1931, p. 154, “Moisture Re­ quirements of Grass ...” reads: USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 27 “Only a part of the rainfall can be used by plants. Some of it runs off the surface without entering the soil where roots may reach it. The loss through run-off is often considerable when a large amount of rain falls in a short time. A quick, hard, dashing rain has the effect of packing the soil at once, thus increasing the run-off, erosion, and loss of plant foods by washing, as well as removing valuable organic matter. A hard rain leaves the soil in such a condition that, upon exposure to a drying atmosphere, it bakes and cracks and causes water to be rapidly lost by evaporation, which is of much importance, especially in a hot, dry climate. A gentle slow rain causes no run­ off and consequently a greater part of it is absorbed into the soil and becomes available to plants.” Readers will notice that in no part of the entire article was aerification men­ tioned as one way to conserve rainfall. The article, in a large measure, was pre­ pared by Fred V. Grau. How times change I In The Bulletin of the USGA Green Section for August, 1931, F. E. Staebner, USDA Drainage Engineer, in his article, “Suggestions on Installation and Use of Fairway Sprinklers”, said: “Where fairway irrigation is undertaken, it is desirable that special labor be em­ ployed and the watering be so planned that when one spot gets watered it is thoroughly wetted. After that it should not be watered again for several days, as a general rule. A good watering about once a week should carry most turf through continuous drought in fine condition, except on the loosest of sandy soil or in the case of some special condition, such as a very thin soil directly over rock. Under such unfavorable conditions an irrigation once in three or four days is permissible; but whenever grass is being watered it should be given sufficient water to carry it to the next scheduled watering. The above rules may also be applied to the irrigation of putting greens and teeing grounds if begun on that basis in the spring of the year. It is quite possible, however, that the nature of the grasses usually used on putting greens and teeing areas may be a special watering problem. Because of their apparent inclination to a short root system, it may be necessary to shorten the period between applications to even less than three days, but every effort should be made to re­ duce the frequency of watering to a minim­ um, and to increase the quantity of water applied sufficiently to carry the growth to the next watering. Changing to the above method in the middle of the summer after training the grass roots to frequent scanty watering is likely to be harmful.” It is obvious that many of the lessons spoken in the past have been ignored or forgotten, or they were not heard or read in the first place. The August, 1932, issue of The Bulletin of the USGA Green Section was entitled, “Turf Diseases and Their Control.” This is virtually a collector’s item today. The Green Section still has a few copies left which are available to member clubs and to Green Section Service Subscribers at $1 a copy. Keep Members Happy Superintendents will do well to evaluate with care their Height of Cut in relation to play and satisfaction of members. Bet­ ter to cut close and have happy members than “cut high to save the grass” and have everyone sore at you. The adapted grasses don’t die when cut close for pleasurable golf. Excerpts from The Bulletin of the USGA Green Section, Vol. I. No. 8, Aug­ ust, 1921: “. . . Dr. W. S. Harban was the first golfer who went to the U. S. Department of Agri­ culture for technical assistance in regard to green turf problems. This was in 1906, when he first met Messrs. Piper and Oakley ...” “The committee pointed out that about $10,000,000 a year was being spent on the establishment and maintenance of turf by golf clubs, and it was believed that through ignorance half of the money was wasted.” We wonder what the figure would be today. “. . . the ravages of brown-patch disease on fine putting-green grasses . . . character­ ized as the most serious problem that con­ fronts the golf courses of the United States . . . The ideal thing is to find a grass which will make a good putting surface and that is immune to the disease. “There are numerous requests from golf clubs for visits to advise them in reference to their turf problems. At the present time such requests cannot be fulfilled, excepting as a member of the Committee may chance to be in the place. It would be highly desir­ able if the Green Section could afford the services of one or more competent specialists 28 USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 to travel and to assist golf clubs in reference to turf matters, but this is out of the ques­ tion until its revenues are far greater than at present . . . “Until the Green Section enrolls every golf club in the United States, it cannot exert its greatest influence. It is recognized that many of the clubs are poor financially, but even so we believe it will be true economy for them to join the Green Section. Mani­ festly we must make every reasonable effort to secure the enrollment of each golf club, for every one of them has something to teach the rest of us as well as much to learn.” Superior turf grasses are characterized by their ability: 1. To thrive under close mowing. 2. To be highly resistant to diseases. 3. To form the type of turf that makes the sport more enjoyable. 4. To provide excellent turf even when very dry. 5. To heal injuries rapidly. Other considerations might be listed but these are held to be of greatest im­ portance. Green Section Office Moves Reorganization and personnel shifts at the Plant Industry Station, together with a request by the Green Section for more office space, have resulted in a move during the week of July 4 from the South Building to the Administration Building. The new room number is 331, Adminis­ tration Building. The telephone number remains the same—Tower 6400, extension 277. Dr. Grau now has a private office instead of being crowded into one room with three others. His room is 331-A. Mrs. Drennan will receive callers in 331 and will handle all phone calls. Mr. Williams will be in 329, and Agronomists Wilson and Radko will occupy 327. We appreciate the additional room but we shall miss the close association with Forage Crops and Diseases, with whom we continue to co-operate closely, as in the past. We hope that our friends will come to see us in our new quarters. When you write, don’t worry about room num­ bers — just address us: USGA Green Section Plant Industry Station Beltsville, Md. BROWN PATCH OBSERVATIONS ON BENTGRASSES Abstract from Article by John B. Rowell, Plant Disease Reporter, May 15, 1951 Wounds produced by the frequent mow­ ing of bentgrass greens and the guttation drops produced on the tips of the grass blades are important factors in the de­ velopment of brownpatch (Rhizoctonia solani), according to research findings by Dr. Rowell at the Rhode Island Agricul­ tural Experiment Station. Critical greenhouse studies which in­ cluded inoculation with R. solani in a moisture chamber under favorable tem­ peratures (75° to 85° F.), showed severe brownpatch injury on the cut bentgrass while the uncut bentgrass remained rela­ tively free of infection. The fungus was observed to originate at the tip of the cut blade and progress downwards towards the center of the plant. Guttation drops appeared to be a second important factor in contributing to the rapid spread of brownpatch. These drops occur mainly when the roots absorb water rapidly and the rate of transpiration is reduced. Such conditions are pronounced during hot, humid weather, when the sky is overcast and wind movement virtually is non-existent. Under these favorable fac­ tors the guttation drops may persist throughout the daylight hours. The drops contain dissolved salts and organic mat­ erials which serve as an ideal cultural medium for development of the disease. All severe brownpatch infections observed in these studies occurred when the turf was moist with guttation drops. Golf course superintendents long have known that poling and hosing the greens in early morning are of definite value in USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 29 minimizing the development of disease. The protective action of these control measures readily can be explained by the dispersion and subsequent rapid drying of the moisture and nutrients of the gutta­ tion drops which no longer can give im­ petus to the spread of disease. Laboratory studies further indicated that brownpatch development during periods of excessive guttation complicated fungicidal control measures. This especial­ ly was the case with phenyl mercury com­ pounds which were inactivated by gluta­ thione, an ingredient present in guttation- al water. This inactivation would explain certain inconsistencies observed by super­ intendents and pathologists using phenyl mercury compounds to control brown­ patch. Practical Application of Above (Green Section Note) 1. Bent putting greens must be mowed. Sharp mowers which cut clean with a minimum of bruising and tearing should lessen the severity of a disease attack. 2. Hosing and poling to break-up “dew” and guttational drops are to be encouraged. Removal of this ideal cultural medium should lessen the development of disease. 3. Guttational drops should be removed by poling or hosing before treating with a fungicide. Guttational drops will lessen the effectiveness of a fungicidal applica­ tion. 4. Good air drainage and careful water management are all-important. Rapid transpiration is encouraged by air cir­ culation. In some instances this may call for limb or tree removal in pocketed areas. If excessive moisture is present in the greens under hot, humid conditions when there is little drying effect from the wind or sun, excessive guttation will oc­ cur and persist. NEW GREEN SECTION SERVICE SUBSCRIBERS Aggeler & Musser Seed Co., los Angeles, Calif. Dolge, C. B., Co., (The), Westport, Conn. COMING EVENTS August 7: Turf Field Day. Rutgers Uni­ versity, New Brunswick, N. J. Ralph E. Engel. August 20: Golf Association of Philadel­ phia and Philadelphia Association of Golf Course Superintendents at Ply­ mouth Country Club. Mrs. Ralph I. Raynor, 629 Chestnut Street, Room 303, Philadelphia 6, Pa. August 22-23: Twentieth Annual Green­ keepers' Field Days. University of Rhode Island, Kingston, R. I. J. A. DeFrance. August 27-31: American Society of Agron­ omy Annual Meeting. Pennsylvania State College, State College, Pa. L. G. Monihey, Madison, Wisconsin. September 5-7: Turf Field Days. The Pennsylvania State College and Turf Advisory Committee, State College, Pa. H. B. Musser. September 13: Green Section Committee Meeting, Saucon Valley Country Club, Bethlehem, Pa. September 10-11: Turf Field Days. Pur­ due University and Midwest Regional Turf Foundation. West Lafayette, Indiana. W. H. Daniel. October 7-9: National Turf Field Days. Beltsville Turf Gardens, Plant In­ dustry Station, Beltsville, Md. USGA Green Section, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and Mid-Ailantic As­ sociation of Golf Course Superintend­ ents, co-operating. Fred V. Grau. October 24-26: Turf Conference. Central Plains Turf Foundation and Kansas State College at Manhattan, Kansas. L. E. Lambert and Ray A. Keen. November 14: Fall Turf Meeting of the Southern California Turf Conference. University of California, Los Angeles, Cal. V. T. Sioutemyer. 19 5 2 January 8-9: Turf Conference. Mid- Ailantic Association of Golf Course Superintendents. Lord Baltimore Hotel, Baltimore, Md. E. N. Cory, University of Maryland. January 21-25: One-Week Course in Turf Management. Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N. J. Ralph E. Engel. February 18-21: Turf Conference. The Pennsylvania State College, State Col­ lege, Pa. H. B. Musser. March 3-6: Turf Conference. Midwest Regional Turf Foundation and Pur­ due University, West Lafayette, Ind. W. H. Daniel. 30 USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 1951 NATIONAL TURF FIELD DAYS October 7-8-9, Beltsville Turf Gardens, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Md. Plans are going forward to have in­ teresting features again at the 1951 Na­ tional Turf Field Days which again will be sponsored jointly by the USGA Green Section, the U. S. Department of Agri­ culture, B. P. I. S. & A. E., and the Mid­ Atlantic Association of Golf Course Super­ intendents. Full details are not available yet but the pattern of the 1950 program was so successful that we plan to repeat it. To meet the criticisms of those who com­ plained that the program was too long, we are trying to arrange it so that those individuals can get what they want on Monday, October 8. We hope that every­ one might come Sunday evening and stay until Tuesday noon. Sunday evening again will be devoted entirely to progress reports by research workers and graduate students. A discus­ sion of current problems requiring re­ search attention will be encouraged. The place of the Sunday evening meeting will be announced soon. Monday will be devoted to inspection of plot work at the Beltsville Turf Gardens and demonstrational work at a local golf course. It is expected that East Potomac Park Golf Course may be selected for a visit by virtue of the large number of in­ teresting plantings of new grasses and some new “Economy Features” which are being investigated. Public course oper­ ators should be particularly interested and there should be some items of interest for all types of courses. The dinner on Mon­ day evening will climax a full day of activity. We hope to see many green committee chairmen with their superintendents. Many clubs, of course, will send their superintendents with all expenses paid, as they have each year. This seems to us to be money wisely invested. Briefly, these are some of the features at Beltsville that visitors will see: Tests of 54 strains of red fescue at three heights of cut. Fertilizer trials on bluegrass turf. Zoysia grasses alone and in combination with cool-season grasses. Bentgrass trials with no fungicides and no artificial irrigation. New fairway show plots. Fairway renovation plots seeded with various mixtures, including Merion bluegrass. Crabgrass control trials. All visitors are asked to make their own reservations for rooms. Tourist cabins near the Plant Industry Station include: Del-Haven White House Cottages, Ber­ wyn, Md. (next door to the Plant In­ dustry Station). Canary Cottages, Beltsville, Md. Stewart Cottages, Beltsville, Md. Hotels downtown are your choice. Don’t delay too long in making reservations and be sure to request confirmation. — © — MERION BLUEGRASS Seed crop of Merion bluegrass not more than eight inches high, photographed at Beltsville Turf Gardens in June. The plot was seeded in late fall of 1948. For two years it was mowed as fairway turf, 1/2 to 34 inch, and was excellent as golf turf. Mowing was discontinued after seed heads began to show about May 1, and seed was cut June 15 with power scythe. Replicated small plots harvested for yield data indicated a potential of 500 pounds of seed to the acre. By July 1, turf was again mowed at about Vi inch and had not turned brown at any time. USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 31 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS O’ Where can I buy seed of Merion bluegrass ? (Kentucky). Merion bluegrass seed will be handled through regular trade channels. See your regular dealer first. If he can’t supply you write to us and we will furnish a list of seedsmen known to us who are near you. Also, you can consult Turf Re­ search Review and contact seedsmen who are listed among our Green Section Ser­ vice Subscribers. Q- What are some of the features of Kentucky 31 fescue which give it a better rating for turf than Alta fescue? (Ohio). A. Kentucky 31 fescue is more di­ sease-resistant. After several years under close mowing we find a denser turf and more plants per unit area on the Kentucky 31 plots. The turf is finer in texture and the leaves seem less harsh. When seed heads form in spring the Kentucky 31 needs less mowing because it is lower- growing. Will regular aerifying eliminate fairy rings? (Illinois). A. Regular aerifying may not eli­ minate the actual fairy ring but it tends to eliminate the effects. Fairy ring dam­ age is the result of desiccation (a 750 word for extreme drought). The fungus in the soil traps air and won’t let water in. Cultivation of the soil admits water and the drought is over. Q* Our firm is not active in handling turf supplies but we would like to support the work which the Green Section is do­ ing. Are we permitted to join your organ­ ization ? A. Any firm interested in Better Turf (for any purpose) may become a Green Section Service Subscriber. The fee is $35 a year (the same as an 18-hole golf club pays for a membership in the USGA). The yearly fee is split 70-30, for the Green Section’s Education Fund, and for the USGA General Fund, respectively. Our Education Fund is used to support co-operative research, to set up research grants, and to establish turf research fel­ lowships for the purpose of training more young men in this specialized field of agriculture. At the same time we develop needed facts. We work with a number of leading agriculture colleges throughout the country in this National Co-ordinated Turf Program. We welcome your firm into our official family. Q. How can we control chickweed in our fairways? The turf is a mixture of bents, Poa annua, some clover, and a little bluegrass. A. Two chemicals will control chick- weed with minimum damage to turf grasses. They are sodium arsenite and potassium cynate. Sodium arsenite has been used success­ fully for this purpose for about 20 years. The latest recommendation is to use it at one pound to the acre (equivalent if liquid is used) in from 50 to 100 gallons of water, with a good wetting agent. Use it only when soil is moist, when turf grasses are growing well, and when tem­ peratures are under 85° F. Potassium cyanate is marketed under about a dozen trade names. Follow manu­ facturers’ directions. Some formulations combine potassium cyanate and sodium arsenite and the mixture looks promising. Potasium cyanate has been in use for se­ lective crabgrass control and for chick- weed control for about four years. It is non-poisonous and it breaks down into fertilizer elements. Visitors Dr. Marvin H. Ferguson, Research Agronomist for the Green Section, now on leave with the Military Air Transport Service, spent a day with us recently. His visit was timed with the completion of our zoysia seed harvest (July 6). Dr. Ferguson studied the nutrition of Z-52 zoysia in relation to seed yields for his Ph.D. thesis at the University of Mary­ land. His findings now are being tested on a field scale. 32 USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 TALL FESCUE DID THE JOB Taylor Boyd at Camargo Country Club, Cincinnati, examines a steep bank be­ tween a bunker and putting surface which finally was stabilized with tall fescue after all other grasses tried on it had failed. Merion Bluegrass Seed Discussions with growers at the Amer­ ican Seed Trade Association’s convention in Cincinnati, June 18-20, indicate that the 1951 crop of Merion bluegrass seed may be approximately 100,000 pounds. This should be good news to USGA member clubs which can use this superior turf grass to advantage in tees, fair­ ways, and lawns. The price most likely will be at about the same level as last year. Those who wish to plant Merion bluegrass this fall are urged to place their orders at once because demand from the lawn trade is very heavy. Cost per pound is not the best way to evaluate Merion bluegrass. On the basis of cost per acre, Merion should cost about the same as common bluegrass. In order to accomplish this, one must give maximum attention to seed bed prepara­ tion and to fertilization. A number of fairways in the Philadel­ phia area have been seeded to Merion bluegrass at 22 pounds to the acre and the stand is considered successful. Some are using 44 pounds to the acre (1 pound to 1,000 square feet). The Green Section considered 22 pounds to the acre a fair rate of seeding under a good system of renovation. The rate of 44 pounds to the acre is considered to be the upper limit under any conditions. When planning to renovate and seed we urge consideration of the use of sodium arsenite, together with thorough cultiva­ tion and aerification. Under Beltsville conditions we have had consistent success in seeding after the use of the Aerifier with one-inch spoons. The use of sodium arsenite checks weeds and other grasses and gives the new seedlings a better chance. Consult your local turf author­ ities for details of treatments. Sulfur Scarce, Use Less Superphosphate Many turf areas have received super- phosphat in excess in years past. It is time now to take stock of your situation and determine how little superphosphate you can use and still maintain good turf. It has been proved that, where clip­ pings are not removed, there is only a slight loss of phosphorus each year on lawn and fairway turf. With sulfur a war-scarce material, superphosphate has become a critical fertilizer material. Perhaps your turf won’t need phosphorus this fall. Why don’t you check with your nearest soil-testing laboratory and help save sulfur? [Note: Please do not send soil samples to the Green Section for soil testing. We do not perform this service inasmuch as state experiment stations and commercial laboratories have been equipped to do the job so well. If in doubt, consult your county agent, who is your local representative for the state experiment station. Information on soil testing is one of the services which county agents conduct for all agricultural enterprises, including turf.] South African Turf Researcher Here Dr. Dudley Meredith, of the South African Explosives Company, Johannes­ burg, S. A., is visiting the United States and expects to inspect a number of lead­ ing turf research stations. He landed at Boston, June 28, on the S. S. Robin Ket­ tering and plans to spend a week in Washington, D. C., before starting across the country. USGA Journal and Turf Management: August, 1951 33 IT’S YOUR HONOR Amateur Supplies PGA Magazines TO THE: USGA: I noticed a rather plaintive plea in your July Journal asking if some good profes­ sional didn't have the October 1947 issue of the PGA magazine, all you needed to complete that set. I am not a good pro­ fessional, just a fair amateur, but here is the missing issue. I am glad to send it along so your files will be complete. It's a pleasure to be able to do something helpful for the USGA since for years all the help has been coming from your outfit to the players. JOHN DERR, CBS, New York, N. Y. — • — In Memory of L B. Icely TO THE USGA: At the request of Mrs. L. B. Icely I am enclosing her check payable to "Golf House." This is being sent you in memory of her late husband, Lawrence Blaine Icely, who during his lifetime so often referred to the fine work being done in the interests of the game of golf by the United States Golf Association. FRED J. BOWMAN, Wilson Sporting Goods Co. Chicago, III. Miss Hanson's Greatest Regret TO THE USGA: My biggest regret in leaving the amateur ranks was the prospect of having to tell you of the change in status. The USGA has meant more to me than I can possibly put into words and no matter what thrills, achievements and victories might be in store for me as a professional, nothing will ever match the dual honor last summer of having been named to the U. S. Curtis Cup Team and winning the USGA Championship — golf simply holds no greater thrills. Throughout my amateur career the USGA has guided me, helped me and advised me and for this I will always be grateful. Your suggestion to speed up my play is as much responsible for what success I have enjoyed in my competitive career, as any­ thing else. It was no easy decision to write finis to my amateur career but the motivating power behind that decision was the hope that I could perhaps do more for golf, which has been so good to and for me, as a profes­ sional than as an amateur. I doubt if I shall ever forget what Mr. Joseph C. Dey, Jr., told me via long distance when I called to tell you about it. It was: "It's all the same game, Bev, whether you're pro or amateur." I hope that as a professional I will always find it within my power to live up to the high ideals of the USGA. Somehow I've neglected for some time to send in a donation to "Golf House" but I would like to take care of that matter now and am accordingly enclosing a check. Also, I do most sincerely hope that you will not cease to ask me for future contributions to the USGA Journal as I've several ideas hopping around in my mind. Again let me thank the entire USGA for your many kindnesses in the past and with the hope that they will continue in the future. BEVERLY HANSON MacGregor Golf Co. Cincinnati, Ohio •—•—• TO THE USGA: I understand that some golfers have contributed one dollar for each year they have played golf, to complete your new home on East 38th Street in New York. I think this an excellent idea, and as golf has done much for me, I am following their example. My first game was played on Decoration Day, 1901, when I was 30 years old. We were playing the old gutta ball in those days. My young brother bought a set of clubs for me and showed me how to hold them. I had no other instruction and had not even hit a ball until I drove off the first tee. My score for the first round was 149, which I think was not too bad under the circumstances, and I still have the score for that round. I had my first golf lesson nine or ten years later from Donald Ross here in Pine­ hurst. I am still using a mashie which was in my first set of clubs. I might add that I break 90 sometimes. Hoping you will soon have the money to complete the house, STUART H. PATTERSON Pinehurst, N. C. Editor's Note: The USGA Journal invites comments on matters relating to the welfare of the game and will publish them as space permits.