AND TURF MANAGEMENT THE WINNING SMILE Julius Boros looks like a man who has swallowed a canary or won the Open Championship. At this moment he had won the Open and was addressing the gallery at the Northwood Club, Dallas, Texas, flanked at the presentation table by George F. Baldwin, chairman of the Northwood Club, and Totion P. Heffelfinger, President of the 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. V, No. 3 July, 1952 Through the Green .................................................................................... 1 Julius Boros and the Hidden Club..........................Joseph C. Dey, Jr. 5 New Pattern for the Open........... ............................................................ 7 “Golf House” Will Always Grow....................Edward S. Knapp, Jr. 8 Britain Wins the Curtis Cup.................... Mrs. Frank Goldthwaite 9 The Americas Cup Matches........................................................................ 11 Cocoa Finds Hundreds of Balls.................................. John P. English 12 Iron Shots ................................................................... Lloyd Mangrum 14 New Books ............................................................................................ 15 Junior Golf in Southern California......................Ralph W. Miller 16 The Professional Golfer Magazine................................ Wally Mund 20 The Referee: Decisions by the Rules of Golf Committees............ 21 Turf Management: USGA Green Section National Cooperative Turf Fungicide Trials Charles V. Wilson and Fred V. Grau 25 Report on Two Improved Grasses .......................................... Fred V. Grau 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: $2 a year. Single copies: 30c. Subscriptions, articles, photographs, and correspondence, except pertaining to Green Section matters, should be sent to the above address. Correspondence pertaining to Green Section matters should be addressed to USGA Green Section, Room 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 John P. English. Advisory Committee—John D. Ames, Chairman; Isaac B. Grainger, Curtis W. McGraw and Bernard H. Ridder, Jr. All articles voluntarily contributed. Printed in U. S. A. USGA COMPETITIONS FOR 1952 (Dates entries close mean last dates for Public Links Championship. For possible applications to reach USGA office, except in the case of the Amateur exceptions in dates of Sectional Qualifying Rounds, see entry forms.) Championship Amateur Public Links Junior Amateur Entries Close Closed Closed Sectional Qualifying Rounds Held July 8-15 Championship Dates Venue : July 5 .: July 7-12 Team: Indiv July 23-26 Amateur July 21 Aug. 4-5 Aug. 18-23 Girls' Junior Aug. 4 None Aug. 18-21 Women's Amateur Aug. 7 None Aug. 25-30 Miami Country Club, Miami, Fla. Yale G. C., New Haven, Conn. Seattle G. C., Seattle, Wash. Monterey Peninsula C. C., Pebble Beach, Cai Waverley C. C., Portland, Ore. USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 1 THROUGH THE GREEN Harvie Ward's Victory The British Amateur Championship has been won for the twelfth time, and the fifth time in the last six years, by an American, and the golfers of America are proud of Harvie Ward. More than forty Americans partici- Harvie Ward pated in the Championship at Prestwick, and the reports indicate that they com­ ported themselves not only with skill but with a good grace which can win more friends than victories can. In these times, that is extremely important. Three years have now passed since Max McCready won the Championship for Britain, in 1949, and Frank Strana­ han, Dick Chapman and Ward have fol­ lowed him in succession. Next year, the leading British ama­ teurs will visit this country for the Walker Cup Match at the Kittansett Club, in Marion, Mass., and several probably will compete in the Amateur Champion­ ship at the Oklahoma City Golf and Gnnntry Club. It wouldn’t diminish the interest in international golf one little bit if a Briton should take his revenge there and we wish them luck. No less noteworthy was Dick Chap­ man’s victory in the French Amateur Championship after he had lost his Brit­ ish title. Dick beat our own Champion, Billy Maxwell, in the final of the French Championship. To Contestants If you are eligible to compete in the Amateur Public Links Championship or if you subsequently became eligible to compete in the Junior Amateur or Ama­ teur Championships, take special note of the new deadlines for registering at the site of the Championship. All deadlines fall earlier this year. They are: Amateur Public Links: Friday, July 4, at 5 P.M. Junior Amateur: Monday, July 21, at 10 A.M. Amateur: Friday, August 15, at 5 P.M. Every player who is eligible to com­ pete must register at the site of the Championship not later than these times or inform the USGA Executive Secretary, at the site, of a later time of arrival. If he fails to do so, his place in the field may be forfeited and reassigned. Any qualifier who finds he will be unable to compete should notify the USGA of that fact as quickly as possible. The deadlines are established in fair­ ness to alternates who desire to play and who can do so if an eligible player with­ draws and if they are informed by the USGA of the withdrawal in time to reach the site of the Championship. The St. Andrews Scholarship When Francis Ouimet was chosen Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf 2 USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 Club of St. Andrews, Scotland, the Mas­ sachusetts Golf Association immediately cast about for a suitable means of ac­ knowledging the honor. The Association recognized that the Captain would not be particularly receptive to any kind of public demonstration, so it decided to award in his honor a year’s scholarship at a Massachusetts college or university to a student selected by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club ap­ proved the plan and has selected Colin K. Campbell, whose father is professional at the Wethersfield Country Club, in Wethersfield, Conn., to receive the scholarship. Campbell will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology during the coming school year to seek a master’s degree in electronics engineer­ ing. He previously attended MIT during the summer of 1951 and has been em­ ployed by the United Nations in New York. The St. Andrews Scholarship is in ad­ dition to the scholarships provided by the MG A through the Francis Ouimet Caddie Scholarship Fund, which is now in its fourth year. During the first three years of operation, scholarships totaling $16,655 have been awarded to forty-six young men, and twenty-eight boys won scholarships through open competition among caddies last year alone. Thirteen of these attended Boston College, four Holy Cross and the others selected Har­ vard, MIT, Bowdoin, Tufts, Bates, North­ eastern, Massachusetts, St. Anselm and St. Clements. Golf Illustrated Says: “What a pleasure it was to see Mr. Francis Ouimet at Sunningdale playing for the Royal and Ancient Golf Club against the Artisans, and what a fine tri­ bute to the latter body. The Great Man of Golf has proved he is no figurehead at St. Andrews, and his tenure of office has without doubt firmly cemented Anglo- American golf friendship. That has never been greater than it is today, and Francis Ouimet has played an important part in this pleasant state of affairs.” Girls' Junior Championship In order to permit contestants in the Girls’ Junior Championship to compete in the Women’s Amateur Championship the following week, the plan of play has been slightly modified in that the final will be held one day earlier than origin­ ally scheduled. The qualifying round will be played on Monday, August 18, as originally sched­ uled, at the Monterey Peninsula Country Club, in Pebble Beach, Cal. However, both the second and semi-final rounds will take place on Wednesday, August 20, so that the final can be played on Thurs­ day, August 21. According to the original plan, only one round was to have been played on each day, and the final would have been held on Friday, August 22. The Women’s Amateur Championship will start on Monday, August 25, at the Waverley Country Club, in Portland, Ore. The Real Danger In the course of a fanning bee, some­ one asked Jimmy Thomson how long a particular hole was. “I never worry about how long they are,” Jimmy quipped. “I just worry about how wide they are.” Another Voice One of our pleasures is helping people with their problems, and on occasions we have the added pleasure of incidentally helping people with non-golfing problems. Lawn problems, for instance. Pageant magazine takes note of this in an article in its July issue by Murray Teigh Bloom entitled “Only Amateurs Have Lawn Trouble.” Mr. Bloom points out that: “The most neglected, swindled and flim-flammed Americans are some 15,000, 000 families —including my own— who have ventured into a peculiar kind of farming business. Between us we have nearly 2,000,000 cultivated acres on which we spend about 2T/2 billion dollars every year on seed, fertilizer, miracle machines, wonder gadgets and how-to books. “In our innocence it has never occurred USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 3 to us to ask Uncle Sam to guarantee our crop, pay us for plowing under some of our split-acreage, advance loans on grow­ ing plants or give us tariff protection. “As a result the federal government spends less on research on our basic crop than it probably does on the mating hab­ its of frogs and grasshoppers . . . “A country that produced TV, the atom bomb and the safety razor surely can produce a strong, permanent grass. But who’s trying? “Fortunately for us some smart people are trying. “America’s golf-course superintendents must have good turf for their fairways. From the vast experience and research data accumulated by the Green Section of the United States Golf Association, the 15,000,000 American lawn growers can now gain the full, honest facts of lawn- life. And thanks to the efforts of Dr. Fred V. Grau, director of the Green Section, and a few other bold, diligent turf re­ searchers all over the country, we now have two of the most important and hardiest grasses ever developed in the U.S. for lawn use, Merion bluegrass and Meyer zoysia . . . Grau doesn’t get any subsidy from the federal government to do his turf research work. In fact, the United States Golf Association pays sev­ eral thousands a year for its use of gov­ ernment facilities at Beltsville.” E. B. Leisenring Passes We record with much regret the pass­ ing of Edward B. Leisenring, of Phila­ delphia. Mr. Leisenring was a member of the USGA Executive Committee from 1944 through 1948 and served variously as Chairman of the Rules of Golf Commit­ tee and Chairman of the Amateur Status and Conduct Committee. Under Mr. Leisenring’s chairmanship, the Rules were completely revised after the war and a new USGA code was pub­ lished in 1947. Mr. Leisenring had been active in Pennsylvania golf affairs, having served as President of the Pennsylvania Golf Association. James B. Thomas Golf has lost a good friend in the passing of James B. Thomas, of Elm­ hurst, N. Y. Mr. Thomas was for many years As­ sistant Secretary of the United States Seniors’ Golf Association. A Word from Thackeray James W. Walker, of the USGA Executive Committee, is a man of many interests, and one of them is uncovering passages appropriate to golf in the works of the literary masters. At the bon voyage luncheon for the Curtis Cup Team last spring, he read this passage from “The End of the Play,” by 1’hackeray, and the advice remains valid: Come wealth or want, come good or ill, Let young and old accept their part, And bow before the Awful Will, And bear it with an honest heart. Who misses or who wins the prize Go, lose or conquer as you can; But if you fail, or if you rise, Be each, pray God, a gentleman! The Partner Overheard in the locker room: “You’re always talking about your good shots, but I have to live with your bad ones!” Bermuda vs. America There was a quiet little international competition in our part of the country recently, in the best tradition of the game. A team of eight Bermuda golfers, including Lt. Gen. Sir Alexander Hood, G.B.E., K.C.B., the Governor, visited at the invitation of Erwin S. Barrie, of Greenwich, Conn., the golfer and painter, and engaged an informal American team in a three-day match at the Pine Valley Golf Club and the Greenwich Country Club. The Americans won, 20 to 16, and promptly were invited to return the visit in the autumn. Detroifs Annual Report The Green Section Report in the 1951 Annual Report of the Detroit District Golf Association is worth anyone’s time 4 USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 to study, especially if there is interest in what goes on in golf-course maintenance. This report is the result of a survey among 39 member clubs, 21 of which replied to such questions as: What kind of fer­ tilizer do you use? Results from sodium arsenite? How often do you aerify? How often do you mow? What type of research are you doing? Will your club cooperate with USGA, DDGA or State College? The Secretary of DDGA is Burt R. Shurly, Jr., 44 Michigan Avenue, Detroit 26, Mich. Roy Munger Roy Munger would have thoroughly enjoyed the Open Championship. Father of Jack R. Munger, one of the Northwood Club officials who made the competition the success it was, Roy Munger was him­ self a long-time patron of sports, and particularly of golf, in Dallas. He loved golf because it is a sportsman’s game, and he himself was a true sportsman who will live long in memory. Business Side of Golf Golf continues to be the big business of the athletic goods industry, according to the Census Report for the 1951 Year com­ piled by Ernst & Ernst for the Athletic Goods Manufacturers Association. The factory selling price, including excise tax, of all golf equipment sold was $46,971,306, or approximately 40 per cent of all athletic goods sold. Baseball and softball equipment was the second- largest item, at $26,067,383, and athletic shoes, presumably including golf shoes, was third, at $12,103,461. The principal sales category in golf equipment was golf clubs. Manufacturers sold 4,030,331 clubs for $24,008,575, and 2,920,340 dozen balls for $18,356,346. Five Years of "Golf World" Bob Harlow’s weekly news magazine, Golf World, celebrated its fifth birth­ day during the Open Championship by distributing Volume 6, Number 1 on June 13, and we wish at this point to pay proper respect to our elders. This USGA Journal, you see, comes toddling along with Volume 5, Number 3. It is very easy to pay respect to Golf World, for its coverage of the news as­ pects of the game is without parallel and the editor has given to it, in addition, the homey quality of a country weekly which circulates among friends. We con­ gratulate Bob Harlow on the success he has earned and achieved, and we con­ gratulate, too, his nearly 9,000 sub­ scribers for their continued support of a good thing. USGA OFFICERS, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN PRESIDENT: Totton P. Heffelfinger, Minneapolis, Minn. VICE-PRESIDENT: Isaac B. Grainger, New York, N. Y. VICE-PRESIDENT: Richard S. Tufts, Pinehurst, N. C. SECRETARY: John D. Ames, Chicago, III. TREASURER: James W. Walker, New York, N. Y. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The above officers and: J. Frederi': Byers, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa. William P. Castleman, Jr., Dallas, Texas John G. Clock, Long Beach, Cal. Frederick L. Dold, Wichita, Kansas John W. Fischer, Cincinnati, Ohio T. R. Garlington, Atlanta, Ga. Charles B. Grace, Philadelphia, Pa. Lewis A. Lapham, New York, N. Y. Charles L. Peirson, Boston, Mass. Corydon Wagner, Tacoma, Wash. Fraser M. Horn, New York, N. Y. GENERAL COUNSEL COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN RULES OF GOLF: Isaac B. Grainger, New York, N. Y. CHAMPIONSHIP: John D. Ames, Chicago, III. AMATEUR STATUS AND CONDUCT: James W. Walker, New York, N. Y. IMPLEMENTS AND BALL: Charles B. Grace, Phila­ delphia, Pa. MEMBERSHIP: Lewis A. Lapham, New York, N. Y. GREEN SECTION: Richard S. Tufts, Pinehurst, N. C. WOMEN'S: Mrs. Frank Goldthwaite, Fort Worth, Texas SECTIONAL AFFAIRS: Charles L. Peirson, Boston, Mass. PUBLIC LINKS: Frederick L. Dold, Wichita, Kansas HANDICAP: William O. Blaney, Boston, Mass. JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: Richard S. Tufts, Pine­ hurst, N. C. GIRLS' JUNIOR: Mrs. William R. Millar, Los An­ geles, Cal. MUSEUM: James W. Walker, New York, N. Y. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: Charles W. Little­ field, New York, N. Y. PUBLIC RELATIONS: John D. Ames, Chicago, III. "GOLF HOUSE" FUND: Daniel A. Freeman, Jr., New York, N. Y. USGA Journal and Turf Management: July. 1952 5 Julius Boros and the Hidden Club By JOSEPH C. DEY, JR. USGA Executive Secretary There is a hidden club, a fifteenth club, which every tournament golfer must carry if he is to last more than nine holes. He must have Hope in his heart—Hope with which to beat back the dark forces of discouragement, and to open the way to all good possibilities. Watching the great players in the Open Championship last month, you were im­ pressed with the importance of a hopeful attitude. You knew, and they knew, that only one of them could win. But they knew that almost any one of their number could strike a hot streak that would bring him home the winner. They worked on that theory of expecting the best right down to the finish. There was, for example, Julius Boros. Three years ago he was an accountant, an amateur golfer. Here he was now, a rising professional, in fourth place after the first 36 holes of the USGA’s 52nd Open Championship at the Northwood Club in Dallas, Texas. His score of 142 left him four strokes behind Ben Hogan, the greatest player of his day. Little Ben had had two 69s in the first two rounds to tie Sam Snead’s all-time record of 138 up to that point. Julius Boros had that hidden club — that weapon of Hope — and he played many a shot with it throughout the last 36 holes. Even when he hit a ball out of bounds on the eighth hole of the third round, his two-over-par 6 did not sink him. He actually finished that round in 68 (only one other 68 was made in the tournament). He actually picked up six strokes on Hogan, who took 74. That left Boros two strokes ahead of Hogan with 18 holes to go, and Boros clinched it with a 71 in the final round while Hogan was taking another 74. But you felt that Hogan, too, was very much in it, in defense of his title, even when there seemed little logical reason to hope. He started his last round by three- putting, and he did it twice again; more­ over, he hit a ball disastrously out of bounds. Yet even with just six holes to go you sensed that he felt he had a bit of a chance, because you remembered how he played the last nine at Oakland Hills in 32 the year before. The great little Cham­ pion made a doughty defense even though he did not have his touch that day. He putted for eagles on both the 13th and 14th, driving the green of the par-4 13th. To be sure, he missed both; but, to be sure, he was ever hopeful. Hogan and Oliver And there was Ed Oliver, Hogan’s playing companion on the final day. He swung that club of Hope right down to the last putt—and on the last putt he holed out from the back edge of the 72nd green, nosed out Hogan for second place, and won $1,500 more than he would have won if he had finished third. The point is this: You can learn a lot from the great tournament players, not just in the execution of strokes but in the workings of the spirit. Golf, like life, can easily be discouraging if we let it. Con­ versely, it can be a means of bringing out the best in human character. If all of us in our affairs were guided by Hope to the same degree as the tour­ nament golfer, we’d have fewer failures in those affairs. Julius Boros, the new Open Champion, is 32 years old and turned professional in December, 1949. Before that he was a strong contender for the Amateur Championship, reaching the fifth round in 1948 and the quarter-finals in 1949. On his first venture in the Open as a pro, he finished ninth in 1950; last year he tied for fourth. His 281 at Northwood gave him a four- stroke margin over Oliver — the largest 6 USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 winning margin since 1938, when Ralph Guldahl won by six strokes. Boros is a native of Fairfield, Conn., and is professional to the Mid Pines Club, Southern Pines, N. C. He lost his wife after childbirth last September, and he is the father of a boy. Much of the interest in the tournament centered in Ben Hogan’s attempt to win his fourth Open—a feat which only Wil­ lie Anderson and Bob Jones have achieved. When Ben played his first two rounds in 69-69—138 to tie the 36-hole record set by Sam Snead in 1948, it cer­ tainly looked as if it were his tourna­ ment. Will Hogan ever tie the Anderson- Jones record? Hogan today is 39 years old; Jones was 28 when he retired. Hogan plays comparatively little competitive golf now. Ben Hogan has consummate skill. He can control a golf ball perhaps as well as anyone ever could in the long history of the game. He is not only one of the great players of all time but he has great char­ acter—a thoroughgoing sportsman and gentleman. All this makes it appear entirely pos- Hole Yards BOROS' 281 Par 4 5 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 4th 3 6 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 — — — — — — — 35 Out Ist 2nd 4 5 5 4 3 4 4 5 3 3rd 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 6 3 365 577 435 450 153 448 420 445 220 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 4 5 5 4 2 5 4 4 3 3,513 37 35 35 36 4 3 3 3 5 4 3 5 4 4 4 3 4 5 4 3 4 4 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 394 440 200 347 483 408 210 377 410 4 4 5 4 4 4 3 4 4 — — — — — — — 36 — — — — — — — 71 Total 6,782 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 5 4 4 4 3 3 4 4 3 4 4 3,269 In 34 35 33 35 70 68 71 71 James G. Jackson, of the Greenbriar Hills Country Club, Kirkwood, Mo., the leading amateur, and Julius Boros, of the Mid Pines Club, Southern Pines, N. C., the Champion, hold the Open Championship Cup. Jackson scored 296 and tied for nineteenth place. Boros scored 281 to win. sible for Ben Hogan to win the Open again, and perhaps yet again. Ed Oliver was particularly pleased to finish second. He had started the last two rounds five strokes behind Hogan but, with 70-72, finished one ahead of Ben. It was a hand-to-hand duel, for they were playing companions. And never did two companions get along so well together. 68 70 74 73 75 76 71 72 69 68 69 74 Julius Boros Ed Oliver Ben Hogan Johnny Bulla George Fazio Dick Metz Here is how the leaders finished: 71 71 69 73 71 70 71—281 72—285 74—286 73—287 75—290 71—291 Northwood and Dallas did themselves proud in entertaining the Open. North­ wood’s organization was superlative, thanks largely to the direction of George F. Baldwin, General Chairman. The gal­ leries were large and appreciative. USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 7 New Pattern for the Open In an effort to reduce the premium on qualifiers’ places in the USGA Open Championship, the form of qualifying will be changed next year. There were 1,692 entrants for the Championship recently concluded at the Northwood Club, in Dallas, Texas, and of these 28 were players exempt from sectional qualifying by reason of previous performances. As a result, 1,664 players had to compete for 134 places in the Championship proper, and only one player of every twelve could qualify. This ratio is considered unduly re­ strictive. Therefore, next year, after the usual 36-hole sectional qualifying rounds, 300 players will be qualified, instead of 162. The present exemptions from sec­ tional qualifying will be continued; that is, former Open Champions, the 1952 Amateur, PGA, British Open and British Amateur Champions and the 20 low scorers and those tied for twentieth place in the 1952 Open. All of these 300 players, except the defending Champion, Julius Boros, will play another 36-hole Championship quali­ fying competition of one round each at the Oakmont Country Club and the Pitts­ burgh Field Club, on Tuesday and Wed­ nesday, June 9 and 10, the two days im­ mediately preceding the Championship proper. Out of this Championship qualifying competition, 149 players, plus the defend­ ing Champion, will qualify for the Cham­ pionship proper at the Oakmont Country Club, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Tune 11, 12 and 13. The Championship proper will be con- icted as in recent years, with one ound each on Thursday and Friday and, or the 50 low scorers and those tied for 50th place, two rounds on Saturday. Prize money for professionals will be increased from approximately $15,000 to approximately $20,000. The USGA Executive Committee con­ siders that this new form is the most likely means of making more qualifiers’ places available to the various sections of the country and that it also will stimulate among potential entrants an increased interest in the Championship. Prior to the final decision, the views of various individuals and groups, partic­ ularly former Champions and officers of the PGA, were requested, and the re­ action was generally favorable. The new form is for a trial in 1953 and is not necessarily permanent. The real test will come in the playing. The 1954 Open Championship is sched­ uled for the Baltusrol Golf Club, Spring­ field, N. J. Baltusrol has two courses which could be used if the 1953 trial is a success. The Ills of Golf Oh, the Ills of Golf Are the Bills of Golf, And that's where the trouble lies. We've invented so much that the costs of the game Are up to the blessed skies. Fourteen little magic wands At forty quid to start, A tenner for a little bag, Then one for a caddie-cart. Cannot the Powers who rule this game Pity our penurious flurry, Send manna from heaven, And cut down to seven, The numbers of clubs we may carry? Gone in a flash Are our worries of cash, Lesser the load on our backs; Gone are a’l caddies and numerous trolleys, Which cut up the greens with their tracks. For the Ills of Golf Are the Bills of Golf, And nothing will turn this to fiction, Till the Powers that be Take pity on we And bring in the seven-dub restriction. Col. C. P. S. Denholm-Young Golf Illustrated, March 6, 1952 8 USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 “Golf House” Will Always Grow By EDWARD S. KNAPP, JR. USGA Executive Assistant “Golf House” is far from being merely the new headquarters in New York of the United States Golf Association. As most USGA Journal readers know, it also houses a fine museum of golf relics, an outstanding golf library and an interest­ ing photograph gallery which is now be­ ginning to take shape on the third floor. As long as the game of golf continues to provide pleasure for millions of persons all over the world, “Golf House” will not be complete. It will continue to grow with the game. Duffers and spectators as well as cham­ pions and near champions are constantly visiting us. Our guest register, which all visitors are invited to sign, contains the signatures of at least 21 winners of USGA or British Championships. The British 1951 Ryder Cup Team visited in a body during the autumn of 1951. The 1951 USGA Walker Cup Team and the 1952 Curtis Cup Team have done likewise. In all, we treasure the autographs of visitors from 30 states, 11 foreign countries and the District of Columbia. Our Guest Book Recent individual signers have in­ cluded Harry M. Braid, son of Jim Braid, a five-time winner of the British Open; H. Raymond Oppenheimer, Cap­ tain of the 1951 British Walker Cup Team; Beverly Hanson, 1950 Women’s Amateur Champion and now a profes­ sional; Findlay S. Douglas, 1898 Ama­ teur Champion and 1929-1930 President of USGA; Allan MacBeth, Captain of the 1951 British Seniors’ Team; Jess W. Sweetser, 1922 Amateur Champion and 1926 British Amateur Champion; Robert Trent Jones, the golf-course architect; Mrs. Helen B. Stetson, 1926 Women’s Amateur Champion; C. Ross Somerville, 1932 Amateur Champion, and Miss Mar­ garet Curtis, Women’s Amateur Cham­ pion in 1907, 1911 and 1912 and co­ donor of the Curtis Cup. A day at “Golf House” is not without its amusing episodes. For instance, not long ago, a young man wearing a pork­ pie hat came up to the library and asked the writer for instruction books or articles on how to cure “the shanks,” a golfer s most dreaded disease. Five hours later, he was still in the library, still wearing the pork-pie hat, with his nose deep in a dissertation on short iron shots by J. H. Taylor! The Caddie's View Or again, take the case of the man who came in to install some new marble work in a mantel piece on the third floor. In conversation, he mentioned that he had once caddied for Bobby Jones and naturally thought Bobby was, is and al- wa s would be the world’s greatest golfer. Further conversation, however, elicited the information that his opinion of a golfer’s ability varied in direct propor­ tion with the size of his tip! Most women were small tippers, he said, hence in­ ferior golfers. Space restrictions prohibit giving a complete listing of all the items of in­ terest in “Golf House.” They have, how­ ever, been donated by friends of golf all over the world. In addition to these many gifts, cash contributions now total $85,545.79 out of the $105,000 necessary to complete the project. Since the June issue of the USGA Journal, the follow­ ing have become Founders of “Golf House” and their gifts are gratefully ack­ nowledged: Dr. C. M. Barnwet W. Albert He'zmarm, Jr. Keith Kallio H. A. (Dick) S'oan Bill Strausbaugh, Jr. Mrs. Sanford A. Wolf USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 9 Britain Wins the Curtis Cup By MRS. FRANK GOLDTHWAITE Captain, USGA Curtis Cup Team, 1952 June 7, 1952, will be a date to remem­ ber for the British Curtis Cup Team, for it broke through to win the Cup for the first time in 20 years, and it was a well deserved victory. With one exception, it was the same British team that played the Americans at the Country Club of Buffalo in 1950. The exception was a Scottish girl, Miss Moira Paterson, the new British Champion. The Captain, Lady Katherine Cairns, did a fine job in pairing the girls for the four­ somes, and it was evident that a lot of thought and work were behind their play. The American girls never could get go­ ing in the form they had displayed in practice rounds at Muirfield. The weather was something to remember, for a gale blew on both days of play. The Muirfield course was a wonderful test of golf, with rough weather added. The fairways are unusually narrow, and 200 bunkers are placed to catch any drive or second shot that is the least bit off line. One bunker on the seventeenth hole is 12 feet deep. The greens are very large, compared The 1952 USGA Curtis Cup Team posed in "Golf House" with the trophy which later passed to the British at Muirfield, Scotland. From the left. Miss Patricia O'Sulli­ van, Miss Dorothy Kirby, Miss Polly Riley, Miss Marjorie Lindsay, Mrs. Frank Gold- thwaite, the non-playing Captain; Miss Mae Murray, Miss Claire Doran and Miss Grace DeMoss. 10 USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 with American greens, and twice as fast. There was one bright spot on the Amer­ ican team: Miss Claire Doran was the only girl to win both foursome and sin­ gles matches. Claire teamed with Miss Marjorie Lindsay in foursomes and de­ feated Miss Philomena Garvey in singles. In the foursomes Miss Dorothy Kirby and Miss Grace DeMoss lost, 3 and 2, to Miss Jean Donald and Miss Elizabeth Price, who gave a wonderful display of foursome golf. Miss Polly Riley and Miss Pat O’Sullivan had a tight match against Miss Philomena Garvey and Miss Moira Paterson but lost, 2 and 1. The singles were played under the same weather conditions, and Miss Kirby beat Miss Donald, 1 up, after having been 5 down at the 25th hole. Miss Lindsay lost to Miss Frances Stephens, 2 and 1, after having been even at the 18th hole. Miss Riley played the best golf of the day to beat Miss Paterson, 6 and 4. Miss Mae Murray lost to Miss Jeanne Bisgood, 6 and 5, and Miss DeMoss was beaten by Miss Price, 3 and 2. Miss Murray played beautifully in the British Women’s Championship at Troon and surpassed us all by going to the semi­ final round before she was beaten by Miss Stephens, 5 and 3. Miss Stephens even­ tually succumbed to Miss Paterson on the 38th hole of the final, after having twice been 5 up. On her way, Miss Murray defeated Miss Garvey and Miss Bisgood, both members of the British Team. Miss Mur­ ray, in fact, had been beaten by Miss Bisgood in the Cup play, but had the pleasure of turning the-tables, at the 19th hole, in the quarter-finals. Both Miss Doran and Miss Riley reached the fourth round before they were eliminated, by Miss Paterson and Miss Bisgood, re­ spectively. The American Team has no alibi. We were just outplayed this time. We will be ready for them in 1954. In the meantime, we hope that the words of Miss Enid Wilson, a member of the British Team in 1932, fairly reflect British feelings about the Match. She wrote: “First and foremost, your Team won the hearts of all the people who have been fortunate enough to meet them, and it would have been impossible to imagine a happier atmosphere than that which pre­ vailed at Greywalls, where the two Teams were staying. “Muirfield and the weather were the contributing factors in the defeat of your side, and to them must be added the superb captaincy of Lady Katherine Cairns, who got our girls onto the first tee cool, calm and collected, a feat that has never been achieved before.” British Isles FOURSOMES Pts. United States Pts. Miss Jean Donald and Miss Elizabeth Price (3 and 2) Miss Frances Stephens and Mrs. George Valentine Miss Moira Paterson and Miss Philomena Garvey (2 and 1) Total Miss Jean Donald Miss Frances Stephens (2 and 1) Miss Moira Paterson Miss Jeanne Bisgood (6 and 5) Miss Philomena Garvey Miss Elizabeth Price (3 and 2) Total Grand Total Captain—Lady Katherine Cairns Reserve—Mrs. P. J. McCann 1 0 1 2 SINGLES 0 1 0 1 0 1 ~3 5 Miss Dorothy Kirby and Miss Grace DeMoss Miss Claire Doran and Miss Marjorie Lindsay (6 and 4) Miss Polly Riley and Miss Patricia O’Sullivan Miss Dorothy Kirby (1 up) Miss Marjorie Lindsay Miss Polly Riley (6 and 4) Miss Mae Murray Miss Claire Doran (3 and 2) Miss Grace DeMoss Captain—Mrs. Frank Goldthwaite 0 1 0 T" 1 0 1 0 1 0 3~ 4. USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 11 The Americas Cup Matches A new series of international amateur team matches will be inaugurated at the Seattle Golf Club, in Seattle, Wash., on August 14 and 15, prior to the Amateui Championship. Seven-man teams repre­ senting the Royal Canadian Golf Asso­ ciation, the Asociacion Mexicana de Golf and the USGA will compete there in the first Match for The Americas Cup. The formal Match is an outgrowth of the informal competition between teams representing the RCGA and the USGA at the Saucon Valley Country Club, in Beth­ lehem, Pa, last year and of the interest of the Western Golf Association in Mexi­ can golf. The permanent trophy, called The Americas Cup, has been kindly donated by Mr. Jerome P. Bowes, Jr, of Chicago, a recent President of the Western Golf Association. It will be competed for biennially, and the competition will be rotated among the three countries accord­ ing to a rota which will be fixed at Seat­ tle in the course of the first Match. Dates will be fixed by the country entertaining the competition in the week preceding its own Amateur Championship, and all team personnel will be exempt from any sec­ tional qualifying system for that Cham­ pionship. It is hoped that the series will foster friendship and sportsmanship in the three countries and also stimulate golf in Canada and Mexico. This year, then, is a most auspicious one in which to initiate the series. Not only are the players ex­ pected to take part in our Amateur Championship, but also it is expected that many will play in the Canadian Amateur Championship at the Capilano Club, in Vancouver, B. C., during the following week, August 25 through 30. The inter­ national flavor will be a healthy thing for both Chamionships. Each team match will occupy two days. On the first day, there will be three 36- hole “sixsome” matches, in each of which each Association will be represented by two players playing alternate strokes and competing simultaneously against the other two sides. On the second day, there will be six three-ball matches, in each of which each Association will be repre­ sented by one player competing simul­ taneously against the other two. Each match will be played to a conclusion, over extra holes if necessary. Each match won will be scored as one point, and the Team with the largest total of points will be the winner. In the event of a Team tie, however, there will be no play-off, and the Associations concerned will share cus­ tody of The Americas Cup. The personnel who will take part in the first Match will be selected and an­ nounced in the near future. Since these Matches for The Americas Cup will take place in years when there is no competi­ tion between Great Britain and the United States for the Walker Cup, there will not necessarily be any direct rela­ tionship between the two USGA Teams. Each Team will be selected by the Execu­ tive Committee on its merits at the time of selection and will consist of seven amateur golfers who are citizens of the country they will represent. The Captain may be one of the seven players or a non-player. Arrangements for the series were com­ pleted in Dallas, Texas, during the Open Championship by Sr. Pedro R. Suinaga L., President of the Asociacion Mexicana de Golf; Colin Rankin, President of the Royal Canadian Golf Association, and Totton P. Heflfelfinger, President of the USGA. NEW MEMBERS OF THE USGA Airport Golf Club, Wyo. Concord International Golf Course, N. Y. Dornick Hills Golf and Country Club, Okla. Hiawatha Golf Club, Minn. Lawton Country Club, Okla. Montebello Golf Players Club, Cal. Oconomowoc Country Club, Wis. Plainview Country Club, Texas Royal Oaks Country Club, Wash. Tamarisk Country Club, Cal. Vestavia Country Club, Ala. Washington Yacht and Country Club, N. C. 12 USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 Cocoa Finds Hundreds of Balls By JOHN P. ENGLISH USGA Assistant Executive Secretary The Oyster Harbors Club course, on Cape Cod, is trodden by many golf fana­ tics, but the most fanatic of them all is not a man or a woman but a 9-year-old regis­ tered, liver-and-white Dalmatian named Roadcoach Cocoa, U. D., owned by Mrs. Herman Prescott, of West Chester, Pa. Cocoa is as zealous about finding lost golf balls as the members are about playing, and she is more successful at her avoca­ tion than many of the members are at theirs. It is not at all unusual for Cocoa to find a dozen or two dozen balls in the course of a single stroll around the links with her mistress or her mistress’ father, Harold T. Lindsay, after dinner of an evening. As a finder of literally hundreds of lost balls, Cocoa probably is without a peer, either quadruped or biped. Yet Cocoa is considerably more than a divining rod mounted on four legs. It is quite apparent that she understands not only the principles but also the eti­ quette of golf. She never breaks and runs until all the players have completed their strokes. She has supreme respect for a putting green and seldom crosses one. She never picks up a ball lying in the fairway or one which she knows has just been hit. She never leaves a toothmark on a ball. She proudly returns all her finds to her mistress. And she clearly loves to “play golf.” One evening Mrs. Prescott took Cocoa out for the usual evening stroll, which was concluded according to custom by Cocoa being tossed a ball to play with and chew to bits. They started up the tenth fairway, toward home. There was a crack as club met ball somewhere in the background, and another ball plopped down close to Cocoa. Cocoa stepped over, sniffed it casually and rejoined her mis­ tress. Although she had been gathering balls all evening, she knew this was a ball Cocoa, a 9-year-old liver and white Dalmatian, poses with a sample of his loot at the Concord Country Club, in Concordville, Pa. USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 13 in play, lying in the fairway, not a lost ball. She didn’t touch it. When on the trail of a lost ball, Cocoa travels rapidly through the rough. Sud­ denly her tail stiffens and quivers like a hunting dog’s, and in a jiffy she is trot­ ting out into the fairway with a ball which she drops at her mistress’ feet. Then she gallops gleefully back to the rough to seek another. Scent through Water Cocoa’s most phenomenal trick is per­ formed in water hazards. She loves to work around the edges of the water until the can pick up the scent. Then her nose larts into the water and, using her teeth and fore feet, she pulls out a ball, usually faded and water-logged. When it lies deep or under a stump and her teeth and fore feet are of no avail, she becomes frantic and someone has to extract the ball for her. There is always a ball there. Cocoa holds all three obedience de­ grees, is the first liver-and-white Dalma­ tian in this country to win an obedience degree and may be the only one of her color to hold a Utility Dog rating, the highest given by the American Kennel Club. She retired from the obedience ing four years ago. Finding lost balls is a trait she devel­ oped naturally and without special train­ ing. She learned by following Mrs. Pres­ cott around the Oyster Harbors course, and the first trick she developed was to run to Mrs. Prescott’s ball and stand guard over it until her mistress arrived. Mrs. Prescott breeds Dalmatians and out of curiosity once tried to develop a voung dog as another lost-ball retriever. He had Cocoa’s ability to find a ball and learned many tricks from Cocoa, but he wouldn’t give up the balls he found. One of the amusing sights at Oyster Harbors is a late match, unaware of Socoa and his ways, hunting for a ball when Cocoa passes on an evening stroll. Mrs. Prescott usually offers Cocoa’s ser­ vices. While the strangers are politely pointing out to the girl that golf is a serious game, Cocoa is running to the ball and standing over it until the in­ credulous owner arrives to identify it. USGA PUBLICATIONS OF GENERAL INTEREST THE RULES OF GOLF, as approved by the United States Golf Association and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland, effective January 1, 1952. Booklet, 25 cents (special rates for orders of 1,000 or more). Poster, 25 cents. ARE YOUR LOCAL RULES NECESSARY?, a reprint of a USGA Journal article containing recom­ mendations regarding local rules. No charge. THE RULE ABOUT OBSTRUCTIONS, a reprint of a USGA Journal article. No charge. USGA GOLF HANDICAP SYSTEM, containing re­ commendations for basic handicaps for men. Booklet, 25 cents. Supplementary handicap table in poster form, 10 cents. THE CONDUCT OF WOMEN'S GOLF, containing suggestions for guidance in the conduct of women's golf in clubs and associations, in­ cluding handicapping. 25 cents. TOURNAMENTS FOR YOUR CLUB, a reprint of a USGA Journal article detailing various types of competitions. No charge. HANDICAPPING THE UNHANDICAPPED, a re­ print of a USGA Journal article explaining the Ca'loway system of automatic handicap­ ping for occasional players in a single tourna­ ment. No charge. PROTECTION OF PERSONS AGAINST LIGHTNING ON GOLF COURSES, a poster. No charge. HOLE IN ONE AWARDS. No charge. GLOSSARY OF GOLF TERMS. No charge. AMATEURISM IS IN THE HEART, a reprint of a USGA Journal article by E. G. Grace. No charge. THE UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION, a pamphlet describing its origin and activities. No charge. TURF MANAGEMENT, by H. B. Musser (McGraw- Hill Book Co., Inc.), the authoritative book on greenkeeping. $6. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT, a 33- page magazine published seven times a year and containing authoritative information on the Rules of Golf, USGA championships, handicapping, amateur status, greenkeeping methods, clubs and ball, new trends and the play of the game. $2 a year. These publications are available on request to the UnUed States Golf Association, 40 East 38th Street, New York 16, N. Y. 14 USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 Iron Shots By LLOYD MANGRUM USGA Open Champion, 1946 With woods one strives for distance. Accuracy is the objective of iron shots. With few exceptions, iron shots are ex­ pected to get the ball to its destination (the green) in one stroke. If one can’t reach the green with an iron, he should be using a wood. Hand control, to guide and control the club at all times, is the most important phase of the successful use of irons. The proper selection of the club for each job is another vital phase of iron play. A standard grip has been devised and accepted by most golfers, but my own differs somewhat. I use a combination of the overlapping and interlocking types. 1 do not recommend that others accept this or attempt to change theirs to con­ form with it. Mine is a matter of personal habit formed over the years. However, it is a strong grip, and it coincides with my belief that hand control is the key to successful golf, especially in iron play. Correct procedure in gripping the club calls for placing the handle diagonally across the fingers and palm of the left hand with the thumb down and pointing to the right. The right hand is placed so that the club is grasped more in the fin­ gers and so that the left thumb fits into the pocket formed by closing the right thumb down to the palm of that hand. So far, I have been describing the regular overlapping grip. However, after my hands have been placed on the shaft, my left forefinger is interlocked with the right little finger. This unites the power of both hands and makes them operate as a unit instead of working individually. The stance for longer iron shots is approximately the same as for wood play, except that it should be slightly closer to the ball to account for the shorter shaft and the more upright angle of the iron. As the irons increase in number, how­ ever, the ball should be moved back from the driving position, off the left heel. Also, while a closed stance is employed with woods and long irons, the shorter irons require an open stance. Balance is another important feature of good iron play. A slight flexing of the knees helps to maintain balance. It is important to bend from the knees instead of the waist; otherwise you are likely to throw your weight forward too much. Keep your head still and swing as if your arms and club were hanging from it like a pendulum. There is nothing peculiar to the swing of an iron. The ability to relax and not hurry the shot, of course, is of the utmost importance. Swing, do not lift, the club back slowly to a horizontal position over the shoulders. Keep the left arm straight at all times. As the club is brought back, the body pivots to the right until, at the top of the backswing, the hips are turned away from the ball. Hesitate there before beginning the downswing. On the downswing, as through the entire stroke, move slowly and deliber­ ately to develop rhythm and timing. Start down slowly and pick up power when you start uncocking your wrists about halfway down. That is where hand con­ trol comes in. Keep moving your hands in the regular arc of your swing, but at the same time break your wrists to apply force to the shot. This uncocking motion must take place at just the correct time or you will either scoop the ball or hit down on it. At the moment of impact, your hips are square to the ball. On the follow- through, your hips are turned away from the ball’s line of flight. Guard against swaying with the stroke by bracing your right leg on the backswing and your left leg on the downswing and follow-through. USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 15 New Books The coming of summer has served to stiffen the standards which our reviewer applies to new books on golf. We found him quite tolerant of golfing authors when the snow lay heavy on the ground last?1 winter, but only the most expert writers or players can ^provide books he will open in this sunny season. It is, therefore, unusual that he recom­ mends to us now so many books on golf. We can only assume that the literary crop is particularly good this year; we wouldn’t know at first hand, of course, because we’ve been out playing golf in the warm sunshine. History of British Golf The first book commended is the heavy, handsomely bound and illustrated “A History of British Golf,” by Bernard Dar­ win, H. Gardiner-Hill, Sir Guy Campbell, Henry Cotton, Henry Longhurst, Leo­ nard Crawley, Enid Wilson and Lord Brabazon of 1’ara. This was published by Cassell & Company, Ltd., London, and was kindly donated to our Library by Dr. Gardiner-Hill. It has all the attributes of a classic in the literature of the royal and ancient game in Britain, since it covers the early history, the implements, the principal figures, the great matches, the colorful incidents and the best ways of hitting the ball. Our reviewer had hoped to skim through this one between rounds but found it so fascinating that the afternoon fairways beckoned to him in vain. Another volume which interrupted our remin scent reviewer’s play was “The Greatest Sports Stories from The New York Times,” edited by Allison Danzig and Peter Brandwein and published by A. S. Barnes & Company, New York. This includes a collection of golf reports, beginning with the late Harry Cross’ on- the-spot report of Francis Ouimet’s vic­ tory in the Open Championship in 1913 and continuing through 1951. Our re­ viewer stopped in the office, clubs in hand, long enough to say that the editors achieved such a balance in selecting these golf reports from The Times that younger readers cannot but be conscious of the greatness of past golfers and at the same time older readers cannot but appreciate the abilities of the current generation. Tom Scott and Webster Evans have done a similar editorial chore entitled “The Golfer’s Year,” published by Nicholas Kaye, London. The articles mix the highlights of United States and Brit­ ish golf in 1951 and add touches of his­ tory. Our reviewer found Bernard Dar­ win’s remarks on the worth of the Walker Cup series particularly inspiring, and he also liked Francis Ouimet’s own story of his own victory in 1913. Frank Pennink has combined his tal­ ents as a golfer of Walker Cup calibre and golf correspondent for the London Sunday Express to turn out a readable compendium on 30 famous courses in the British Isles. The inclusion or omis­ sion of certain courses may be ques­ tioned, but our man was charmed by Mr. Pennink’s anecdotal treatment of the character and history of each club and course. “Golf,” by Frank Pennink (Peter Garnett, Ltd., London), is a book for the man about to embark on a golfing tour of the British Isles. Then two instruction books caught our man’s fancy. Ernest Jones and Dave Eisenberg wrote one, entitled “Swing the Clubhead” and published by Dodd, Mead & Company, New York. Our man found it an extremely simple presentation of Jones’ fundamental thesis regarding the unity and totality of the golf swing and says it is a book everyone should read and re-read each spring as a refresher. Oscar Fraley and Charles Yerkow, a photographer, put together the other, en­ titled “Golf in Action” and published by A. A. Wyn, Inc., New York. This pro­ vides a maximum of photography and a minimum of verbiage on various ele­ ments of the golf swing. The models are fifteen of the best-known professionals of our day, and the series of stop-action shots had our man enthralled. 16 USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 Junior Golf in Southern California By RALPH W. MILLER Chairman, Junior Golf Association of Southern California Member, USGA Junior Championship Committee Junior golf is a contribution to youth and to golf as a whole. The realization that it is considerably more than just a healthy and pleasant game for youngsters under 18 is causing increased junior ac­ tivity in all sections of the country. Prior to 1951, junior golf activity in Southern California consisted of several unrelated tournaments and group ins­ truction by individual professionals. Few clubs had programs for their juniors, and some did not permit them on the course. The juniors had no program of their own and for the most part were left to their own devices. In order to stimulate and place junior golf upon a sound and organized basis, the Junior Golf Association of Southern California was formed in 1951. It was or­ ganized, after several years of planning, by the three associations representing golf in this area, the Southern California Golf Association, the Southern California Pub­ lic Links Golf Association and the Southern California Section of the PGA. Each sponsQring association annually ap­ points three adult representatives to the Board of Directors, which itself can ap­ point additional members when advisable. Junior golf thus became an entity and a part of organized golf in Southern California. Its program is divided into two general phases: To encourage each club and course to initiate a program for its own juniors, and to coordinate and conduct junior competitions. Club Programs A well-planned and supervised junior program at a club does not crowd the course or interfere with the enjoyment of the members. Instead, it provides a new interest, and the club will become a place the family also can enjoy. Closer contact with the spirit of youth is also good for aching legs and advancing years. Ralph W. Miller Our Junior Association requested each of the approximately sixty clubs and courses in Southern California to con­ sider a program under which its juniors would be given an opportunity to learn and play properly. The splen­ did junior program of the Virg'nia Coun­ try Club, in Long Beach, Cal., for which its professional, Joe Robinson, was large­ ly responsible, was recommended as a model. The Virginia Country Club program is supervised by an adult committee. Jun­ iors are given free group instruction on Saturday mornings and, during summer vacation, several times a week. They are restricted to the lesson and practice tee until proficient enough to be permitted on the course during periods designated for their play. They have their own club organiza­ tion, elect their own officers, conduct their L'SGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 17 meetings, arrange handicaps, collect dues, run tournaments and award prizes. They must observe the rules made by the com­ mittee, replace divots, smooth bunkers and at all times be courteous and give precedence to adult members. Their club events consist of match and stroke-play tournaments, sweepstakes and similar competitions. They close their season by entertaining their parents with junior­ parent foursomes, followed by a buffet dinner. The program has proved popular and successful. The operation of junior clubs at pub­ lic courses presents a different situation, as those courses depend upon fee players and are usually crowded. However, the management will generally extend conces­ sions to the juniors during slack periods. Numerous clubs and courses in South­ ern California now have programs for their juniors and others are planning them. Because of varying complexities, every club cannot have identical pro­ grams, but each can do something for its juniors. The PGA, through its Junior Com­ mittee, of which Vice-President George Lake is Chairman, has had a policy of giving free group instruction to juniors for a number of years, and the profession­ als may be counted upon to assist in any junior program. Supervision When a junior has progressed sufficient­ ly to enter major junior tournaments, the professional certifies him to the Junior Golf Association. Membership in the As­ sociation is required for entrance in tour­ naments and most junior events in South­ ern California and is open to boys and girls under 18 whose applications have been accepted by the Board of Directors. The application, which requires rather complete information, must be signed by the junior and his parent or guardian and be approved by a PGA professional, who certifies that the junior “has sufficient skill to play and sufficient knowledge of the Rules and etiquette to know how to conduct himself properly and courteously on and around the course.” When an application is accepted, a membership card is issued, signed by the Chairman of the Board and by the pro­ fessional who approved the applicant. Dues are $2 a year or portion thereof. Each card expires December 31, unless prior thereto the junior becomes 18, in which case it expires when he reaches that age. Each card shows its expiration date. Our 1952 membership is approxim­ ately 250, but of course many others are participating in club programs but are not yet ready for membership. The Directors keenly feel a respon­ sibility for the juniors and to golf. Im­ proper conduct is not tolerated and can result in suspension or loss of member­ ship. When a junior is corrected, his father and the professional are usually informed of the matter by letter, which approach quickly remedies most any sit­ uation. A membership thus identifies the junior as one who not only has attained a certain degree of proficiency but also as one who plays according to the Rules and as a gentleman. The affairs of the Junior Association are conducted by the Directors, with the assistance of Junior officers, who are elected annually by the juniors them­ selves and who attend and take part in the Directors’ meetings. Their duties are prescribed by the Directors, and numerous matters are referred to them for decision or recommendation. They also have their own Tournament, Mem­ bership and Rules Committees. The present officers are Tommy Jac­ obs, President; Eddie Meyerson, Vice- President, and Bob McCallister, Secre­ tary. All are nationally known junior golf­ ers. From the outset of our program, the Rules of Golf were stressed and strictly enforced. At each tournament every en­ trant was given a mimeographed list of “cautions” concerning Rules most fre­ quently violated, such as: Do not touch or improve your line of putt, except to remove loose impediments. 18 USGA Journal and Turf Management: July. 1952 Do not ask another player what club he used or ask any advice except from your caddie. Hole out all puts in stroke play; none are conceded. Observe all Rules and enforce all penal­ ties; none may be waived. Twenty juniors were put on the Rules Committee, each of whom was to call all infractions observed. Thus we had jun­ ior referees all over the course. It was no surprise that the juniors suddenly be­ came Rule-conscious and there was a rush for Rule books. Tournaments Our tournaments are not conducted by handicap. The flights are determined by qualifying rounds or by age, which we consider more feasible and which has proved very satisfactory. Of course, a club having a junior program usually conducts most of its competitions by the handicaps established there. Summer vacations are now quite full of junior tournaments. Early in the year the coming events are coordinated and dates assigned. A “Schedule of Junior Tournaments” is issued by the Junior As­ sociation, copies of which are sent to clubs and courses and to each junior. The schedule includes junior champion^ ships and other major tournaments, num­ erous junior invitationals and several pro­ junior events. There are flights for our junior girls, and in some events flights for the pee-wees. Some of our tournaments have interest­ ing features: Southern California Junior Champion­ ship: Sixty-four qualify for match play. Thirty-two are in the championship flight, and sixteen in each of two other flights. California Junior Championship and Team Matches: This five-day event, now in its second year, is co-sponsored by the Junior Association of Northern California. The championship is 72 holes, stroke play, generally over four courses. The team matches consist of foursomes in the morning and singles in the afternoon. Teams of eight from each of the two sponsoring Junior Associations compete for the state title, our juniors selecting their own team. Southern California Father-Junior Son Championship: This popular event, now in its fourth year, is held on a Sunday and closes the season. The father and son comprise a team, their combined strokes for 18 holes being the team score. There are two flights, for teams with juniors 15 through 17 and for teams with juniors under 15. There are gross and net prizes. The Calloway system of automatic hand­ icapping is used. The handicap of each competitor is fixed as follows: If his score was par or less, he has no handicap. If it was from one over par to 75, inclusive, his handicap is one-half his worst hole .(i.e. the hole on which he took the most strokes). If it was from 76 through 80, his handicap is the number of strokes he took on his worst hole. If it was from 81 through 85, the worst hole plus half the next worst hole. If it was from 86 through 90, the two worst holes, and so on. There is a handicap limit of 30, and the player is given the benefit of a half stroke. Trophies are awarded during a buffet dinner following the play. This is a high­ light of the season for both fathers and sons, and according to most any junior, he would have won had his father per­ formed better. Golf certainly furnishes a common ground for father and son and makes for a delightful and close relation­ ship and understanding between them. Plans are being considered to sched­ ule interclub junior-team matches this fall, with the teams probably consisting of four members. We also plan to do considerably more for our junior girls. They are becoming more active in golf, and our program should include events for them on a par with those for the boys. Accordingly, we have scheduled our first Southern California Junior Girls’ Cham­ pionship. Their events will be under the direct supervision of Mrs. William H. Millar, who recently became one of our directors and who is also Chairman of the USGA Girls’ Junior Committee. We plan our program to embrace the whole of junior golf, as it should. It is USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 19 comprehensive but well supervised, and we know it is sound. Finances A tournament provides a terrific in­ centive to a junior and is a very impor­ tant event in his young life. To win one is a big achievement, and to qualify for and go to the USGA Junior Amateur Championship is just about the end of his junior rainbow. Assisting in defraying the expenses of our qualifiers is considered a proper part of our program. 1 have more than once seen a junior who, after qualifying and thus reaching the door to his goal, had to announce he was unable to go because of lack of funds. It is not a pretty pic­ ture. I think golf should take care of its juniors. The necessarily small dues and entry fees collected from them cannot possibly carry our program. Golf is called upon to raise money for all sorts of causes, and although they may be worthy, many of them are entirely unrelated to golf. In one instance, it was to outfit a football team. A junior pro­ gram, being an integral part of golf, should be among the things to which clubs annually contribute. Most golfers will gladly assist in rais­ ing a junior-golf fund if their club or course gives them the opportunity. Once a year the Southern California clubs and courses are requested to afford their mem­ bers or players such an opportunity, and the fine response shows increasing in­ terest in and appreciation of junior golf. No uniform method of raising funds is yet recommended or used. Some clubs solicit contributions of not to exceed $1 each from their members. Others conduct tournaments, and still others sell bag tags. Palos Verdes Golf Club, whose fine pro­ fessional, Bud Oakley, fs idolized by its juniors, adopted the method of once a year adding an extra 50 cents to the bill of each member as a voluntary contribu­ tion to junior golf. That there was not one dissent is a tribute to that club. Each club retains a portion of the money it raised for its own junior purposes. The balance is sent to the Junior Golf As­ sociation for the over-all program. The Benefits Our juniors have established an en­ viable competitive record. Tommy Jacobs is the California Junior Champion and the USGA Junior Amateur Champion. Arlene Brooks is the USGA Junior Girls’ Champion. Our junior team holds the California team title. While we are extremely proud of these accomplishments, we are equally proud of the fine youngsters who comprise our membership. They are wonderful, and their performance and conduct on the course is a credit to golf. Their natural and spontaneous sports­ manship is a pleasure to see. I have often seen a junior on the practice tee just be­ fore a match, trying to help his opponent overcome some fault. It is common to see winner and loser walk arm in arm to the clubhouse, the loser insisting on caddying for the winner in the next match. Juniors disdain to accept a win by default and insist an opponent be given a chance when he is late. They are reticent to call a penalty on another, prefering merely to caution him, but readily call penalty strokes on themselves for something which no one else saw. I have been a close observer of junior golf for a long time, and I know it is more beneficial than idleness. I have watched boys from their first junior tour­ nament until their last and seen them develop self-reliance, self-control, courage, perseverance, courtesy and utter contempt for dishonesty. When a boy is 18, it is time for him to plan and concentrate upon his future. He is then through with junior golf. He has had a grand experience which he will al­ ways remember and has made many friends whom he will always keep. He has learned to play in a manner which is a credit to the game, but in addition he has learned lessons which will aid him all his life. His time has not been wasted, and both he and golf have benefited. 20 USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 The Professional Golfer Magazine By WALLY MUND Chairman, Magazine Committee, Professional Golfers’ Association of America It is a privilege to have this opportun­ ity to tell amateur golfers and officials of the USGA of the work that is being done through the magazine department of the Professional Golfers’ Association. For many years, the Professional Golfer magazine served only as a voice to members of our Association. Its prim­ ary function was to acquaint them with all of the activities of the national body. In recent years, however, we have be­ come aware of the tremendous public­ relations possibilities of a magazine of this type, a medium whereby the many activities of the PGA could be brought to the attention of the golfing public and in the process provide interesting and in­ formative reading. More recently, the department has been further expanded to take on many of the public-relations activities of the national body. Typical was the publication of The PGA Teachers’ Guide in 1950 and The Book of Golf, which served as a pro­ gram for the 1951 Ryder Cup Match and at the same time was a capsule pictorial history of the game in both the United States and Great Britain. Last spring approval was given to the expansion of the department to handle all Association publicity, including that of our Tournament Bureau. Effective with the PGA Summer Tour, this new program will be in operation and will offer com­ plete personality, feature and pictorial material on some sixty tournament play­ ers. This material will be channeled to the press, radio and television in more than forty tournament cities. While the expansion in publicity is, of course, of vital importance, our primary interest continues to be in our monthly magazine. This publication is mailed each month to the 3,032 members of the Pro­ fessional Golfers’ Association, to nearly 1,000 members of the press and to some Wally Mund 8,000 subscribers, the majority of whom are members of clubs where PGA pro­ fessionals are employed. Through the pages of the magazine, we feel that we are able constantly to win friends for the professional by pointing out the many activities of the Association which benefit him and thereby also benefit his students and customers. Considerable space is now being de­ voted each month to amateur, foreign and women’s golfing activities. This is done on the premise that golf continues to be an amateur game and its amateur activi­ ties must be chronicled. I might take this opportunity to thank the USGA for its co-operation in pro­ viding us with Rules of Golf decisions which make up one of our most enter­ taining monthly features. The magazine and publicity depart­ ment is now under the direction of Robert A. Gibson, who has been in charge of this program for the last three years. USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 21 THE REFEREE Decisions by the USGA and the R. and A. Rules of Golf Committees Example of symbols: “USGA” indicates decision by the United States Got: Association. “R & A” indicates decision by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland. “52-1” means the first decision issued in 1952. “R. 37-7” refers to Section 7 of Rule 37 in the 1952 Rules of Golf. Oui-of-Bounds Line USGA 52-29 D. 21 Q: In Definition 21 regarding out of bounds you state that the out-of-bounds line is a line drawn through the inside edge of the stakes or posts at the ground level. If this is correct, then a ball could be inside the fence marking the outside line of the fence posts and still be out of bounds, since the fence is always on the outside of the posts and the posts are always larger than the diameter of a golf ball. (Is this the intent or is this a misprint of the Rules application?) Question by: Paul Runyan Pasadena, Cal. A: The reference to Definition 21 is correct. Means of marking boundaries are so irregular and diverse that the only sure way of having a uniform boundary is by taking the inside line at ground level. Fences are not always on the far side (away from the course) of the posts to which they are attached. If the outside line of stakes and fence posts were used, it would sometimes be physically impossible to line up a ball because of condi­ tions on the far side, because it might require climbing a fence, because it might involve trespassing on adjoining property, and for other reasons. Cleaning Ball on Green USGA 52-30 R. 23-3, 35 Q: Rule 23-3 of the 1952 Rules of Golf pro­ vides, with certain exceptions, that a player may not clean his ball, “except to the extent necessary for identification or if permitted by Local Rule”. We are aware that the cleaning of the ball is permitted under the Local Rule set forth in the Appendix of the Rules of Golf, such Rule to be operative only on specific days when warranted. But is it permissible to adopt a Local Rule allowing the cleaning of the ball on the putting green at all times? Inasmuch as Rule 35 au­ thorizes the lifting of the ball on the putting green to avoid interference with play, pro­ hibiting the cleaning of the ball when so lifted would seem impractical to enforce. Question by: Albin Martinson Sacramento, Cal. A: A permanent Local Rule permitting clean­ ing the ball on the putting green at all times would conflict with the Rules of Golf. A num­ ber of Rules other than Rule 35 permit lifting the ball. It is up to the honesty of the player to refrain from doing more than the Rules allow. Further, he should act so as to raise no question of wrong intention. Wrong Ball and Lost Ball Penalties USGA 52-33 R. 21-3,29-1 Q: I play from the tee into deep rough. I go to “my ball” and continue play, discovering subsequently that I played the wrong ball out of the rough. Knowing Rule 21-3, I return to find my own ball, having already added two strokes as a penalty to my one stroke off the tee. I can’t find my own ball and have to return to the tee to play another. Lost ball penalty is stroke and distance. Am I then shooting five from the tee? Question by: Mrs. M. R. Denison, Rules Chrmn. St. Joseph Valley Golf Ass’n. South Bend, Indiana A: Yes. The original stroke from the teeing ground was your first stroke. You incurred a penalty of two strokes under Rule 21-3 for playing the wrong ball, not in a hazard. You also incurred another penalty stroke under Rule 29-1 for the lost ball. Your next stroke from the teeing ground would be your fifth. These Rules govern in stroke play. Lifi from Log Not Permitted USGA 52-32 D.17,20: R.18,31 Q: There is a dead log lying in the rough, and the ball is lying so close to the log that it interferes with the swing; is it permissible to drop the ball away without penalty? Question by: Lawrence Wren New York, N. Y. A: No. As a log is a natural object, it is a loose impediment under Definition 17. The log (not the ball) may be lifted as provided for in Rule 18. The Rules make a distinction between na­ tural objects and artificial objects, the latter being classed as obstructions under Definition 20 and Rule 31. 22 USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 Logs Piled for Removal USGA 52-38 D. 13, 17; R. 18, 32-la,2. Q: During a four-ball match at Deepdale on May 1, 1952, one player’s ball lodged under­ neath a section of a tree trunk located approxi­ mately 20 feet out of the fairway. This tree trunk had been sawed into sections, several of these sections lying together. In this position the ball was unplayable. The question arose as to whether or not the player is entitled to a free drop. The greenkeeper at Deepdale has testified that several trees on the course had been cut down and that said tree trunks had been divided into sections that could be subsequent­ ly removed. As a matter of fact, on the day following the above-mentioned discussion, sev­ eral truckloads of these logs were removed. The greenkeeper also testified that these partic­ ular logs were cut into sections to be removed and would be removed in the immediate future. I would appreciate it very much if you would give me a ruling on this question. Question by: H. V. Sherrill New York, N. Y. A: The sawed sections of the tree trunk con­ stituted material piled for removal within the meaning of Definition 13. The player therefore was entitled to free relief as provided for in Rule 32-la; see also Rule 32-2. In order to regard material as being piled for removal, there must be substantial evidence to that effect. It should be noted, however, that a branch or a limb of a tree which has fallen and is lying loose must generally be regarded as a loose im­ pediment under Definition 17. In that case relief is limited by Rule 18. Relief from Wire Screen USGA 52-35 D. 20; R. 16,24-1,2, 31. QI: A wire screen is to the right of one fair­ way guarding the tee of another hole. A ball goes up behind the screen, one foot away from it. I understand that the player is permitted to drop two club-lengths away from the nearest point of the obstruction to the ball’s present position. Does this mean that the ball must remain on the same side of screen that it now is? Does this mean that, even though the screen is 12 feet high, the player must play over the screen? I understand it this way, but some players think that he would be entitled to relief from the obstruction and be able to move two club-lengths from the end of the green, dropped not more than two club-lengths Al: Yout- understanding of Rule 31-2, re­ garding immovable obstructions, is generally correct. If the player’s stance or stroke or the backward movement of his club for the stroke is interfered with by the screen cited, the ball may be lifted without penalty and, through the green, dropped not more than two club-lengths from that point of the obstruction nearest which the ball originally lay and must come to rest not nearer the hole. The ball must be dropped on the same side of the screen as it originally lay, and the Rule is intended only to provide relief so that the player may play a stroke, but not necessarily have his line of flight clear. Ball Interfering in Hazard More than Club-length Away Q2: A and B are in a bunker (a so-called trap). B is farther from the hole. B elects to putt the ball. A’s ball is in his way, in his line to the hole but more than a club-length from his ball. Doesn’t B have the right to ask A to mark his ball, and isn’t A required to do so? In stroke play I understand this is correct. Why should it be any different in match play, if it is? Suppose that both balls were through the green (in the fairway) ? Please explain this to me. I can’t see, with the elimination of the stymie, why one ball should affect the play of another. A2: In match play, B has no right to ask A to lift his ball and A would be penalized under Rule 16 if he touched his ball, because the balls are more than a club-length apart and are not on the putting green; see Rule 24-1. The situation is different in stroke play because each competitor is playing against the fieM, not against a single opponent; see Rule 24-2. Relief from Obstruction May Provide Relief from Tree Q3: A tree and a fixed artificial obstruction interfered with the play of a ball. If the two club-lengths rule applied, the bail would be playable. If it didn’t, there was no shot that could be played. What is the procedure? A3: A tree is a natural object, not an ob­ struction; see Definition 20. There is no Rule which provides free relief from trees. Relief from artificial obstructions, under certain con­ ditions, is provided in Rule 31. If the player is entitled to relief from an obstruction, he may take such relief even though he is incidentally relieved from inter­ ference by a natural object. Questions by: Charles F. Bailey Tampa, Fla. Bridge Is Obsiruciion USGA 52-36 D. 20. Q: In studying Definition 20 (Obstructions), the point is made that artificially constructed roads and paths are not obstructions. Does this mean that a bridge spanning a ditch would be considered an artificially constructed road or path? Question by: Dr. Roger L. Hess Elgin, III. USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 23 A: No. A bridge is artificial and therefore is an obstruction within the meaning of Definition 20. Caddie as Marker USGA 52-37 D. 18; R. 22, 23-2, 29-2, 33-le, 35-2d, 38-1 QI: When no official marker has been as­ signed, is there a disqualification penalty if the caddie marks the score? Al: No. It is assumed that a fellow-compe­ titor was appointed marker. There is no penalty if his caddie marks the scores, but the proce­ dure is not recommended. See Definition 18 and Rule 38-1. Opponent's Ball Knocked in Hole Q2: If a player has holed out and concedes her opponent’s putt by knocking the ball into the hole or by picking it up (instead of by knocking it away) what is the ruling? A2: Rule 35-2d provides in part: “When the player has holed out and the opponent’s ball has come to rest, the player may knock away the opponent’s ball, claiming the hole or con­ ceding the half, as the case may be.” In pro­ ceeding under this Rule, there is no distinction in substance between knocking away an op­ ponent’s ball, knocking it into the hole or lift­ ing it. This Rule is effective only after the player himself has holed out and the opponent’s ball has come to rest. Dropping into Unplayable Lie Q3: A player has an unplayable lie and elects to drop a ball, taking the two-stroke penalty. When she drops, it rolls into another unplayable lie (not the same one as the first). May she redrop without penalty or does it stand as a second unplayable lie with penalty for each? A3: Rule 22-lb provides in part: “A ball is in play when dropped and shall not be re­ dropped except as provided.” The exceptions do not include the contingency of dropping the ball into an unplayable lie, as it is a matter of individual discretion as to whether a lie is un­ playable. If a ball, when dropped as provided in Rule 22, comes to rest in an unplayable lie, the player can only proceed as provided in Rule 29-2. Lifting for Identification in Hazard Q4: Rule 23-2 states that a player may lift his ball for identification. Rule 33-le states that in a hazard he may remove as much sand or fallen leaves as will enable him to see the top of the ball. Does this mean that in a hazard he may not lift the ball for identifica­ tion? I realize there is no penalty for playing the wrong ball in a hazard. A4: No. Rule 33-le does not prohibit a player from lifting his ball for identification when it lies in a hazard. It merely describes an alter­ native procedure which may be employed. A player may lift his ball for identification, as provided in Rule 23-2, at any place on the course. Flagsiick May Be Removed by Opponent USGA 52-39 R. 11-4, 34-2c,d Q: In match play when player’s ball is more than 60 feet from pin, may opponent go to the pin and pull it out even though player does not wish him to and objects? No caddie in­ volved. Question by: C. J. Clark Highland, Cal. A: Yes. Rule 34-2c provides: “The opponent may have the flagstick removed if he considers that it might be of assistance to the player, but the player is always entitled to send his own caddie to stand at the hole and hold the flag­ stick to indicate the position of the hole while he is playing his stroke. A player may not require an opponent or an opponent’s caddie to indicate the position of the hole.” When the opponent removes the flagstick and the player has no caddie, if a third party is available and the player requests him to attend the flagstick, the principle of equity (Rule 11-4) would require that the third party be considered an agent of the player within the meaning of Rule 34-2d. If there is no such third party, there is no way for the player to have the position of the hole indicated to him. In match play the distance to the flagstick is not material. Improving Lie on Backstroke USG4 52-40 R. 17-3. Q: A and B are playing a match. A plays his ball, which lands in sand but not in a hazard. The sand in this particular spot is several inches deep, and A’s ball comes to rest in a rather deep heel print, which leaves him a bad lie. A takes his stance and grounds his club, which under the 1952 Rules is permis­ sible. In taking his club back, A drags so much sand on his backward stroke that he is left with almost a flat lie instead of the cuppy lie that he originally had. B claims the hole, claiming that A had violated Rule 17-1 by im­ proving his lie and by altering the irregularities of the surface. A, however, claims that as long as the Rules allow him to ground his club, he is entitled to take his normal back swing as per Rule 17-3 and in so doing he cannot help but take sand with his backward stroke, whether it be a little sand or a couple of inches of sand. He claims that as long as he completes his stroke in the one motion, he has not violated any Rule. Question by: Thomas Pope, Pres. Lincoln Park Golf Clue San Francisco, Cal. 24 USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 A: A lost the hole by improving the lie of his ball in violation of Rule 17-3, which pro­ vides in part that, “The club may be grounded only lightly and must not be pressed on the ground.” Artificial Boundary Stakes Not Obstructions When Not Boundary USGA 52-41 D. 20; R. 31 Q: The Rules this year state that out-of- bounds stakes are not obstructions and there­ fore may not be pulled up, nor may the ball be lifted or dropped free and away from the stake. At Rockville Country Club we have a line of stakes to the right of the eighth fairway on which the direction of play is south. The seventh parallels the eighth, but the direction of play is north. Now, in playing the seventh these stakes have no significance. The out of bounds area that they mark is an area that is out of bounds only when playing the eighth hole. Nevertheless, they are out of bounds stakes. Do you think that a player playing north on the seventh fairway should be granted relief from these stakes, when they do not have any out-of-bounds significance for play on that hole? Question by: John D. Hawke Rockville Centre, N. Y. A: Yes. We would recommend that the stakes between the seventh and eighth holes be declared obstructions for purposes of play on the seventh hole, where they do not serve as an artificial boundary, and be declared not ob­ structions for purposes of play on the eighth hole, where they do serve as an artificial boundary; see Definition 20. This would require the players to treat the stakes as boundary stakes where they do form a boundary but would also permit relief, under Rule 31, where the stakes do not constitute a boundary. 14-Club Rule Violated R & A 52-15 R. 3. Q: Maximum of 14 clubs. It is permitted to add as many as will bring the total to that number. It is not allowed to borrow a club from any other person playing on the course. What would happen in the following case: A player starts with 10 clubs which are car­ ried by his caddie. The player takes his chauf­ feur along, who accompanies the match walking along the edge of the fairway, and who carried 10 clubs under his arm. Whenever difficulties arise during the match, the player will add to his number of clubs out of those 10 clubs from the chauffeur up to the limit of 14 clubs. In such case the player would enjoy the choice out of 20 clubs which are forbidden according to the Rule. Question by: The Secretary German Golf Union A: In the case you quote the player is in fact commencing the round with twenty clubs car­ ried by two caddies and should be disqualified if his intention is known or becomes apparent in the opinion of the Committee in charge of the competition, during the round. Ball Holed, Not Lost R & A 52-20. R. 7-2 Q: A player, playing in a stroke competition, did a short hole in one, but as the hole was not in sight from the tee he did not know it. After searching for the ball and not finding it, he went back to the tee and played another, and only discovered that he had holed his first tee shot, on holing out his second ball. Should his score for this hole in the stroke competition be 1 or 5? A: The score made with the first ball counts. In the circumstances quoted it is not considered that the player should be penalized under Rule 29 (Lost Ball). Wall Is Obstruction R & A 52-25. Def. 20. Q: Under Definition 20, regarding obstruc­ tions, we note that this is anything artificial whether erected, placed or temporarily left on the course, and should apply to walls which are not boundary walls. We have on our course a wall which runs from behind the 13th green uphill parallel to the 17th fairway, and downhill again still paral­ lel with this fairway. The wall is not a boundary wall, but is merely an old dry stane dyke, which was on the ground before the course was made. The fairway extends to within a foot or so of the wall, on one side, but the rough is right up against the wall on the other side, and we shall be pleased to know if Rule 31, paragraph two should apply on both sides of the wall, i.e. not only on the fairway but also in the rough, or can the Rule be made to apply only to balls which finish on the fairway side of the wall, so that balls lying in the rough over the wall should either be played as they lie or should be treated as unplayable? Question by: The Secretary Hilton Park Golf Club Scotland A: The wall on both sides unless stated to the contrary by local rule is an obstruction. Def. 20. USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 25 Correspondence pertaining to Green Section matters should be addressed to: USGA Green Section, Room 331, Administration Building, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Md. NATIONAL COOPERATIVE TURF FUNGICIDE TRIALS By CHARLES G. WILSON and FRED V. GRAU USGA Green Section The disease problem has been attacked in many ways since the USGA Green Section and the progressive golf-course superintendents initiated a control pro­ gram in 1925. Research pathologists with agricultural experiment stations and chemical manufacturers have developed effective fungicides, and research agrono­ mists and plant breeders have selected resistant grasses and developed intelligent management practices in an effort to control turf diseases. Today it is known that good manage­ ment is paramount if the fungicides we use are to perform to the best of their ability. Fertility levels, water manage­ ment and drainage, aeration above and TUR? MANAGEMENT Wortn-w .ise discussions of th= problems con- front.ng Graen Committee Chairmen are con­ tained in TUkf MANAGEMENT, a book spon~ored by the United States Goaf Association. This vc urn-3 was edited by H. Burton Musser and pub ,tiled by the McGraw-H i! Look Co., Inc. It is avai.abie through the USGA, 40 East 33th Street, New York 16, N. Y.; the USGA Green Section, Room 331, Admin'stration Building, Plant Industry Sta- t.on, Beitsvi. e, Md., and bookstores generally. The price is 56. below the turf surface, mechanical dam­ age and compaction and the degree of mat formation have considerable bearing on the ability of a proven fungicide to pre­ vent or cure an infection. Cooperative fungicide testing, estab­ lished in 1949, has been responsible for increased knowledge concerning the effec­ tiveness of fungicides on a local as well as on a national scale. Results of these trials in the past have shown that cad­ mium compounds and mercury chlorides are most effective against dollarspot and copperspot, mercury chlorides and tersan adequately control brownpatch and mer­ cury chlorides are effective against snow­ mold. In addition, it has been noted that Cchansey and Arlington bent are highly resistant to brownpatch; Elk 16, Arling­ ton, Congressional, Highland and Velvet bents were least susceptible to dollarspot, and Congressional bent was highly re­ sistant to snowmold. Results of the cooperative testing in 1951 again indicate that the trends re­ main the same with regard to our most effective turf fungicides. The following charts contain the tabulated results from the cooperators: 26 USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 DOLLARSPOT (Seasonal Averages*) Treatment** Check Cadminate Calo-Clor Crag 531 C & C 1025 Puraturf 177 Puraturf GG Actidione H 258 T Calo-Clor & Vancide Calo-Cure Vancide PMAS Tat-C-Lect Puraturf Tersan 75 Special Semesan Orthocide 406 Shell X P50 Iowa 3.1 0.2 0.29 0.14 0.29 0.31 0.58 0.52 0.44 2.11 2.55 1.81 Calif. 127.9 2.93 20.07 20.3 22.8 41.13 18.6 68.53 Mich. Rhode Island Spring Mill Course Philadelphia, Pa. 130.2 0.07 0.47 0.63 0.0 21.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.23 0.13 1.8 3.97 5.07 5.9 0.0 1.7 3.7 5.8 32.1 586.0 26.0 371.0 83.0 135.0 24.0 253.0 251.0 235.0 519.0 368.0 * Variance in figures due to method of recc»rding: California and Rhode Island recorded the average number per 25 Sq. Ft. per 50 Sq. Ft. Michigan per 100 Sq. Ft. Philadelphia Iowa used a 0-5 classification with 5 indicating a general infection. 95 99 99 99 59 55 T9 55 * * In accordance with the manufacturers’ recommendations. Treatment* Check Calo-Clor Calo-Cure Tersan & Calo-Clor (1-oz. of each per 1,000 square feet) Orthocide 406 Cadminate Puraturf Puraturf 177 PMAS Crag 531 C & C 1182 C & C 1207 Ter san 75 BROWNPATCH AND COPPERSPOT Rutgers 1951 Brownpatch % Copperspot # 19.1 0.0 0.1 0.3 5.8 5.8 10.0 15.1 10.9 14.5 11.4 12.5 17.0 39.4 7.2 2.2 1.0 26.8 0.2 3.8 0.8 1.6 2.6 32.6 48.0 16.8 * In accordance with the manufacturers’ recommendations unless otherwise specified. USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 27 BERMUDAGRASS LEAF BLOTCH (Curative Treatments) Tifton 1951 Rate per 1,000 sq. ft. in 10 gals, of water % Disease Control* Turf Injury 2% oz. 1^2 oz- 5% oz. 1 oz. 1% OZ- 3 oz. V2 oz. 0 60 30 25 15 15 10 0 Slight Yellowing* * 5? 95 Material Check Special Semesan Puraturf Tersan Calo-Clor Calo-Cure Crag 531 Cadminate 3965 * Average of two replications and three applications at 10-day intervals beginning September 13, 1951. ** Observable 10 days after first application. In comparing the materials, it will be noted that organic and inorganic cad­ mium compounds and the mercury chlo­ rides gave the best control of dollarspot. Actidione showed promise at Michigan and Rhode Island, although Rhode Island reported that with the advent of cool weather a uniformly off-yellow cast de­ veloped on the plots where Actidione was used. Investigations at Rutgers showed that the mercury chlorides gave the best control of brownpatch with a slight dis­ coloration on the bentgrass during mid- NEW GREEN SECTION SERVICE SUBSCRIBERS International Minerals & Chemical Corp., Chicago, III. McCausland, Ross, Seeds, Wichita, Kansas Mississippi Valley Golf Superintendents Assn., Al­ ton, III. Pacific Tero Co., Inc., Los Angeles, Cal. Taylor, T. T., Harrison, N. Y. CONTRIBUTION RECEIVED Western Pennsylvania Golf Association—$200 This contribution is to be used to help sup­ port the new three-year Turf Research Fellow­ ship at the Pennsylvania State College, studying soil compaction, aerification and soil condition­ ing materials. summer. Tersan, when used alone, gave poor control, but when used with calo- clor, control of brownpatch was excellent with no turf injury. Calo-Cure, which was easier (no discoloration) on the bentgrass, also shows promise for the control of brownpatch. Rutgers reported that “with all application rates of Mil- organite, the brownpatch was less than with the 8-6-4 fertilizer on both colonial and seaside bents”. As in the past, cadmium compounds and mercury were effective in controlling copperspot. Tifton reported that bermudagrass putt­ ing greens which are not well drained or are often overwatered seem to be very subject to attack and that resistance to leaf blotch appears not only to be a characteristic of bermudagrass types but also is related to soil fertility. The USGA Green Section believes that our knowledge of turf diseases is suffi­ cient to suggest management practices which may prove helpful to superintend­ ents. Not all of the cooperators are in complete agreement concerning the sug­ gested management practices, which indicates that considerable work remains to be done in the years ahead. Only those fungicides which have stood the test of time are listed under chemical control. 28 Disease Dollarspot Brownpatch Dual Season Dollarspot-Brownpatch USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 Fungicide Nitrogen 1. Cadmium Compounds .(Cadminate, Crag 531, Puraturf 177) 2. Mercury Chlorides (Calo-Clor) 1. Mercury Chlorides 2. Cadmium Compounds in dollarspot weather, Tersan Calo-Clor com­ bination in brown­ patch weather. 1. 2. Mercury Chlorides Cadmium in dollarspot weather, Tersan Calo- Clor combination in brownpatch weather. Adequate feeding up to iy2 pounds of actual Nit­ rogen per 1,000 square feet per month of grow­ ing season. Organic source may les­ sen severity of an attack. Bulk of Nitrogen applied in cool weather. Total same as for dollarspot. Over-all feeding same as for dollarspot. Bulk of Nitrogen applied in dol­ larspot weather. Turf al­ lowed to become slight­ ly Nitrogen hungry in brownpatch weather. Copperspot Snowmold Cadmium Compounds Insufficient information 1. Mercury Chlorides Avoid heavy Nitrogen feeding as cold weather approaches. Failure to obtain disease control with these proven fungicides indicates that cultural requirements may bear investiga­ tion. Freedom from mat; adequate fertility level; intelligent water manage­ ment and good drainage; regular close mowing; aeration, brushing and raking; good surface air circulation; and the use of improved bentgrasses contribute to economical and effective disease control. Editor's Notes on Crabgrass and Turf Diseases The true relationship between crab­ grass and grass diseases has been known by scientific and professional men for many years. The homeowner still thinks that the reason his lawn turns to crab­ grass is that he did something wrong. It is time to inform the public as to the real reasons for crabgrass. We have crabgrass in turf because the turf we have is not dense enough to smother crabgrass. Crabgrass needs sun­ light to germinate and to grow to matu­ rity. Shade is its deadly enemy, whether that shade comes from a towering oak tree or from a dense turf cut at one inch or less. When the turf density is reduced so that light can penetrate and reach crabgrass seeds on the soil surface, we will have crabgrass. Here are some of the principal factors responsible for the thinning of turf. Grass Diseases The cool wet weather during April and May in many parts of the northeastern states encouraged an epidemic of leaf­ spot disease on common Kentucky blue­ grass. From Washington, D. C., to Kings­ ton, 'R. I., to Boston, through New York state, the plots at Penn State and into Virginia, the story was much the same. Common bluegrass turf looked brown and thin. In spite of excessive soil mois­ ture, it looked as though it were suffer­ USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 29 ing from drought. Others must have thought it was dry, too, because I saw people watering their diseased bluegrass. lhe result of the leafspot epidemic will be more crabgrass. Until leafspot-resistant grasses are planted in these lawns, there will always be too much crabgrass and too many people selling crabgrass killers. But some day soon there will be crabgrass­ resistant turf for those who want it. That goal has been reached on both an ex­ perimental basis and on a practical basis on a limited scale. Merion bluegrass is an improved turf bluegrass that is not immune but is highly resistant to leafspot disease. For that reason a Merion bluegrass turf will have less crabgrass than turf of common bluegrass, ail other factors being equal, particularly at the lower heights of cut 11 inch or less) because Merion is also tolerant of close mowing. Cooperative re­ search at many points in the United States has proved these statements. The major drawback is that we are still sev­ eral years away from being able to pro­ duce enough seed to satisfy the demand. Other grasses have diseases, too. Many bent greens have been badly hit this spring by one or more Helminthosporium leafspot diseases. Again, some bent grasses are more resistant than others. W. H. Glover, at Fairfax Country Club, Fairfax, Va., called on May 21 and re­ ported severe to moderate damage on most of his well-managed greens, except the Arlington (C-1J greens. This grass is performing the same way in New England and in other places. H. B. Mus­ ser, at Penn State, showed me strains of bent grasses that were eaten alive with leafspot. Next to them were plots in per­ fect condition. Some of these resistant strains have become parents of his new polycross creeping bent, of which a little seed is available. Another of the USGA Green Section’s new bents is Dahlgren (C-115), which apparently is highly re­ sistant to leafspot. The red fescues (Chewings and creep­ ing red) are susceptible to leaf spot, too. But here we can look forward to new red fescues which resist the common grass diseases. It is really encouraging to see clean, beautiful fescue turf of these improved strains right next to plots that are full of Poa annua, clover, chickweed and crabgrass simply because disease thinned the turf and let in these un­ wanted invaders. Bermudagrass gets disease, too, and leaf spot again is one of the culprits. Not only does common bermuda get crab­ grass, but it has a hard time starting again in the spring after a hard winter with a coating of ryegrass over it. Yes, you guessed it. Dr. Glenn W. Burton has given us superior strains of bermudagrass that are highly resistant to disease, so that they can resist weeds and snap back in the spring with plenty of vigor even before the ryegrass starts to die. Tifton 57 bermuda turf, for example, won’t need nearly so much crabgrass killer because there won’t be so much crabgrass. The same is true of Tifton 127 for greens. There are others, too, such as U-3. The zoysia grasses are in the news be­ cause they are so very disease-resistant, among other good qualities. It is rare in­ deed to find any evidence of disease on the zoysia grasses. Common St. Augustine gets hit badly by diseases. The Bitter Blue strain is much more resistant. The tall fescues (Kentucky 31 and Alta) get diseases, too, but Kentucky 31 is more resistant under most conditions that we have observed. Further improvement is in progress. And so it goes. The Colonial bents and all the rest get thinned by disease, and in come crabgrass, chickweed, Poa annua and all the rest. We cannot win until we have truly disease-resistant varieties and know how to establish them and manage them. Insect Damage One of our favorite statements has been, “The first principle of weed con­ trol is insect control.” Insect activity thins and weakens turf and opens the door to weeds. Like diseases, most in­ sect damage escapes the notice of all but the professional observer until the weeds have taken over. Then a renovation prob­ lem has been incurred. With excellent in­ secticides available at stores and with ac­ 30 USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 curate information for the asking through the county agents’ offices or from your favorite entomologist or turf specialist, there is no excuse for permitting insects to bring crabgrass into otherwise good turf. Low Fertility Turf density usually is directly related to the level of available plant nutrients, with the emphasis on nitrogen, other elements in proper proportion. Please note that I qualified my statement with “usually.” If the turf is composed of di­ sease-susceptible grass like common blue­ grass, common bermuda, common red fescues and others, crabgrass can still be a serious pest in spite of the best fertilizer program one could devise. In fact, with high fertility, the crabgrass may be more serious because it, too, responds to nitro­ gen. I have insisted that, as the disease­ resistant grasses are developed and brought into wide use, we will have to re-evaluate fertilizer usage in terms of these grasses, which can make much more economical use of the fertilizers we apply. For instance, at the Beltsville Turf Gar­ dens, Clark and Armiger, working on fertilizer field plots, discovered that di­ sease was changing the population from bluegrass to crabgrass, so that their re­ sults were of no significance. The same thing happened at Penn State. The only solution was to renovate and establish the improved turf grasses. Fertilizer can produce perfectly won­ derful results, but turf that is ruined by disease or ravaged by insects can’t make proper use of it and, of course, a large part of the fertilizer is wasted. Mechanical injuries or even chemical injuries can invite weeds, but if the adapted, disease-resistant grasses are there, fertilizer and good management will help them overcome the weeds. Drainage is a big factor in helping grasses grow healthy. So is the proper soil reaction. Diseases are less serious when turf is kept dry. Morning watering is least likely to encourage disease, as compared to evening watering. We do not consider height of cut as a significant factor in weed control, except when un­ adapted, disease-susceptible grasses must be used. In our work, a certain height of cut is essential to the proper use of the turf, and the grass selected must be able to perform satisfactorily under a specific height of cut. True, raising the height of cut will help a diseased grass to recover because it permits the plant to have a greater leaf surface by which it can make more food to help it recover. It is only a temporary measure, at best, and the final answer must lie in selecting a grass or a mixture of grasses that unqualifiedly is adapted in every way. Watering a disease- stricken turf usually encourages crab­ grass. Watering a turf of improved grass does not encourage crabgrass to the same extent, and in addition the disease-resist­ ant turf may not need to be watered as often. COMING EVENTS August 5: Field Day, Rutgers University, New Brunswick. N. J. Ralph E. Engel. (Tour starts at 1:30 p.m., from Turf Plots). August 17-23: Sixth International Grasslands Con­ gress, State College, Pa. W. M. Myers, Gen­ eral Chairman, Plant Industry Station, Belts­ ville, Md. August 20-21: Field Day, University of Rhode Is­ land, Kingston, R. I. J. A. DeFrance. September 3-4: Field Day. Pennsylvania State Col­ lege, State College, Pa. H. B. Musser. September 24: Field Day. Greater Cincinnati Golf­ ers' League and Cincinnati Golf Course Super­ intendents. Taylor Boyd. October 6-7: Turf Conference, University of Cali­ fornia, Los Angeles, Cal., V. T. Stoutemyer. October 9-10: Turf Conference, University of Cali­ fornia, Berkeley, Cal., John J. McElroy. October 13-14: Turf Conference, Washington State College, Pullman, Wash. Alvin G. Law. October 22-24: Third Turf Conference, Central Plains Turf Foundation and Kansas State Col­ lege, Manhattan, Kans. William F. Pickett and L. E. Lambert. November 17-21: American Society of Agronomy meetings, Netherland Plaza Hotel, Cincinnati, Ohio. L. G. Monthey. December 1-3: Texas Turf Conference, Texas A. & M. College, College Station, Texas. James R. Watson. USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 31 REPORT ON TWO IMPROVED TURF GRASSES By FRED V. GRAU Director, USGA Green Section Recent publicity has tended to create in the minds of some the illusion that the USGA Green Section has created a “miracle grass”, a “wonder grass” and other unlikely developments. These sensa­ tional terms are not the words of the Green Section nor of any research men associated with the National Coordinated Turf Program. They are terms applied by writers to some of the improved turf grasses which the Green Section has helped to develop. The performance of some of these grasses, as described by me in several articles and as told to the press in a conference at “Golf House” on May 5, 1952, is so good that actually they seem to do the impossible. It is the pur­ pose of this article to put the record straight and to evaluate some of the re­ cent developments in superior turf grasses for our readers. Merion Bluegrass Merion bluegrass has been described in the USGA Journal (April 1950), in Seed World (December 21, 1951), in The Flower Grower (March 1952) and in other publications. Merion bluegrass is a superior turf bluegrass, and these points may be listed wherein Merion out­ performs common bluegrass. 1. It thrives under close mowing, as low as % inch. 2. It is highly resistant, but not im­ mune, to leafspot disease. Common blue­ grass all over the northeastern states this spring was severly injured by leaf- spot. Merion was only slightly affected. 3. The drought tolerance of Merion is of a very high order, compared to com­ mon bluegrass. 4. Merion turf consistently has less crabgrass than common bluegrass turf, all other conditions being equal, particu­ larly at low-cut which is essential in golf turf. Common bluegrass, which often is nearly destroyed in the spring by leaf­ spot, cannot resist crabgrass invasion. Merion bluegrass turf is not thinned by disease to the same degree and thus tends to eliminate crabgrass by competi­ tion. Merion can be spring-seeded suc­ cessfully in Washington, D. C. Common bluegrass has consistently failed when spring-seeded. These qualities are highly desirable in a turf grass, but they do not make Merion a “miracle grass.” Merion has some qualities which are not entirely on the credit side. The greatest handicaps at present are scarcity of seed and high price per pound. These factors are tem­ porary and will be corrected as produc­ tion increases to meet the demand and as competition and supply drive the price down. Other factors have tended to off­ set the feverish optimism and here are some: 1. Merion bluegrass is difficult to es­ tablish because the seed is slow to start to establish a turf. People with a rye­ grass complex shouldn’t waste time with Merion. It will not come up in five days like ryegrass. 2. Merion bluegrass suffers severely through neglect. It responds well to generous fertilization. It needs more fer­ tilizer than most people ordinarily use. So, unless you plan to fertilize as needed, don’t waste your time and money on Merion. 3. Merion bluegrass suffers when wa­ tered too much. I have seen Merion fail where planted, as a small plot, into a turf area of grasses which required, or at least they got, nightly watering. 4. Merion apparently is sensitive to preparations that contain mercury. I’ve seen Merion bluegrass nearly destroyed where repeated applications of phenyl mercury preparations had been made. We do not know that the mercury was re­ sponsible nor do we suggest that anyone discontinue its use, but we simply men­ tion it so that Merion users can check our observations. Tests are under way to clear this point but Merion is touchy. 5. Seeding Merion bluegrass into old established turf is a slow, disappointing process because the slow-starting seed­ 52 USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 lings have difficulty competing. A fresh, weed-free seed bed is the best bet, and it is still sound to seed Merion alone. Expertly done, pound to 1 pound of seed to 1,000 square feet is enough. Twice that, at least, is needed with ordinary care. Meyer Zoysia Meyer (Z-52) zoysia has been de­ scribed in the USGA Journal (November 1951), in New York Botanical Garden Magazine, The Garden Journal (Jan.- Feb. 1952) and in Seed World (Feb- inary 15, 1952). Meyer zoysia is the first improved strain of zoysia to be recognized and named. It has been wide­ ly tested and has been found to be widely adapted in many climates and on many soils. Here, quoted, are my statements in The Garden Journal: “Jt resists crabgrass and other summer weeds. “It thrives during the heat of summer. "It grows on almost any kind of soil. "It is very drought-tolerant, needing less irri­ gation than most turf grasses. “Turf insects do not seem to affect it. “It is easy to mow when cut regularly. "It needs mowing less often than most turf grasses. "It can be mowed at heights from one-halt inch to four inches without loss of vigor and beauty. "It has a wide range of adaptation, having proved its wmter-hardiness as far north as Massachusetts, Michigan, and the mountainous regions of Pennsylvania and New York. "It produces a firm, resilient cushion of turf which delights everyone who uses it. "It is very resistant to wear. “It has a pleasing texture and color (about like Kentucky bluegrass) during the growing season. "It is permanent. "As you might have guessed, any grass which has so many good qualities has to have some disadvantages. Here they are: "l\ie\er zoysia loses its green color in late fall after the first or second killing frost, re­ gaining it in the spring about the time the weather is good enough so that people begin to use their lawns again. “No seed is available, so that planting must be done vegetatively, i.e., by plugs of sod or by sprigging. Plug-planting is preferred and the best time to plant is when the ground is not frozen or baked iron-hard by drought. Sprigging is best done from early spring to late summer. “Spread of Meyer zoysia is slow compared to bermuda but is faster than Manila-grass (zoysia matrella). Two-inch plugs planted on 12-inch centers in a lawn should cover solid in two years. Competition from other grasses slows its spread. "Winter weeds come into dormant zoysia turf. These include chickweed, speedwell, henbit, garlic, annual bluegrass, clovers, ground-ivy and broad-leaf weeds. The two most important herbicides for control of these winter weeds are 2,4-D and potassium cyanate. Seeding im­ proved cool-season grasses into Meyer zoysia turf in early fall will go far toward eliminating most winter weeds. To date Merion bluegrass appears to be one of the best of the cool­ season grasses to grow in association with Meyer zoysia.” Again, we disclaim any statement that Meyer zoysia is a “miracle” grass. It is not. But, it is so much better than any turf grass previously known in the climate, and poor soils, of Washington, D. C., that many people who have used it actually claim that it does miraculous things. Combination Turf The combination of zoysia with Merion bluegrass was a dream that came true. Zoysia loses all its green color with the first hard frost. Merion bluegrass is per­ fectly beautiful in cool weather. Zoysia is at its best in the hottest weather. Merion slows down (hen. The “marriage cere­ mony” was performed in 1947. In 1948 Meyer zoysia and Merion were “mated,” and the combination has developed a turf that is close to perfec­ tion in nearly all respects. It must be stated clearly that the com­ bination is a physical one. The zoysia sod is aerified and Merion bluegrass seed is sown at the appropriate time. The two glasses have lived together in per­ fect harmony for several years and show no tendency to separate. Our best advice to our member clubs is to establish a small nursery to Meyer zoysia, overseed with Merion bluegrass and see if it works for you. Perhaps it will not. Maybe some other grass will be better for your con­ ditions. But the quality of the turf devel­ oped when Merion bluegrass is seeded into Meyer zoysia is such that every member club should at least try to grow it. USGA Journal and Turf Management: July, 1952 33 IT’S YOUR HONOR A British Reaction To the USGA: We had a very successful Amateur at Prestwick. Harvie Ward is an extremely good golfer and such a very nice and pleasant person. His victory was very popular. As you know, we had a wonder­ ful entry from the United States, and all of them very charming and grand sports­ men. The Scottish crowd liked Ward very much. We had a crowd of between 5,000 and 6,000 watching the final, which was all American. Shows how much we like and appreciate your grand golfers. Hope they all come back next year. Lt. Col. C. O. Hezlet, DSO Chairman, Championship Committee Royal and Ancient Golf Club St. Andrews, Scotland Radio Coverage To the USGA: I would like to take this opportunity to state that the radio coverage of the USGA Open at Dallas, Texas, was especially ap­ preciated, since I did not have an oppor­ tunity to attend. The fact that lhe USGA wanted golf fans over the country afforded an opportunity to hear radio coverage of the event is commendable, indeed. I would like to suggest, however, that more air time should be devoted to describing the shots of a greater number of lhe partici­ pants. Don Granfell Austin, Texas "Golf House" To the USGA: Enclosed you will find a contribution to “Golf House.” I believe the idea of “Golf House” as a useful shrine to the game of golf in America is a very worth-while project, and I wish you great success. C. L. Gairoard, President The Kroydon Co. Maplewood, N. J. The New Rules To The USGA: 1 know it is not going to do any good, but I am determined to express my views on the new Rules of Golf. I am a week-end golfer, playing one or two games over a week-end, with no oppor­ tunity for practice between games. For economical reasons I play on a course in rugged country, where the fairways are nar­ row and any ball out of the fairway is most likely an unplayable lie. If I and all the thousands of other play­ ers in my class abide by these new Rules it is enough to discourage the most ardent fan to the point of giving up the game or making his own Rules. The new Rules may be all right for the professional player who plays every day on a fine course, but for us dubbers they are most unfair. About the silliest of the new Rules is the penalty stroke for a ball that moves after address. How can you possibly penalize the player for a ball moving when he has done nothing to cause the movement? That is one Rule that I for one simply will not abide by. Let’s see you publish this in “It’s Your Honor”. William R. Smith Milford, N. J. To the USGA: Upon reading the Revised Rules, I wish to extend congratulations for the wonder­ ful contribution you have made toward clarifying the most neglected feature of the sport. The Rules in their present form are more readily available to one seeking definitions on any given feature of the game, which together with supplementary information should encourage every golfer to> become thoroughly familiar with them. My only regret is your inability to im­ pose a penalty upon any player for failure to fully appreciate your efforts by becom­ ing completely versed upon proper proce­ dure under any conditions that may arise. Robert J. Foley, Secretary West Virginia Golf Association Huntington, W. Va. Editor's Note: The USGA Journal invites comments on matters relating to the welfare of the game and will publish them as space permits.