JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT REPAIRING BALL MARKS IN PUTTING GREENS Don't leave a ball mark in a green for someone else to putt over. After you have holed out, loosen the compacted turf with a tee, replace the turf in the pit and press down with your hand or foot. The process is illustrated on page 32. The golfer is Ralph Hutchison. USGA JOURNAL ANO 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 VI, No. 1 APRIL, 1953 Through the Green ......................................................... Sportsman’s Corner ......................................................... The People Speak on Amateur Status ........................ Naturalness: The Key to Golf .................................. .. More About the Jones Portrait ................................. Amateur Status in College Golf .................................. Solving Caddie Problems ............................................... The Plan for the Open Championship ........................... The Effect of Novel Clubs ........................................ How Golf Began in the Northwest .............................. The Referee: Decisions by the Rules of Golf Committees. Turf Management: USGA Green Section Matted Greens Contribute to Poorer Golf ............. Bentgrass Greens for the South ............................................. How to Repair Ball Marks on Putting Greens ................ John P. English Ralph Hutchison . Charles B. Grace Charles G. Wilson ... Charles Danner 1 3 9 10 12 13 15 16 17 21 25 28 32 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 t<> Green Section matters should be addressed to USGA Green Section, Room 331, Administration Building, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville. Md., or to USGA Green Section West Coast Office, Box 241, Davis, Cal. 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 1953 Walker Cup Match—September 4 and 5 at the Kittansett Club, Marion, Mass. Men’s amateur teams, Great Britain vs. United States. (Dates entries close mean last dates for applications to reach USGA office, except in the case of the Amateur Public Links Championship. For possible exceptions in dates of Sectional Quairvinr Rounds, see entry forms.) Championship Open Entries Close May 18 Sectional Qualifying Rounds June 1 Women's Open June 15 none Championship Dates *June 11-12-13 June 25-26-27 Amateur Public Links Junior Amateur fjune 8 July 6 ijune 21-27 July 20 Team: July 11 Indiv.: July 13-18 July 29-Aug. 1 Girls' Junior August 7 Women's Amateur August 10 none none Amateur August 17 Sept. 1 August 17-21 August 24-29 Sept. 14-19 Venue Oakmont C. C., Oakmont, Pa. C. C. of Rochester, Rochester. N. Y. W. Seattle G. C., Seattle. Wash. Southern Hills C. C. Tulsa, Okla. The Country Club, Brookline, Mass. Rhode Island C. C., W. Barrington, R. I. Oklahoma City G.&C.C. Oklahoma City, Okla. •Championship Qualifying Rounds at ________ ______ , Oakmont Country tEntries close with Sectional Qualifying Chairmen. iExact date in each Section to he fixed by Sectional Club and Pittsburgh Field Club. June 9 and 10, Chairmen. USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 1 A Heavenly Morning Fore, an occasional publication of the Merion Golf Club, tells this one: Saint Peter and Saint Paul were tee­ ing off on the long par-three first hole of the Celestial Country Club. St. Peter drove first and his ball went into the cup for a hole-in-one. St. Paul casually teed his ball and drove. His ball also went into the cup. All the way to the green there was un­ earthly silence. Then, as he picked both balls out of the cup, St. Peter said: “What do you say we cut out the miracles and just play golf?” Who Closes the Course? A Member Club has asked who should be charged with the responsibility for closing its course to play because of weather conditions. There is no uniform policy on this matter, but the advice of Richard S. Tufts, Chairman of the USGA Green Sec­ tion Committee and formerly Chairman of the USGA Championship Committee, may be interesting to many Clubs. In the normal course of events, he points out, there are only two reasons for closing a course. The first is when play might be in­ jurious to the course. The Green Committee and the golf-course super­ intendent usually are in the best posi­ tion to assess this point. Since they are responsible for the condition of the course, they should have authority to pro­ tect it from undue damage. Whether the responsibility of the golf-course superin­ tendent should be final or advisory is a matter for the club to determine. There is no reason to vest the same authority also in individuals who have no responsi­ bility for the maintenance of the course. The second is when weather conditions might make the course unfit for play during a competition. The Golf Commit­ tee usually is in the best position to as­ sess this point, although the professional might well advise it. The Green Commit­ tee and the golf-course superintendent need have no voice in this decision. 16 Putts for 18 Holes Again In September, 1949, we noted that George Lockwood, then 73, of the Ingle­ wood Country Club, near Los Angeles, had played a full round on his home course during which he had to putt only sixteen times. The episode occured in December, 1947, and seemed to us a rec­ ord—an assumption which apparently was borne out when no reader arose to dispute it. We understand now, however, that a gentleman named Melvin D. Chatten, then 55, of the Elks Golf Club, in Elkhart, Ind., duplicated Mr. Lockwood’s feat last sea­ 2 USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 son. Mr. Chatten one-putted fourteen greens, two-putted one green and chipped into the cup three times during an 18- hole round. The Man Behind the Bench You should know a little bit about the gentleman who donated and set up the club-maker’s bench as of 1904, authentic from spring-jaw vise to tea chest, in “Golf House.” It has attracted consider­ able interest. Jim Gallagher is 72 and one of the real old-timers of the club-making trade. He started caddying at the Grey Oaks course of the St. Andrew’s Golf Club in 1895, when he was 15. A year later he went to work for Willie Tucker, the professional there, as one of his five club­ makers. Tucker, who was related to Willie Dunn by marriage, recommended Gal­ lagher to Dunn in 1900, and Gallagher began making clubs for the versatile Scot in what probably was the United States’ first indoor golf school, on 42nd Street just off Fifth Avenue in New York. James Gallagher As most golfers knew him In Dunn’s shop Gallagher first saw wooden club-heads with socket hosels. Un­ til that time wooden heads had been spliced to the shafts. This new type of head had been made on a shoe-last ma­ chine, and the innovation undoubtedly was a factor in developing Gallagher’s own inventive bent as he worked succes­ sively for Jock Forgan, Alex Findlay, in his own shop in New York and for vari­ ous manufacturers. Among other develop­ ments, he invented in 1934 the Turf-Rider wooden clubs, which achieved wide popu­ larity. Gallagher is best known, however, as the conductor of the club-making and re­ pair clinic which the Professional Golf­ ers’ Association of America instituted in 1933. Its purpose was to instruct PGA members in the art of making and re­ pairing steel-shafted clubs, so that they could serve their players in their own shops. He took the clinic into forty-four states and covered 26,000 miles. Gallagher first visited “Golf House” in the spring of 1951, bringing with him an 80-year-old club and two “newer” models made by Willie Dunn about 1898. A year later, he returned, bringing an old For­ gan niblick, with holes punched through the blade so the sand could pass through, an idea which had worked well when the sand was dry but not when it was wet. During these visits he developed the idea of turning over all his old club-making tools to “Golf House.” “I wouldn’t be where I am today if it were not for golf,” Jim said, “and I want to put something back into the game.” Rules of Golf Booklet The 1953 edition of the Rules of Golf booklet is now available in a bright new spring coat of cream and green color. The text of the Rules of Golf, as such, re­ mains unchanged, but there have been some revisions of other matter in the booklet, notably the Rules of Amateur Status. The booklets may be purchased at “Golf House”. The charge is 25 cents per booklet. USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 3 For Lady Chairmen SPORTSMAN'S CORNER A book we would be proud to have published is the Handbook for Golf Chairmen produced by the Chicago Wo­ men’s District Golf Association as a refer­ ence and guide in the conduct of women’s golf at clubs. It should be extremely use­ ful as a supplement to our own booklet, The Conduct of Women’s Golf. The Conduct of Women’s Golf sets forth basic suggestions for play and recom­ mendations for local rules and handicaps. The Handbook for Golf Chairmen goes on from there to suggest how a women’s golf committee should be organized and how to conduct various types of competi­ tions. One of its most useful features is the check list of subjects which must be settled upon in order to carry out proper­ ly each of the many functions of a wo­ men’s golf committee. We recommend the book unreservedly to those who are concerned with the con­ duct of any form of women’s competi­ tions, from club championships through team matches to junior events, at clubs. That 35-Year Span In the September issue we mentioned the feats of W. Hamilton Gardner and Paul Hyde in winning championships of the Country Club of Buffalo over spans of 35 years. Now a third instance of the same cham­ pionship being won by an individual over a span of 35 years has cropped up: Mr. Findlay S. Douglas, the Amateur Cham­ pion in 1898, won the President’s Cup at the Nassau Country Club, in Glen Cove, N. Y., in 1901 and again in 1936. This puts Mr. Douglas in the same class with Messrs. Gardner and Hyde. We are still looking for anything to beat this. National Golf Day Julius Boros, the Open Champion, will be the golfer to beat when National Golf Day rolls around again on May 23. He will play his round at the Oakmont Coun­ try Club, near Pittsburgh, the same course on which he will defend his Championship in June. Last season approximately 80,000 Curt Jacobs Prior to the 1952 "Big Ten" Champion­ ship over the new course at the Univer­ sity of Illinois, Curt Jacobs, the Wiscon­ sin captain, played the course in an easy 71. He was one of the favorites. The scores on the first day of the 72- hole stroke play event were high, un­ usually high even for early spring per­ formances by college students. Fairways were thick with new grass, and the boys didn't always get hold of their fairway shots too well. Oversize traps snared er­ rant pulls and pushes and presented tough sand shots. Built-up greens had no fringe at all. A relentless wind swept over the Illinois prairies, shifting direction from morning to afternoon. None of these factors, however, could account for the 85-86 posted by Jacobs. It didn't seem possible for a fine golfer to blow that high. The next morning Jacobs held out a badly cut, slightly festering left hand for inspection by John Jamieson, the Wiscon­ sin coach. He was hustled io a doctor for stitches and anti-tetanus shots. There was no more golf for him in that tournament. Curt Jacobs had played 36 holes with a left hand accidentally cut by a razor blade. Despite pain and an embarrassingly high score, he hadn't uttered a murmur of complaint or alibi. He had just worn a glove and kept swinging. Lester Bolstad University of Minnesota golfers, competing with handicaps on their own courses against Ben Hogan, raised more than $80,000 for the USO and various golf activities. 4 USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 43 Years at Wannamoisett George Gordon Professional golf is not a field famed for lengthy associations between indi­ viduals and Clubs, despite some notable exceptions, and so we think it is news that George Gordon, a Scot who came here in 1911, is now starting his forty- third year as professional at the Wanna­ moisett Country Club, near Providence, R. I. Two hundred fifty members at­ tended a testimonial dinner for him on the eve of his 69th birthday, during the off-season. Allocating Handicap Strokes The problem of allocating the order in which handicap strokes are to be taken on the holes of a golf course is a recurrent and knotty one. The USGA recommends, generally speaking, that the first stroke be allocated to the most difficult hole to score well on, not necessarily the most difficult to score par on, and that the handicap strokes should be evenly distri­ buted. One of the essentials in carrying out these recommendations is solid statistical evidence on the subject. The Suburban Club of Baltimore County turned up a neat means of acquiring such evidence. The Maryland Open Championship was held at the Suburban Club, and the Club’s Handicap Committee had ready­ made statistics on the scoring on each hole of the course during 184 rounds that were played in one day. Developing hole-by-hole statistics from the score sheets of stroke-play tournaments in which scores are recorded hole by hole is a device which can be used by almost any Club. The Suburban Club simply totaled the scores for each hole, and it had a basis for determining the relative difficulty of each hole. A similar tabulation from week-end club tournaments also would provide a statistical base. Necrology We record with regret the passing of three men who have served this Associa­ tion with energy and distinction and who have contributed significantly to the best interests of the game they loved. Reuben J. Bush, Jr., of New Orleans, Ralph H. Linderman, of Lake Wales, Fla., and Mar­ shall C. Speight, of Richmond, Va., will be sorely missed not only in their own communities but in the broader commu­ nity of golf. With equal regret we note, too, the passing of Frank W. Crane, of New York, the first golf writer of The New York Times. Mr. Crane followed golf almost from its beginning in this country, and after his graduation from Columbia, in lo90, he began bringing articles about the game into the Times office. They con­ stituted the first series of articles that paper published concerning the game. Mr. Crane eventually joined the regular staff and covered many early tourna­ ments. APOLOGY In the September, 1952, issue there ap­ peared a poem entitled "Mulligans," which was credited io James F. Blair. The poem is the work of Edgar A. Guest, and we apologize. USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 5 The People Speak on Amateur Status By JOHN P. ENGLISH USGA Assistant Executive Director Last winter we asked thirty-five golfers to study the 1952 Rules of Amateur Status and send us their suggestions for con­ structive change. In an attempt to get a variety of informed opinion, we sent our request to some leading amateur and pro­ fessional golfers, both men and women, to some club presidents, to some associa­ tion presidents, to some golf equipment manufacturers and to some former Presi­ dents of this Association. The golfers se­ lected represented many segments of golf and many sections of the country. Twenty-three replied, and their opin­ ions were of great assistance in preparing the revisions which have been made ef­ fective in the 1953 Rules of Amateur Status. Of this number, nine endorsed in prin­ ciple the code as then written and indi­ cated that a relaxation of any of its basic features would only weaken it. Views in this category were expressed by C. W. Benedict, 1952 president of the West­ chester County (N.Y.) Golf Association; Dr. Arthur E. Billings, president of the Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa.; George W. Blossom, Jr., 1942-43 president of the USGA; Bing Crosby, honorary vice-presi­ dent of the Western Golf Association; John G. Jackson, 1936-37 president of the USGA; Herbert Jaques, 1933-34 presi­ dent of the USGA; Miss Pat O’Sullivan, a member of the 1952 Curtis Cup Team; Lee S. Read, 1952 president of the South­ ern Golf Association, and one sectional association president who asked that his name be held in confidence. For ihe Code Mr. Blossom expressed a common view when he wrote: “I believe we all realize that our Rules of Amateur Status are anything but perfect, but on the other hand I think the people interested in the USGA and the general sportsmen feel that our amateur status results are the best of any sport. It would be too easy to change the rules and wake up to find we are in the same position that so many other sports are in.” Mr. Jaques pointed out: “Our Rules of Amateur Status have stood the test of time. Granted they impose certain hard­ ships and financial inequalities, team matches, for instance, still go on. If they prevent many younger men from partici­ pating, they also produce the incentive for financial success in business. After years of study and thought, I cannot find any compromises or easing of the Rules that will avoid abuse when administered by enthusiastic, inexperienced, local com­ mittees or individuals. Dr. Billings believes: “The only reason that amateur golf has been maintained on its present high level of amateurism is because of the existence and enforcement of the rather strict code. We have had in the other sports many regrettable infrac­ tions as a result of both laxity in rules and lack of proper enforcement. I think a tribute should be paid to the members of the USGA Executive Committee, past and present, for their wonderful understand­ ing of the true spirit of amateurism and for their creation and execution of the rules and regulations which exemplify this spirit in its broadest concept.” Miss O’Sullivan wrote: “I feel that the Rules are strict. I do not feel, however, that they are unreasonable in any way. Possibly from the viewpoint of certain in­ dividuals, they are harsh, but when it is considered how many individuals are concerned, it is obvious that the rules must be adopted for the group, not for individuals therein. “A very good example of this was my own problem in the 1949 Eastern Ama­ teur Championship. I had too many clubs in my bag and discovered it after I had hit only one shot. I was disqualified under 6 USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 the Rules at the time, and it seemed hard. Yet after I thought about it, I realized that the Rules of Golf were set up for the collective group and not for individual cases. I had no intent to use the extra clubs, but there could be others who would take advantage of such a situa­ tion.” Mr. Crosby suggested: “I think it might be a good idea if all the top amateurs were to be closely scrutinized and any of them who have no visible means of sup­ port other than golf should be screened closely with a view to determining just how they are supporting themselves . . . Perhaps the task of eliminating ‘hustlers’ from golf could best be accomplished by the people in charge at the private clubs.” Mr. Benedict felt the Definition of an Amateur Golfer could be tightened. (This provides that “An amateur golfer is one who plays the game solely as a non-re- munerative or non-profit-making sport.”) “The words ‘non-remunerative’ and ‘non- profit-making’ mean substantially the same thing. They both definitely imply that the person derives a profit ... It would seem to me that the definition of an amateur should stipulate that he ‘plays the game solely as a non-remunerative or non-profit-making sport, and entirely at his own expense.” Col. Read, in recommending support and publicity for the rules, asked himself what was the basic cause of most cases of questionable amateur status: “The an­ swer which bounces back to me every time is either the desire of an individual or institution to do some youngster a favor or to develop the game of golf to the point of commercialism, at the sacri­ fice of the player. The greatest sin here is that the boy’s honesty is concurrently impaired. He is encouraged to cheat, and the practice weakens the basic character on which the game is built.” Other Views Fourteen of the twenty-three individuals who replied recommended liberalizations. The interesting features of these replies were, however, that at least ten of the fourteen apparently still endorsed the gen­ eral principles of the code and that recom­ mendations for liberalizations were scat­ tered over eight separate clauses. The ten who appeared to endorse the general principles of the code in the course of suggesting one or two specific liberalizations were Miss Patty Berg, the 1938 Women’s Amateur Champion and now a professional; William C. Chapin, vice-president of the Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, N. Y.; George Dawson, a semi-finalist in the 1926 Amateur Cham­ pionship and now vice-president of A. G. Spalding & Bros., Inc.; John W. Dawson, a member of the 1949 Walker Cup team; Miss Pat Lesser, a semi-finalist in the 1952 Women’s Amateur Championship; Charles B. Lindeman, president of the Seattle Golf Club, Seattle, Wash.; Miss Barbara Romack, a quarter-finalist in the 1952 Women’s Amateur Championship; Robert R. Walker, chairman of the Rules Committee, Western Golf Association; Jack Westland, the 1952 Amateur Cham­ pion ; and one president of a state associa­ tion who asked that his name be held confidential. The Expense Rule The principal target was the rule pro­ hibiting the acceptance of expenses in connection with the general run of golf tournaments after the 18th birthday, ex­ cept from one on whom the player is normally dependent. This is the clause which, more than any other, distinguishes the USGA Rules of Amateur Status from the codes of most other sports, and eight respondents recommended that it be liberalized. They were Mrs. Charles F. Spalding, an en­ trant in the 1952 Women’s Amateur Championship; Ellsworth Vines, former amateur and professional tennis champion and now golf professional at the Wilshire Country Club, Los Angeles, Cal.; E. Har- vie Ward, Jr., 1952 British Amateur Champion, and Mr. Chapin, Miss Lesser, Mr. Lindeman, Mr. Westland and the president of the state association who asked that his name be held in confidence. Mr. Chapin and Miss Lesser would re­ strict the acceptance of expenses to those USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 7 incurred in connection with the Amateur and Women’s Amateur Championships, respectively. Mr. Westland believed that recognized golf associations should be allowed to pay the expenses of teams which represent them. Four of the others favored a general liberalization of the clause, and the fifth recommended that it be either more rigidly enforced or changed. The Association did not, however, con­ sider it advisable to relax this clause be­ cause it fears the creation of a class of players to whom golf would become a primary pursuit and who would compete, ostensibly as amateurs but actually as subsidized players. The creation of such a class is deemed undesirable because it would be unfair to true amateurs who play for pleasure and to whom the game is a secondary pursuit. Also, the hypoc­ risy can only weaken the characters of the individuals involved. One or two ex­ ceptions to the present rule might not create such a class, but they would estab­ lish precedents which would make further exceptions inevitable. The Faculty Member The second most popular target was the clause which prohibited faculty mem­ bers or other employees of institutions of learning from receiving compensation for giving instruction in golf. Five individuals favored a relaxation of this clause, the majority to permit instructors of physical training to give instruction in golf. They were George M. Thompson, president of the Southern California Golf Association, whose letter represented the opinions of that association; and Miss Berg, Miss Lesser, Miss Romack and Mrs. Spalding. Mrs. Spalding favored a general broad­ ening of the jobs girls may hold and still play as amateurs. This clause was relaxed by the addition of the following exception, but this ex­ cepts only: “Faculty members of recog­ nized educational institutions who are not primarily teachers of physical training or athletic sports and whose golf instruction is given to students and is incidental to their academic duties.” It was believed that to except also regular instructors of physical training and coaches would open the way to considerable abuse and that such instruction is properly the function of a professional. Value of Prizes Four respondents proposed that, in view of the declining value of the dollar, the limit on the retail value of a prize for an amateur should be raised, and the limit was increased from $100 to $150. Those who suggested a change of this nature were John Dawson; Mr. Linde­ man, Mr. Thompson and Mr. Walker. Scholarships The president of the state association, a member of Mr. Thompson’s board and Mr. Ward expressed the belief that the prohibition against scholarships granted because of golf skill or golf reputation should be relaxed, and this clause, too, underwent some rephrasing to bring it more closely into conformity with the amateur status codes of the leading col­ lege athletic conferences, all of which were carefully studied by the Association last winter. The new clause cites as an example of an act which violates the Definition of an Amateur Golfer when committed after the 18th birthday: “Because of golf skill or golf reputation, accepting any con­ sideration as an inducement to be a stu­ dent in an educational institution. How­ ever, a student may accept a scholarship approved by a regular authority of the institution awarding all scholarships.” Suggestions for relaxation in other phases of the Rules were widely scattered, and only one was incorporated into the re­ vised code. Shop Boys Mr. Walker proposed that the age limit on employees engaged in making, repair­ ing or cleaning clubs in a golf shop at a golf course be increased from the 18th birthday to the 21st birthday, and this was done. As Mr. Walker pointed out: “A youngster is hardly in a position at the age of 17 to make a decision as to 8 USGA Journal and Turf Management: April. 1953 whether or not he wishes to become a pro­ fessional. Extension of the age at which this decision must be made to 20 years would provide the boy with an opportu­ nity to make a more mature decision and in the meantime to take advantage of the highly desirable type of employment.” Reinstatement Mr. Vines and Mr. Walker both pro­ posed relaxations of the reinstatement procedure. Mr. Vines favored abolition of the requirement that an individual can have been a professional not more than five years in order to be eligible normally for reinstatement. Mr. Walker suggested making exceptions to the stipulation that an individual may be reinstated only once. In each case, the objective was to make it possible for older men, who might have been professionals more than five years or who might have been reinstated once in their youth, to enjoy their later years in club and senior competitions. Actually, the Executive Committee al­ ready is empowered to waive the five- year rule and does when circumstances warrant. It considers, however, that al­ lowing individuals to change their minds more than once would be dangerous. Golf Equipment Mr. Ward further suggested that ama­ teurs be allowed to accept golf equip­ ment from manufacturers, but he added: “I don’t think the equipment should be accepted without some sort of payment ... It is my firm belief that some rule could be written to allow amateurs to ac­ cept equipment at a reasonable discount.” The clause governing this subject has been slightly rephrased to prohibit the acceptance of golf equipment from any dealer after the 18th birthday “without payment of current market price.” The subsidizing of amateurs by golf equip­ ment dealers, however, is considered on exactly the same basis as the subsidizing of amateurs through the payment of other golf expenses, and the Association is not disposed to lower the first bar. 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 (1953 edition). Booklet, 25 cents (special rates for quantity orders). 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. HANDICAPPING THE UNHANDICAPPED, a re­ print of a USGA Journal article explaining the Callaway system of automatic handicap­ ping for occasional players in a single tourna­ ment. No charge. 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. PROTECTION OF PERSONS AGAINST LIGHTNING ON GOLF COURSES, a poster. No charge. MOTION PICTURES ON GOLF. 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. BETTER LAWNS TO COME, a reprint of a USGA Journal article. No charge. TURF MANAGEMENT, by H. B. Musser (McGraw- Hill Book Co., Inc.), the authoritative book on greenkeeping. $7. 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 United States Golf Association, 40 East 38th Street, New York 16, N. Y. USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 9 Naturalness: The Key to Golf by RALPH HUTCHISON Professional, Saucon Valley Country Club, Bethlehem, Pa. A point I have never forgotten in my years of teaching golf is a comment Mac­ donald Smith made after winning his fourth Los Angeles Open in 1934. Smith was in his forties at the time but he bested a field which included the best young players of the day. A couple of days later Mac said: “Hutch, it is just being natural when you hit the ball. I never forgot that on a single shot in the Los Angeles Open.” He went on to explain that Bob Jones, Gene Sarazen, Harry Cooper, Bobby Cruickshank and Ed Dudley were nat­ ural players and never allowed an arti­ ficial motion in any of their swings. As a result of this chat, in my teach­ ing, I try first to gain the absolute con­ fidence of my student and to keep him mentally and muscularly relaxed. It is important to keep the student in natural positions. Different types of persons, according to their physical makeups, will do things differently and even think differently. I try to find the most natural way for each in­ dividual to absorb the point I’m stressing with the physical equipment he possesses. At all times I endeavor to keep the con­ tent of my teaching so simple that a child could understand. The individual must understand why and what he can do, and never necessarily try to copy what I do. It seems to me advisable never to leave a student unsure of what he is striving to do. If at the end of a session the stu­ dent doesn’t understand clearly what we have been working on, I have him return at the earliest opportunity, emphasizing that he shouldn’t practice or play until he has a clear idea of what he is trying to do. Ralph Hutchison In diagnosing faults, I take enough time to analyze the swing so that I know whether it is a mental or a swinging flaw. I then try to be strong enough to follow through on my diagnosis, since the stu­ dent often will want to vary from the cor­ rect line of thought after his first poor shot. It is essential that a player form a mental picture of the golf shot before it is actually executed. By that I mean not only where the shot is to be played but how. Thus movies have become very im­ portant in golf instruction. The pupil can see himself as others see him. That way, golf to him becomes more natural. And, as Macdonald Smith told me years ago, you have to be natural if you are ever to develop a fine golf swing. 10 USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 More about the Jones Portrait Few contributions to “Golf House” have attracted more interest than the painting of Robert T. Jones, Jr., which was presented by a group of members of the Augusta National Golf Club last Janu­ ary. It was clear during the presentation, made by Clifford Roberts, that Jones was deeply touched, and upon his return to his home he wrote the following letter: most delightful associations of my golfing experience. More precisely, it represents an effort on the pari of those who have assisted us in building our favorite Club io perpetuate my likeness where I would most like to have it done. The whole affair gave me quite a lift of spirit. I enjoyed renewing old friend­ ships and basking again in familiar atmos­ phere. Additionally, I found I could do more than I thought I could, once the proper stimulus was provided. My dear Cliff: I should like if very much if you could find some way io make known io those members of the Augusta National who made possible the portrait for "Golf House" the fact that they could have done nothing that could have given me as much real pleasure. As I tried io say at the pre sente lion, this portrait, and the hanging thereof, ex­ presses for me a combination of the two Sincerely, Bob As originally planned, the gift was to be made by six members of the Augusta National Golf Club, but Jones’ friends in the Club are so numerous that the number of donors could not remain so limited. For the record, a small plaque attached to the portrait contains ninety-nine names and reads: Floyd D. Akers J. B. Atkins E. J. Barber E. J. Barber, Jr. R. E. Barbour W. Stanton Barbour Thomas M. Belshe Douglas M. Black D. C. Bothwell Alfred Severin Bourne Jerome P. Bowes, Jr. Albert Bradley Thomas W. Bright James F. Brownlee Emmons Bryant John M. Budinger David R. Calhoun, Jr. J. Douglas Casey Clement S. Castleberry John O. Chiles Alexander F. Chisholm Robert H. Christy John D. Coffin J. D. Stetson Coleman Stuart W. Cramer Henry C. Cullum Jackson P. Dick Robert A. Drum Oscar John Dorwin Arthur B. Edge Frank B. Edwards Dwight D. Eisenhower John D. Ewing Jerome A. Franklin George A. Fry Harvey C. Fruehauf Alester G. Furman, Jr. T. R. Garlington Freeman F. Gosden B. C. Gould Jay Gould Eugene G. Grace James T. Greene Herbert W. Grindal W. Montgomery Harison James J. Harris J. B. Harris I. J. Harvey Eugene M. Howerdd Robert K. Howse James M. Hull Henry A. Hurst Crawford Johnson, Jr. W. Alton Jones Hollis Lanier William K. Laughlin Barry T. Leithead Duncan MacLeod Laurence M. Marks Grover C. Maxwell Lewis B. Maytag L. F. McCollum William McWane Clifford Meigs Harry J. Miller Eimer F. Pierson Charles V. Rainwater Philip D. Reed Robert L. Rhodes Clifford Roberts Julian Roberts William E. Robinson Edmund P. Rogers George A. Sancken C. J. Schoo E. D. Slater Richard L. Snideman Thomas F. Staley Russell B. Stearns Percy M. Stewart L. N. Stockard Samuel H. Swint W. Stuart Symington Richard Tift Francis A. Townsend Gene Tunney B. J. Van Ingen G. Herbert Walker Fielding Wallace William H. Wallace, Jr. William K. Warren H. Hamilton Wende John Hay Whitney Frank A. Willard W. Dickinson Wilson Carl I. Wood George W. Woodruff Robert W. Woodruff Charles R. Yates USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 11 The presentation of the Jones portrait attracted considerable interest, and the number of visitors to “Golf House” has approximately doubled since the portrait was hung. Nearly all of them arrive with the remark: “Where is that portrait of Bob Jones?” Our guest book now lists visitors from forty states, the District of Columbia, and Bermuda, England, Ireland, Scot­ land, Wales, Canada, Cuba, Sweden, Den­ mark, Chile, Venezuela, Peru, Argentina, Japan. Germany, Netherlands and Saudi Arabia. The effort to complete the financing of “Golf House” rolls on, with the emphasis on contributions from the Member Clubs whose headquarters this is. In the period since the last issue of the USGA Journal twenty-nine additional Clubs have en­ rolled as Founders, bringing the total which have contributed to 486. Contributions received from Clubs alone since the last issue of the USGA Journal amounted to $2,067.50, and “Golf House” Fund now totals $98,114.49. This has been given by 5,333 individuals, clubs, associations and other sources. The goal remains $110,000, and it is earnestly hoped that it will be fulfilled this year. Contributions in any amount will be gratefully received. Founders not previously listed who had enrolled at press time are: Wharton Allen Robert N. Babbish In Memoriam—Cornelius R. Berrien by Stephen Berrien Gordon J. Birgbauer Miss Sue H. Brooke Robert. P. Chandler In Memoriam—George F. Clark by P. L. Clark Edward R. Collins William P. Cansidine Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Diehl INDIVIDUALS Mr. and Mrs. Winthrop John Ellis H. E. Engstrom Arnie Ferrin Mark W. Flanagan Hilary D. Forrester Keith Fowler Harry E. Gunn John D. Howell Larry Lance Dr. F. A. Larson Ralph C. Larson CLUBS G. Dow Dr. W. F. Lasby Frederick A. Marsh Hugh Ross Charles J. Shirm Helen T. Steiner R. F. Steiner R. Douglas Swinehart Arthur C. Williams John R. Williams E. Malcolm Wolcott Blaine Young Atlanta Athletic Club, Ga. Bala Golf Club, Pa. Belle Meade Country Club, Tenn. Benvenue Country Club, N. C. Country Club of Northampton County, Pa. Dedham Country and Polo Club, Mass. Green Brook Country Club, N. J. Green Hills Country Club, Cal. Greenville Golf and Country Club, N. C. Hinsdale Golf Club, III. Meadowlands Country Club, Pa. Menlo Country Club, Cal. Midvale Country Club, N. Y. Mt. Pleasant Golf Club, Md. Overland Park Golf Club, Colo. Park Country Club of Buffalo, N. Y. Stanford Golf Club, Cal. Sunny Croft Country Club, W. Va. Susquehanna Valley Country Club, Pa. Thunderbird Ranch and Country Club, Cal. d Country Club, N. Y. Town Univer Golfers Association, N. Mex. Waiala 'ountry Club, Hawaii Wanaka Country Club, N. Y. Wellshire Solf Club, Col. Western Golf and Country Club, Mich. Weston Golf Club, Mass. Wigwam Country Club, Ariz. Woodhill Country Club, Minn. ASSOCIATIONS OTHERS California Junior Girls Golf Association Junior Girls Alumni Golf Assoc, of California St. Louis Women's District Golf Association The Golfing Club, Cal. Greenkeepers Club of New England Old Time Caddy Club, Minn. 12 USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 Amateur Status in College Golf After a prolonged investigation, the USGA Executive Committee concluded last winter that several golfers associated with North Texas State College, in Den­ ton, Texas, had not conducted them­ selves in conformity with the Rules of Amateur Status. The policy in such cases is to so inform the individuals and, in due course, any associations directly concerned, but not to initiate public announcement of the action. The USGA does not want to em­ barrass any individual publicly. If the in­ dividual chooses to make the matter pub­ lic, the Association has no objection. In this case, several of the individuals concerned did make public the fact that they had received letters from the Asso­ ciation informing them that they were no longer amateur golfers under USGA Rules. They also were told that they could apply for reinstatement if they so desired. Since the case as a whole is now a matter of public knowledge and interest, the Association is no longer constrained on its broad aspects. As a starting point, it should be clear that the action was taken against a group of individuals, and not against the Col­ lege. The College has been entirely co­ operative in the matter and has under­ taken to conduct its golf activities in conformity with the Rules of Amateur Status in the future. Three Principles Involved While the cases of almost all the indi­ viduals involved varied in detail, the vio­ lations concerned two principles: "Rule 2-3: Receiving compensation for giving instruction in playing golf . . . "Rule 2-9: Accepting expenses, in mon­ ey or otherwise, in connection with a golf competition or exhibition (except from NEW MEMBERS OF THE USGA REGULAR Antioch Golf Course, Cal. Blythe Country Club, Cal. Cuyuna Country Club, Minn. Detroit Amateur Golf Club, Pa. Eagles Mere Golf Club, Pa. Grand Rapids Country Club, Mich. Greenwood Country Club, N. J. Griffin Ladies Golf Association, Ga. Island Hills Country Club, N. Y. Maui Country Club, Hawaii Meadow Brook Golf Club, Utah Oakwood Country Club, Okla. Tam O'Shanter Country Club, Mich. Temple Country Club, Tex. ASSOCIATE Casselberry Country Club, Fla. one or whom the player is normally de­ pendent) . . . Exception: (c) As a repre­ sentative of a recognized educational in­ stitution ... in (1) team events or (2) other events which are limited io rep­ resentatives of recognized educational in­ stitutions ..." The Association has long considered that “an amateur golfer is one who plays the game solely as a non-remunerative or non-profit-making sport.” It believes that anyone who receives any form of com­ pensation for his ability to play golf vio­ lates this definition. The Association’s objective, of course, is to protect those who play solely for pleasure from having to compete against a group which is sub­ sidized. In this case, the evidence that some in­ dividuals had been compensated by work scholarships for instructing classes in golf and/or that some had accepted expenses in connection with a non-college golf competition was conclusive. It also appeared that some of the individuals had committed the violations knowingly, since their attention had been brought directly to the Rules of Amateur Status in pre­ vious communications. The action, there­ fore, became mandatory. USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 13 Solving Caddie Problems Does your Club face a problem in ob­ taining caddies? If it does, it is not alone, but experi­ ence has developed several devices which have been effective at other clubs. A Racine, Wis., club sends its profes­ sional to call personally at all neighboring junior high and high schools each winter to point out the advantages of caddying at that club. Some clubs make similar contacts with Boy Scout organizations. A Minneapolis, Minn., club makes an arrangement with a downtown organiza­ tion handling underprivileged youngsters whereby a club bus picks up a group of these boys each morning and returns them at the end of the day. A Buffalo, N. Y., club advertises through newspapers and by radio for caddies. A Huntington, W. Va., club presents free golf clinics at the local YMCA dur­ ing the winter, promoting not only inter­ est in golf but also in caddying. One club gives a $5 bonus to each cad­ die who recruits a permanent fellow­ worker. Another gives points under its bonus system, which also rewards regular­ ity of attendance and efficiency. Many clubs open their golf seasons with an attractive caddie dinner, to which the regular caddies invite caddie prospects. On the Club Level These tested suggestions are examples of manner in which the Western Golf As­ sociation attacks one aspect of the caddie problem, to which it devotes itself in be­ half of its member clubs. They are ex­ tracted from its booklet, “Recruiting and Retaining Your Caddies.” This booklet, in turn, is one of several means which the WGA employs in attempting to achieve its primary goals: To enhance the enjoyment of golf through better caddies and to make cad­ dying an honored and respected avoca­ tion for young men. WGA operates on the premise that “good caddies are indispensable to good golf.” Its publicized Evans Scholars Founda­ tion, which has provided college scholar­ ships for more than 250 caddies since 1930, and its honored Western Amateur, Open and Junior Championships are means to these ends, but they tend to ob­ scure the worth-while work the WGA does on the Association-to-Member Club-and- Player level. Many clubs could profit by peeking over WGA’s shoulder at this phase of its activity. As WGA has delved into the caddie problem, it has developed a set of princi­ ples designed to guide clubs in all their relationships with caddies. This program has been formulated in another booklet, “Caddie Committee Manual,” which is the bible on the management of caddies and the testament to years of thought and experience. In order to institute a sound caddie program, WGA advises, a club must place the responsibility on a committee which has time and the facilities to discharge that responsibility. “An examination of published club by­ laws reveals that frequently the responsi­ bilities for caddies are included in the work of other committees, i.e., the golf, sports and pastimes, grounds and green committees,” WGA finds. Recommended duties and responsibili­ ties of the Caddie Committee include: Selection and supervision of the Cad­ die Master. Initiation, supervision and direction of the recruitment program. Supervision and direction of the training of new caddies and refresher training for old caddies. Formulation and supervision of the necessary caddie attendance and per­ formance records. Organization and recommendation to the Board of a plan for caddie com­ pensation and establishment of a uni­ form system of caddie rating. 14 USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 Formulation and recommendation to the Board of necessary caddie rules and regulations. This should include en­ forcement of these rules, following their approval by the Board. Provision of adequate facilities for caddies when not in service. Facilities should include clean and adequate toi­ lets and washrooms. Establishment of incentives for faith­ ful and efficient service by the boys. Provision of adequate eating facili ties for caddies on club premises. Confirmation with club legal counsel in regard to state and local laws govern­ ing employment of minors. The club insurance program must provide suf­ ficient protection for the club and mem­ bers in the event of caddie accidents on the grounds. Provision for physical examination of caddies to verify the boys as physic­ ally qualified for their strenuous duties. Obtainment of transportation for caddies when necessary. Provision of system for checking with school authorities on boys report­ ing for work while school is in session. Preparation of caddie application for employment. Recommendations Implemented As might be expected, the WGA has implemented each of these recommenda­ tions with detailed suggestions. Those concerning incentives, rather than tips, for faithful and efficient ser­ vice are examples of particular interest. “Tipping,” WGA says, “is the quickest means to demoralize your caddie service. Boys are quick to learn the good and poor tippers, and they are sure to seek assign­ ment to the most generous members. If caddie rates are fairly established and incentives to good work are adequate, tip­ ping is not necessary . . . Whenever pos­ sible, it is advisable that the boys be paid by the caddie master, and not by the members. The ticket system is the answer to eliminating tipping. Another advantage of the caddie master paying the caddie is that the former can discuss the member’s rating and criticism of the boy right at the moment while it is freshest in the minds of both. In that way, the boy’s weaknesses are quickly cured.” Instead of tips, WGA recommends an incentive plan comparable to those oper­ ated in many businesses, and financed by the club. Some suggested incentives are: Privilege of playing golf and/or use of the swimming pool on stated days and times. Participation in a cash bonus system. Privilege of participating in club caddie tournaments. Privilege of representing the club as a caddie in golf and other athletic competitions. The recommendations regarding cad­ die house and yard are equally pertinent. W’GA believes, and most golfers will agree, that these facilities reflect the type of caddie service the members receive. Disreputable and defaced property indi­ cate lack of respect and lack of super­ vision. On the other hand a clean and properly supervised area can attract de­ sirable types of boys to the club. “If gambling, smoking, rough-housing and foul language are tolerated,” WGA says, “either the wrong type of boy is be­ ing employed or those in charge are fall­ ing down on their jobs. In either case, get rid of the weakness. “In spite of the caddie shortage, never hesitate to dismiss a caddie for a rule infraction which has been explained and which the other boys respect. Parents and school teachers never will encourage or allow boys to caddie if the caddie house and yard has an unsavory reputation.” The WGA stresses the importance of an attractive caddie yard in still another booklet, “A Camera Tour of Caddieville, U. S. A.,” which points up by photo­ graphs a large number of devices which are being used by some clubs to improve conditions for their caddies. It would be a disservice to WGA to in­ dicate that this sampling reveals more than a fraction of its work and purpose, but there is food for thought and material for betterment even in these samples. USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 15 The Plan for the Open Championship There will be two important departures from previous practice in the 53rd Open Championship of the USGA. The Championship Proper will be held at the Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pa., June 11 through 13, and entries on official forms, accompanied by the $10 entry fee, must be received at USGA headquarters no later than 5 P.M. on Monday, May 18. First, a new form of Championship is being tested this year in an effort to re­ duce the premium on qualifiers’ places. Sectional rounds will be conducted on the same basis as last year, except that 300 will be qualified instead of 162. Ex­ emptions from sectional qualifying will remain as they have been. A Championship Qualifying Round will be instituted for those who are suc­ cessful in sectional rounds or exempt from sectional qualifying. This will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 9 and 10, at the Oakmont Country Club and the Pittsburgh Field Club, with half the field playing each course each day. Only the Champion, Julius Boros, will be ex­ empt from this round. The 149 low scorers and those tied for 149th place will join Boros in the Championship Proper at the Oakmont Country Club, starting the next day. The Championship Proper will be conducted in the familiar pattern for a purse which has been in­ creased from $15,000 to $20,000. Second, an attempt will be made to tighten the procedure invoked when a qualifier or exempt player withdraws aft­ er sectional qualifying and an alternate is notified of his eligibility to compete. Every qualifier and exempt player will receive a Player’s Certificate which certi­ fies his eligibility to compete. If a holder withdraws, he must notify the cognizant official and return the certificate no later than 10 A.M. on Thursday, June 4, which is three days after the sectional qualify­ ing. Failure to comply will render the player liable to possible disqualification from future USGA competitions. Eligible players must also register at the Oak­ mont Country Club no later than 10 A. M., on Monday, June 8, or advise the USGA of a later time of arrival. Thirty-four qualifying sections have been established. These sectional rounds will be at 36 holes, stroke play on Mon­ day, June 1, except that the play in Hono­ lulu will take lace on May 25. Sites of sec­ tional qualifying rounds follow: ALA. Birmingham C. C. of Birmingham ARIZ. Phoenix Arizona C. C. CAL. Virginia C. C. Los Angeles San Francisco Olympic C. C. COLO. Denver Lakewood C. C. D. C. Washington Congressional C. C. FLA. St. Petersburg Lakewood C. C. HAWAII Honolulu Waialae C. C. ILL. Chicago Green Acres C. C. and Onwentsia C. IOWA LA. Des Moines New Orleans New Orleans C. C. Des Moines G. & C. C. MASS. Boston MICH. Detroit Charles River C. C. Knollwood C. C. and Orchard Lake C. C. U h ' Grand Rapids Kent C. C. Interlachen MINN. Minneapolis MO. N. J. N. M. N. Y. Kansas City St. Louis Indian Hills C. C. Bellerive C. C. Boonton Albuquerque Knoll G. C. Albuquerque C. C. Buffalo New York Troy Brookfield C. C. Winged Foot G. C. C. C. of Troy N. C. Charlotte Myers Park C. OHIO Cincinnati Cleveland Maketewah C. C. Mayfield C. C. and Oakwood C. OKLA. Tulsa Oaks C. C. PA. Philadelphia Manufacturers' G. & C. C. Pittsburgh and North Hills C. C. Allegheny C. C. and Shannopin C. C. TENN. Memphis TEXAS Fort Worth Houston Lubbock WASH. Seattle W. VA. Huntington Colonial C. C. Colonial C. C. Lakeside C. C. Lubbock C. C. Seattle G. C. Guyan G. & C. C. 16 USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 The Effect of Novel Clubs By CHARLES B. GRACE Chairman, USGA Implements and Ball Committee The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland, and this Associa­ tion recently disapproved a wooden club of new design which has been produced under the trade name “Slipstream.” These clubs were designed to provide greater clubhead speed from the same amount of applied power. This was to be accomplished by directing small columns of free-flowing air through three passages running through the club-head from the face into a. stream-lined egress chamber at the back, thus dissipating the partial vacuum behind the club-head produced by generated turbulence. The entrances to the passages in the face were outside the hitting area. The decisions to disapprove this type of club were based simply on the fact that it represented a “substantial depar­ ture from the traditional and accepted form and make” and therefore did not conform to Rule 2-2a. However, the phil­ osophy behind the decisions runs far deeper than might be apparent from that simple wording. The “Slipstream” club, if approved, would open the door to all sorts of clubs having little or no relation to the basic standards of the game. For one example, we could foresee it as paving the way to a clubhead which, for all practical purposes, would violate the spirit of that part of Rule 2-2b relat­ ing to the shape of the head which pro­ vides: “The head of a golf club shall be so constructed that its length from the back of the heel to the toe shall be greater than the breadth from the face to the back of the head.” The reduction of clubhead drag has substantially the same eventual effect as if mechanical propulsive equipment, such as springs, were incorporated in the club­ head. The effect is to promote a greater speed of the clubhead by means other than the player’s skill. This idea is con­ trary to the spirit of the Rules. Apparently the sole justification for the club is that it might produce increased distance. The same reasoning motivated some golf ball manufacturers in the past. That is why the USGA felt obliged to es­ tablish specifications of not only size and weight but also impact velocity for the golf ball. The Association invested a good many thousand dollars in the creation of a machine to test impact velocity of the ball. Had this not been done and had not the progressive lengthening of the ball thereby been arrested, the eventual result would have been to throw many golf courses out of balance architecturally, to make them “shorter” in playing qualities, to change the nature of the game of golf and to produce costly expense for altering and lengthening courses, with attendant cost increases for maintenance and taxes. The USGA exists for the sole purpose of serving the welfare of all golfers, in­ cluding the average golfer. That is pre­ cisely why the Association (which is an organization of Clubs) has fixed stand­ ards for implements and the ball and for the Rules of play and has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in USGA Green Section work designed to produce better golf-course maintenance at lower cost. Through standard specifica­ tions, the Association has sought indi­ rectly to bring about improved quality and better value in implements and the ball, rather than merely a continual in­ crease in distance. The measure of the Executive Commit­ tee’s decisions is what is considered best for the game, in the long run. The Com­ mittee is convinced that, while admitting improvements within the spirit of the Rules, a charm of golf is found in its challenge to improve skill. USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 17 How Golf Began in the Northwest The playing of two USGA Champion­ ships in the Pacific Northwest last sum­ mer again focussed attention on the lively state of golfing activity in that picturesque and hospitable section of the country. Golf appears to have discovered the Pacific Northwest within the last two decades, and two Amateur Champion­ ships, two Professional Golfers’ Associa­ tion Championships, two Amateur Public Links Championships, one Women’s Ama­ teur Championship, one Women’s Open Championship and a Ryder Cup Match have been held there since 1933. Yet the Pacific Northwest discovered golf sixty years ago, and there are now some 140 courses in Washington and Oregon alone. The golf history of the area is just about as lustrous as that of the East, where the game was first adopted in this country sixty-six years ago. Alexander Baillie, a young Scot from Brechin, Forfarshire, introduced golf into the Pacific Northwest. When he was 21, the Balfour-Guth­ rie Company, Ltd., sent him to the new world to open a branch office in Portland, in 1880, and he opened another in Ta­ coma, in 1888. In his office force at Tacoma were some thirty persons, half of them homesick Scots. Baillie felt he could relieve some of their homesickness if he could establish in Tacoma the game which so many of them had played in Scotland. So in 1894 he obtained a five-year lease on 280 acres just outside the suburban village of Edison and organized the Tacoma Golf Club, the first permanent club in the Northwest. Also on the West Coast This was, coincidentally, the year in which golf hit other places on the West Coast. Some golf was played at Portland in 1894; A. T. Huggins, S. G. Bowley, David Norrie and Joseph Peeples are said to have introduced the game on a vacant lot on Powell Valley Road. However, the Waverley Golf Club, site of the 1952 Women’s Amateur Championship, was not organized there until 1896. Golf also re­ portedly was played at the Erlington Golf Club, in Seattle, in 1894; Erlington passed, however, and the Seattle Golf Club, which was established in 1900 and was the site of the 1952 Amateur Champi­ onship, is the oldest permanent club in Seattle. By 1903, golf was sufficiently estab­ lished in the Northwest so that the Seat­ tle and Victoria Golf Clubs could institute their home-and-home matches which have continued to this day. This is an Ameri­ can international series apparently ex­ ceeded in age only by that between The Country Club, Brookline, Mass., and the Royal Montreal Golf Club, which was started in 1898. Through 1952, Seattle and Victoria played 43 matches, Seattle winning 25 times and Victoria 17 times, with one tie. The land which the Tacoma Golf Club leased in Edison cost one dollar a year. With this nominal fixed charge, the initia­ tion fee was set at $2.50 and the dues at 25 cents a month. Baillie became presi­ dent and held the office for ten years. The other charter members were O. F. Cosper, James Dishart, G. W. Dishart, James Gil- lison, S. Medlicott, J. S. Merrill, C. S. Mil­ liken, Ralph Stacy, John Arkley, John S. Baker, Dr. H. Allan and Frederick Wat­ son. Four red-shingled houses, set side by side, formed the first clubhouse. The Eisenbeis family, which owned the pro­ perty, lived in one of the end cottages, Eisenbeis being employed as a general caretaker and Mrs. Eisenbeis as cook. Another building served as a club room and the other two as locker rooms. There were, of course, no lights or heat. 18 USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 Baillie and H. J. Bremner laid out the course, and Baillie imported thirty sets of men’s and women’s clubs, from the For­ gan firm in Scotland, and twenty-five dozen gutta-percha balls. The clubs were entered at the Tacoma Customs Office as agricultural implements on the advice of the bewildered Collector. The first tournament of which there is official report was held on November 29, 1894, and was won by J. B. Maclean. The contestants, however, were largely the charter members, and Baillie had little success at the start in interesting other Tacomans in the game. Word from the Asylum In fact, on the day after that first tournament, a tall, somber individual wearing a black frock coat called upon Baillie and introduced himself as Dr. Red- path, superintendent of the Steilacoom Asylum. It is an interesting commentary on the status of golf in the community that Baillie became apprehensive. Dr. Redpath’s mission, however, proved sim­ ply to induce Baillie to build a nine-hole course on the Asylum grounds. There were, Dr. Redpath pointed out, sixty harmless inmates who would be available as caddies. As a result of Dr. Redpath’s visit, another course was built at the Asy­ lum, and a tournament was held there in 1895. In a day of horses, bicycles or heel and toe, however, the Asylum course was too far from Tacoma to survive. The Tacoma golfers hardly played golf as we know it today. The course was primitive and filled with gravel and stones. It was open to cattle who roamed the course at will, and Ralph Stacy com­ mented years later that he could still re­ call the hollow sound of a ball thudding into a cow. Whenever a ball was lost, play stopped. The balls came from Scot­ land by sailing ships which rounded the Horn, and they would have been precious even in a club not composed almost en­ tirely of Scots. The activity was sufficient, however, to impress Sir Robert Balfour, of the Bal­ four-Guthrie firm, when he visited Ta­ coma in 1896. Sir Robert was an ardent golfer, and on his return to Scotland he had a gold St. Andrews medal made for the Tacoma Golf Club. This was placed in competition for the first time on New Year’s Day, 1898, and was won by Charles H. Malott, an Edison boy who had learned the game as a Tacoma Golf Club caddie, with 95-2-93. Malott also won the second competition on Wash­ ington’s birthday, 1899. The medal has remained a treasured possession of the Club ever since, even though it was put away so carefully in 1911 that it could not be found until 1938. Forty-seven winners have had their names inscribed on its container. C. D. Hunter, Jr., has won it six times. In age in the Northwest, this medal is second only to the Blyth Medal, which went into play at the Waverley Golf Club in the spring of 1897. Its origin was sim­ ilar to that of the Balfour Medal. Edward L. D. DaPonte The gold St. Andrews Medal of the Ta­ coma Country and Golf Club, Tacoma, Wash. It was donated by Sir Robert Bal­ four, of Scotland, after a visit to Tacoma in 1896, and is still played for annually. USGA Journal and Turf Management: April. 1953 19 The course and clubhouse of the Tacoma Country and Golf Club on American Lake L. Blyth, of North Berwick, Scotland, pre­ sented it to encourage that new club after visiting his nephew, Percy Blyth, a Wav- erley member. It was played for twice a year through 1903, the first winners being R. B. Miller, with 103, and Lt. H. P. Mc­ Cain, with 98. Cometitions then were spas­ modic until 1930, when it resumed its status as the Club’s most honored trophy. It is awarded now to the winner of the handicap tournament held on the day of the annual meeting each September. Tacoma did, however, entertain the first Pacific Northwest Golf Association Championships in April, 1899. The PNGA had been organized during the winter of the same year, when the only 18-hole courses in the area were at Tacoma, Port­ land and Victoria, B. C., yet a hundred visitors came from Oregon and British Columbia for the play. Malott, twice win­ ner of the Balfour Medal, defeated A. H. Goldfinch, of Victoria, in the final of the Amateur, and Mrs. Melbourne Bailey, also of Tacoma, won the Women’s Champion­ ship. PNGA Championships also were held at Edison again in 1902 and 1906. The American Lake Site By 1904, though, a relocation of the Tacoma Golf Club became inevitable. Baillie’s campaign to interest Tacomans in the game was belatedly showing symp­ toms of success, and the owner of the Edison land was anxious to convert that course to house lots to accommodate the expansion of the community. The first meeting of founders of the Tacoma Country and Golf Club was held in the Union Club on October 18, 1904, and in subsequent meetings a decision was reached to purchase the R. B. Leh­ man place and surrounding land to a total of 280 acres on the eastern shore of American Lake. Baillie was elected pre­ sident of the new organization, which was joined by a group of young Tacoma businessmen, and conducted the success­ ful negotiations for the new land. On January 21, 1905, the new club was chris­ tened and new officers were elected. Charles Hyde became president and Bail- lie vice-president. Construction of a clubhouse was com­ pleted in June, 1905, practically on the 20 USGA Journal and Turf Management: April. 1953 site of the present clubhouse. In June, also, thirty-six members participated in a drawing for lots for cottages and tent sites, to be used as summer accommoda­ tions on the club grounds. A spur line of the Tacoma Railroad and Power Com­ pany was constructed into the club grounds in 1906, and this, with the ad­ vent of automobiles, stimulated interest among Tacomans. Yet the new course grew slowly over prairie grass, stones and gravel. Avail­ able money had been used to build the clubhouse, and a proper water system for the clubhouse and course had to be fi­ nanced as soon as possible. There were many years between 1905 and 1923 when only one hole could be added or improved, and the Edison course remained in play through 1906. On the evening of June 22, 1909, the new club received a hard blow. While many of the members were attending John Drew’s opening in “Jack Straws” at the Tacoma Theater, the new clubhouse burned to the ground. An assessment and a bond issue were required to complete another clubhouse, but the 213 members proved equal to the task and the formal opening took place on October 8, 1910. The exterior of the colonial building, with its broad veranda overlooking the lake, has not been perceptibly changed since that day. The following week the PNGA Championships were held for the first time on the American Lake course of the Tacoma Country and Golf Club. The first Junior Week was held in August, 1911, and appears to have been one of the earliest programs of its kind. At the Junior Week dinner, in 1929, D. J. Young, then president, commented: “Jun­ ior Week is a unique innovation in this club and has proved its value by be­ ing adopted by many other clubs.” In 1911 Jim Barnes came to the club as professional, followed later by Mortie Dutra and Chuck Congdon, and in 1913 Harry Vardon and Ted Ray played their memorable exhibition at Tacoma before a gallery of 1,000, indicating the keen interest that had developed in the game. Charles Evans, Jr., Robert A. Gardner and some other crack amateurs of the day played a series of exhibitions all over the Northwest in 1912 at the invitation of A. S. Kerry, of Seattle, popularly known as “the father of golf” in the area and later a member of the USGA Executive Com­ mittee. These did more to stimulate the game there, and so did the advent of H. Chandler Egan, a multiple winner of the Amateur and Western Amateur Cham­ pionships, who left Chicago and pur­ chased an apple orchard in Medford, Ore. In 1924, Dr. O. F. Willing represented the Northwest on the Walker Cub Team, and he was followed by Don Moe, Jack Westland, Chandler Egan, Scotty Camp­ bell, Harry Givan and Bud Ward. By 1926 golf made such strides in the Northwest that Mr. Kerry was able to gather a team of eight Pacific Northwest amateurs which beat, 8 to 0, a team chosen from all other entrants in the Western Amateur at the White Bear Yacht Club, in St. Paul. The final of that Western was all-Northwest, too, Frank Dolp, of Portland, defeating Bon Stein, of Seattle. C. D. Hunter, Jr., was a mem­ ber of that team and became the Tacoma club’s best known player. At the annual meeting of the Tacoma Club in 1923, funds were solicited to initiate various improvements in the course. Scott Z. Henderson, president at the time, conceived the notion of inviting substantial subscriptions from certain af­ fluent members for the remodeling of a specific holes and in return permitting the donor to name the hole he improved. One of those approached was the same Mr. Kerry, a non-resident member. In a period of intense civic rivalry between Seattle and Tacoma over Mount Rainier, he provided funds to remodel the eighth hole with the proviso that it be named “Mount Rainier.” Kerry’s Seattle friends roared with laughter at this sly coup, until Henderson restored Tacoma’s equi­ librium by accepting with the remark that he considered no name more appropriate for a hole in the ground than “Mount Rainier.” USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 21 REFEREE Decisions by the Rules of Golf Committees Example of symbol*: “USGA” indicates decision by the United States Golf Association. “R & A” indicates decision by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland. “53-1” means the first decision issued in 1953. “R. 37-7” refers to Section 7 of Rule 37 in the 1953 Rules of Golf. Provisional Is Ball in Play when Drop Renders Original Unplayable USGA 52-80 R. 29-2a, 30-1, 31-2 Q: A ball is struck toward a part of the course where it may be unplayable. The player plays a provisional ball, as provided in Rule 30-1. The first ball is found to be touching a pipe. The player lifts it without penalty and drops it in accordance with Rule 31-2. The ball comes to rest in an unplayable lie. The player abandons the first ball and contends that he may now play the pro­ visional ball. Is he right? Question by: S. H. Kuhn Bonnie Briar Country Club Larchmont, N. Y. A: Yes. In equity, lifting and dropping the first ball under Rule 31-2 constituted an extension of the stroke played with that ball. When it became unplayable, the player in order to proceed under Rule 29-2a would have had to return to the spot from which the original ball was played (not the spot from which it was lifted). As he had already played the provisional ball from that spot, the provisional ball must be continued in play. Balls Striking Ball Hit Provisionally USGA 52-82 D. 22. R. 26-la. 2a. 30-2 In regard to the Rule 30-ld (a provisional ball is never an outside agency), I should like to cite these examples. QI: A player makes a shot which lands in the rough 250 yards from the tee. He elects to play a provisional ball and that shot lands 200 yards from the tee. He plays the provisional ball a second time, and this time the ball comes to rest 150 yards ahead of his original ball. He finds he can play his original ball. He neglects to retire tl e provisional ball from play. He makes a stroke with the original ball which strikes the provisional ball. Does the player incur a penalty? Does Rule 26-3 apply? Al: No. When the player elected to play his original ball, the ball which he had played provisionally was automatically re­ tired from play (Rule 30-2). The latter ball therefore was no longer a provisional ball but an outside agency (Definition 22). It is not necessary to retrieve one ball before playing the other in proceeding under Rule 30-2, and in the case you de­ scribe it would have resulted in considerable and unnecessary delay. When the player’s original ball then struck the other hall, it was a rub of the green and Rule 26-la governed. The other ball is not considered to be a part of the player’s equipment as contemplated by Rule 26-2a since it was not within his immediate possession or control. Q2: The provisional ball is still in ply (the player has not reached the spot where his original ball came to rest). A com petitor’s ball strikes the provisional ball a) Does Rule 27-3 apply? b) An opponent’s ball strikes the pro visional ball. Does Rule 27-2b apply? 22 USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 A2: a) Yes, if the provisional ball was at rest. at rest. b) Yes, if the provisional ball was Q3: The provisional ball should have been retired from play but was not. A competitor’s ball strikes the provisional ball. Does Rule 26-3b apply? An opponent’s ball strikes the provisional ball. Does Rule 26-2b apply? A3: See Answer 1 above. Questions by: Mrs. C. L. Graham Long Lake, Minn. Handicap Found to Be Incorrect USGA 52-85 R. 11-1 Q: Handicaps at our club are given by a handicap chairman from scores turned in by players. A asked the chairman if her handicap was not too high and was told it was correct. With this handicap, A en­ tered a tournament and won two matches, thereby placing her winner of her flight. After the tournament, the two defeated players checked A’s scores and found the handicap chairman had made a mistake and that A had played with too high a handicap. A was asked to replay her two matches. Can a player’s handicap be challenged after the tournament has been played? Will you refer me to the rule which governs this incident? Question by: Mrs. L. C. Yates Roanoke, Ya. A: In the absence of a claim entered as provided in Rule 11-1, the matches stand as played. However, there is nothing in the Rules which should deter the winner from acceding to a request by the Committee that the matches be replayed as a matter of good sportsmanship. Cleaning and Replacing Ball on Putting Green USGA 52-86 R. 21-1, 23-3, 28 App. 5 Q: The general practice among players at our club is to mark the ball on the putting green, lift it and clean it by hand or replace it with a new ball for putting. We would appreciate your interpretation whether or not a ball on the putting green can be lifted, cleaned or exchanged for a new ball. Question by: J. D. Laux Ithaca, N. Y. A: The practice you cite is contrary to the Rules of Golf. Rule 23-3 provides: “A ball lifted from a water hazard, casual water, ground under repair, or under Rule 32 may be cleaned; otherwise, during the play of a hole a player may not clean a ball, except to the extent necessary for identification or if per­ mitted by Local Rule.” When a player lifts his ball on the putting green in accordance with a Rule of Golf and there is no Local Rule which permits balls to be cleaned, it is incumbent on the player to handle his ball in such a way as to leave no question as to whether he may be cleaning it in violation of Rule 23-3. This Association approves a Local Rule permitting the cleaning of a ball on the putting green only on specific days when temporary conditions, including mud and extreme wetness, interfere with proper play­ ing of the game (see USGA Appendix 5 and suggested Local Rules on page 58 of 1952 Rules of Golf booklet). Rule 21-1 provides that a player must hole out with the ball driven from the tee, except under certain conditions not pertinent to your question. Rule 28 per­ mits the replacement of a ball which has become unfit for play, but Note 1 under that Rule specifies that mud or loose im­ pediments adhering to a ball do not make it unfit for play, within the meaning of the Rule. Player May Change Clubs between 18-Hole Rounds USGA 52-87 D. 29, R. 3 Q: In the semi-finals of a tournament in which thirty-six holes were to be played, a player wanted to exchange a club at the end of the first eighteen holes. What is the correct ruling? Question by: Norman B. Beecher Biltmore Forest Country Club Biltmore, N. C. A: It is permissible to change clubs between eighteen-hole rounds in a thirty- six-hole match. Rule 3 is applicable only during a “stipulated round.” and Definition 29 provides: “The ‘stipulated round’ con­ sists of playing the eighteen holes of the course in their correct sequence, unless otherwise authorized by the Committee.” The latter phrase only authorizes a Com­ mittee to alter the sequence in which the holes shall be played. USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 23 BALL HOLED? Definition 4 of the Rules of Golf provides: "A ball is 'holed' when it lies within the circumference of the hole and all of it is below the level of the lip of the hole." Teed Ball not in Play until Stroke Is Made at It USGA 52-88 D. 5 Q: Rule 14 says that if a ball, when not in play, fall off a tee or be knocked off a tee by the player in addressing it, it may be re-teed without penalty. The words “when not in play” raised a question at our club. On the third hole a player drove out of bounds. He teed up another ball and in the act of addressing it touched it so it fell off the tee. What is the penalty, if any? Question by: Frank Ross Hartford, Conn. A: There is no penalty, because a teed ball is not in play until a stroke has been made at it. Definition 5 provides: “A ball is ‘in play’ as soon as the player has made a stroke on the teeing ground. It remains in play as his ball until holed out, except when it is out of bounds, lost, or lifted in accordance with the Rules or Local Rules.” Loose Impediment in Hazard when Ball Is not in Hazard USGA 52-89 D. 17, R. 17-3, 18-1 Q: A player’s ball lies in the fairway on the edge of a trap which stands between the player’s ball and the hole. The player decides to execute his shot to the hole by putting through the trap. A small, loose pebble in the trap makes this stroke hazard­ ous. Can the player push the pebble into the sand so that it cannot interfere with the ball’s subsequent roll through the trap? Question by: William T. Elmer Fredericksburg, Va. A: No. Rule 17-3 prohibits a player from improving his line of play by moving, bending or breaking anything fixed, with certain exceptions which are not pertinent to this case. Sand is “fixed” and may not be pushed down in the manner proposed. The penalty for a violation of Rule 17-3 is loss of hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play. The lifting of a loose impediment in a hazard, when the ball is not in a hazard, is, however, expressly permitted by Rule 18-1, and a pebble, or small stone, is a loose impediment (Definition 17). While the player in question would, therefore, incur a penalty if he pushed down the surface of the hazard in his line of play, he would not incur a penalty if he simply removed a loose impediment from his line of play. Ball Comes to Rest on Ball outside Match USGA 52-90 R. 24-lb, 2, 3 Q: A’s ball came to rest upon a golf ball semi-buried in long grass and pre­ sumably a lost ball, at least not in play in his match. If A moves his own ball in removing the other ball, is there a penalty involved? If so, what is the penalty? Question by: Mrs. Ben Dole Portland, Oregon A: As the ball was outside the match, it may be lifted without penalty as provided in Rule 24-lb for match play or Rule 24-2 for stroke play. If the player’s own ball be accidentally moved in the process, he incurs no penalty and must replace his ball; see Rule 24-3. Ball Lodges in Flag USGA 53-1 D. 20; R. 31-1 Q: A player hit his tee shot on a short hole and the ball hit the flag. The flag wrapped around the ball holding it there. Will you please explain what should be done in this case? Question by: Henry Lindner Augusta, Ga. A: A flagstick is an obstruction (Defini­ 24 USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 tion 20) and Rule 31-1 applies. The ball may be placed on the putting green as near as possible to the spot directly beneath the fold of the flag in which it lay; however, it may not be placed in the hole, as Rule 1 provides that the ball must be played into the hole by strokes. Ball Adheres io Club USGA 53-2 R. 26-lb Q: My shot to the green hit the flag and bounced into a sand trap which was scarcely four feet away from the pin. There my ball was lodged against an embankment about a foot high. I opened a 9-iron and took a hefty cut at my ball. One of my feet was on the green while the other was in the trap. After my swing, I saw no ball, yet it wasn’t on the green. It was on my club, held firmly by wet red clay. Question by: Mrs. Vera Lake Shreveport, La. A: Rule 26-lb governs. This provides that the player shall, in a hazard, drop a ball as near as possible to the spot where the object was when the ball lodged in it, without penalty. Tee Not Obstruction R & A 52-41 D. 20 Q: A ball comes to rest near the sleepers shoring up a tee four feet high, bordered on one side by an out-of-bounds railway fence and on the other by a cart track or rough roadway, formerly a hazard. A green lies near the roadway on the side remote from the tee. Whilst the player cannot make a shot direct to the green, he can play away. My committee would like to know whether Rule 31-2 applies in this case. Can built-up tee with sleeper supports at the sides be regarded as an immovable arti­ ficial obstruction? Would a built-up tee minus timber supports come under the heading “artificial”? Question by: Aberdovey Golf Club Aberdovey, Merionethshire A: As a teeing ground is an integral part of the course, it can never be regarded as an immovable obstruction if built up, even if riveted with timber supports. Penalty after Half Is Earned Q: A and B were playing C and D in a mixed foursome. Both balls were on the R & A 52-85 Rule 6-2 green, A and B on the edge of the green and C and D within a few feet of the hole. A putted to within a few inches of the hole, C conceded the next putt and A picked their ball up. Before proceeding to putt, C asked A how many they had taken, and A replied, “Five.” C and D were due a stroke at this hole and, as they had already played 6, assumed they had lost the hole, picked up and proceeded to walk off the green. B at this point corrected A’s statement and ad­ mitted to being down in 6. C then replaced their ball as near as possible to the original lie, putted and missed his putt. Who incurs a penalty and what is the penalty? A: A and B incurred a penalty under Rule 10-2 and should have conceded the half of the hole to their opponents (Rule 6-2). Question by: Malone Golf Club Belfast, No. Ireland Hole Made by Greenkeeper Defined R & A 52-94 Def. 13 Q: Definition 13 — “Hole made by a greenkeeper.” Rule 32-lc — “Ground under repair.” Is an old golf hole made by the green­ keeper “ground under repair” (a hole made by a greenkeeper) under Definition 13? May Rule 32-lc be applied when the turf used to make up the old golf hole has sunk or shrunk through drought or other outside agency? Rhos and Penrhyn Golf Club Llandudno, Caernarvon­ shire A: A hole made by a greenkeeper as contemplated by Definition 13 is either a hole as defined in Definition 15 or a hole dug on the course for any special reason. An imperfectly refilled hole, repaired by a greenkeeper, does not come under either category. Rule 32-lc does not apply. Testing Rough R & A 53-2 R. 8 Q: In regard to Rule 17, is it permissible, when playing a ball in the rough, firstly to test the strength of the rough by swinging the club either in the direction of the hole or otherwise? Question by: Stockport Golf Clob Stockport, Cheshire A: Yes, provided that in doing so the lie of the ball is not improved. Note to Rule 8 refers. U>GA JoiRNAI. AND TvrF MANAGEMENT: Al'RIL. 1953 25 Correspondence pertaining to turf management matters should be addressed to: USGA Green Section, Room 331, Administration Building, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Md. . Western Office: Box 241, Daviis, Cal. ' • ■ ; • : : MATTED GREENS CONTRIBUTE TO POORER GOLF By CHARLES G. WILSON Regional Director, I SGA Green Section Western Office Mat is the bane of a superintendent’s existence, and yet the average golfer con­ siders a cushion of mat to he an import­ ant constituent of putting quality. The golfer wants a cushion to hold his shot: the superintendent wants turf that is easy as well as economical to main­ tain. A cushion of mat is not the answer from either standpoint. ■ Our topnotch golfers agree that a lightly mowed, firm I not overwaleredi putting surface, free from “graininess." presents the ideal. To keep the green tight and free from grain, mat must be removed and discouraged. Deep rooting will provide the necessary "air cushion” to hold the shot. • ■ ■ It is only In thorough recognition of the problem that corrective and intelli­ gent control measures can be undertaken. ' ’. What is Mai ■ 'The dictionary states that ‘‘mat” is a thickly overgrown and entangled mass of vegetation. Considering it in this light, mat would be visible to the eye. Unfortu­ nately, in turf, mat consists of an unde­ composed mass of roots and stems hidden underneath the visible green vegetation, usually between it and the soil surface. In some instances topdressing may’ unwisely have been used to cover this mat forma­ tion and layers may be found al several- depths under the putting-green surface. It may lary in thickness from a negligible amount to several inches in depth. Matted conditions can be found any­ where that grass putting greens are in use. Usually it is more prevalent in cool humid regions, although the excessive use of water. which nearly excludes oxygen, can cause tremendous accumulations even under near tropical conditions. - How Does Mai Accumulate Infrequent and high mowing, light traf­ fic and the type of grass used all contrib­ ute to mat formation. However, according to the foremost turf authorities, the basic cause of formation is the slow’ decomposi­ tion of dead stems, stolons, leaves and roots. , y Why Is Mai Detrimental The golfer is entitled to uniform put­ ting conditions. Graininess, ball scars, slow' putting, scuffing, foot printing and 26 USGA Journal and Turf Management: April. 1953 slow healing cannot, therefore, be tole­ rated. All of these hindrances to enjoy­ able golf are directly or indirectly influ­ enced by mat build-up. The golfer, further, is entitled to a reward for a properly made approach shot. A spongy cushion of mat will not hold a proper shot under dry conditions. When it is thoroughly saturated, such a green will hold even the poorest of shots, thus placing no re­ ward on the accuracy and skill which is pari of the game. From the superintendent’s standpoint, heavy mat causes excessive gripes from golfers for these reasons and leads to a vicious cycle of overwatering to satisfy the players’ complaints. Overwatering leads to further mat accumulation and a weak shallow-rooted turf, subject to the ravages of disease and weed infestation. Thus, a heavily matted turf becomes more and more costly to maintain. Additional fertilizer, fungicide and insecticide treat­ ments are required, and the water bill continues to rise. Mai Correction and Prevention Mat removal and prevention is accom­ plished biologically and mechanically. Both methods are utilized on our finest golf courses. Bacteria are the key to bio­ logical decomposition. Raking, combing, aerating and close and frequent mowing are the keys to mechanical removal. Biological Removal: Bacteria, which are minute single­ celled organisms invisible to all but the high-power microscope, are the major biological agents responsible for the breakdown of this undecomposed mass of vegetation. Like all forms of life bacteria require certain foods and correct tem­ perature, air and moisture relationships to keep happy and increasing. For multi­ ply they must, because it is by virtue of mass (estimated to be 500 pounds in the root zone of an acre of ordinary farm land) and not their, to us, insignificant size that bacteria do the job of mat decomposition. As it is agreed that mat must be kept to a minimum on put­ ting-green turf, the favorable conditions n cessary for bacterial activity are listed below. This list may be used by the super­ intendent as a check-off to encourage an abundant bacteria population: 1. Organic Matter: Most golf courses in the West are assured of an over­ abundance of organic matter. Bac­ teria use the carbon in organic mat­ ter as a source of energy. 2. Oxygen: One of the important re­ sults of aerating greens is to en­ courage aerobic bacteria. Aerobic bacteria are responsible for most of the breakdown and need air to form the simple compounds which are used by the turf plants. The turf also needs air before it can assimi­ late the moisture and nutrients necessary for growth. 3. Water: Moisture must be present. Unfortunately, most turf in the West is overwatered, and often so much water is used that air is nearly ex­ cluded. Humans also need water but drown if air is excluded. Turf grasses and bacteria, for these pur­ poses, can be considered in the same vein as humans. 4. Heat: Optimum activity takes place when temperatures are between 70 and 100°F and begins at about 40°F. Activity stops at freezing, but the bacteria are not killed, only resting. Thus it is understandable that in colder climates organic matter ac­ cumulates rapidly, whereas along the equator it may be virtually non­ existent. 5. Lime: Bacteria need calcium for growth and are unable to derive enough from acid soils. Optimum activity occurs when the soil is neu­ tral or only slightly acid in reaction (pH 6.5 to 7.0). Acid putting-green soils from Monterey north along the West Coast to Vancouver are notori­ ous for mat accumulation. Heavy rainfall and/or heavy watering has leached the soil of calcium. A simple soil test will determine the pH. Usually lime should be added ev­ ery two to three years under acid conditions. Even in sunny Southern California and interior valleys, USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 27 where soils are normally thought to be alkaline, soil tests on putting greens have shown that the pH varies from 4.5 to above the neutral point. If the pH is below 6.0, lime should be added. 6. Nitrogen: On a par with water mis­ use and acid conditions, nitrogen is a most important factor in encourag­ ing bacterial activity. Nitrogen is the meat and potatoes to bacteria be­ cause it is a building block in their structure. Thus, with plenty of or­ ganic matter and the other condi­ tions being favorable, bacteria will remove nitrogen from the soil to satisfy their needs. This will stunt the turf’s growth unless sufficient additional nitrogen is added to satisfy both the grass and the bac­ teria. Fortunately, the addition of nitrogen presents no problem, and the color, slow growth or sparse­ ness of the turf will indicate the need. Mechanical Removal: 1. Mowing: Close and frequent (six to seven times per week) mowing will discourage mat formation. Un­ fortunately, the practice has been to mow greens only two or three times a week. In order to get by with twice-weekly mowing, the superin­ tendent doesn’t use enough nitrogen fertilizer. This is not the superin­ tendent’s fault; he is limited by the confines of his budget. Still, it is difficult to understand why infre­ quent mowing is tolerated at the average club. The average golfer (the one who pays the bills) may use 99 or more strokes in playing 18 TURF MANAGEMENT Worth-while discussions of the problems con­ fronting Green Committee Chairmen are con­ tained in TURF MANAGEMENT, a book sponsored by the United States Golf Association. This volume was edited by H. Burton Musser and published by the McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc. It is available through the USGA, 40 East 38th Street, New York 16, N. Y.; the USGA Green Sec­ tion, Room 331, Administration Building, Plant In­ dustry Station, Beltsville, Md., and bookstores generally. The price is $7. holes of golf. From tee to green he is in every possible type of trouble, from the deep woods to the sand traps. He may never be on the fair­ way but on the green he is the equal of all the Sneads and Hogans combined. Therefore, this average golfer is entitled to the best possible putting-green turf. This turf should ideally be free from grain and mat and as tight and true as the living­ room rug where he often practices. 2. Height of Cut: The height setting is intended to imply the length of the grass above the soil surface after it has been mowed. In practice, this setting is the distance of the bed knife from a flat surface such as the barn floor. Thus the mowers may be set for a 3/16-inch cut, and, under conditions of a 4-inch mat build-up, will be mowing at more than 4 inches! Championship turf is mowed at 3/16 inch to ^4 inch above the soil surface. 3. Raking: When mat has accumulated, it is necessary to remove it by thorough raking. Early spring is the best season of the year for this type of renovation because the turf recov­ ers rapidly. Many superintendents also rake in the fall when bentgrass is growing vigorously. Under heavy mat accumulation, it is sound man­ agement practice to rake both spring and fall. The object is to remove the mass of undecomposed stems and roots. When the job is done prop­ erly, it will seem drastic to the lay­ man. The green should be raked and mowed in several directions to re­ move this trash. In fact, after the operation is finished, the green will no longer be green in color but may be decidedly brown. This off-color is temporary in nature, and a good bentgrass will thrive on such treat­ ment. Raking must always be Jone before topdressing is applied. The unforgiveable sin is to topdress with­ out making contact with the existing soil. Burying a mat of grass will re­ sult in a layer of organic matter 28 USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 which interferes with root penetra­ tion because it limits the natural movement of water. Power greens renovators are now being sold for the purpose of removing mat. Prob­ ably the most successful tool for this purpose is the old Del Monte rake mounted on power equipment. Even the common garden rake, with sharply filed teeth, will do a credit­ able job in the hands of a workman with a strong back. 4. Brushing and Combing: The use of brushes or combs mounted on the green mowers will tend to discour­ age mat formation and should be used during periods of vigorous growth. However, they will not, as is thought by some, eliminate the problem. 5. Aerating: The use of aerating ma­ chines, available in a wide range of makes and sizes, to cultivate the soil under an existing turf is so well es­ tablished that its value hardly bears repeating. It has been established that bacteria require oxygen, mois­ ture and nutrients to break down mat. Also, one commonly observes that under conditions of heavy thatching on sloping greens, much of the fertilizer and water applied runs off the surface and is wasted. Aerat­ ing machines are essential tools to correct these problems and most golf courses rightly consider them to be as necessary as the mowers. Aerating naturally ties in with raking, top­ dressing if needed, fertilization and lime to correct acidity. 6. Drainage: Good drainage is para­ mount if success is to be obtained in combatting mat. Standing water and slow percolation of water will nullify results of the management factors previously discussed. When soils are saturated, air is nearly excluded and organic build-up is bound to occur. This condition is typical in swamps where undecayed vegetation may be several feet deep. Under-drainage and a uniform, layerless soil mixture are the answers to good sub-surface and internal drainage. Conclusion How can the individual club know whether or not this insidious problem of mat belongs to them or is related only to the fellow down the road? You can’t see it from the surface, but you can feel it under foot and the super­ intendent can always tell by the simple process of cutting out a plug of turf. The age of the green doesn’t mean very much. The writer has seen one and a half inches of mat on a green only one year old! Still, mat might be likened to old age in that it creeps up gradually over a period of years. Unlike old age it can be corrected and prevented before deterioration of turf and playing condi­ tions occur. Therefore, periodic checks should be made. Certainly, if the mat is more than one half inch in depth, it would be worthwhile to drag this article out of the file, assemble your fighting legions, and fire both barrels at “public putting enemy number one.” BENTGRASS GREENS FOR THE SOUTH By CHARLES DANNER Professional, Richland Golf Club, Nashville, Tenn. Our experiences with bentgrass greens at the Richland Golf Club, in Nashville, Tenn., indicates that bentgrass greens can be grown and maintained throughout the entire year in the South. Here at Rich­ land we have had one bent green for four This article was written especially for the USGA Journal. years and we constructed a new practice green with bentgrass during the fall of 1951. Since we have been growing bent, we have had temperatures as low as 15° be­ low zero and as high as 107°. For ten months out of the year the bent greens have been trouble-free. Only during July USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 29 John E. Hood Photos Chester Scott and Claude Woodall watch Emmett Reed putt on the new bent practice green at Richland Golf Club, Nashville, Tenn. The members at Richland like the new bent greens. and August do we have to watch them closely and use the best of management practices concerning water, fertilizer and fungicide applications. Because of our success we plan to con­ vert all of our greens to bentgrass. Cher­ okee Country Club, in Knoxville, opened 18 new bent greens for play in 1951. Chattanooga Golf and Country Club, with Alex McKay in charge, completed 18 new bent greens in the fall of 1951 and opened them for play in May, 1952. The sum­ mer of 1952 was a bad one for bentgrass, but the greens at Knoxville, Chattanooga and Nashville all came through the sum­ mer without too much trouble and, by the fall of 1952, they were all in good shape, with no more worries until July, 1953. Creeping bent greens can be grown and maintained the year-’round in the South. They will be more successful, however, if certain steps and principles are employed when the greens are being planned and before they are built. We consider these points extremely important: 1. Construction of the green. We feel that tile drainage is an essential for a successful bent green, particularly in the South. The tile line should be laid and the trenches back-filled with pea gravel. The proper mixture of topsoil is most important to provide for internal and sub-surface drain­ age. To provide for surface drain­ age there should be a fall of about one foot to each 50 feet. 2. Mixture of topsoil for the greens. At Richland we used 65 per cent coarse sand, 20 per cent loam soil and 15 per cent peat, all by volume. 3. Selection of the bentgrass. In our experience Arlington (C-l) creep­ ing bent has proven to be the best strain of grass at Richland. In some areas the combination of Arlington (C-l) and Congressional (C-19) gives splendid results. As one goes 30 USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 South we hear reports of Cohansey (C-7) doing exceptionally well where the summer temperatures are even higher than they are here at Richland. Seaside bent has per­ formed reasonably well in Texas, but there are indications that some of the improved strains may be superior to the old Seaside. Old Orchard (C-52) bent and the new polycross creeping bent from seed might also do well, but, so far as we are concerned, the latter two have not yet been proved. After the bent greens have been properly built to provide the best possible sub-surface, internal and surface drain­ age, the management of the grass be­ comes most important. We feel that these factors must be followed with great care: 1. Water management. This is probably the most important function. We feel that the greens should be watered when needed during the early morning and watched through­ out the day for wilting, particularly during the heat of the summer. When wilting occurs, we give the green a light syringing or sprinkling during the day, just enough to keep the grass cool. This restores moisture in the blades of grass which become wilted because the water is being lost from the leaves faster than the roots can take it up from the soil. 2. Select the right fertilizers and adhere COMING EVENTS April 15-16: Seventh Annual Southeast­ ern Turf Management Conference. Tifton, Ga. B. P. Robinson. May 11-12: Turf Conference, Southern Turf Association. J. E. Hamner, superin­ tendent, Memphis Country Club, Mem­ phis, Tenn., general chairman. June 8: Turf Field Day, Central Plains Turf Foundation, Wichita, Kan. August 3: Field Day, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. W. H. Daniel. October 21-23: Fourth Annual Central Plains Turf Foundation Turf Conference, Manhattan, Kan. William F. Pickett. November 16-20: American Society of Agronomy Meetings, Dallas, Texas. L. G. Monthey. A plug from the new bent practice green at Richland Golf Club, Nashville, Tenn. Roots have been found in this green as deep as ten inches to a regular schedule. At Richland we used Vigoro at the rate of 20 pounds to each 1,000 square feet in March and November. Any simi­ lar fertilizer of approximately the same analysis probably would give equal results. From April through October, once each month, we used a mixture of Milorganite and 60 per cent muriate of potash at the rale of 15 pounds of Milorganite and 4 pounds of potash to each 1,000 square feet. These materials were mixed and applied together. We use no fertilizers during Decem­ ber, January and February. 3. Select the right fungicides and estab­ lish a regular schedule for preven­ tion of disease. We find that this regular application of fungicides is a preventive schedule and has pro­ duced excellent results. During hot, humid weather extra applications of fungicides will be needed. At Rich­ land we use three ounces of Tersan to each 1,000 square feet, and, mixed with the Tersan, we apply one ounce of Calo-Clor to each green. This mixture is sprayed on each week. In addition we used Cadmin- ate at the rate of 1^> ounces to each USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 31 2. We have no transition periods, such as we used to have, when we con­ verted from bermuda to rye and vice versa. Here, we feel, are some of the savings we have in bent greens: 1. We have no bill for ryegrass seed in the fall. 2. We have no bill for bermudagrass seed in the spring. 3. We use less water than formerly because of the proper mixture of topsoil and good drainage. 4. We use about 50 per cent less fertilizer than we did on bermuda. 5. We have saved a great deal of labor because we do not do as much mow­ ing and we do a lot less topdressing. Our bermuda greens needed to be topdressed four to five times during the bermuda season and one to three times during the rye season. For bentgrass we feel that one topdress­ ing a year should be ample. The savings on topdressing material and on labor to prepare and to spread the material on greens will be highly significant. In conclusion, I would like to state that, now we know bentgrass is adaptable to southern climates, we southern green­ keepers owe it to ourselves and to our clubs to experiment with bentgrass in our own localities and to give a thorough trial to the best grasses known for putting greens. Closeup of the practice green at Richland Golf Club. This green has a mixture of Arlington (C-l) and Seaside bents. The green was constructed in September, 1951. 1,000 square feet every two weeks. As a result of this spray program we had no large brown­ patch nor any dollarspot in our greens last summer, and we believe this is due to our regular preventive treatments. During the summer of 1952 we did have an attack of py- thium but a light application of hydrated lime seemed to check this disease. We used the hydrated lime at the rate of four pounds to each 1,000 square feet and dusted it on. We allowed this to remain on the green, without watering in, for two days. We started our preventive treat­ ments of Tersan, Calo-Clor and Cadminate about May 15 and stopped the treatments September 1. As you can see, we are well sold on bentgrass greens, and we believe they can be grown and maintained the year ’round in the South at less cost than main­ taining bermuda and rye greens. Here, we feel, are some of the advantages of bent greens: 1. We have a putting green of the same texture throughout all the year. PARK EXECUTIVES The American Institute of Park Execu­ tives has appointed Emile (Bim) Mard- fin as its new Executive Secretary. Mr. Mardfin took up his new duties March 1, after retiring from the New York City Park Department, where he had been serving as Assistant Director of Main­ tenance and Operation. He was respon­ sible for the complete rehabilitation since the war of New York’s ten public golf courses and its 20-acre pitch-and-putt course. 32 USGA Journal and Turf Management: April. 195" HOW TO REPAIR BALL MARKS IN PUTTING GREENS Ball mark on a creeping bentgrass green. If not repaired, the grass will turn brown and bumpy putting will be the result. Wooden tee can be used to pry up "flap" and loosen soil which has become com­ pacted by force of the ball. One hand holds "flap" while other, using tee, lifts soil and pulls turf from opposite side of ball mark. The thumbs often can be used to advan­ tage in working broken turf together after it has been loosened and lifted. Gentle pressure with foot firms repair and levels surface, for ihe benefit of all who may putt on the green in the future. This instrument is commonly used to re­ pair ball marks professionally. It spikes the turf and works the pieces together. USGA Journal and Turf Management: April, 1953 33 IT’S YOUR HONOR Mengert's Reaction To the President of the USGA: Thank you for the very kind letter you sent me concerning my turn to professional golf. I read your letter over and over, especially the part about sportsmanship in the game of golf. Playing in the Phoenix Open last winter I had occasion to take your ad­ vice. On the third tee I looked in my bag and noticed I had 16 clubs. I had driven a long way to play in the tour­ nament and it was very discouraging to see that my caddie had forgotten to take out the extra clubs. I played out the round shooting a 69 to tie the lead, and then announced to the committee that I was disqualifying myself. I re­ membered your words, “The value of companionship and sportsmanship are really more important than the play of golf.” I will always remember what you have told me, Mr. Heffelfinger, and 1 want to thank you and the USGA for teaching me that it isn’t how well you score that is important but how you play the game. Al Mengert Mamaroneck, N. Y. Word io Rules Critics To the USGA: Some of your correspondents who criticize unfavorably the present Rules of Golf seem to this old-timer to show with unfortunate clarity that they can­ not have played by the former Rules, at least since 1898. My acquaintance with them does not go back further. I cannot find anything new in Rule 16, which one correspondent indicates is being considered new by some golf­ ers. nor in the penalty stroke for a ball which moves after address, against which one man rebels. As for the frus­ trated feeling of the duffer who cannot keep on a narrow course and whose ball in the rough is usually in an unplayable l:e. if one wishes to play golf, one must endure this discouragement. Life is that way, and some believe that the game of golf should imitate life, which also is dour and harsh and even unfair. Unusual courses need not, and in fact cannot, alter the basic Rules of Golf. There is a widespread impression that the Rules of Golf should be framed to allow an indifferent player to play 18 holes, stroke play, in the 90s. There is always a remedy for those who merely wish to whack a ball from a perfect lie — simply do not call the game “golf” at all but give it some other name such as “outdoor tiddly­ winks.” Austin Y. Hoy Westport, Conn. Re the Museum To the USGA: Please accept my congratulations for the wonderful success to date in estab­ lishing “Golf House.” Also, add the contribution enclosed. In time, our national museum of golf history will be unsurpassed by any other country in all ways except its antiquity. Certainly all true golfers of American nationality will be extremely proud of Coif House. John B. Hichborn Washington, D. C. Donation From Japan To the USGA: Enclosed you will find a contribution which my father, Komyo, asked me to deliver as a donation to “Golf House. My father is a member of the Rules Committee of the Japan Golf Associa­ tion. He is still very active in golf af­ fairs and loves to play golf. However, because of his age, he cannot play so well as he did when he took the Japan Amateur Championship, back in 1928. Kosho Ohtani Kyoto, Japan Editor's Note: The USGA Journal invites comments on matters relating to the welfare of the game and will publish them as space permits. USGA OFFICERS, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN PRESIDENT Totton P. Heffelfinger, Minneapolis, Minn. VICE-PRESIDENTS Isaac B. Grainger, New York, N. Y. Richard S. Tufts, Pinehurst, N. C- SECRETARY John D. Ames, Chicago, III. TREASURER Charles L. Peirson, Boston, Mass. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The above officers and: J. Frederic 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. Edward E. Lowery, San Francisco, Cal. Corydon Wagner, Tacoma, Wash. GENERAL COUNSEL Fraser M. Horn, New York, N. Y. COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN RULES OF GOLF: Isaac B. Grainger, New York, N. Y. CHAMPIONSHIP: John D. Ames, Chicago, III. AMATEUR STATUS AND CONDUCT: Charles B. Grace, Philadelphia, Pa. IMPLEMENTS AND BALL: Charles B. Grace, Philadelphia, Pa. MEMBERSHIP: Lewis A. Lapham, New York, N. Y. GREEN SECTION: Richard S. Tufts, Pinehurst, N. C. WOMEN'S: Mrs. Harrison F. Flippin, Ardmore, Pa. SECTIONAL AFFAIRS: Charles L. Peirson, Boston, Mass. PUBLIC LINKS: Frederick L. Dold, Wichita, Kansas HANDICAP: William O. Blaney, Boston, Mass. JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: J. Frederic Byers, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa. GIRLS' JUNIOR: Mrs. William R. Millar, Los Angeles, Cal. MUSEUM: J. Frederic Byers, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa. PUBLIC RELATIONS: John D. Ames, Chicago, III. "GOLF HOUSE" FUND: Daniel A. Freeman, Jr., New York, N. Y. USGA HEADQUARTERS "Golf Ho use" 40 East 38th Street New York 16, N. Y. Joseph C. Dey, Jr., Executive Director John P. English, Assistant Executive Director USGA GREEN SECTION USGA GREEN SECTION Administration Building Plant Industry Station Beltsville, Md. Alexander M. Radko, Acting Eastern Director USGA GREEN SECTION WESTERN OFFICE Box 241 Davis, Cal. Charles G. Wilson, Western Director