U S €> jflL JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT THE MASTER AND HIS PORTRAIT Robert T. Jones, Jr., stands beneath his portrait, which was unveiled in the library of "Golf House" during the annual meeting of the USGA. The portrait was painted by Thomas E. Stephens and given by a group of members of the Augusta National Golf Club. 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. V, No. 7 FEBRUARY, 1953 Through the Green ------------------------------------------- —.—......... 1 Sportsman’s Corner ................................................................... 3 The New USGA Handicap System.......................William 0. Blaney 5 Bob Jones in “Golf House”.......................................................................... 8 A Women’s Open and Other Departures................................................. 10 USGA Competitions for 1954 ...................................................................... 12 Some Principles behind the Rules of Golf ...........Joseph C. Dey, Jr. 13 Golf Is a Holey Game..................................The Rev. John B. Kelly 17 A Golfing Tour of the United Kingdom--------Edward S. Knapp, Jr. 18 The Referee: Decisions by the Rules of Golf Committees ............----- 20 Turf Management: USGA Green Section Direct Turf Service to USGA Clubs ............................Richard S. Tufts 23 Dr. Grau Resigns ................................................................................................ 24 Know How to Water ............................................. Robert M. Hagan 26 Annual Index to USGA Journal, Volume V......................................... 31 It’s Your Honor: Letters............................................................................ 33 Published seven times a year in February, April, June, July, August, September and November by the UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 40 East 38th St., New York 16, N. Y. Subscriptions$2 a year. Single copies: 30c. Subscriptions, articles, photographs, and correspondence, except pertaining to Green Section matters, should be sent to the above address. Correspondence pertaining to Green Section matters should be addressed to USGA Green Section, Room 331, Administration Building, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Md., 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 Qualifying Rounds, see entry forms.) Championship Open Women's Open Amateur Public Links Entries Close May 18 June 15 Dune 8 Sectional Qualifying Rounds June 1 Championship Dates ■'June 11-12-13 none June 25-26-27 3June 21-27 Junior Amateur July 6 July 20 Girls' Junior August 7 Women's Amateur August 10 none none Amateur August 17 Sept. 1 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. Team: July 11 Indiv.: July 13-18 July 29-Aug. 1 August 17-21 August 24-29 Sept. 14-19 ♦Championship Qualifying Rounds at Oakmont Country Club and Pittsburgh Field Club, June 9 and 10, TEntnes close with Sectional Qualifying Chairmen. tExact date in each Section to be fixed by Sectional Chairmen. USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 1 THROUGH THE GREEN The President's Feeling Golf, through the years, has been re­ markable among sports for the good sportsmanship and good manners which it seems to develop. Totton P. Heffel- finger, the President of the USGA, is one of the legion of golfers who want to keep it that way, and in a talk before the dele­ gates to the annual meeting of the Pro­ fessional Golfers’ Association of America, he explained why: “My father and a Scotsman by the name of Norman Clarke, for years pro­ fessional at the Woodhill Country Club, taught me my love of golf, with its char­ acter-building faculties, its relaxation, its companionship and its sportsmanship,” he said. “Father still plays some golf, but Norman has passed on to that course some place where all putts go down and a fellow never shanks. Because of these two men, I cannot let something come into golf which will hurt it badly without making a protest. “Let’s take, for example, the grunt and groan game, where anything goes that will excite an audience, and which often ends in a free-for-all. Wrestling used to be a fine sport; look at it now. Baseball, football and hockey are still fine sports, but a certain amount of rowdyism has crept in here and there, partly on account of uncontrolled tempers and partly a planned rowdyism to attract customers. “The year 1952 was a great golf year, but if reports are correct, it had a blemish in that there was an increase, in the pro ranks, of loose tempers, throwing of clubs and wrapping clubs around trees. “The professional golfer has a great and grave responsibility. Whether you are playing in a tournament or giving a lesson or playing in a friendly match with a club member, golfers are looking up to you. The youth, particularly, thinks you are quite a guy. He subconsciously wants to learn from you what I learned from Norman Clarke, the love of the game, its companionship and its sports­ manship. Every time they see or hear of one of your organization showing a lack of sportsmanship by losing temper and heaving a club or in any other way not being a top sportsman, it hurts golf. When golf is hurt, you’re hurt. “I doubt that this problem has reached serious proportions yet, but it will if it is not stopped. I know many professional golfers, and I know that all but a very few are great guys, fine sportsmen, with a true love of the game, and they have its best interest at heart. So, if you fel­ lows agree with me that this so-called rowdyism in golf is a danger to the game—well, lower the boom, stamp it out.” Pretty Cold Day George Dawson isn’t a fellow to let weather, or even the season, interfere with his regular week-end play. One wintry day at the Winged Foot Golf Club, in Mamaroneck, N. Y., he found an ice hockey game in progress on what normally is a water hazard. The sight might have broken up many a golf match. Dawson simply called, “Pretty cold day for hockey, isn’t it?” and played through. British Walker Cuppers Lt. Col. A. A. Duncan, of Egham, Sur­ rey, has been named Captain of the Brit­ ish Walker Cup Team which will play at the Kittansett Club, Marion, Mass., next summer. Col. Duncan has not par­ ticipated in previous Matches but was runner-up in the 1939 British Amateur and has won the Welsh and Army cham­ pionships several times. The British Cap­ tain in the last Match was Raymond Oppenheimer. 2 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland, also has selected four veteran Cup players for its 1953 Team. These are Ronald J. White, of Southport, Lancashire, and Joseph B. Carr, of Dublin, Eire, who have played in the last three Matches; John D. A. Langley, of London, who played at Pine Valley in 1936 and again in 1951; and John L. Morgan, of Walsall, Stafford­ shire, who joined the Team in 1951. None of these four has won the British Amateur, which has been taken by Americans in five of the last six years, but Carr was a semi-finalist last year, losing to Harvie Ward while Robin Cater, a little-known Scot, was bowing to Frank Stranahan. The remaining members of the Team of nine or possibly ten will be selected after the British Amateur at Hoylake in May. A Different Scholarship Sheila Ramsay is the teen-age daughter of David Ramsay, a Carnoustie man who is professional to the Seawane Harbor Club, Hewlett, N. Y. Miss Ram­ say has a talent for art. Some of her work was hung in her father’s shop and was much admired by club members. To help Miss Ramsay develop her talent, the members held a special tour­ nament last summer, raised $550, and therewith obtained for her a full three- year correspondence course in an art school together with all supplies. Gilbert C. Tompkins is Chairman of the Club’s Green Committee. Honored by "The National" The National Golf Links of America, at Southampton, N. Y., has elected a second honorary member. The first was President Dwight D. Eisenhower, honored upon his return from World War II. The second is Aleck Gerard, honored this fall after presiding over the golf shop and the course for about three decades. New Officers of the WGA At its fifty-fourth annual meeting in Chicago, the Western Golf Association elected Stanley J. McGiveran, of the In­ Stanley J. McGiveran verness Club, Toledo, Ohio, to succeed Gordon E. Kummer, of Milwaukee, as president. The other new officers are: Cameron Eddy, of Golf, Ill.; C. L. Miller of Detroit; Roy W. Walholm, of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Robert R. Walker, of South Bend, Ind., vice-presidents; Hiram A. Lewis, of Kansas City, Mo., secretary; Harold A. Moore, of Highland Park, Ill., treasurer, and James L. O’Keefe, of Evanston, Ill., counsel. Adjustable Weights We should like to clarify a misunder­ standing which may have developed re­ garding the rule on adjustable weights in golf clubs. Rule 2-2, which governs the form and make of clubs, provides in part, in item b: “A club shall be one unit. All its various parts shall be permanently fixed. No part may be movable or separable or capable of adjustment by the player.” The intent of this Rule is to bar clubs which can be adjusted by a player in the course of a round, through an alteration of the weight or in any other manner. USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 3 The Association has consistently disap­ proved clubs which were susceptible to adjustment by a player in the course of a round. It will be recognized, however, that all clubs are capable of some form of altera­ tion or adjustment in a golf shop, and the Rule is not intended to prohibit this. Therefore, the Association has approved clubs which, though technically capable of adjustment, are not, in fact, capable of easy adjustment by the player in the course of a round. There is a clear distinction in principle here, although the decision on a particular club may require experienced interpre­ tation. Play on Frozen Greens Occasionally an argument springs up around the fireplace in a northern club­ house concerning the advisability of play­ ing golf on frozen greens. Our Green Section informs Member Clubs that it is perfectly safe to play on frozen greens. As far as the turf is concerned, the only dangerous period occurs when the surface inch or so has thawed and there is frozen soil below. In this period, golfers can do damage that will be noticed for an en­ tire season. The Golfer in the White House We have a little inside information on the golf game of President Eisenhower, the first golfing President since Coolidge and the most enthusiastic since Harding. He first played serious golf in the Philip­ pines in the Thirties but abandoned it before World War II to favor a bad arm and did not take it up again until 1946. His best recent scores were an 84 at the Cherry Hills Country Club, in Denver, and an 81 at the Blind Brook Club, in Port Chester, N. Y. He normally drives 225 to 230 yards, and he excels with short irons and wedge. He is reported to be a particularly astute adversary on the first tee, before the match starts. If Eisenhower can find the time to play, he undoubtedly will be the best golfer (.Continued on Page 4) SPORTSMAN'S CORNER To the USGA: Realizing the great honor of winning the Women's Amateur Championship and the responsibility of amateurism that ac­ companies this victory and wanting to play a lot of golf with very little funds io do so makes me regretfully feel it wise to become a professional. My heartfelt thanks io the USGA for their great courtesy and encouragement upon which I shall ever depend. Mrs. Jackie Pung Honolulu, T.H. To the USGA: I've been sitting here for a half-hour, looking at this blank page and trying io figure out how I would word this letter. There are so many things I want to say, and yet I want io word it rightly. I started playing golf when I was 9 years old. In my first tournament, which was our city championship, I qualified with the highest score of the tournament, 103. Little did I know then that one day I would be playing in the finals of the Amateur Championship of the United States and the Amateur Championship of Mexico in the same year. Yes, a lot has happened since I played in my first tourn­ ament. My love for the game of golf has grown through these years to the point that I know I can't live away from the game. I know that if I don't devote my life to the game and io the people who play it, I won't be happy. I feel that, with this attitude toward the game, I can do more for the game of golf as a professional than an amateur. As you know now, I have decided to turn professional. Ever since I took up golf I wanted to be a great golfer. I had looked forward to the day when I might be an Amateur Champion and play on the Walker Cup Team. I realize now that I have the chance, but rather than wait until after the Walker Cup Match is over to turn professional, I want io do the ethical thing. Since I am contem­ plating professional golf as my future career, I want the USGA to be the first io know it. I'd rather be remembered as a golfer who was a credit io the game of golf than a Champion who won many titles and did nothing for the game. Let me end with that statement, because it expresses my feelings more than anything else I can say. Al Mengert Spokane, Wash 4 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 The Gotter in the White House (Continued from Page 3) among our Presidents. Grant is said to have been the first President who was aware of golf, but his comment on the game was: “That looks like good exercise, but what’s the little white ball for?” Theodore Roosevelt tried the game but found it too tame for his taste. Taft and Wilson both played, and the second Mrs. Wilson also was a golfer. Cal., for the USGA Girls’ Junior; William H. Stupple, of the Exmoor Country Club, Highland Park, Ill., for the Western Amateur; Albert Linkogel, of Westwood Country Club, St. Louis, Mo., for the Western Open; Herman Senneseth, of the University of Minnesota, for the Western Junior. The Golf Course Superintendents As­ sociation plans to continue to make such awards in coming years. How to Get a Job Otto Greiner, who has been an assis­ tant to Claude Harmon at the Winged Foot Golf Club, accepted with some nervous flutters an invitation to play at the Knickerbocker Country Club, in Ten­ afly, N. J., last fall with the president, vice-president and chairman of the golf committee. Knickerbocker, it seems, was inter­ viewing candidates for the position of head professional, and it behooved Greiner to put his best foot forward. He did. He went to the turn in 32 and came home in 32 for a record-breaking 64, three strokes under the old course record and eight under par. P.S.: The new head professional at the Knickerbocker Country Club is Otto Greiner. Awards for Superintendents In recognition of the often unsung efforts of golf-course superintendents in preparing their courses for Champion­ ships, the Golf Course Superintendents Association presented eight Citations of Merit during the 1952 season. The eight superintendents so honored were Herman R. Borchardt, of the North­ wood Club, Dallas, Texas, for the USGA Open; Ernest Felton, of the Miami Country Club, Miami, Fla., for the USGA Amateur Public Links; Robert Finlay, of the Seattle Golf Club, for the USGA Amateur; Harry Meusel, of the Yale Golf Course, for the USGA Junior Ama­ teur; Alvaro Alanso, of the Monterey Peninsula Country Club, Pebble Beach, Gifts for Eugene G. Grace Eugene G. Grace (left), of the Saucon Valley Country Club, Bethlehem, Pa., has been a strong supporter of all that is best in golf, and this quality was exemplified by the manner in which the 1951 Ama­ teur Championship was conducted. The Metropolitan Golf Writers' Association honored him with its first Gold Tee award and a plaque of appreciation at a dinner in New York this winter. With him is Lincoln A. Werden, President of the Association and golf writer of The New York Times. 50 Years in Massachusetts The Massachusetts Golf Association is celebrating its fiftieth birthday on Feb­ ruary 24, exactly fifty years to the day from the date of its first meeting The celebration takes the form of a dinner in connection with the Association’s an­ nual meeting, and Linde Fowler, the veteran golf writer who attended that first meeting, is being counted on to reminisce appropriately. USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 5 The New USGA Handicap System By WILLIAM 0. BLANEY Chairman, USGA Handicap Committee After several years of research by the Handicap Committee, the United States Golf Association has adopted a new handicap system which will produce both Basic and Current Handicaps. A Basic Handicap is designed to show an individual’s inherent ability to play the game of golf, or, in other words, how well he can play when shooting his aver­ age best game. A Current Handicap is designed to show the at-the-moment state of a player’s game at any time during the season. It will tend to go up when he is “off” his game and down when he is “on” his game. Heretofore the Association has recom­ mended Basic Handicaps only. However, many golfers prefer Current Handicaps, and so the USGA Basic Handicap methods have been coordinated with the Current Handicap Methods of the Chicago District Golf Association to produce the new USGA system. We record our sincere ap­ preciation of the cooperation of the Chicago Association, especially of its Handicap Committee Chairman, Thomas G. McMahon, who is also a member of Tie USGA Handicap Committee. The new combination system will be published as soon as possible in booklet form. The following is a preliminary outline of the system: Both types of handicap will be deter­ mined from a new style of handicap chart, to be known as the Handicap Differential Chart, shown on page 7. The term “Handicap Differential” as used in this system signifies the difference be­ tween a player’s lowest ten scores and a figure equal to ten times the rating of the course on which the scores were made. Example: 10-Score total on course rated 72 ....... 950 Ten times course rating, or 72 ........... 720 HANDICAP DIFFERENTIAL ....... 230 The new chart is designed to stream­ line and simplify handicap computation and eliminate the need for a large handi­ cap chart covering ten or more different course ratings. It can be used at any course, irrespective of the course rating. The chart is designed for use only at courses that have been rated in accord­ ance with USGA recommendations. (Pre­ sent ratings and methods of both the USGA and the Chicago District Golf Association will be acceptable for the time being.) Methods of Computation USGA Basic Handicaps are computed as follows: Total the lowest 10 of a player’s last 50 scores and deduct from this 10-score total a figure equal to ten times the rating of the course on which the scores were made. Apply the result­ ing Handicap Differential to the USGA Handicap Differential Chart to determine the player’s Basic Handicap. When less than 50 scores have been posted, use a 10-score total equal to ten times the average of the lowest 20 per cent of all his available scores. No Basic Handicap will be issued unless a player has posted 6 scores. USGA Current Handicaps are computed as follows: Total the lowest 10 of a player’s last 15 scores and deduct from this 10-score total a figure equal to ten times the rating of the course on which the scores were made. Apply the resulting Handicap Differential to the USGA Handicap Differential Chart to determine the player’s Current Handicap. When less than 15 scores have been posted, use a 10-score total equal to ten times the average of all available scores except the five highest. No Current Handi­ cap will be issued unless a player has posted 6 scores. Each player should post or turn in to the proper authorities a score for every 6 USGA Journal and Turf Management: Ferruary, 1953 Officers for the Coming Year Wide World Photos The officers of the USGA for 1953 are, from the left, John D. Ames, of Chicago, Secretary; Isaac B. Grainger, of New York, Vice-President; Totton P. Heffelfinger, of Minneapolis, President; Richard S. Tufts, of Pinehurst, N. C., Vice-President; Charles L. Peirson, of Boston, Treasurer. Their election took place during the annual meeting in January. round of golf he plays, whether it be over the weekend or in the middle of the week. Scores Off Home Course Scores made on courses other than the player’s home course also should be posted or turned in, but only after ad­ justing them for the difference between the ratings of the two courses. Basic Handicaps should be revised three or four times a season or year, de­ pending upon the length of the playing season. When fewer than 50 scores have been posted, it is recommended that handicap revisions be made after each 5 additional scores have been posted until the required 50 have been reached. Current Handicaps should be revised at least twice a month, or every two weeks. When fewer than 15 scores have been posted, handicaps should be revised every time a new score is added. Such handi­ caps will be provisional until 15 scores are posted. Persons who have played as many as 15 games at their home clubs and have not turned in all scores for post­ ing are not qualified for provisional handicaps. In all handicap computations, either Basic or Current, only scores made dur­ ing the present and the last previous playing seasons, or years, shall be used- irrespective of which type of handi­ cap is being used, scoring records at each club should be kept in such a way as to make available all necessary information to compute both Basic and Current Handi­ caps in case some members desire to compete in an event requiring the other type of handicap. Choice of Type of Handicap Each participating club and association will be free to decide whether to use Basic or Current Handicaps within its sphere of jurisdiction. In events involv­ USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 7 ing players from more than one club or association, participating clubs and associations should decide in advance the type of handicap to be used. Both types of handicaps definitely should not be used in the same event, as the results will not be equitable. When the type of handicap to be used has been decided, participating clubs and associations should agree to maintain accurate and up-to-date records for that type. Basic Handicaps can be used most suc­ cessfully to determine eligibility for, and by participants in, national, inter-district and other large championships, tourna­ ments and team matches. Current Handicaps can be used most successfully in events within a single dis­ trict, area or club. Examples Examples of handicap computation (for simpli­ fication, all examples below are based on a course rating of 72) : Basic Handicap Computation 1, If lowest 10 of player’s last 50 scores total 950, deduct 10 times course rating, or 720. This leaves a Handicap Differential of 230. Apply 230 to chart (it falls in 219 to 231 brack­ et) and find player’s handicap at right of 19. 2. If lowest 10 of player’s last 50 scores total 709. deduct 10 times course rating, or 720. This leaves a Handicap Differential of -11. Apply -11 to chart (it falls in -18 to -7 bracket) and find his handicap at right of 0. 3. If only 35 scores are posted and the average of the lowest 7 (20% of 35) is 86.2, multiply this average by 10 and get 862. Deduct 10 times course rating, or 720. This leaves a Handicap Differential of 142. Apply 142 to chart and get a handicap of 12. Current Handicap Computation 4. If lowest 10 of player’s last 15 scores total 817, deduct 10 times course rating, or 720. This leaves a Handicap Differential of 97. Apply 97 to chart (it falls in 94 to 106 bracket) and find player’s handicap at right of 9. 5. If only 9 scores are posted, deduct 5 high­ est. If average of remaining 4 is 97, multiply this average by 10 and get 970. Deduct 10 times course rating, or 720. This leaves a Handicap Differential of 250. Apply 250 to chart and get a handicap of 21. USGA Handicap Differential Chari To be used in computing both Basic and Current Handicaps under the new USGA Handicap System. Locate the bracket within which the player's Handicap Differential falls. His handicap, either Basic or Current, will then be found in the handicap column at the right. Handicap Differentials Handicap From - ---- - 56 - 43 - 31 - 18 - 6 + 7 19 32 44 57 69 82 94 107 119 132 144 157 169 182 194 207 219 232 244 257 269 282 294 307 319 332 344 357 369 382 394 497 419 432 . To ___ - 44 - 32 - 19 - 7 + 3 + 18 31 43 56 68 81 93 106 118 131 143 156 168 181 193 206 218 231 243 256 268 281 293 306 318 331 343 356 368 381 393 406 418 431 443 + 3 + 2 + 1 0 A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 NOTE: If club handicappers desire to elimin­ ate the step of deducting ten times their course rating from players’ 10-score totals, they may create a handicap chart for their own course based on 10-score totals by adding ten times the course rating to the above Handicap Dif­ ferentials. 8 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 195J Bob Jones in “Golf House” The library of “Golf House” is now graced, and no word could be more appropriate, by an oil painting of Robert T. Jones, Jr., whose achievements as an amateur golfer remain matchless. This painting is the work of Thomas E. Stephens and was undertaken more than a year ago as a gift by a group of ninety-nine members of the Augusta Na­ tional Golf Club. It depicts the winner of thirteen USGA and British Championships as he ap­ peared at about the time of his “Grand Slam” in 1930. The face is Bob Jones, exactly, peering down a fairway with a pucker of intensity on his forehead. The golf club has completed its swing and the hands are high but relaxed. The presentation was made by Clifford Roberts, representing the ninety-nine donors, and took place in a jam-packed “Golf House” immediately after the An­ nual Meeting of the USGA and in the presence not only of most of the dele­ gates but also of Jones himself. It was accepted by Totton P. Heffel- finger, President, for the USGA, and he said he could best express the sentiments of the Association by reading the follow­ ing letter: Dear Mr. Heffelfinger: It is indeed a privilege to be invited to send a message to the United States Golf Association when the message is associated with the un­ veiling of a portrait of our mutual friend, Bob Jones. You all must be as proud as I am to have Bob's portrait hanging in "Golf House." Those who have been fortunate enough to know him realize that his fame as a golfer is transcended by his inestimable qualities as a human being. Bob's contribution to our great game is reflected by its deserved prominence in the field of sports. But his gift to his friends is the warmth that comes from unselfishness, superb judgment, no­ bility of character, unwavering loyalty to principle. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to pay a small tribute to such a fine American. Sincerely, Dwight D. Eisenhower President Eisenhower is a member of the Augusta National Golf Club and is one of the ninety-nine donors. Jones helped to organize the Club and is its President. The presentation of the portrait coin­ cided with the opening of the photograph gallery and the museum on the third floor of “Golf House.” The rear room contains sepia photographs of all USGA Champions, highlighted by an enlarged montage documenting Jones’ “Grand Slam.” The front room contains, among displays of clubs, balls, medals and blazers, a completely equipped club­ maker’s bench of the early Nineteenth century, authentic from saws to tea chest, which was donated and arranged by James Gallagher, of Arlington, N. J., a prominent club-maker of that period. Also, three displays have been recently arranged on the second floor to trace and document the development of clubs and balls from the earliest days of the feather-ball period through the gutta percha-ball period and into the present rubber-ball period. During the last year, “Golf House” Fund was increased by approximately $10,500. One hundred thirty-seven clubs, associations and individuals had con­ tributed $3,139 of this amount since the last issue of the USGA Journal at the time this issue went to press, raising the total to $95,414.99. The goal remains $110,000. In reporting at the Annual Meeting, Daniel A. Freeman, Jr., of New York, Chairman of the “Golf House” Fund Committee, expressed the hope that the remaining $14,586 would be forthcoming, largely from Member Clubs, this year. As a case in point, he read a telegram which he received just before speaking: “THE ATLANTA ATHLETIC CLUB WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE ONE THOUSAND TO GOLF HOUSE.” We record our gratitude, also, to the following contributors, not previously listed in the USGA Journal, whose con­ tributions had been received at pre-s time: USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 9 Robert J. Abrahams Don Addington Floyd Addington George W. Anderson Charles F. Bailey Albert S. Bailie Warner J. Banes Erwin S. Barrie J. C. Benson Thomas W. Blake, Jr. Herbert J. Bluechel Richard W. Braun Lew Bridge John Byrwa Alfred T. Campanelli George Cape Howard J. Carey, Jr. Robert H. Chapman, Jr. Cyrus Clark Dr. Arthur J. Cloran Ernest Collingham Arthur R. Corwin Ray Doyel Sidney A. Eisemann Herbert L. Emanuelson, Jr. Frank B. Essex, Jr. B. M. Fellows P. W. Furlong Robert H. Gillies Individuals In Memory of Albert Goodhue by Mrs. Albert Goodhue K. Grant In Memory of Virginia Hayes by Upjohn Golf Leagues, Kalamazoo, Michigan Gus Headbloom John B. Hichborn R. S. Hoak Sewell W. Hodge William Wickham Hoffman John P. Illges, Jr. Mrs. Katherine Harley Jackson Miss Catherine Jessup Harold Kelly Charles Kocsis Karl Koepplinger William B. Kuntz George R. Lawson George Linklater W. I. Macdonald Frank C. Martin S. Reynolds May R. A. McGuire N. B. McKinnon P. Miller Victor Mitchell A. P. Mosser H. Mouw Clubs John Evan Munro Dr. C. J. Murphy A. O. Nicholson O. J. Noer Komyo Ohtani Gordon Olson Mountford S. Orth Dan Prosch Henry Y. Reeves Henry G. Reifsnyder Mrs. Charles Renninger B. J. Ridder Maurice D. Rothschild Hugh Royer, Sr. Adolph D. Schmidt, Jr. Michael Sheehan George M. Silverthorne C. D. Smith John Morton Smith David P. Stephenson Dr. M. A. Vickers Ben Vollmer Arthur G. Wakeman Huel A. White Fred Wirth Edward F. R. Wood (The name Thomas Boardman Smith in the last issue should have read Thomas Boarman Smith.) Annandale Golf Club, Cal. Arizona Country Club, Ariz. Biltmore Forest Country Club, N. C. Brook Hollow Golf Club, Tex. Champaign Country Club, III. Colonial Country Club, Tex. Chartiers Country Club, Pa. Country Club of Decatur, III. Country Club of York, Pa. Denver Country Club, Col. Elkdale Country Club, N. Y. Everett Gplf and Country Club, Wash. Greenbrier Golf and Tennis Club, West Va. Hillendale Country Club, Md. Interlachen Country Club, Minn. Lake Merced Golf and Country Club, Cal. Lakewood Country Club, Col. Latrobe Country Club, Pa. Los Angeles Country Club, Cal. Martinsville Country Club, Ind. Mary Calder Golf Club, Ga. Metairie Country Club, La. Moanalua Golf Club, Hawaii Norwood Hills Country Club, Mo. Women's Golf Association of Norwood Hills Country Club, Mo. Oakland Hills Country Club, Mich. Olympic Club-at-Lakeside, Cal. Otsego Golf Club, N.Y. Overbrook Golf Club, Pa. Palos Verdes Golf Club, Cal. Port Huron Golf Club, Mich. Ranch Golf Course Men's Club, Cal. River Crest Country Club, Tex. Rolling Rock Club, Pa. St. Davids Golf Club, Pa. Sand Point Country Club, Wash. San Fernando Valley Country Club, Cal. Shreveport Country Club, La. Skagit Golf Club, Wash. Sterling Country Club, Col. Suburban Golf Club, N. J. Texaco Country Club, Tex. University of North Carolina Finley Golf Course University-Sequoia-Sunnyside Club, Cal. Whippoorwill Club, N. Y. Woodholme Country Club, Md. Associations Carolina Golf Association, N. C. Chicago District Golf Association, III. Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, Hudson River Golf Association, N. Y. Indiana Golf Course Superintendents Association, Ind. Junior Golfers of Washington, D. C. Milwaukee County Public Links Association, Wis. III. Southern California Golf Association, Cal. Women's Golf Association of Baltimore, Md. Women's Metropolitan Golf Association, N. Y. 10 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 A Women’s Open and Other Departures The USGA was organized in part to conduct three Championships of national scope in 1895—an Amateur, an Open and a Women’s Amateur. Now, fifty - eight years later, it is conducting seven Championships and three International Team Matches. Four of these have been originated in the last six years, and the most recent is the first Women’s Open Championship of the United States Golf Association, which will be conducted at 72 holes, stroke play, at the Country Club of Rochester, N. Y., June 25-26-27. The Women’s Open Championship is being undertaken at the request of the Ladies’ Professional Golfers’ Association, which has conducted a Women’s National Open Championship since 1949. The Championship was originated by a pre­ decessor organization called, the Wo­ men’s Professional Golfers’ Association, in 1946 and has been held annually since that year. In assuming responsibility for the conduct of this Championship hence­ forth, the USGA will offer a purse for professionals of $7,500 this year. The second youngest of the new com­ petitions is the match among men’s ama­ teur teams representing Canada, Mexico and the United States for The Americas Cup. This was originated at the Seattle Golf Club last summer and has now been formalized with the presentation by Jerome P. Bowes, Jr., of Chicago, of the handsome silver cup 341/2 inches high and emblazoned with the colored enamel flags of the three countries. The cup was accepted by Colin Rankin, President of the Royal Canadian Golf Association; Pedro R. Suinaga, ex-President of the Asociacion Mexicana de Golf, and Totton P. Heffelfinger, President of the United States Golf Association. The final decision to conduct the Wo­ men’s Open Championship and the ac­ ceptance of The Americas Cup by the three Associations took place during the Executive Committee meetings and the fifty-ninth Annual Meeting of the Asso­ ciation in New York at the end of Jan­ uary. Variety of Decisions In addition to accepting the new por­ trait of Robert T. Jones, Jr., a gift from a group of members of the Augusta Na­ tional Golf Club for “Golf House”, and adopting a new handicap system which will develop both basic and current hand­ icaps for men, the Association considered a wide variety of other matters and reached many decisions of broad interest to golfers. The 1952 officers were re-elected for a second year in accordance with custom, except that James W. Walker, of New York, retired as Treasurer and was suc­ ceeded by Charles L. Peirson, of Boston. The officers for 1953 will be: Totton P. Heffelfinger of Minneapolis, President; Isaac B. Grainger of New York, Vice- President; Richard S. Tufts of Pinehurst, Vice-President; John D. Ames of Chi­ cago, Secretary, and Charles L. Peirson of Boston, Treasurer. The other members of the Executive Committee also were re-elected, and Edward E. Lowery, of San Francisco, was elected to replace Mr. Walker. Women's Event All Match Play A recommendation by the Women’s Committee that the Women’s Amateur Championship be conducted entirely at match play was approved, and the 18-hole qualifying round which has been held in the last two years will be eliminated at the Rhode Island Country Club in August. A poll of players who have competed in recent Championships re­ sulted in a ratio of approximately six to one in favor of all-match-play compe­ tition. In order to conduct the compe­ tition in this form the match play draw will not be made until after the entrants have registered at the scene of the Cham- USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 11 The Americas Cup Is Received by Three Nations Amateur teams representing Canada, Mexico and the United States first competed for The Americas Cup at the Seattle Golf Club last August, but the handsome silver cup itself could not be completed until this winter and formal presentation took place during the annual meeting. The inscription reads: "Toward greater international understanding through the sportsmanship and good will of friendly competition among the amateur golfers of the Americas." From left io right are Colin Rankin, President of the Royal Canadian Golf Association; Jerome P. Bowes, Jr., donor of the cup; Totton P. Heffelfinger, President of the United States Golf Association; and Pedro R. Suinaga, ex-President of the Asociacion Mexicana de Golf. pionship on the Saturday prior to the play. The Women’s Committee will not permit shorts to be worn. The prize for the winner of the Open Championship, if a professional, was in­ creased from $4,000 to $5,000, and the last thirty of the fifty money prizes were increased from $100 to $150 each. Increases will be made throughout the entire prize list as a result of an earlier decision to increase the total prize money distribution from approximately $15,000 to approximately $20,000, effective this year. The Association accepted an invitation from the Olympic Club-at-Lakeside, San Francisco, Cal., to entertain the 1955 Open Championship. The entry fees for the Open and Ama­ teur Championships were increased from $7 to $10. Amateur Status Rules Changed The Rules of Amateur Status under­ went some revision. Teaching golf to students will no longer affect the amateur status of faculty members of recognized educa­ tional institutions who are not pri­ marily teachers of physical training or athletic sports and whose golf instruc­ tion is incidental to their academic duties. Merchandise prizes may not exceed retail value of $150. Formerly, the limit was $100. Scholarships in educational institu­ tions must be approved by a regular authority of the institution awarding 12 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 all scholarships if they are not to affect a student’s amateur status. One may be an employee engaged in making, repairing or cleaning clubs in a golf shop at a golf course up to his 21st birthday without losing amateur status. Formerly, the limit was the 18th birthday. As has been customary in recent years, the Chairman of each Sub-Committee rendered an oral report at the Annual Meeting. Rules of Golf Unchanged Mr. Grainger, Chairman of the Rules of Golf Committee, stressed the advan­ tages of the uniform code under which the USGA and the Royal and Ancient.Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland, have been operating during 1952 and announced that no changes would be made in this code prior to January 1, 1954, by which time the weaknesses revealed to date and the effects of another year of experience will have been sufficiently analyzed to determine what amendments, if any, are necessary. Mr. Grainger expressed his gratification at the wide acceptance of the new code and stated that neither his committee nor the Royal and Ancient Golf Club had yet found any feasible means of reducing the penalties presently applied when a ball is out of bounds, lost or unplayable. Lewis A. Lapham, Chairman of the Membership Committee, announced that the membership has reached another record high, and stood at 1,590 clubs and courses at the end of the fiscal year on November 30, 1952. This represented a net gain of 95 clubs and courses during fiscal 1952. Mr. Tufts, Chairman of the Green Sec­ tion Committee, expressed his belief that the opening of a regional office of the USGA Green Section in Davis, Cal., to serve member clubs on the West Coast would receive financial support sufficient not only to carry itself but to justify the Association in expanding the regional office plan for the benefit of member clubs in other areas. USGA COMPETITIONS FOR 1954 Curtis Cup Match — September 2 and 3 at the Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa. Women’s Amateur Teams, British Isles vs. United States. (Dates entries close mean last dates for applications to reach USGA office, except in the case of the Amateur Public Links Championship. For possible exceptions in dates of Sectional Qualifying Rounds, see entry forms.) Event_______ Open Entries Close May 24 Sectional Qualifying Rounds June 7 Championship Dates_________ Location Women's Open Amateur Public Links June 9 tJune 4 Junior Amateur July 6 *Qualifying: June 15-16 Championship: June 17-18-19 June 24-25-26 Team: July 10 Indiv.: July 12-17 none tJune 20 to June 26 July 20 Aug. 4-7 Amateur July 12 July 27 Aug. 23-28 Girls' Junior August 16 Women's Amateur August 30 none none Sept. 13-18 Aug. 30-Sept. 3 Gulph Mills G. C. * Qualifying at Championship site scheduled provisionally. Form of tournament to be determined, t Entries close with Sectional Qualifying Chairmen. I Exact date in each Section to be fixed by Sectional Chairmen. Baltusrol G. C. Springfield, N. J. to be determined Cedar Crest G. C. Dallas, Texas Los Angeles C. C. Los Angeles, Cal. C. C. of Detroit Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich. Bridgeport, Pa. Allegheny C. C. Sewickley, Pa. USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 13 Some Principles behind the Rules of Golf By JOSEPH C. DEY, JR. USGA Executive Director Suppose you were called upon to write a code of rules for playing golf. Suppose you had to start from scratch, with no previous rules to help you and with only your experience in playing the game to guide you. What would you do? Would you start with what happens on the teeing ground? Or would you begin by pointing out the difference between match play and stroke play? When would you deal with things like pipes and bottles, and how would you deal with them? What about twigs and leaves? How about the right to re­ move the flagstick? If you had the job of writing the Rules from scratch, a stream of details would come flooding in upon you. You could easily be engulfed by them if you didn’t have a couple of life preservers. All too many of us are confused by the Rules. Sometimes they seem like a hodge-podge, full of don’ts and can’ts and prohibitions and exceptions and technical qualifications. Sometimes we get lost in the maze of the letter of the law. There is a way out. There is a spirit behind all the technical little details. There are a few simple but basic ideas that can guide us. It’s important for everyone to know what these basic ideas are. We may not be called upon to write the Rules of Golf, but, just by reason of being players, it is incumbent upon us to know the Rules. Golf is an unique game in that every golfer is his own referee. Purpose and Principles The first thing to clarify is the purpose of the Rules. Why do we need them? The purpose of the Rules is to make sure, as far as possible, that everbody plays the same game. That is how it is phrased by Richard S. Tufts, a Vice- President of the USGA and a long-time student of golf. Thus, when somebody departs from playing the same game that everybody else is playing, penalties are applied. The penalties are for two main purposes: to discourage anybody from taking un­ fair advantage, from trying to play a different game, and to try. to equalize matters when somebody has played a different game, either consciously or un­ consciously. Underlying the Rules are two very simple principles: Play the course as we find it. Play the ball as it lies. Certainly, if everybody plays the course as he finds it and if everybody plays his ball as it lies, where he himself hit it, then everybody will be playing the same game. The object of the Rules, then, should be served by those two elementary ideas. But even the Garden of Eden had its imperfections, and, golf being an im­ perfect human affair, not all questions of golf Rules can be solved by applying one of those two basic principles. For example, when your ball is at the bottom of a lake, twenty feet under water, it just isn’t possible to play the course as you find it or to play your ball as it lies. You’ve got to have a way to pro­ ceed. So, too, when your ball is twenty feet up in the air, sleeping in a little bed of pine-tree needles. From this we arrive at a third funda­ mental principle: If we can’t play the course as we find it or if we can’t plav the ball as it lies, then play fair. Just that: fair play. A large percentage of the Rules of Golf deal with cases where the first two prim ciples won’t apply, and those cases are pretty well governed by this third prin­ ciple. There is one general Rule which provides: “If any point in dispute be not 14 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 covered by the Rules or Local Rules, the decision shall be made in accordance with equity.” To summarize, the three main ideas behind all Rules are: Play the course as we find it. Play the ball as it lies. If we can’t carry out the first two, PLAY FAIR. Playing the Course as We Find It Let’s look at the first principle and see how that idea is carried out in the Rules, the idea of playing the course as we find it. In the final round of the 1951 Tam O’Shanter Open, Jim Ferrier teed his ball on a teeing ground. As he started to play, he discovered that a branch of a tree interfered with his backswing. He reached up and broke off part of the branch. A question arose as to whether this was a violation of a Rule, and, if so, what was the penalty. On the face of it, the question seems simple: may a player break a tree branch which hampers his backswing? But this happened on a teeing ground, and a ball was not yet in play. What difference does that make? It makes no difference at all whether the ball is in play or out of play. The basic principle, is that we play the course as we find it. We can’t wander out on the course and break off a branch that may be in our line of play, and we can’t do it on the teeing ground. So Jim had violated Rule 17-3 of the present code, which provides: “A player shall not improve, or allow to be improved, his line of play or the position or lie of his ball by moving, bending or breaking anything fixed or growing,” sub­ ject to exceptions which do not apply here. That Rule simply is meant to express the elementary idea that you play the course as you find it. Ferrier could have moved his ball to a part of the teeing ground where there was no interference to his backswing. The same basic issue was involved in a question about purposely bending a young tree behind you while addressing the ball, but it had a new twist. The Rule just quoted has a couple of excep­ tions. One of the exceptions is that there may be some moving, bending or break­ ing “as may occur in the course of fairly taking his stance.” The new twist in the question revolved around the meaning of the word “fairly” as used in this instance. The USGA answer said in part: “The basic object of the Rule is to prohibit improving the position of the ball. “In the course of taking a reasonable stance, for example, the player might bend growing objects, such as tall grass, and as a consequence the line of play might be affected. The Rule excuses this provided it occurs as an incident in the course of taking the stance. “The player is entitled to take his stance fairly. The word ‘fairly’ should be read in a normal sense. To put it in other words, the player may take a stance which is as reasonable as could be expected in the light of the ball’s situation. This is no guarantee that he is to have a perfect stance; if that were so, the Rules might permit players to carry axes and sickles and to cut down bushes, grass and trees which happened to interfere with a perfect stance. “In short, the quality of the stance is bound to be affected by the general situa­ tion. He may not bend and twist it to suit his convenience. “Therefore, the term ‘fairly taking his stance’ is a relative term, not an absolute one. The player is always limited by the main object of the Rule, which is to avoid improving the position of the ball except as may be done incidentally. “In the circumstances described, A could have taken his stance fairly without bend­ ing the young tree. A should be considered to have violated Rule 17-3 and to have lost the hole.” There is a Rule which requires us to start at the times and in the order arranged by the committee. We may not start early, and we may not start late. This has a relationship to the principle of playing the course as we find it. In the 1940 Open Championship six players disqualified themselves when, on their own initiative, they started their final rounds about a half hour ahead of schedule, without authority. A storm was in the making, and it could have been a decided advantage to them to start a half hour early, but they were obliged to take the course as they found it at the times drawn for them When they did otherwise, they were not playing the same USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 15 game as the others One of the six players turned in a score which apparently tied him for the Championship, but it couldn’t be accepted It is not permitted to build a stance, it is not permitted to remove or press down irregularities of surface which could affect your lie and so forth All these negative Rules are simply expressions in reverse of the large positive principle: Play the course as tve find it. Playing the Ball as It Lies Much of what has been said about the first principle is also true of playing the-ball as- it-lies. Sometimes the two ideas appear to be identical. The key Rule about the ball is Rule 16. It is one of the briefest Rules in the book, but it is perhaps the most important. It says: “A ball shall not be touched purposely and must be played as it lies except as otherwise provided for in the Rules or Local Rules. The player may, without penalty, touch his ball with his club in the act of addressing it, provided he does not move the ball.” There have been a number of famous instances in golf history in which the ball was not played as it lay. Gene Sar- azen says that the greatest gesture of sportsmanship he ever saw was made in the 1925 Open Championship at the Worcester Country Club, in Massachu­ setts. In the last round Bob Jones was playing the sixteenth hole and drove into the rough. He took his stance for his second shot, was just about to hit the ball, then suddenly backed away from it. No one knew just what had happened. After Bob had holed out, his scorer, in checking with him, said he had had a a 4 and was told by Bob that he had had a 5. Bob’s ball had turned over while he was addressing it. The Rule about a ball moving after address derives from the larger principle of playing the ball as it lies. The self-imposed penalty stroke kept Bob Jones from winning the Champion­ ship. After the 72 holes of the Champion­ ship he was tied with Willie Macfarlane, and Willie won after two 18-hole playoffs. Another well-known case involved Lloyd Mangrum in the play-off of the 1950 Open Championship at the Merion Golf Club, near Philadelphia. This, too, happened on the sixteenth hole. Mang­ rum was a stroke behind Ben Hogan. He had driven into the rough, played a safety shot onto the fairway, fired the next to the green and faced a good-sized putt for a par and a half with Hogan. He addressed his ball for the putt, then suddenly leaned over, picked up the ball, blew on it, replaced it and holed the putt. He went to the next tee under the im­ pression that he was still just one stroke behind Hogan, only to be informed That he had sustained a two-stroke penalty for touching his ball while in play. Mang­ rum had unconsciously forgotten himself. It was a bitter blow, but he took it like a great sportsman. Suppose there were no such principle as playing the ball as it lies. Where would the line be drawn? When we start a round of golf, we are sure, theoretically, of fifty-four perfect lies, one on each tee and two on each putting green. You would think that would be enough. But no. Even now those little signs “Winter Rules Today” appear at various courses over the country. So-called “winter rules” constitute the supreme violation of the guiding spirit behind all golf rules. You will find the subject of “winter rules” treated in the Appendix to the Rules book, in the section about Local Rules. The Rules of Golf do not rec­ ognize “winter rules” or “preferred lies,”1 and the USGA recommends that the Rules of Golf be observed uniformly. It is recognized, however, that some clubs sometimes feel impelled to have “winter rules,” and so the section on Local Rules contains a text which seems appropriate. It should be emphasized that the USGA does not endorse it. Play Fair Obviously, there are many instances where we can’t play the course as we find it or we can’t play the ball as it lies. We have to devise an artificial way out in order to keep us in the game, and so we 16 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 look to the third principle, that of fair play- The subject of artificial remedies is a big one and tends to become complex. We’ll deal with just a few to indicate how the pattern of fair play works out. Let’s suppose that something is in the way of the ball, something which pre­ vents us from striking at it as we should like. The first thing to ask ourselves is whether the interfering thing is natural or artificial. If it is natural and if conditions are normal, then generally there is no relief from it without penalty, as in the case of a tree trunk or an embedded rock against which the ball is resting. If it is artificial, such as a bench or a water pipe? then it is an obstruction under the Rules. It is foreign to the playing course, and relief may be obtained with­ out penalty. We can either move the obstruction or, if it is immovable and interferes with our swing or stance, we can move the ball, within certain limits. Now let us consider the cases of balls lost, unplayable and out of bounds. This is a subject worth reviewing now because we have finished a year’s experience with a new uniform Rule covering all three cases. Let’s take our old friends, A, B and C, in a three-ball match. On one hole A’s tee shot winds up unplayable. A is the sole judge of the matter; his discretion governs as to whether the ball is unplayable or not. If A decides to go back to the tee and play another ball, he will be playing three, because the penalty is stroke and distance. The penalty encourages him to exercise his discretion carefully as to whether his ball is unplayable or not. If the penalty were loss of distance only, A might be inclined to replay the stroke and perhaps a good number of other strokes. For instance, A doesn’t play bunker shots very well, so if he could get out of a bunker by a distance-only penalty, he might declare the ball unplayable in a bunker pretty frequently. So the govern­ ing idea of fair play says that A plays three off the tee if his first one is unplay­ able. In this same three-ball match, B’s tee shot becomes lost. He has to go back to the tee and play three, because the penalty is stroke and distance. The penalty encourages him to look carefully for his ball. If the penalty were loss of distance only, he might be careless about trying to find the ball whenever it went into heavy grass or deep woods. Besides, it’s only right and proper that B play three off the tee for his lost ball since A has to play three off the tee for his unplayable ball. This is getting to be quite a difficult hole, and C doesn’t help matters any. He drives over the fence, out of bounds. He is off the course completely. Is there any reason why he should be allowed to play two off the tee, under a penalty of distance only, when his opponents, A and B, are playing three? Fair play says C also must proceed under a stroke-and- distance penalty. All these remedies are artificial, but they are uniform and fair. Conclusion In recalling the three simple bases on which the Rules are built, we have not meant to leave the impression that there is nothing else to the Rules. We have merely tried to clear away some of the mental underbrush so the main outline of the trees can be discerned better. Actually, to know the Rules of Golf re­ quires study. If you really want to know them, give yourself a little test when a problem of Rules next comes to your attention. Before you look in the book, try to see the problem in the light of the main purpose of the Rules — to insure that everybody plays the same game. Try to see it in the light of the three principles which are intended to express that purpose: Play the course as we find it. Play the ball as it lies. Play fair. The best way to learn the Rules is to keep their spirit uppermost. For there is a spirit about golf, and it’s very much like the spirit of life. We have free choice to decide. Do we decide on the basis of fairness, or of total selfishness? As in life, so in golf we are really our own referees. USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 17 Golf Is a Holey Game By the REV. JOHN B. KELLY Spiritual Director, Catholic Writers Guild of America The pungent title of this message is warranted because it expresses a clergy­ man’s excuse for treating a topic as mundane as golf. For some time the conviction that golf is the remedy for the major disorders of today has enthralled me. The assurance that my opinion is more than an Irish­ man’s (or should I say Scotsman’s?) dream was reinforced when our leading dailies headlined the news that President Eisenhower had turned to the playing of golf before preparing to take the high­ est office in civilization. This convinced me of my obligation to release the secret of maintaining concord throughout the world. The immediate need is a Lincoln-like soul in the United Nations to propose with infectious fervor that golf, the leveler of the proud and the exalter of the hum­ ble, can eradicate from the hearts of rulers the Satanic pride which begets the lust for conquest that blights the fair­ ways of history. The proposal will demand that every prospective ruler, be he emperor, king, queen, kaiser, fuhrer or president, qualify for his job by learning to play at least bogey golf consistently. Joe Novak’s book, “Par Golf in Eight Steps,” has convinced me that par, a much more elusive prize than peace, can be attained. And, in learning, the humility which impels a champion to grovel before the eyes of his caddie after missing a three-foot putt will be embedded also in the wielder of the scepter or mace. We can all picture the cameraderie that would develop at the Nineteenth Hole af­ ter a Masters-of-Men tournament. All would be edified by the obedience of their fellow-participants to the Rules of the game and to the traditional standards of sportsmanship. Every golfer records and submits his own errors in play. The NEW MEMBERS OF THE USGA Regular Berry Hills Country Club, W. Va. Carmi Country Club, III. Colonial Golf and Country Club, La. Fir State Golf Club, Wash. Forest Park Country Club, Mass. Gainesville Golf and Country Club, Fla. Ledgemont Country Club, Mass. Lena Golf Club, III. Peterborough Golf Club, N. H. Radnor Valley Country Club, Pa. Sacramento Women's Golf Club, Cal. Associate Desert Inn Country Club, Nev. Harbor Beach Golf Course, Mich. Pitch and Putt, Pa. sportsman does it with the accuracy of a guardian angel. He must confess his unobserved sin in grounding his club in a hazard. He must divulge his mistake of moving his ball in addressing it. Should he, by sneezing, violate the convention of silence when a competitor is stroking a ball, he must voice his apology and his firm purpose of amendment. Golf’s sovereign still is, I think, Bob Jones. This great player of the game was, as Paul Gallico once said, an exponent of humility. Although a gentleman by na­ ture, he once released verbal explosions after sclaffing easy approaches. He con­ quered himself and found that it made the conquest of par easier. When he was carried in triumph on the shoulders of his friends, he invariably sought an op­ portunity to make a fellow-hero of his vanquished opponent. Laughter came easiest to him when he tried to accept himself as the genius the sports writers described. My dream, as a priest, is the appear­ ance on the world scene of a dominating figure with the gift of inspiring in rulers the virtues which Frank Merriwell, the creation of Bert L. Standish, kept glow­ ing in my heart as a boy. 18 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 A Golfing Tour of the United Kingdom By EDWARD S. KNAPP, JR. USGA Executive Assistant Every year a few doughty American golfers have a go at the British golf championships. In 1952, their number soared above forty. In addition, hundreds travel abroad every year. There will be a special lure this year, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on June 2. The date falls conveniently between the British Amateur Championship at Hoylake, May 25-30, the British Women’s Championship at Royal Porthcawl, June 22-26, and the British Open Championship at Carnoustie, July 6-11. The ambitious pilgrim also can take in the French Amateur at Chantilly, June 4-7, or the French Women’s at St. Cloud, June 12-14. Many who go to witness the pomp and circumstance of the coronation thus can enjoy a golfing holiday. One does not have to be a champion­ ship contender, however, to enjoy the better known courses which should be part of the itinerary of the golf lover in Great Britain. In the London Area In the London area there are many fine courses which are easily reached by car or suburban train. Perhaps the best known is Sunningdale, 22 miles from Hyde Park Corner. The Old Course, scene of Bob Jones’ 66 in the qualifying rounds for the British Open of 1926, is one of the world’s great inland courses and will remind Americans of Pine Valley with a touch of heather. The New Course, a little longer, has replaced the Old for tournaments. The two courses combine to challenge the tiger golfers and pro­ vide as fine a test of inland golf as can be found anywhere in the world. Other fine courses near London include Coombe Hill, near New Malden; Moor Park, at Rickmansworth, and W entworth, at Vir­ ginia Water, which is to be the scene of the 1953 Ryder Cup Match, October 2 and 3. A little more than two hours southeast of London, on the Kent coast of the Eng­ lish Channel, lie three of England’s storied seaside courses. The golfers’ bible surely must contain a verse stating that God created the East coast of Kent as a Garden of Eden for golfers. Royal St. George’s. and Prince’s, at Sandwich, and Royal Cinque Ports, at Deal, are ideal seaside links. St. George’s and Deal have been the scenes of many British Amateur and Open Championships. At St. George’s in 1922, Hagen won his first British Open. Prince’s has been completely rebuilt on the same ground and is said to be su­ perior to its prewar predecessor. The Guilford Hotel at Deal is within taxi or walking distance of all three courses. Leaving England and traveling north­ ward along the North Sea coast, a golfer comes to the south shore of the Firth of Forth and the Scottish seaside links of North Berwick, Muirfield and Gullane. The first of these was put to various military uses during the war and has since been revitalized. Gullane has three fine, 18-hole courses. The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, founded in 1744, has played at Muirfield since 1891, and this course is considered one of the grandest and most difficult tests in the British Isles. All three clubs are separated by not more than six or eight miles and can be reached by bus from Edinburgh in less than an hour. Crossing the Firth of Forth and pro­ ceeding northeast, the golfer comes to St. Andrews, in Fifeshire. It is here that the Royal and Ancient Golf Club and its ancestor, the Society of St. Andrews Golfers, have existed continuously since 1754. The Old Course at St. Andrews USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 19 is the most famous in the world. It is here that the ruling body of British golf has sat for almost two centuries. It is here Old Tom Morris had his shop and here that Bob Jones took the first trick in his Grand Slam of 1930. From the first tee of the Old Course, Francis Oui­ met drove himself in as the only Ameri­ can captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club. The very air enveloping this bit of Scotland smacks of golf. The Old Course at St. Andrews is an absolute must for a golfing pilgrim. North of St. Andrews is Carnoustie, within motoring distance of Dundee. The championship course is among the most rugged tests of golf and will be the scene of this year’s British Open Champion­ ship. Another course, the Burnside, while not quite so difficult, is nevertheless very fine. If the traveler has the time, a trip to Lossiemouth, on the south coast of the Firth of Moray, and to Dornoch, far north, is worth-while. Both provide wonderful golf and picturesque scenery. In the central highlands of Scotland is a resort hotel of international renown, Gleneagles. Two fine inland courses, set in the matchless highland scenery, can provide a complete golfing holiday in themselves. Southward along the west coast of Scotland, past Glasgow and Ayr, is an area in which thousands of United States aircraft landed after ferry trips during World War II. Before the B-17s and Commodores came, there had been golf at its best on the seaside links of Troon, Prestwick and Turnberry. Many British championships have been played at Troon and Prestwick. In fact, the British Open was held at Prestwick from 1860 through 1872, the first twelve years of its playing. An ent Turnberry, Henry Longhurst, the British golf writer, refers to it as his favorite seaside course for a golfing holiday. Moving southward again into Lan­ cashire, one comes to Blackpool, the At­ lantic City of England. Nearby is Royal Lytham and St. Anne’s, set in an unpre­ possessing, built-up area a few hundred yards from the Irish Sea. Don’t let the setting deceive you. Here is one of the greatest golf courses of them all. Here Bob Jones won his first British Open in 1926. The iron with which he made his historic second shot of 175 yards from a bunker to the middle of the seventeenth green in the fourth round still hangs in the clubhouse. South of Blackpool are Formby and Birkdale, two fine championship courses which can be reached easily by suburban train or bus from Liverpool. Just south of Liverpool, in Cheshire, is Hoylake, the course of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club. This was the home of John Ball, eight times British Amateur Champion, and Harold Hilton, the only English winner of our Amateur Championship. Here, too, Walter Hagen won his second British Open in 1924, and Jones took the second trick of his Grand Slam in 1930. The course can be reached in less than thirty minutes by train from Liverpool and ranks high in the list of famous courses. If the golfing pilgrim contemplates a trip to Northern Ireland, he will be well repaid by playing Portmarnock, Royal Portrush and Royal County Down, which are quite according to British golfing tradition. Natural Courses Many clubs, particularly in Scotland, do not allow Sunday golf. St. Andrews, Carnoustie and certain other of the Scot­ tish courses are open to the public, and it is well to engage your starting times well in advance. Most of these courses have existed un­ changed for more than half a century. They have about them a natural, rather than an artificial look. Climatic condi­ tions, the roll of the ground, generous use of rough, sometimes even heather, are the chief hazards, rather than traps or trees. Few who play them escape the impression that here is golf at its best, created not by the hand of man but by the hand of God. 20 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 THE REFEREE Decisions by the USGA and the R. and A. Rules of Golf Committees Example of symbols: “USGA” indicates decision by the United States 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. Medalist Defaults First Match USGA 52-68 R. 36-1. Q: A -woman played in the qualifying round. She had no intention of continuing to play her matches in the tournament. She tied for medalist honors and won the medal on the basis of low handicap. She was not seeded and did not play in the tournament other than in the qualifying round. Is she entitled to the medal? Question by: Mrs. Laurence Harris Buffalo, N. Y. A: The question is one for the committee to decide; see Rule 36-1. A player who does not continue in the match play rounds of a tournament may be obliged, at the discretion of the committee, to forfeit any prize won in the qualifying round. Provisional Ball Knocks Original Ball Out of Bounds USGA 52-70 R. 27-lc, 29-1, 30-ld Q: A player’s drive from No. 10 tee of the East Lake Country Club, Atlanta, Ga., was thought by the player to be out of bounds. He then played another ball pro­ visionally from the tee. It was determined by the players in front of the match that the player’s original ball came to rest in bounds and that the provisional ball struck and knocked the original ball out of bounds. The provisional ball came to rest in bounds. What would be your ruling in this case in the event the player’s provisional ball struck the original ball and knocked the original ball in the hole being played? Question by: Keith Conway Atlanta, Ga. A: (a) A provisional ball played under Rule 30 is an agency of the player or side and the player is responsible for it; it is never an outside agency; see Rule 30-ld. Therefore, assuming there was completely clear evidence in the case you cite, the orig­ inal ball is considered to have been moved accidentally by the player and Rule 27-lc governs. The player incurred a penalty of one stroke against his original ball, and the original ball was out of bounds, lying 2 at that point. As the original ball actually lay in bounds when the player played the provisional ball, the provisional ball could not be continued in play on the basis that it was provisional for a ball out of bounds. The original ball thus was in play (see Definition 5) until it was accidentally moved out of bounds. The player therefore was required to drop an­ other ball as nearly as possible at the spot where the original ball lay before it was moved out of bounds, under an additional penalty of one stroke; see Rule 29-la. His next stroke with that ball would be his fourth. The ball hit provisionally had to be retired from play. (b) If the player’s provisional ball knocked his original ball into the hole, the same basic principles would apply. The player would incur a penalty of one stroke against his original ball (Rule 27-lc), the ball would be considered holed and his score for the hole would be 2. Ownership of Ball in Dispute USGA 52-71 R. 11-4, 21 Q: In match play, tee shots are hit over a hill and cannot be seen from the tee. A pushed his tee shot to what he deemed to be the right side of the fairway. B hit a similar shot but elected to play a pro­ visional ball in case the first shot was out of bounds. Arriving at the place where it was assumed would be three balls, only one could be found and it was in the fairway. A maintained that the found ball was the one he had hit from the tee. B maintained that it was the first ball he had hit from the tee. Neither player had his ball marked for identification and neither had declared to his opponent the kind or number of the ball in play. There being no referee, gallery or cad­ dies, it was decided to have the players return to the tee and replay the hole. I should like to know if the decision was- USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 21 correct and what the ruling would be if a like situation were to arise in a medal­ play round. Question by: Harold A. Dawson Los Angeles, Cal. A: As there was no way to determine which player owned the ball which was found, the decision was appropriate in the light of the rule of equity (Rule 11-4) for either match or stroke play. Attention is invited, however, to the note which precedes Rule 21 and which states in part: “Each player should put an identification mark on his ball.” Handicaps in Extended Competitions USGA 52-72 R. 36-1 Q: In a ladies’ handicap tournament in which 32 have qualified on the basis of their current handicaps at the beginning of the qualifying round and whose pairing^1 for match play over a period of four or five weeks have been drawn in accordance with their stroke play round, should the entire tournament be played with each competitor using the same handicap that had been used in qualifying or, as this competition is over a four or five weeks period, should the surviving player use her then current handicap (assuming her handicap may have changed since playing the qualifying round) in effect at the time of each round of match play? Question by: Mrs. Anita Morris Rockville Centre, N. Y. A: The matter is one for the committee in charge to determine and publish prior to the competition. Rule 36-1 provides in part: “The Committee shall lay down the conditions under which a competition is to be played.” Generally, a handicap should not be changed during the progress of a competi­ tion unless the competition extends over a considerable period and the rules provide for an adjustment of handicaps during the period. Original Ball Found Outside Hazard After Second Ball Played USGA 52-79 D. 5; R. 21-3, 33-2a, 33-4 Note 1 QI: A player’s ball in stroke competition is believed to have come to rest in a water hazard. The player drops another ball behind the hazard in a manner which he believes to accord with Rule 33-2a, and he plays the ball toward the green. He then finds his original ball outsi Je the water hazard. It was ruled that he had to abandon his second ball and resume play with the first ball, as the first ball was the ball in play under Definition 5; further, he was pena­ lized two strokes under Rule 21-3 for play­ ing a wrong ball (his second ball which he dropped behind the water hazard). Was the decision right? Al: Yes. Rule 21-3 covers the case. See also Note 1 to Rule 33-4. Committee May Remove Water during Stroke Play Q2: A hole was covered by water during a deluge in a stroke competition. The committee temporarily suspended play and mopped and otherwise removed most of the water, in order to avoid calling the course unplayable. Was the committee within its rights in artificially removing the water from the putting green ? A2: Yes. It is a responsibility of a com­ mittee to try to have a course maintained in the best possible condition. Questions by: Harvey Raynor Professional Golfers’ Association Chicago. III. Lost Club May Not Be Replaced USGA 52-83 R. 3-b Q: A player lost his putter during the first nine holes of a competition; he had started with 14 clubs. After playing nine holes, he inquired whether he might obtain another putter, on the theory that the complete disappearance of the club con­ stituted unfitness for play within the mean­ ing of Rule 3-b. Question by: Norman B. Beecher Clearwater, Fla. A: Loss of a club does not constitute unfitness for play. Loss does not occur in the normal course of play. To permit re­ placement would open the door to deliberate “loss.” Agreement to Waive Rule? R & A 52-83 R. 4, 31-1 Q: A’s ball lay in a ditch. There were loose twigs near the ball. A began to remove the twigs. B remarked. “That is not allowed, but I do not mind.” The question asked was: (1) Is A disqualified for breach of Rule 33-1? (2) Is B disqualified for breach of Rule 4? 22 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 If this incident had taken place in the final, what would have been the correct procedure for the Committee to have taken? A: Under Definition 14b the ditch is a water hazard. Rule 33-1 states “When a ball lies in or touches a hazard or a water hazard, nothing shall be done which may in any way improve its lie . . . ” If B informed A that it was not allowed, without suggesting that the penalty be waived, A would lose the hole. If B in­ formed A that it was not allowed and both agree to waive the penalty and continue the play of that hole, both are disqualified under Rule 4. If both finalists are disqualified, the tournament must conclude without there being an outright winner. Question by: James H. Dodd Djursholms Golfklubb Sweden Competitor May Discontinue Play on Single Hole R & A 52-93 R. 37-6 Q: A four-ball, better-ball competition, stroke play: At one hole A picks up after playing several strokes in the rough. Having abandoned play for that hole, he takes shelter under a bush from heavy rain while his partner plays out the hole. Is A subject to disqualification for dis­ continuing play, at that hole only? Crowborough Beacon Golf Club Crowborough, Sussex A: A is not subject to disqualification under Rule 37-6 in the circumstances as stated by you. Player Penalized for Using Prop io Prevent Ball Moving R & A 52-96 R. 16 Q: A player’s ball is lying in rough pine needles with twigs over the ball. These twigs are loose and if moved might cause the ball to move. The player, there­ fore, gets three or four fir cones and puts them at the back of the ball to stop it in case it moves. He then removes the twigs. He then moves what fir cones he can with­ out the ball moving and plays his shot. . Is this permissible, and if not what is the penalty, and under what Rule does it come? Addington Golf Club Addington, Surrey A: Dead pine needles and twigs are loose impediments and may be removed without penalty provided the ball is not moved. There is a penalty, under Rule 16, if a ball is touched purposely and not played as it lies, except as provided for in the Rules. The player suffered a penalty of two strokes under Rule 16 for touching his ball purposely with the fir cones. STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION RE­ QUIRED BY THE ACT OF CONGRESS OF AUGUST 24, 1912, AS AMENDED BY THE ACTS OF MARCH 3, 1933, AND JULY 2, 1946, (Title 39, UNITED STATES CODE, SECTION 233) of USGA Journal and Turf Management, published seven times a year at New York, N. Y., for Oct. 1, 1952. 1. The names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing editor, and business managers are: Publisher, United States Golf Association, 40 East 38th St., New York 16, N. Y. Editor, Joseph C. Dey, Jr., 40 East 38th St., New York 16, N. Y.; Managing Editor, none. Business manager, none. 2. The owner is: (If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated firm, its name and address, as well as that of each individual member must be given.) United States Golf Association, 40 East 38th St., New York 16, N. Y. President: Totton P. Heffelfiinger, 40 East 38th St., New York 16, N. Y. Vice- President: Isaac B. Grainger, 40 East 38th St., New York 16, N.Y. Vice-President: Richard S. Tufts. 40 East 38th St., New York 16, N. Y. Secretary: John D. Ames, 40 East 38th St., New York 16, N.Y. Treasurer: James W. Walker, 40 East 38th St., New York 16, N. Y. 3. The known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 per cent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities are: None. 4. Paragraphs 2 and 3 include, in cases where the stockholder or security holder ap­ pears upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation, the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting; also the statements in the two paragraphs show the affiant’s full knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the books of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity other than that of a bona fide owner. JOSEPH C. DEY, JR., EDITOR Sworn to and subscribed before me this 1st day of October, 1952. (Signed) Mary A. Freeley, Notary Public, State of New York. (My commission expires March 30, 1954) USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 23 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, Davis, Cal. DIRECT TURF SERVICE TO USGA CLUBS IS NEW EMPHASIS FOR GREEN SECTION By RICHARD S. TUFTS Chairman, USGA Green Section Committee Better turf at lower cost. That has been an objective of the United States Golf Association for its member clubs ever since the USGA Green Section was established in November, 1920. It has been accomplished in the past mainly by (1) development of knowledge through Green Section research, (2) stim­ ulation of cooperative research by other agencies, and (3) dissemination of re­ sults through the printed word, confer­ ences, and a limited number of visits to golf courses. The emphasis heretofore has been on research, and a large body of knowledge has thus been discovered. Now the emphasis is being changed. Now stress will be placed upon direct service to USGA member clubs and courses — in helping clubs, at the local level, with their own particular problems. The new program will be called the USGA Green Section Regional Turf Serv­ ice. However, continued research and ex­ perimentation will be necessary. If your doctor is to be of greatest help to you in preventing sickness and in helping overcome it when it strikes, he must keep up to date with developments in his profession. So with the Green Section. Research always will be needed if the USGA is to help its member clubs have better turf at lower cost. But in the new scheme of things, the Green Section will give financial and moral support to research by others rather than engage in much research itself. This is a logical procedure since turf research is a broad and costly field which benefits many interests besides golf. There is no real reason why golf should carry the research load for such other interests as parks, home lawns, ceme­ teries, play fields, and highway shoulders, to name a few. But golf can cooperate with those other interests in financing re­ search to produce results of benefit to all. Then, the results having been pro­ duced, golf needs its own highly special­ ized staff to take the results direct to the golf courses. 24 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 Regional Offices This is to be accomplished by establish­ ment of a number of Green Section regional offices — perhaps five or six eventually — rather than by having the entire staff work out of one office in the East, as has always been the case. When the plan is fully established, every USGA member club will be within easy reach of a Green Section Regional Director. Each Regional Director will be a practical scientist — a trained agronomist who has specialized in golf course problems. Here, we believe, we have a well- rounded program. It will result in two principal benefits if the member clubs want it enough to support it: 1. Intimate, specialized consultation service on a regular and permanent basis, located so as best to serve the convenience of the subscribing clubs. 2. Maintenance of turf experimentation on a broad scale, and nationally coordin­ ated through the several Regional Direc­ tors so as to bring the greatest possible return to the member clubs. Ever since World War II the Green Section has been decentralizing research activities away from the Washington, D. C., area and out into various regions where peculiar sectional problems must be met and solved. When this cooperative research program was accelerated in 1945, fewer than 10 men at four or five experi­ ment stations were working on turf man­ agement problems. Now there are ap­ proximately 100 workers, at more than a score of stations. The new emphasis is a continuation of that decentralization in terms of direct service. In general, we believe the new program ultimately will be the strongest yet pre­ sented by the Green Section. Benefits of Regional Service Here is approximately how the Re­ gional Turf Service will be organized: Each Region will consist of about 200 USGA clubs which subscribe for the Re­ gional Service. They will be divided into about eight groups of 25 clubs each. Each subscribing club will receive the following benefits (this is subject to alter­ ation depending upon the geographical distribution of the subscribing clubs) : 1. At least three direct consultations with the Regional Director each year, on the following schedule: (a) One half-day visit to the club by the Regional Director, followed by a written report from him. (Special visits might be made as time permits.) (b) Two group conferences in which the Regional Director will meet with the golf course superinten­ dents and green committee chairmen of the 25 clubs in each group. 2. Assistance by correspondence and telephone. 3. A periodic Turfletter from the Re­ gional Director to the subscribing clubs in his Region, at least six times a year. 4. A subscription to the USGA Journal and Turf Management, pub­ lished seven times a year. 5. A voice in the direction of broad- gauge turf research whose results would benefit golf courses. The keynote of the whole program will be to prevent trouble, not merely to DR. GRAU RESIGNS Dr. Fred V. Grau resigned as Director of the USGA Green Section, effective February 15, in or­ der that he may en­ ter a national iurf research project of somewhat broader scope than turf for golf. Dr. Grau Dr. Grau has served as Director of the Green Sec­ tion since 1945. The present program of decentralized and coordinated turf re­ search projects at various stations throughout the country was effected during his tenure in the office and has greatly increased the body of scientific knowledge concerning turf. Alexander M. Radko is now serving as Acting Eastern Director of the Green Section office at Beltsville, Md., with Charles G. Wilson as Western Director in Davis, Cal. USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 25 prescribe remedies for sick golf courses. The program is designed to undergird the green committee chairman and the golf course superintendent, and to assist them in keeping up to date on the turf developments all over the country which might be useful to their golf course. The Regional Turf Service will be open, in the golf field, only to USGA member clubs and courses. The fee will be as noted below (in addition to standard USGA membership dues); the breakdown items are approximate and may be changed at the discretion of the USGA Executive Committee: Less than 18 Holes 18 to 27 Holes More than 27 Holes 1. Service fee, in­ cluding travel expenses 2. Appropriation to research, pri­ marily within Region of the subscribing club — approx­ imately 20% of total 3. Subscription to USGA Journal and Turf Man­ agement Total Fee $58 $78 $98 15 2 $75 20 2 25 2 $100 $125 Explanatory Notes: 1. There will be no extra charges for travel ex­ penses for regular visits by the Regional Director to courses and group meetings. The total fee covers all services and expenses. 2. A portion of the total fee will be expended for research. A ratio cannot be definitely fixed until there has been some experience with the plan. Tentatively, it is intended to appropriate from 20 to 25% of the total fee for research. It is also intended that most of this will be expended within the Region of the subscribing club. Each Club Green Committee should make the fee a part of its course maintenance budget. Heretofore the Green Section has made advisory visits to USGA member clubs for a fee of $50 per day plus travel ex­ penses. This service will be continued for sections not having regional offices until it can be supplanted by the nation-wide system of regional offices. The speed with which the program can be put into effect nation-wide depends largely upon the interest and the support of the USGA member clubs and courses. The first regional office was opened last June at Davis, Cal., with Charles G. Wil­ son as Western Director. The full pro­ gram of service is now being established in his Region, which for the time being comprises Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona. Other regional offices will be established as fast as practicable. Green committee chairmen of USGA member clubs are earnestly requested to write us to express their degree of interest and their com­ ments on the program. This is a program of service. Its bene­ fits to the individual club will be consider­ able. Countless times in the past one little bit of knowledge from the Green Section has saved a club many times the cost of USGA service. We strongly suggest that green com­ mittee chairmen and golf course superin­ tendents now put items in their bud­ gets for golf course maintenance to cover the relatively small cost of the USGA Green Section Regional Turf Serv­ ice. The USGA cannot provide such a service unless there is reasonable assur­ ance that it will be supported by the mem­ ber clubs on a permanent basis. The cost ought to be regarded in just that light and be made a permanent part of the club’s annual budget. We feel confident that the returns will far outweigh the expense. The cost is about the same as for 35 pounds of a good spray material to com­ bat brownpatch, or for 75 pounds of good bentgrass seed. The Green Section program is now in a period of transition, in which the em­ phasis is being shifted from direct re­ search to direct service to clubs. In this period of transition, however, the Green Section is not relinquishing any construc­ tive activity unless and until arrangements can be made for such activity to be handled by another agency. This is part and parcel of the sole purpose of the Green Section, which always has been and will continue to be just this: Better turf at lower cost. 26 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 KNOW HOW TO WATER By ROBERT M. HAGAN Department of Irrigation, University of California To do a good job of turf irrigation, we must consider the rooting habits of grasses. If given an opportunity, grasses will de­ velop surprisingly extensive root systems. It is commonly thought that the roots under turf are confined largely to the top six inches or certainly to the top foot. What are the rooting capabilities of turf grasses? The rooting depths of 15- months old plantings on a deep clay soil at Davis, Cal., were studied by measur­ ing the extraction of soil moisture. The plots were irrigated deeply and then al­ lowed to go without irrigation until the grasses wilted. When wilting occurred, all of the available soil moisture in the following soil depths had been extracted: Effective Rooting Depth (inches) 8 10 10 12 30 30-36 36 Grass Chewings fescue lllahee fescue T-74 fescue Highland bent Kentucky bluegrass Merion bluegrass K-31 (tall) fescue Bermuda (U-3 and Common) more than 36 In all cases considerable moisture extrac­ tion took place below the depths indi­ cated. Some roots were found at the five- foot depth under Merion bluegrass and at the six-foot depth under the bermudas. The ability of grasses to root so deeply has not been considered in the prepa­ ration of sites for planting or in the ir­ rigation management of turf areas. Of course, rooting depths will be less in shal­ low soils or where management practices have restricted root development. These data simply indicate the rooting capa­ bility of grasses under these conditions at this location. What practical application does this in­ formation have in turf irrigation? Such data help to answer the two basic irri­ gation questions: (1) how much water to apply and (2) how often to irrigate. Paper presented at Northern California Turf Con­ ference, held at Oakland, Cal., October 9, 1952. How Much Water to Apply How do we decide how much water to apply? After a rain or an irrigation, a given depth of a well-drained soil will hold a certain amount of water, depend­ ing on its texture or particle sizes. This amount is called the field capacity. Any water applied in excess of the soil’s field capacity will drain out. The drier the soil is at time of irrigation, the more water is required to wet a given depth. If the soil has been dried until the grass wilts (approximate wilting point}, the amounts of water which must soak into typical soils to wet them to certain depths are given in Chart No. 1. For example, to wet a two-foot depth requires one and one-half inches of water for sands, three inches for loams and five inches for clays. Where surface runoff occurs, the total amount of water to be applied must ex­ ceed the depths of water indicated in Chart No. 1 by that lost through runoff. Some turf is overwatered; that is, more water is applied and soaks in than thq soil will retain within the root zone of the grass. The surplus water drains down through the soil, carrying away nutrients and often creates soggy subsoil and con­ sequently shallow roots. Use Chart No. 1 to check on the depth of water you should apply. Turf is often underwatered. For ex­ ample, traveling sprinklers, as they are commonly used, usually apply only one- thi d to one-half inch of water. If the soil has been dried out, one-third inch of water will wet only about five inches of a sandy soil, two inches of loam, and one inch of clay. The superintendent should determine how much water his sprinklers are put­ ting on. This may be done by using coffee cans as rain gauges. Uniformity of ap­ plication can be checked by placing the cans in a line running out from the sprinkler. Many will be surprised to find how little water they are applying, espe- USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 27 CHART NO. 1 Surface Inches of Water Required to Wet Soils to Given Depths, Assuming No Surface Runoff soil is io be wet, run down left-hand scale to 12-inch line, then across chart io diagonal line labeled "Loam" (at point A). Then project line vertically up to scale across top of chart. Depth of water required is V/2 inches. cially near the fringe of the area hit by the sprinklers. Where there is no appreciable surface runoff, the correct running time for sprin­ klers can be estimated from Chart No. 1 if the rate of water application is known. Read from the chart the surface inches of water required; then divide this by the application rate in inches per hour. This gives the running time in hours. In many cases it is easier to let the sprinklers run until coffee-can rain gauges contain the depth of water required to wet the soil to the desired depth. If the sprinkling time is recorded, it can be used as a guide for future irrigations. amounts of water. In either case, the shal­ low-rooted turf thus produced will then demand frequent irrigation to prevent wilting. How Often io Irrigate Our turf irrigation habits are often bad habits from the standpoint of soil charac­ teristics and the needs of the grasses. Irri­ gation practices are usually set by habit, the calendar or what we are told are the special moisture requirements imposed by the use to which the turf is put. Let us forget, for the moment, these special de­ mands and look at irrigation solely from the viewpoint of soil characteristics and needs of the grass. Remember that shallow rooting may be caused by repeated shallow irrigations or, in some soils, by application of excessive Consider the soil as a storage reservoir. The storage capacity within the root zone is determined by the rooting depth of the 28 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 CHART NO. 2 Irrigation Interval as Influenced by Soil Texture and Depth of Root Zone where Water Use is One Inch per Week HOW TO READ CHART: Figures at top denote approximate number of days between irrigations. Figures at left denote depth of soil containing roots wet by irrigation in inches. If grass has effective roots to 24-inch depth and soil is wet io this depth, run down left-hand scale to 24-inch line, then across chart to diagonal line labeled "Loam" (at point A). Project line vertically up to scale across top of chart where you read off about 16 days. grass and by the difference between the amount of water retained by the soil after irrigation (approximates field capacity) and that remaining when the grass wilts (wilting point). The water held by soil between field capacity and the wilting point is called readily available water. Grass will not suffer' a water deficit as long as roots are in contact with available water. Sandy soils will hold one-half to three-fourths inch of available water per foot depth of soil, loam about one and one-half inches, and clays about two and one-half inches. How long will the supply of available water in the soil reservoir last? This de­ pends upon weather conditions, particu­ larly light intensity, temperature, humi­ dity and wind. Trees and shrubs may compete with the grass for water and in­ crease the drain on the soil moisture sup­ ply. The rate of water use differs from day to day and place to place. Even on a single piece of turf, water consumption may vary considerably according to ex­ posure. Thus one cannot give accurate figures for water use. However, the fol­ lowing approximate values for typical summer months may be useful for plan­ ning purposes: Region Consumptive water use (inches) Per Day Per IPeek Dry desert areas San Joaquin Valley Sacramento Valley Inland coastal areas Coastal slopes .35 •3 •25 .2 .1 to .15 2.5 2.1 1.8 1.5 1.0 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 29 The number of days a grassed area may be expected to go without showing need for water can be estimated from Chart No. 2. As stated previously, the approximate number of days between ir­ rigation depends on (1) the depth of soil containing roots which has been wet by the last irrigation, (2) the soil texture which determines the available water ca­ pacity and (3) the rate of water use. Where the water-use rate is one inch per week, as is assumed in Chart No. 2, a grass which has effective roots to a depth of 12 inches should not need irrigation on a sandy soil for three or four days, on a loam for eight days, and on a clay for thirteen days. If the effective rooting depth is 36 inches, then the grass should not require irrigation on a sandy soil for 11 days, on a loam for 23 days and on a clay for 39 days. Are these right? Have grasses been shown to go without water for such long periods of time without drying or loss of color? The possibilities of infrequent irriga­ tion are being studied at Davis. This past summer was one of the hottest on record, with temperatures above 90° and close to 100° F most days, and low humidity. On a deep clay soil, the 15-months-old grass plots did not show distinct wilting until the following periods had elapsed: Elapsed Days Before Distinct Wilting Grass Creeping fescues and bent Kentucky bluegrass Merion bluegrass K-31 fescue 14 24 30 approximately 36 After these periods, the grasses were distinctly wilted but had not turned brown. The U-3 and common bermuda plots were irrigated by mistake after 36 NEW SUBSCRIBERS TO GREEN SECTION SERVICE Fields Golf Club (The), Kirkuk, Iraq Florida Nursery and Landscape Co., Leesburg, Fla. Golf and Lawn Grass Nurseries, Atlanta, Ga. Mertz, Stuart M., St. Louis, Mo. Sherwin's, Greensboro, N. C. days. Since beginning the experiment in June, the bermuda plots received only one irrigation up to the date of this meeting (October 7). These data indicate that, where grasses are deep rooted, they can go for long periods between irrigations even in the hot, dry interior valleys. Some of you will say, “I can’t do this with my turf.” I’ll agree you can’t if your roots are shallow because of shallow soil or man­ agement practices which have restricted root development. Shallow irrigation, very often the cause of shallow roots, results from application of too little water or from failure of the water applied to soak into soil. Slow water penetration is a major problem with many soils. On these soils which take water slowly, deep irrigations without excessive runoff are difficult with much of the sprinkler equip­ ment now in use. With such soils, more frequent irrigation may be necessary until measures can be taken to improve water penetration and minimize runoff. The more often a soil is irrigated, the greater the opportunity for compaction of the sur­ face soil which further retards water pen­ etration. Thus a vicious cycle is estab­ lished. Consider, for example, a grass which has an effective rooting depth of 24 inches on a loam soil. Within this depth of soil the previous irrigation should have stored about three inches of available water (see Chart No. 1). If the water-use rate is one inch per week and, to be conservative, one plans to use only two inches of this water, then this turf should go at least two weeks between irrigations (Chart No. 2). We could supply the water needed by one two-inch irrigation every two weeks. But if we apply only one-third inch of water or because of slow water penetration only one-third inch penetrates, then we would have to irrigate three times per week or a total of six irrigations instead of one. The more frequent irrigations add to labor costs, waste water, magnify disease and 30 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 weed problems and increase the opportun­ ity for soil compaction. No good pasture operator would allow stock on his pasture for at least three days after irrigation to avoid trampling damage. We can’t keep human livestock off the grass, but we can decrease the opportunity for compaction in this example by adding two inches of water to the soil in one irrigation instead of in six light sprinklings. This illustration should present us with a challenge to see what we can do to re­ duce irrigation frequency. To do this we must (1) use sprinkler equipment which will not apply water at an excessive rate, (2) cultivate turf areas where needed to improve rate of water penetration and (3) develop schedules and practices which permit sprinklers to remain in one place long enough to apply an adequate depth of water. There has been a lot of talk about us­ ing too much water. You will note I have not said that we are necessarily using too much water, but in many cases we are watering far more often than would be required if full advantage were taken of the deep-rooting capabilities of the grasses. Generally, one cannot make a sudden change in irrigation frequency. If your grass is shallow rooted as a result of either dry or water-logged subsoils, gradually encourage deeper rooting by improving subsoil moisture conditions. A good turf irrigator should know (1) the rooting depth of his grasses, what depth is being dried out between irriga­ tions, and (2) how long sprinklers should be run to replace the soil moisture. Only if you have answers to these ques­ tions, can turf irrigation be put on a sound basis. Turf should be irrigated on the basis of soil characteristics and the need of the grass for water. Special turf uses may at times force us away from sound irrigation principles, but we should return to good irrigation practices when­ ever possible. Some type of soil sampling tool is a must for the good irrigator. I haven’t given you all the answers on COMING EVENTS March 2-4: Turf Conference, Midwest Regional Turf Foundation and Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. W. H. Daniel. March 9-11: Turf Conference, Iowa Golf Course Superintendents and Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa. H. L. Lantz. March 11-13: Minnesota Turf Conference, spon­ sored by Minnesota Golf Course Superintendents Association, Curtis Hotel, Minneapolis, Minn. April 22-23: Seventh Annual Southeastern Turf Management Conference, Tifton, Ga. B. P. Robinson. June 8: Turf Field Day, Central Plains Turf Founda­ tion, Wichita, Kansas. August 3: Field Day, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. W. H. Daniel. October 21-23: Fourth Annual Central Plains Turf Foundation Turf Conference, Manhattan, Kansas. William F. Pickett. November 16-20: American Society of Agronomy Meetings, Dallas, Texas. L. G. Monthey. how to water turf. We don’t know all the answers. We hope our research pro­ gram will help supply them. I believe we can now say with assurance that there are two simple rules to follow for good turf irrigation: (1) Water deeply (2) Water infrequently. The curse of irrigated agriculture is often too much water. In turf, the curse is sometimes too much water, but more often it is too little water, applied too often. [EDITOR’S NOTE'. This conference paper reports work supported in part by a USGA Green Section Research Grant. It should be considered in the light of a progress report and as a guide to im­ proved irrigation practices. The rooting capabilities of the various grasses indicate, in effect, the relative adaptation of each grass at Davis under the existing conditions. The figures cited do not indicate that each grass will perform in precisely the same manner elsewhere. Charts 1 and 2 will be understood best by those who irrigate turf under conditions similar to those at Davis, but the princi­ ples involved are universally applicable and deserve careful study.] USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 31 ANNUAL INDEX TO USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT VOLUME V — APRIL, 1952 THROUGH FEBRUARY, 1953 Issue Page 8 15 2 3 15 3 1 AMATEUR STATUS Amateur and His Expenses ......................... Aug. Britain’s Greatest Amateur ..................... Sept. Mawhinney and Hunter Turn Pro ............ Nov. BOOKS lolf of Our Fathers .........................................Nov. 'Jew Books ............................................................ July CADDIES Fessenden Fund ............................................... Sept. 5t. Andrews Scholarship ..............................July CHAMPIONSHIPS Fast Play in the Public Links Event ........Aug. 21 Julius Boros and the Hidden Club ............ July 5 7 New Pattern for the Open ......................... July Old Friend and Many New Ones ............ Sept. 5 Sidelight on the Amateur ..................... Nov. 10 What Makes a Championship Tick ........June 8 COURSES 10 14 8 14 1 7 4 American Society of Golf Course I Architects ...........................................June Design in Golf Architecture ..................... Nov. How Rough Should Rough Be ..................... Aug. Where to Place the Cups ..............................June 17 5 4 “GOLF HOUSE” AND GOLF COLLECTING 8 Bob Jones in “Golf House” ......................... Feb. Clubs of Champions ....................................... '^ov' Finishing the Job on “Golf House” ........Sept. “Golf House” Is for You ..............................Apr. “Golf House” Will Always Grow ............ July Keeping Score at “Golf House” ............ June O.B.’s Portrait ................................................. Aug. Original Trophy Given to “Golf House” Aug. HANDICAPPING New USGA Handicap System .................Feb. HISTORICAL Case for Foxburg’s Old Course .................Apr. Fifty Years of Westerns ..............................Nov. Foxburg’s Sixty-Fifth .................................. Nov. Hunter Medal ....................................................June Open through the Years ..............................June When James Won ...........................................Sept. Women from the Start .................................. Aug. IMPLEMENTS AND THE BALL Adjustable Weights ...........................................Feb. 2 Briton Wins with Our Ball ..................... Apr. 1 4 Business Side of Golf .................................. July Two Clubs in One ................................. June 3 5 3 2 2 5 3 14 INTERNATIONAL Americas Cup ............................................... Sept. Americas Cup Matches .................................. July Bermuda vs. America .................................. July Britain Wins the Curtis Cup ..................... July British Walker Cuppers .................................. Feb. Canadian Amateur ...........................................Aug. Golf Illustrated Says ...................................... July Harvie Ward’s Victory .................................. July Ladies Lock to Muirfield ..............................Apr. New International Team ..............................Aug. Ouimet’s Successor ...........................................June To Prestwick ......................................................Apr. JUNIOR Girls’ Junior ........................................................ Sept. Junior Golf in Southern California ............ July Junior Internationalists ................................Sept. Junior with the Luck Piece ..................... Sept. One of the Nice Things ..............................Aug. Silver Anniversary for the Boys ............ Apr. Tallahassee’s Junior Tournament ............ June What the Girls Think .................................. Aug. MISCELLANEOUS A Friend Retires ............................................. Apr. Buffalo Golfers Endure ..............................Sept. Chick Evans Honored .................................. June Cocoa Finds Hundreds of Balls .................July Different Scholarship ...................................... Feb. Dinner Talk ........................................................Aug. Displaying the Flag .......................................Sept. English Back with USGA ......................... Apr. Fifty Years a Golfer .......................................Sept. 7 11 3 9 1 4 2 1 9 11 2 2 13 16 2 18 1 16 12 2 3 3 4 12 2 2 19 2 1 ISSUE PAGE 4 1 3 Fi'ty Years in Massachusetts ..................... Feb. First One ............................................................ June For the President ...........................................Aug. Fred McLeod .................................. June 4 Gifts for Eugene Grace ..............................Feb. Gol in the Olympics .................................. Aug. Golf Is a Holey Game .................................. Feb. Gol'er in the White House ..........................Feb. Go! ers in Politics ...........................................Nov. Golfing Tour of the United Kingdom ..... Feb. Hagen Reminisces ...........................................June Honored by “The National” ..........................Feb. Honors at Brockline ...................................... June How to get a Job ...........................................Feb. Matter of Opinion ...........................................Nov. Mr. Grace’s Aces ............................................... Nov. New Functions for the USGA Staff ........Nov. President’s Feeling ........................................ Feb. Public Course Operation ..............................Nov. Senior Partner Delivers ..............................Nov. Successive Birdies ...........................................Sept. Travelogue ............................................................ Aug. Two More Calcuttas Die ..............................Sept. Uncle Joe Dickson ...........................................Apr. USGA Nominees for 1953 ..............................Nov. Why Gol'? ............................................................ Sept. Women’s Open and Other Departures ..... Feb. 4 2 17 3 1 18 3 2 1 4 2 4 8 1 4 1 4 4 2 4 15 4 10 NECROLOGY E. B. Leisenring Passes ..............................July Roy Munger ........................................................July Alex Ross ............................................................ Aug. James B. Thomas ...............................................July 3 4 4 3 PLAY OF THE GAME Are You a Gope? ............................................... Aug. Are You Guilty? ............................................... Apr. But There Is No Guarantee ......................... June Captain in Each Match .................................. Sept. In One Generation ...........................................Apr. Iron Shots ............................................................ July Keep Thinking ................................................... Apr. Little Things that Count ..............................Nov. May and August ............................................... Apr. Sound Advice ................................................... Aug. Using the Driver ............................................... Nov. 1 2 1 1 3 14 15 11 1 3 14 PROFESSIONAL GOLFERS’ ASSOCIATION 16 11 20 20 10 PGA and Its Tournament Program ........Sept. PGA and the Caddie Championship ........June Pro'essional Gol er Magazine ..................... July Records in the Gol’ Shop ..............................Apr. Why We Need Junior Golfers ..................... Aug. RULES OF GOLF (not The Referee) 4 12 13 12 16 How To Run a Rules Clinic ..................... Apr. Rule about Obstructions ................................ Apr. Some Principles behind the Rules ........Feb. Un a Tree with the Rules of Golf ............ Nov. “Winter Rules” ................................................. Nov. RULES OF GOLF DECISIONS Advice a ter the Fact ...................................... Nov. Agreement to Waive Rule? ......................... Feb. Artificial Boundaries ...................................... Nov. Arti icial Boundary Stakes Not Obstructions When Not Boundary ........................... July 24 Asking or Giving Advice ..............................Nov. 22 Backswing Breaks Twigs .............................June 21 Ball D"opped in Casual Water ..................... Nov. 22 Ball Holed, Not Lost ...................................... July 24 Ball in Hazard Must Be Dropped in 24 21 21 Hazard ............................................................ Apr. Ball in Tree Moved by Player ..................... Sept. Ball Inter’ering in Hazard more than Club-Length Away .................................... July Ball Lodged in Tree ...........................................June Ball Marks on Green ...................................... June Ball Moving at Address .................................. Apr. Ball Near Skylark’s Nest ..............................Sept. Ball Not Replaced in Four-Ball .................June Ball on Bridge in Hazard ..............................Sept. Ball on Natural Floor ...................................... Apr. Ball Rolling More than Two Club-Lengths Away when Dropped ..............................Sept. 18 22 22 21 22 23 3 22 23 24 21 32 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 RULES OF GOLF DECISIONS (Continued) ISSUE PAGE 24 23 24 21 22 Ball Rolling out of Hazard when Dropped in Hazard ........................................... Sept. Ball Strikes Cup Lining in Four-Ball Match ....................................................Aug. Ball Striking Flagstick in Entering Hole Sept. Ball Unrecoverable due to Outside Agency .................................................... Nov. Balls Exchanged in Match Play .................. Nov. Bending Tree in Taking Stance .................Apr. Bridge Is Obstruction ...................................... July Burrowing Animal ...........................................Apr. Caddie as Marker .............................................July Cancelling Day’s Play .................................... June Claim in Foursome Match ..........................Sept. Cleaning Ball on Green .................................. July Committee May Remove Water during Stroke Play .........................................Feb. Competitor May Discontinue Play on Single Hole .......................................Feb. Cracks in Earth ............................................... June Defining Extent of Water Hazard ........June Definition of Four-Ball Match .................Apr. Determining Five Minutes ......................... Aug. Determining where Ball Crossed Margin June Determining whether Ball Moved ............ Nov. Dropping Ball in Hazard ..............................June “Dropping” Ball in Tree ..............................Sept. Dropping Ball in Water Hazard ............ Apr. Dropping from Lateral Water .................June Dropping into Unplayable Lie ..................... July Dropping Wrong Ball Played from Hazard ....................................................Apr. Embankment Not Obstruction .................Apr. Flagstick in Improper Place ..........................Nov. Flagstick May Be Removed by 21 Fourteen-Club Rule ...........................................June Fourteen-Club Rule Violated ..................... July Handicap Stroke Overlooked ..................... Aug. Handicaps in Extended Competition ........Feb. How to Concede a Putt .................................. Nov. Immovable Obstruction ..................................Apr. Improving Lie on Backstroke ..................... July Interference Must be Actual ..................... Sept. Lateral Water Hazard Rule ..........................Sept. Lift from Log Not Permitted ..................... July Lifting for Identification in Hazard ........July Logs Piled for Removal .................................. July Local Rule Unnecessary ..............................Apr. Lost Club May Not Be Replaced ............ Feb. Measuring through Obstruction Not Permitted ............................................. Sept. Medalist Defaults First Match .................Feb. Mole Hill Is Cast ............................................... Aug. “Nearest Point” of Open Shed .................Apr. Obstructions in Tree Basin ......................... Aug. Opponent’s Ball Knocked in Hole ............ July Original Ball Found outside Hazard after Second Ball Played ......................... Feb. Out of Bounds from Water ..........................June Out-of-Bounds Line ...........................................July Out-of-Bounds Post - No Relief .................Apr. Ownership of Ball in Dispute .................Feb. Pavement around Obstruction ..................... Apr. Player Moves Own Ball in 21 21 Four-Ball Match ..............................Aug. 22 Player Penalized for Using Prop to Prevent Ball Moving ...................Feb. Player’s Ball Hits Partner’s Ball in Four-Ball Match ........................ Aug. 22 23 21 23 22 22 23 23 21 21 21 21 24 21 24 22 22 22 24 21 22 23 18 23 23 24 23 21 23 24 23 22 22 21 23 22 24 21 20 24 18 24 23 23 21 18 20 18 Opponent ........................................ July 23 Playing Ball which Lies Out of Bounds Sept. 23 Plug in Putting Green Interferes with Play ...........................................Nov. 22 Practice on Day of Competition .................June Provisional Ball Knocks Original Out of Bounds .................................................... Feb. 20 Relief from Obstruction May Provide Relief from Tree .............................. July Relief from Obstruction when Provisional Ball Has Been Played ................. Sept. Relief from Wire Screen ..............................July 22 22 23 22 RULES OF GOLF DECISIONS (Continued) Replacing Ball in Bunker ..............................Aug. Replaying Stroke out of Turn .................Nov. Re-Taking Putt ................................................... Apr. Roads - No Relief ...........................................Apr. Scoring Wrong-Ball Penalty ..................... Apr. Second Ball in Stroke Play ......................... Nov. Stile Is Obstruction ...................................... Apr. Stroke Conceded Cannot Be Recalled ........Sept. Taking Stance and Testing Hazard ........June Tee Shot Out of Bounds in ISSUE PAGE 24 24 24 23 21 23 22 24 21 Mixed Foursome ...................................... Aug. 22 Touching Sand in Bunker on Backswing June 24 Tree Basin Recommendations ..................... Apr. 23 Undue Delay Evidence .................................. June 21 “Wall” of Bunker .............................................Sept. 24 Wall Is Obstruction .........................................July 24 When Ball Is “Lost” ...................................... Nov. 24 When Provisional Ball Becomes 21 Ball in Play .........................................Nov. Wrong Ball and Lost Ball Penalties ........July TOURNAMENTS (not USGA) Miss Suggs’ 284 ............................................... Aug. Turnesa System ............................ -................ Aug. With the Collegians ..........................Aug. WOMEN Man’s World? ....................................................Sept. Miss Curtis and the Gorse Bush ...............June Women’s Golf Is Changing ......................... Sept. TURF MANAGEMENT Aeration and Other Practices .................Sept. Analysis in Iowa ...........................................Nov. Another Voice ..................................................... July Awards for Superintendents ..................... Feb. Better Lawns To Come .................................. Sept. Changing the Grass in a Green .................Aug. Correction .................................. Nov. Detroit’s Annual Report .................................. July Direct Turf Service to USGA Clubs ........Feb. Dr. Grau Resigns ............................................... Feb. Effect of Porous Soil Amendments on Water Retention Characteristics of Soils ....Apr. Excerpts from Typical Advisory Service Reports ................................................. Apr. Facts and Fancy in Soil Conditioner Claims ................................................... Nov. How Denver Country Club Rakes Its Leaves ........................................... Nov. How Good Is Delta Bluegrass ..................... Nov. Know How to Water ...................................... Feb. Management of Grass around Trees with Fuel Oil .................................. Sept. Merion Bluegrass Survey ................................ Nov. Methyl Bromide Kills Bermuda .................June National Cooperative Turf Fungicide Trials ......................................................July National Coordinated Crabgrass Trials ....June Nine-Hole Golf Course .................................. Sept. Nitrogen on Special Purpose Turf ............June Notes on Soil Compaction ........................... Sept. Operation Zoysia ............................................... June Permeability of Various Grades of Sand and Peat and Mixtures of These With Soil and Vermiculite ....................... Apr. Physical Condition of Putting-Green 31 31 23 30 25 27 26 Soils ......................................................Apr. Play on Frozen Greens .................................. Feb. 3 Preparing Merion for a Championship ....Apr. If Release of Meyer Zoysia to State 25 Experiment Stations ..................... Aug. Renovation of Poor Turf ..............................Aug. Report on Two Improved Turf Grasses ....July Setting Cups in Frozen Turf ..................... Nov. Sources of Merion Seed .................................. Sept. Topsoil Myth ..................................................... Aug. Turf Nursery as Insurance ..........................Aug. Turf Trials in Oklahoma ..............................June USGA preen Section’s First Regional Office ....................................................June West Coast Office Open ..............................Aug. Wild White Clover ...........................................Nov.' 25 31 31 31 33 31 23 28 4 32 21 2 3 4 2 13 12 27 30 2 4 32 28 32 3 23 24 23 28 26 25 28 23 25 32 31 26 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1953 33 IT’S YOUR HONOR Turf Visit at Lakeside To the USGA: I want to tell you how much I enjoyed going over the Olympic Club courses with Charlie Wilson (Regional Director, USGA Green Section West Coast Office). My impression was that he not only is an ex­ pert on turf conditions but a very capable and efficient gentleman when it comes to dealing with people. On his first visit we were rained out after completing the Ocean Course and a few holes on the Lake Course, so Charlie returned again and we went over the Lake Course in detail. Charlie had suggested that we experi­ ment with a certain chemical formula in order to alleviate what he called “a chlorotic condition” on some of the greens. He suggested that we experiment on a small patch of one green with this par­ ticular formula to see if it worked. When we returned on our second visit, all of the greens on the Lake Course had been sprayed with this formula and they were already beginning to return to good color. This, of course, made us feel that Charlie knew what he was talking about and brought about a very harmonious relation­ ship. Robert A. Roos, Jr. Olympic Club-at-Lakeside San Francisco, Cal. Edward E. Lowery To the USGA: I wish to record my compliments to you in the selection of Mr. Edward E. Lowery as a member of the Executive Committee for 1953. His character and personality are well known even beyond this area, but here he is known and ad­ mired by all who play or work at golf — the amateurs, the professionals and the caddies. I envy those who will work with Ed in the USGA in continuing the splendid work of that Association. I know that their closer acquaintanceship with him will compensate, at least in part, for the time and effort spent in promoting the interests of golf. Dennis Hession San Mateo, Cal. to contribute to “Golf House.” This is a most worthy object and well deserves the cooperation and support of all those in­ terested in the great game of golf. William Findley President Portland Country Club Portland, Maine To the USGA: Enclosed please find my check to help out with the “Golf House” Fund. Golf has meant a lot to me and I want to help. A. G. Wakeman Coosa Pines, Ala. Bouquets To the USGA: Just a few lines to let you know how much I enjoy reading the USGA Journal. It is the finest of all golf publications. I would also like to take this time to thank all of the officers of the USGA for their outstanding efforts in helping to keep amateur golf on the very high level it has maintained throughout the years. It is only the time, efforts and hard work of these men that make this possible, and I sin­ cerely hope that we will always be as fortunate in the leadership of the USGA as we have been in the past. John A. Emich Baltimore, Md. To the USGA: It should please you to know that, having resigned from my position as foreign secretary of the Committee of the Swedish Golf Union and as a consequence taking no part in the administration of the game in this country, I have discontinued my subscriptions to all publications except one: the USGA Journal. This publication is, in my humble opinion, superior to all others, which opinion I keep repeating on every opportunity offering itself. Anders Johnson Gothenburg, Sweden "Golf House" To the USGA: The Portland Country Club is pleased 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 Tot ton 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. Frank Goldthwaite, Fort Worth, Texas SECTIONAL AFFAIRS: Charles L. Peirson, Boston, Mass. PUBLIC LINKS: Frederick L. Dold, Wichita, Kansas HANDICAP: William O. Blaney, Boston, Mass. JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: 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 House" 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