JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT THE PORTRAIT AND THE MAN Francis Ouimet inspects, apparently with some misgivings, the portrait of himself which was presented to "Golf House" during the USGA An­ nual Meeting. On the other hand, Isaac B. Grainger (left), the new Presi­ dent, and Charles W. Littlefield (right), a former President, seem io have gotten considerable enjoyment out of the presentation ceremony. The painting is the work of Thomas E. Stephens and was the gift of William H. Danforth and Edward E. Lowery. Wide World Photo USGA JOURNAL ANO TURF MANAGEMENT PUBLISHED BY THE UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION Permission to reprint articles herein is freely granted (unless specifically noted otherwise) provided credit is given to the USGA Journal VOL. VI, No. 7 February, 1954 Through The Green ............ 1 Bob Jones Award and Other Developments ................................................ 5 Middlesborough’s Place In History ........... John I\ English 8 A Gallery of Golfing Art ................................................ Edward S. Knapp, Jr. 10 Nerves In Golf Can Be Cured ....................................................................................... Charles Rrook 11 The Max Payne Junior Tournament ............................................................ 13 A Busy June For Baltusrol ..................................................................................................................... 14 The Difference Between The Walker Cup Teams ....................................................................... 15 Scholarships In Turf Management ....................................................................................................... 16 Uniformity In Club Accounting ..................................................................................... C. E. Winter 17 Referee: Decisions by the Rules of Golf Committee ............ 20 The Management: USGA Green Section Turf New Northeastern Office of USGA Green Section.....................Joseph C. Dey, Jr. 23 From The Southwestern Office ........................................................... Marvin H. Ferguson 24 From The Eastern Office ................................................................Alexander M. Radko 25 Uniform Coverage: Here’s How It’s Done ............... 26 The Superintendent’s Section ..................................................................................................... 27 The 25th Annual Turf Conference and Show ................................................................... 29 Annual Index To USGA Journal, Volume VI ..................................................................................... 31 It’s Your Honor: Letters ............... 33 Published seven times a year in February, April, June, July, August, September and November by the UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 40 East 38th St.. New York 16, N. Y. Subscriptions: S2 a year. Single copies: 30c. Subscriptions, articles, photographs, and correspondence, except pertaining to Green Section matters, should be sent to the above address. Correspondence pertaining to Green Section matters should be addressed to USGA Green Section, Room 206, South Building, Plant Industry Station. Beltsville, Md.: to USGA Green Section Western Office, Box 241, Davis, Cal.; to USGA Green Section Southwestern Office, Texas A. and M. College, College Station, Texas or to USGA Green Section Northeastern Office, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N. J. Entered as second-class matter March 3, 1950, at the Post Office at New York, N Y., with additional entry at Sea Cliff, N. Y., June 1951, under the Act of March 8, 1879, Edited by Joseph C. Dey, Jr„ and John P. English. AH articles voluntarily contributed. USGA COMPETITIONS FOR 1954 Americas Cup Match—August 12 and 13 at the London Hunt and Country Club, London, Ontario, Canada. Men’s Amateur Teams: Canada vs. Mexico vs. United States. 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.) Championship Open Entries Close May 24 Sectional Qualifying Rounds June 7 Championship Dates June 17-18-19 Women's Open June 21 none July 1-2-3 Amateur Public Links fJune 4 Junior Amateur July 6 Amateur July 12 JJune 20-26 Team: July 10 July 20 July 27 Indiv: July 12-17 August 4-7 August 23-28 Girls' Junior August 16 Women's AmateurAugust 30 none none Aug. 30-Sept. 3 Sept. 13-18 tEntries close with Sectional Qualifying Chairmen. tExact date in each section to be fixed by Sectional Chairmen. Pen ue. Baltusrol G. C. Springfield, N. J. Salem C. C. Peabody, Mass. Cedar Crest G. C. Dallas, Texas The Los Angeles C. C. Los Angeles, Cal. C. C. of Detroit Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich. Gulph Mills G. C. Bridgeport, Pa. Allegheny C. C. Sewickley, Pa. USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 1 THROUGH THE GREEN .. ■ • ■ - Ed Oliver's 16 Ed Oliver, like a lot of other golfers, got a big laugh out of the 16 he took on the 222-yard sixteenth hole at Cypress Point, in California, during the Bing Crosby tournament. “I’ve never been so glad to get out of a place in my life,” Oliver relates. “I was down on the beach for thirty-three min­ utes, with the sea lions barking and the seals flapping. I tell you, it was an eerie experience.” Oliver hit four balls from the tee into the surf and then waded in to play the first ball when it was washed near the beach. He got on in fourteen and took two putts. His card read 36-50— 86, and he turned it in. “Once I took an eleven, but that was with penalty strokes,” he recalled. “But can you imagine—sixteen strokes and not a single penalty! Attachment On Putter Face During its meetings last January the Executive Committee considered a new aluminum and plastic device now being marketed for cementing to the face of a putter, purportedly to reduce the scope of vision and therefore of concentration. It is called Strokoscope. The Committee came to the conclusion that this device, even though permanent­ ly attached to a putter face, did not con­ form to Rule 2-2b because it embodied a substantial departure from the tradi­ tional and accepted form and make. Harold W. Pierce Retires To most golfers in the Boston area, Harold W. Pierce and The Country Club have always seemed synonymous. As a matter of fact, they have been substan­ tially synonymous over a normal golfing lifetime because, for twenty-seven years, Mr. Pierce has been Chairman of the Club’s Golf Committee and the arbiter of all its golfing activities. Even during the years from 1933 through 1941, when he was treasurer, a vice-president and president of the USGA, he retained the chairmanship of this committee. This winter, Mr. Pierce resigned from the Club’s Board of Governors, hence also from the Chairmanship of the Golf Committee, and the golfing face of The Country Club is sure to seem unfamiliar for some time to come. His successor is Charles L. Peirson, who, like Mr. Pierce about two decades ago, is Treas­ urer of the USGA. Male Atb.ete of 1953 When Ben Hogan came out on top in its balloting for “male athlete of 1953,” the Associated Press of course called him to ask whether his biggest thrill had come 2 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 in winning the USGA Open, the British Open or the Masters Tournament. “The U. S. Open,” Hogan said. Not the British Open, in view of the facts that it had been his first try and he had won three previous USGA Opens? “No,” Hogan explained. “If I were to win the U. S. Open fifty times, I’d still get the biggest kick out of it.” The poll was the twenty-third in the series and it selected a golfer for the first time since 1944 and 1945, when Byron Nelson was the choice. The only other golfer ever chosen was Gene Sarazen in 1932, the second year of the poll. Hogan was an overwhelming choice, receiving 67 first-place votes among the 129 ballots cast and rolling up 229 points on a 3-2-1 computation system. Rocky Marciano, the heavyweight boxing cham­ pion, was second in the poll with 23 first-place votes and 80 points. Golf events also were selected as the two most thrilling sports episodes of 1953 Mrs. Dale Morey receives instruction in the proper grip from her husband, who was runner-up in the last Amateur Cham­ pionship, following their wedding in Indianapolis shortly after Christmas. She is the former Miss Martha Jeanne Curry, in another poll conducted by the Asso­ ciated Press. Most thrilling, according to the ballots, was the 140-yard wedge stroke which Lew Worsham holed for a 2 on the last hole at the Tam O’Shanter Country Club, in Niles, Ill., before a gallery of 10,000 and unnumbered television viewers. The eagle gave Worsham a 72-hole score of 278 and a first prize of $25,000 which Chandler Harper seemed to have secured by completing a score of 279 moments earlier. Harper had to be content with a $10,000 prize. Second most thrilling episode was voted to be Hogan’s victory in the British Open. He scored a record 68 on his final round at Carnoustie, Scotland, to win in his first try. The 14-14 football tie between Notre Dame and Iowa was considered the third most exciting event of the year. British Curtis Cuppers The Ladies Golf Union is away in a running start on the task of selecting its Curtis Cup Team which will play al the Merion Golf Club, in Ardmore, Pa., next September. It has selected Mrs. John Beck, of Ascot, England, as Captain and Miss Jeanne Bisgood, of Bournemouth, England, Miss Philomena Garvey, of Dublin, Ireland, and Mrs. George Valen­ tine, of Perth, Scotland, as players. Mrs. Beck, a former Irish Champion, is the wife of the Captain of the 1947 British Walker Cup Team. All three of the players were mem­ bers of the British Teams in 1952 and 1950. Miss Garvey also played in 1948, and Mrs. Valentine previously took part in 1936 and 1938. Mrs. V alentine, then Miss Jessie Ander­ son, won the British Championship in 1937 and also has held the French. New Zealand and Scottish Championships. Miss Bisgood has held the English Championship and Miss Garvey the Irish Championship. The remainder of the Team is to be selected after the British Women’s Championship at Ganton, England, late in June. USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 3 A Pledge SPORTSMAN'S CORNER The things one remembers longest are not necessarily events which carry the greatest impact at the time. Few things golfwise in 1953 carried the impact of Hogan’s riflelike iron to the flag on the final hole of the Open Cham­ pionship or Gene Littler’s birdie on the last hole in the Amateur Championship, for example. Yet another episode which is as clear today as on that hot night in Marion, Mass., last summer was that in which Lord Brabazon of Tara, then Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland, said at the dinner for the Walker Cup Teams: “There is one regret in our hearts. That is the death of Mr. Walker, the in- spirer of these meetings and the donor of the Cup. “It must have warmed his heart, in the evening of his years, to know that all he dreamt of, all he hoped for, had been realized in these contests. “They stand today unique. Nothing like them exists in the whole sphere of inter­ national sport. “United we pledge his memory to keep it thus, for it is well.” Another Blow At Pools The Executive Committee of the Metro­ politan Golf Association, meeting in New ^ork this winter, unanimously resolved that its members would not participate in member-guest or member-professional events where Calcutta pools were in­ volved. This Committee also is suggest­ ing to Associations in Long Island, New Jersey and Westchester County that they adopt similar resolutions. Earl A. Ross, of North Salem, N. Y., a former president of the Metropolitan Golf Association, has been waging a campaign against organized gambling in golf, and the Committee emphasized its stand by honoring him with a special plaque which cites the words of Theodore Roosevelt: “Aggressive fighting for the right is the noblest sport the world affords.” J. B. Johns A sportsman can be almost any kind of fellow, as long as he savors the fun of the game and seeks no unfair advantage. J. B. Johns, who operates a business college in Hot Springs, Ark., turned out io be a real sportsman, for example. Mr. Johns first came into our life when he wro e quite casually a day or two be­ fore the Amateur Championship: "I see by yesterday's paper that you are to have the National Amateur Tourna­ ment September 14-19. I would like to play in your tournament if possible. "I am 70 and most of the time play in the seventies on my home course. Inci­ dentally, I play the game a title different from most golfers in that I can and do play either right or left as the occasion de­ mands." While we were unable to accept Mr. Johns' late and informal entry, we were interested enough to try to ob ain more facts about him. "I carry a minjled set of clubs," he re­ plied. "A bad lie for a right-hand club might be and usually is O.K. for a left­ hand club, so with me it makes no differ­ ence. "I am now in my seventy-first year, and was ou^ of the seventies during 1953 only a few times. I have a lot of fun and exercise playing the greatest game ever devised for pleasure, health and whole­ some recreation." 4 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 Robert T. Jones, Jr.'s popularity has not dimmed since his Grand Slam in 1930. The same old battery of photographers gave him a workout at the second annual dinner of the Metropolitan Golf Writers' Association, in New York. There, nearly 400 saw him receive the Gold Tee Award and learned that Mrs. George Zaharias had won the Ben Hogan Award, newly established for "a person who has overcome a handicap in order to play golf and thus proved an inspiration to o hers." Lincoln A. Werden, president of the golf writers, is standing with him, while Eugene G. Grace, who was honored a year ago, and Totton P. Heffelfinger, retiring President of the USGA, are at the left. Two days later Jones attended lhe annual meeting of the USGA in New York, where the institution of the Bob Jones Award for sportsmanship was announced. What Littler Proved Gene Littler’s victory in the $15,000 San Diego Open last month, before he turned professional, was thet first by an amateur in a circuit tournament since Frank Stranahan won the Miami Open in 1948. Littler’s score of 67-66- 69-72—274 had him in the lead after every round, and he won by four strokes over Dutch Harrison. The event was held at the Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club, where Littler previously bested some very good professionals in the 1953 California Open. All this goes to refute the popular theories that amateurs no longer can com­ pete with professionals and that young men of 23 years no longer can meet the demands of top-level golf. It also confirms the impression that quality came to the top in the last Amateur Championship. Western's Officers Stanley J. McGiveran, of Toledo, Ohio, has been re-elected president of Western Golf Association. Under Mr. McGiveran during 1953, WGA awarded 154 college scholarships to deserving caddies and pro­ duced new highs in income, individual and club members. Trustees of Evans Scholars Foundation are Carleton Blunt, Jerome P. Bowes, Jr., James L. Garard and Stuart Smithson, all of Chicago. USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 5 Bob Jones Award and Other Developments The USGA has long maintained that sportsmanship is a great deal more im­ portant to the good health of golf than skill, but never until recently had it de­ veloped a means of recognizing sports­ manship as it has skill. When the two qi b’lities were not combined in the same individual, the sportsmanlike golfer might receive only a pat on the back while the sL ■ Iful player was stepping onto the plat­ form to accept a championship trophy. The Executive Committee has there­ fore decided to establish an annual award, to be known as the Bob Jones Award, for distinguished sportsmanship in golf. This will serve a two-fold purpose: It will provide a vehicle for singling out and honoring individuals of any degree of golfing skill for acts of real sportsman­ ship, and it will commemorate the ex­ emplary sportsmanship, as apart from the skill, of Robert T. Jones, Jr. The name of the winner will be an­ nounced at the USGA Annual Meeting each year, starting wTith the one to be held on January 29, 1955. Selection will be made by a special committee of seven to be appointed each year by the Presi­ dent of the USGA. This committee will seek out sportsmanlike acts wherever they may have occurred—in the East, West, North or South, in informal play or in national championships. The sportsman­ ship might be revealed in a single act or in a series of acts over a period of years. This decision was made during the meet. »jg3 preceding the sixtieth Annual Meeting of the USGA, an event which re­ sulted in the election of Isaac B. Grain­ ger, of New York, to the presidency, suc­ ceeding Totton P. Heffelfinger, of Minne­ apolis. John D. Ames, of Chicago, succeeded Mr. Grainger as a Vice-President, and Charles B. Grace, of Philadelphia, suc­ ceeded Mr. Ames as Secretary. Richard S. Tufts, of Pinehurst, N. C., and Charles L. Peirson, of Boston, were re-elected i Vice-President and Treasurer, respec­ tively. What Kind of Member Are You? Ara you on active member, the kind -who -would be missed, Or are you just contented that your name is on the list? Do you ever go to visit a member who is sick Or leave the work for just a few and talk about the clique? Do you attend the meetings and mingle with the crowd. Or do you stay at home and crab long and loud? Do you take an active part to help your club along, Or are you satisfied to be the kind that just belong? So attend the meetings regularly, and help with hand and heart. Don't be just a member, but take an active part. Think it over Brother. Are we right or are we wrong? Are you an active member.............or do you just belong? Fairway News Oahu Country Club Honolulu, T. II. Thomas H. Choate, of New York, Gor­ don E. Kummer, of Milwaukee, and F. Warren Munro, of Portland, Ore., were elected to the Executive Committee in place of Messrs. Heffelfinger, Lewis A. Lapham, of New York, and Corydon Wagner, of Tacoma, Wash. Federal Tax On Dues In addition to establishing the Bob Jones Award, the Executive Committee reached several other decisions of general interest to golfers. As a result of its concern at the con­ tinued imposition of the 20 per cent fed­ eral tax on club dues and initiation fees, it recommended to Member Clubs that they and their individual members urge the repeal or the substantial reduction of this tax. The Executive Committee doubts the propriety of a tax on dues which re­ late to health and recreation through golf. Operation of the Western and South­ western Regional Offices of the Green Section was found to be so satisfactory that two more Regional Offices were au­ thorized. One of these will be the South­ eastern Regional Office, to be located at 6 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1951 NEW MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE BLACKSTONH CURRYS Thomas H. Choate Gordon E. Kummer F. Warren Munro Tifton, Ga., in cooperation with the Geor­ gia Coastal Plain Experiment Station. The other will be the Northeastern Re­ gional Office, to be located at New’ Bruns­ wick, N. J., in cooperation with Rutgers University. The Green Section’s Regional Turf Ser­ vice, which operates through these Re­ gional Offices, is designed to bring the latest and best information about turf maintenance to subscribing Member Clubs through personal visits by Green Section agronomists. The Western Regional Of­ fice was opened in June, 1952, and the Southwestern Regional Office in July, 1953. Additional offices are contemplated so that all Member Clubs may eventually be able to avail themselves of this special­ ized service. In response to suggestions received from many individual senior golfers, the advisability of instituting a senior cham­ pionship was considered in general terms. A special committee was appointed to study the matter further, to consult with the United States Seniors' Golf Associa­ tion and other sen:or organizations and to make recommendations. There will be no USGA senior cham­ pionship this year, but obviously one in the future is a possibility. While there are many tournaments for seniors now’, and the number is growing steadily, the major ones are conducted on a member­ ship or invitation basis. The suggestion really is that the USGA supplement these with a championship open to any senior who could qualify. Open Championship Exemptions The large entry for the Open Cham­ pionship in recent years compelled a re­ duction in the number of exemptions from sectional qualifying so that, effec­ tive in 1955, more qualifiers’ places can be made available to the various sections. Exemptions have this effect: There were last year 1,669 entries, of whom 29 were exempt from sectional qualifv- ing. Under the present plan for the Open Championship, this would leave 1,640 players attempting to qualify sectionally for 133 of the 162 places in the Cham­ pionship field. Only one player of every twelve in the sectional fields could qualify. To relieve this constriction, two cate­ gories were reduced to exempt only the winners of the last five Open Champion­ ships, instead of all former Champions, and only the lowest ten scorers and ties in the last Open Championship, instead of the low’est twenty and ties. No change was made in the exempt status of the Amateur, PGA, British Open and British Amateur Champions of the previous year or of the head professional of the Club entertaining the Championship. USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 7 If these reductions had been effective in the hypothetical case outlined above, only sixteen players would have been ex­ empt and thirteen additional places would have been available for allotment to the qualifying sections. The reductions were deferred one year because the Association felt it had a moral obligation to competitors who finished among the first twenty and ties last year and who had thereby earned an exemp­ tion under the regulations effective at that time. Once the reductions become ef­ fective, they will tend to make the Cham­ pionship somewhat more a test of current ability. Younger players should have an increased chance of qualifying as older players are eliminated from the exempt list. The Chairman of the Women’s Com­ mittee, Mrs. Harrison F. Flippin, of Ard­ more, Pa., and a member of the Girls’ Ju­ nior Committee, Miss Frances E. Steb­ bins, of West Newton, Mass., participated in an Annual Meeting for the first time in years. Women’s golf therefore received more attention there than usual. News in this field included the word that the Association will no longer pro­ hibit players in its women’s tournaments from wearing shorts, unless the enter­ taining Club has a contrary regulation. The ban on shorts had been effective for just one year. A course-rating system for women was adopted and will be promulgated in due course. It is patterned after the system long recommended for men, in preference to par, as a basis for computing handi­ caps; and it must be implemented by lo­ cal, state and sectional women’s associa­ tions, which are the proper agencies to rate courses within local areas. No change was made in the recommended method of computing handicaps. The entry fee for the Women’s Amateur Championship was increased from seven to ten dollars to bring it into line with the Open, Amateur and Women’s Open. USGA PUBLICATIONS OF GENERAL INTEREST THE RULES OF GOLF, as approved by the United States Golf Association and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland, effective January 1, 1954. Booklet, 25 cents (special rates for quantity orders). ARE YOUR LOCAL RULES NECESSARY? a reprint of a USGA Journal article containing recom- mendat.ons regarding local rules. No charge. THE RULE ABOUT OBSTRUCTIONS, a reprint of a USGA Journal article. No charge. USGA GOLF HANDICAP SYSTEM FOR MEN, containing recommendations for computing Basic and Current Handciaps and for rating courses. Booklet, 25 cents. Poster, 10 cents. HANDICAPPING THE UNHANDICAPPED, a re­ print of a USGA Journal article explaining the Callaway System of automatic handicap­ ping for occasional players in a single tourna­ ment. No charge. TOURNAMENTS FOR YOUR CLUB, a reprint of a USGA Journal article detailing various types of competitions. No charge. PROTECTION OF PERSONS AGAINST LIGHTNING ON GOLF COURSES, a poster. No charge. MOTION PICTURES ON GOLF (list). No charge. HOLE-IN-ONE AWARDS. No charge. AMATEURISM IS IN THE HEART, a reprint of a USGA Journal article by E. G. Grace. No charge. BETTER LAWNS TO COME, a reprint of a USGA Journal article. No charge. TURF MANAGEMENT, by H. B. Musser (McGraw- Hill-Book Co., Inc.), the authoritative book on greenkeeping. $7. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT, a 33- page magazine published seven times a year and containing authoritative information on the Rules of Golf, USGA championships, handicapping, amateur status, greenkeeping methods, clubs and ball, new trends and the play of the game. $2 a year. These publications are available on request to the United States Golf Association, 40 East 38th Street, New York 16, N. Y. 8 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 Middlesborough’s Place in History By JOHN P. ENGLISH Assistant Executive Director There are throughout the East a num­ ber of golf clubs which would welcome designation of their courses as the oldest in the United States, or the second or third oldest as the case may be. How­ ever, few have been able to establish their claim. In the haze of recollection and legend which surrounds the history of American golf, few facts are more difli- cult to establish than the order in which various golf courses were laid out. Certainly one of the oldest courses is that of the Middlesborough Golf Club, in Middlesborough, Ky. It may be, in fact, junior only to the course of the Fox­ burg Country Club, in Foxburg, Pa., which was laid out in 1887,and a twin of the course of the Tuxedo Club, in Tuxedo Park, N. Y., which was built in 1889 and is being forced off its original property this year by the New York Thruway. As in so many of these cases, there is no evidence except that which derives from the memories and words of men. Researchers have found no documents to corroborate recollections that the course came into use in 1889. Furthermore, while the course can be conceded to have been in play at about that time and is still in play today, question has been raised as to whether play there has been continuous. The best available witness, and a first­ hand one at that, has recently come for­ ward to testify for Middlesborough on both counts. “The playing of golf over the Middles­ borough golf course has been indulged in without interruption from 1889 to 1954,” says Arthur Rhorer, 69, an atto:- ney at law and life-long resident of Mid­ dlesborough. How It Smarted Middlesborough lies in a most unlikely location for a role in golf history, and it had no golfing patron. The town of 15,- 000 persons is tucked away in Yellow Creek Valley, in the Cumberland Moun­ tains of southeastern Kentucky, and Al­ exander A. Arthur, a Canadian more in­ terested in financial promotions than golf, projected it into golf history. Arthur made an industrial investiga­ tion of the Yellow Creek Valley in 1886 and then went to London bankers with a plan which envisaged the purchase of 100,000 acres and the formation of a company to exploit mineral and timber resources. London viewed this vast plan favor­ ably, and in the latter part of 1888 Eng­ lish and other immigrants began arriv­ ing in numbers in Yellow Creek Valley to inaugurate a boom. They came direct and brought their customs intact, creating an island of Eng­ lish ways in Kentucky. The town, which took its name from Middlesborough in England, acquired such street names as Amesbury, Balmoral, Chester, Chichester, Dorchester, Exeter and Winchester. Chickens and eggs were purchased in terms of shillings, and butter by the fir­ kin. Tea was served every afternoon at 4 o’clock. And, quite naturally, a golf club was founded and a course was laid out in the fertile valley. The latter events are said to have occurred in the spring of 1889. The history of the Middlesborough Golf Club must now be traced through the memory of men like Arthur Rhorer, who states the case in this way: “My family moved to Middlesborough in February, 1890, although my father came to Middlesborough in the fall uf 1889. When wre came to Middlesborough, a group of English people and a few local people were playing golf on the same lay­ out as used by the local golf club now, with the exception of one hole and tee which was near the intersection of 25th Street and Worcester. “The course had nine holes, and those holes were located in the exact area the present golf club occupies. USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 9 The course of the Middlesborough Golf Club, Middlesborough, Ky. “I do know it had a membership which paid dues, but it had no club house. It was a group well known and recognized as a golf club. The member­ ship was composed almost entirely of the English folks who founded Middles­ borough. Possibly a few Americans were on the roster, mostly Episcopalians head­ ed by their beloved pastor, Dr. John Snead, although the game was not gen­ erally understood or participated in by Americans living in Middlesborough. “I do know this golf club existed and functioned from 1889 to 1898 or 1899. I shagged (caddied) for the members in 1895 and 1896—just 10 and 11 years old but the players wanted young boys at lower pay.” Some of the twenty or thirty original players were Arthur, Charles Adams, Ar­ thur Cameron, John Marshall. Cocky Masters, Dr. Snead, Arthur Taylor Hor­ ace Twiss. Edgar and Frank Watts, Piers Warburton and Fred Willett. Their num­ ber also included three or four women, notably the Misses Ethel and Mary Rail­ ton. The Middlesborough boom reached its peak in 1893 and then expired in the financial crash in England. Since Middlesborough existed at that time almost solely to implement Arthur's vast promotion, the English then went as they had come. By 1899, most of them had departed, leaving the community to American families. The precise status of the golf club from 1899 to 1916 is difficult to determine be­ cause of the conflict of evidence. Mr. Rhorer states, however, that, “From 1899, the English membership dwindled, but local people became interested, joining the club and continuing club activities, until 1916." These activities, he says, in­ cluded the sporadic playing of golf by a few enthusiastic old members and some n,w converts. Assessments were levied periodically on the membership, he says, rather than dues. In 1916, a transfusion of sorts was ac­ complished. The club reorganized and ac­ quired some seventy-five members. There was no change in either the name or the site of the club, then or at any other time. In 1921, the club finally purchased the land it had used over the years and built the club house it has since occupied. 10 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1951 A Gallery of Golfing Art By EDWARD S. KNAPP, JR. USGA Executive Assistant Golfers are becoming increasingly aware of the excellence of the Golf Mu­ seum and Library at “Golf House”. Dur­ ing the last two years, the USGA head­ quarters also has become a repository for fine oil paintings. The most recent acquisition and one of which we are particularly proud is an oil painting of Francis Ouimet, done by Thomas E. Stephens, of New York, and presented by William H. Danforth, of Boston, Mass., and Edward E. Lowery, formerly of Boston and now of San Fran­ cisco, Cal., two old friends of Mr. Ouimet. This portrays him in his red coat and St. Adelaide medal which he wore as Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland, in 1951- 52. He was the first American so hon­ ored. The presentation was made after the Annual Meeting by Charles W. Lit­ tlefield, of New York, N. Y., in the ab­ sence of the donors, and Mr. Ouimet re­ sponded with a short talk to the dele­ gates. At about the same time, “Golf House” received, too, an original oil painting of the fourth hole at the Baltusrol Golf Club, in Springfield, N. J., which will be the scene of the Open Championship next June. This was done by Ralph C. Rey­ nolds for MacGregor Golf Company, and a reproduction was seen by many in that firm’s Christmas card and Christmas ad­ vertisement. The original was given to “Golf House” by Henry P. Cowen, in be­ half of the Company, which plans to The portrait of Francis Ouimet in his regalia as Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scot­ land, 1951-52. He was the first American to be so honored. commission paintings of Open Cham­ pionship sites each year for the same pur­ pose and to present those originals, too, to “Golf House”. Gifts from individuals, clubs and asso­ ciations continue to swell “Golf House” Fund, which now stands at $102,002. This is an increase of $339.50 since the last issue and leaves us $7,998 short of our objective. New Founders include: In Honor of Robert Bertenshaw by E. O. Fisk Joe Devany John W. Friel Horry Hinchey John R. Klotz Individuals Lionel MacDuff James B. Nash, Jr. Danny Ross Charles Judd Ringer M. H. Rowley Toyo Shirai In Memoriam—Henry Bucher Swoope, II, by his sons Fred Trippel Wynant Van Zandt Mark Woods Garden City Country Club, N. Y. Club Associations Detroit District Golf Association Women's New Jersey Golf Association USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 11 Nerves in Golf Can be Cured By CHARLES BROOK When the master and the average player have acquired their respective standards of control of clubs and ball, there remains yet another control to be acquired, one that lies outside the prov­ ince of the teaching professional and outside the scope of the professional who writes his book on the game. Unfortunately, as yet, no effective guid­ ance has been given towards the attain­ ment of this other control, the overcom­ ing of the adverse effect of “occasions.” For this enterprise, photographs, illus­ trations and practice, however assiduous, are of no avail. Even the American remedy of constant participation in tourn­ aments is quite inadequate. What, you will say, can anyone do about “nerves” except to keep fit, exert one’s will and hope for the best? Let us see. In the past the best we contemplated to give us some measure of mastery of ourselves in times of “occasion pressure” has been some process of conscious self­ discipline. Unfortunately, any conscious procedure carried out when the attack of nerves is pending or in operation has two serious defects: namely, it involves splitting the attention between the play and the nerves and it directs attention to the adverse condition within us which is the one thing adverse conditions must thrive upon, our unwilling attention to them. When dealing with an attack of nerves, a first essential is to take the attention away from them. Hence any conscious procedure carried out at the time of a nerve attack is inappropriate. Those who have sought to overcome the situation by efforts of will are made to realize that, even where current success is attained, the exhaustion of nervous reserves is such Reprinted from Golf Monthly, Edinburgh, Scotland, March, 1950. NEW MEMBERS OF THE USGA Regular Augusta Country Club, Va. Bainbridge Country Club, Ga. Bassett Country Club, Va. Beauclerc Country Club, Fla. Columbia Golf and Country Club, N. Y. El Monte Golf Club, Utah Flora Country Club, III. Gilman Hot Springs Men's Golf Club, Cal. Great River Country Club, N. Y. Langley AFB Golf Association, Va. Memphis Navy Golf Course, Tenn. Pomona Country Club, Cal. Sterling Country Club, Colo. Associate Mountain Manor Inc. Golf Club, Pa. that the temporary success is followed by a collapse, worse than that originally threatened, in the next or subsequent rounds. As an approach to the problem let us examine how “occasions” produce “nerves” and see if we can ascertain through this channel the essentials for preventing their recurrence. Whether “occasions” inspire us to achievement or reduce us to near im­ potence is found to depend on what we expect of them. By “expect,” we mean a spontaneous and involuntary attitude of mind. If our expectation is such that we are confident, then we may well derive inspiration to high achievement. If our expectation is doubtful or apprehensive, then we shall start to exaggerate the im­ portance of the occasion and develop a concept of the demands it makes of us that soon sets up a conviction that we are going to do badly, an expectation only too surely realized. 12 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 The impulse to doubt and to be anxious has been ceaselessly encouraged by past experience and has attained its Plotted place in the spontaneous and habitual tl inking of most of us. How "Expectation" Arises Hou does this “expectation” arise and what establishes it? Can we successfully imitate a procedure that will produce the expectations we desire in place of those built into us by experience? These are surely the all-important questions on which freedom from “nerves” is going to depend. It is found that, when an idea becomes fixed in the habitual part of the mind, it arises at the appropriate stimulus and insists on its own lulfilment. Such ideas are spontaneous and involuntary and, where they concern internal conditions, show they possess the power to take charge of our internal machinery to produce performance and conditions that constitute the fulfilment of the idea so fixed in the habitual part of the mind. Change the fixed idea and you get a change to performance and conditions that represent the fulfilment of the new fixed idea. These fixed ideas set up ex pectations of their own fulfilment through which the reactions are set up that realize these expectations. The chain is, there­ fore: fixed idea, expectation, realization. Molding Spontaneous Thought Now what makes an id2a become one that we think spontaneously? How have those, already established in us by ex­ perience. been so entrenched? They be­ come embedded in the habitual part of our minds by frequent repetition under conditions that by-pass our conscious thought and call for no conscious partici­ pation in the process. They become spontaneous when the pressure of the idea to be fixed has been maintained sufficiently to drive out conflicting fixed ideas, if any. A very simple example is that of the catchy tune in the musical show that is repeated cunningly through the whole entertainment and finally we go away humming it to ourselves. It has become spontaneous. Note it has made its way into the habitual parts of our minds quite without our conscious minds having taken any active part in the process. Again and again it has been presented to our ears ax’d has been, so to speak, imbibed by us just as a good advertisement is absorbed gradually and makes us a customer. No reasons, no arguments, none of the paraphernalia of argument and persuasion of the conscious mind. No facts and figures, no records and expert opinions. Just the reiteration that avoids the active attention of our conscious thought. To secure adequate pressure, much time has to be allowed by the advertiser, but a technique that uses sleep for this process of molding spon­ taneous thought is able to bring the time factor to practicable proportions. By a technique that fulfills the above requirements, it is now possible to imitate successfully the process by which fixed ideas become established and so to re­ place an undesired spontaneous reaction to “occasions” by the desired confident reaction. This confident reaction takes for granted the successful fulfilment of the stroke planned and the player, having selected his club, taken his stance and visualized the shot he intends to play, takes no further conscious interest in the matter and leaves the execution of the stroke to that trained habitual part of him into which his professional has so diligently inculcated the technique of club and ball control. Under the changed con­ ditions, his acquired skill is allowed full play, free from the former anxious inter­ ference accompanying fruitless efforts to improve on the smooth habitual ability so earnestly attained with the aid of his professional. With this change of expectation to con­ fidence, the confident reaction to “occa­ sions” becomes automatic and a matter of routine and tends to make “occasions” inspire the spontaneously confident player to new standards of achievement. The adverse action of our imaginations be­ comes reversed, into favorable supporting conduct. What we wish and what we ex­ pect begin to coincide. USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 13 The Max Payne Junior Tournament Sonic golf associations develop strong junior programs. Others have mature junior programs presented to them. The Carolina Golf Association has both. It has, since World War II, conducted an excellent junior competition at Char­ lotte, N. C., but it inherited its oldest and most storied event. Each June some 200 boys from all over the Carolinas assemble at the Greensboro Country Club, in Greensboro, N. C., for the Carolinas Junior Golf Tournament, and almost everyone refers to it as “the Max Payne tournament.” The Greensboro Junior Chamber of Commerce has conducted the affair since 1947, but it does it along the lines which the late Max Payne, of Greensboro, es­ tablished from 1927 through 1946. Max Payne was not a wealthy man, but he was vitally interested in boys and in golf. He and Fred Newnham, then pro­ fessional at the Greensboro Country Club, originated the tournament in 1927, and Payne ran it as pretty much a one-man show until his death. How Payne Worked The promotion of the tournament be­ came a year-’round avocation for him. He was not satisfied with the 15 entries he had the first year, and he devoted him­ self continuously to developing interest in it. There was no money readily avail­ able to him for the necessary expenses, so he traveled throughout the Carolinas, soliciting contributions from interested individuals. His time was not entirely his own, so he arranged Iris vacations to co­ incide with busy days immediately be­ fore and during the play. After Max Payne’s death, in 1946, the competition was so well established that, by common consent and popular demand, the Greensboro Junior Chamber of Com­ merce was asked to assume responsibility for it. It has conducted the event since 1947 and maintained it on the same high plane set by Max Payne. The costs of more than S500 have been met from the profits of the Greater Greensboro Open, which has become a fixture of the winter tour. The tournament has ahvays been held at match play, and the players have been divided into flights according to their qualifying scores. The age limit was 16 years until 1949, when it was increased to 18 in order to conform to the Junior Chamber of Com­ merce junior golf program and to per­ mit the tournament to serve as a qualify­ ing event for the Junior Chamber of Commerce tournament. The number of participants was 213 in 1948, 201 in 1949, 193 in 1950, 233 in 1951 and 220 in 1952. One of the most interesting aspects of the tournament is the “alumni” it has developed. The list of winners includes such well-known golfing names as Bobby Dunkelberger, Johnny Palmer and Har- vie Ward. The list of entrants who never did win includes such names as Skip Alex­ ander and Johnny Bulla. The first winner, in 1927, was Erwin Laxton, and he eventually became president of the Caro­ lina Golf Association. The rules of the tournament permit any boy to play his qualifying round any time during the week prior to the official quali­ fying day, except, of course, on Saturday and Sunday. Boys living in the immedi­ ate vicinity of Greensboro are requested to qualify in advance. This enables the Greensboro Junior Chamber of Commerce to handle a field of more than 200. Boys of 12 years and older qualify at eighteen holes and are placed in senior flights. The championship flight consists of the thirty-two low qualifiers and the other flights consist of sixteen players each. Boys of 11 years and under qualify at nine holes and are placed m junior flights of eight each. There is no entrance or green fee. 14 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 A Busy June for Baltusrol In its long and distinguished career, the Baltusrol Golf Club at Springfield, N. J., has had an unusual share of big mo­ ments in golf—three USGA Open Cham­ pionships, three Amateurs, and two Wom­ en’s Amateurs. But its quota for the com­ ing June is notable even for Baltusrol. The Open is to be played there again, over the lower course, on June 17-18-19, and Ben Hogan is scheduled to try for the unprecedented feat of a fifth Open victory. Two weeks before that, on Saturday, June 5, the Open Champion takes on the whole world of American golf when he plays an 18-hole round at Baltusrol as the focal point of National Golf Day. Simultaneously, thousands of golfers will be playing 18-hole tournaments at their home courses and, with the use of handicaps, will match their scores against Hogan’s Baltusrol round. Those who sur­ pass Ben will receive medals inscribed “I Beat Ben Hogan”, awarded by the Professional Golfers’ Association of America and Life Magazine, the co-spon­ sors of National Golf Day. There will be a $1 entry fee for each club event. The total fees, with no de­ ductions for expenses, will be presented in equal shares to the National Golf Fund and the USO, an agency of the United Defense Fund. The National Golf Fund is a non-profit corporation set up to dis­ burse proceeds from National Golf Day tournaments for charitable and worth­ while projects related to golf. Last year each of the two co-bene- ficiaries received $54,501, the sum of $1 entry fees paid by golfers at 2,650 Ameri­ can clubs who sought to outscore Julius Boros, then Open Champion. Thanks to handicaps, a total of 12,310 beat his score of 70 at Oakmont, near Pittsburgh. In the last two years the National Golf Fund has allocated an aggregate of $13,- 000 from National Golf Day for turf research projects, at the direction of the Green Section of the United States Golf Association. Thus, many entry fees are being plowed back into constructive sci­ entific work for the good of all golf courses. USGA COMPETITIONS FOR 1955 Walker Cup Match—May 20 and 21 in Great Britain. 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.) Sectional Qualifying Rounds June 6 Championship Dates Entries Close May 23 June 16-17-18 Championship Venue Open Women's Open June 21 None June 30, July 1-2 Amateur Public Links *June 3 tjune 19-25 Team: July 9 Indiv.: July 11-16 Olympic Country Club, San Francisco, Cal. Wichita Country Club, Wichita, Kansas Coffin Municipal G. C., Indianapolis, Ind. Junior Amateur July 5 July 19 August 3-6 Girls' Junior August 3 None August 15-19 Purdue University, South Course, Lafayette, Ind. to be determined Women's Amateur August 8 None August 22-27 to be determined Amateur August 15 August 30 Sept. 12-17 • Entries close with Sectional Qualifying Chairmen, t Exact date in each Section to be fixed by Sectional Chairman. Country Club of Virginia, Richmond, Va. USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 15 The Difference between the Walker Cup Teams C. Campbell Patterson and Charles L. Pier­ son, of the Kittansett Club,. Marion, Mass., have analyzed the hole-by-hole scores made by the IF a'her Cup Teams there last summer and have developed the following most interesting conclusions regarding the tivo teams in par­ ticular and good amateur play in general’. The totals show that, by the members of both Walker Cup Teams at the Kittan­ sett Club, 11 per cent of all the holes played were scored in birdies, 60 per cent in pars, 26 per cent in one over par and 3 per cent in two over par. One ra­ ther surprising result was that only one eagle was scored. The fact that so few holes were recorded in two over par may be partly due to the fact that the scorer usually gave the player the putt or even a short chip after the opponent had holed out for a win. Actually, some pars were recorded in this manner which probably would not have been pars in stroke plav. Jones’ Theory When Bob Jones was asked by two British players what, in general, he thought was wrong with their Team’s game and why they had been defeated so soundly, one of his comments was that, from what he had seen at Kittansett, he thought that, although the British ap­ peared to play shots as well as the Ameri­ cans, they missed many more. He thought that a player of championship calibre can’t expect to play as many poor shots not of a difficult nature as the British did in total and win. The figures seem to bear out this keen observation. The United States Team scored only nine more birdies than the British. In view of the fact that United States as a Team led by a net margin of forty-seven holes, this birdie superi­ ority by the United States does not ap­ pear large nor should it have prevented a closer match. However, the major differ­ ence shows up when the number of holes over par are compared. The British had 126 holes over par or 33 per cent of the total holes played, and the United States Team had only 92, or 24 per cent of the total holes played. The Teams and The Wind It has often been said that it was too bad that it did not blow hard during the matches because the British are used to the wind and would have had an advant­ age. It is true that the wind did not affect play much, but it did pick up a little several times and it was somewhat of a factor in the type of shot played on the more exposed holes, such as the thirteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth. It is of some interest to note that on these holes the Americans scored twenty-six pars and six birdies whereas the British scored fifteen pars and five birdies. This is not con­ clusive because the wind never was nor­ mal for Kittansett, but, as it is, the evi­ dence does not support the claim that British play in the wind is superior. One final remark might be made in reference to the ball as standardized by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland, as compared to the larger ball played in the United States. The Rules of Golf provide, in interna­ tional team competition, either ball may be used. Throughout the two days play, for the most part, the British stuck to the smaller ball whereas the Americans played the larger ball. It is probably fair to say that weather conditions experienced dur­ ing the matches were about the average which might be expected at most inland courses in this country. Under such con­ ditions, contrary to ideas of many of our golfers, the Americans did not appear to be at any marked disadvantage off the tees, and on approaches and around the green seemed to have the ball under bet­ ter control. This of course is merely a general observation. It was unfortunate that we did not have our usually reliable winds which might have given a more in­ teresting comparison of the two balls. 16 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 Scholarships in Turf Management The first two recipient of the Trans-Mississippi Golf Association's scholarships in turf management at Colorado A. and M. College are Wright Erwine, of Evanston. Ill., (let ) and Bill Tavener, of Fort Collins, Colo., (third from left). Erwine is in uni­ form as a member of the Reserve Officers Training Corps. Seated with the two juniors are N. C. Morris, of Denver, Colo., (second from left) and Richard W. Braun (right), secretary-treasurer and director respectively of the Trans-Mississippi Golf Association. Golf has been, as a whole, generous in contributing scholarships for deserving caddies. The Trans-Mississippi Golf Association has now extended this principle and es­ tablished two scholarships at Colorado A. and M. College, Fort Collins, Colo., for prospective golf-course superintend­ ents. Golf funds so expended will thus go back into golf. The first recipients are Wright Erwine, of Evanston, Ill., and Bill Tavener, of Fort Collins, Colo., a football star. Both boys are juniors and, in accordance with the terms of the gift, have completed two years of study in the College of Agricul­ ture and have displayed an interest in turf management as a career. The scholarship project was completed by John H. Butts, of Wichita, Kan., and N. C. Morris, of Denver, Colo., president and secretary-treasurer of the Trans- Mississippi Golf Association. Each boy receives $300 this year, and, of course, the scholarship will be re­ newed for the next academic year if his achievement is satisfactory. The Trans- Mississippi Golf Association also hopes to establish two additional scholarships at Colorado A. and M. College next year, so that in future years it will be aiding two juniors and two seniors simultane­ ously. Scholarship, character, personality and interest in turf technology are the bases of selection for these turf scholarships. The selection is made by the scholarship awards committee of Colorado A. and M. College in consultation with the scholar­ ship committee of the Trans-Mississippi Golf Association. USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 17 Uniformity in Club Accounting By C. E. WINTERS, C. A. Partner, George A. Touche & Co., Toronto, Canada Opinions as to the purpose of account­ ing and accounting records vary all the way from those which consider account­ ing in any form to be a necessary evil and an expense they would like to be with­ out to those which regard it as one of the most important tools of management in controlling and planning operations. Generally speaking, accounting records are expected to provide an historical rec­ ord of financial transactions and infor­ mation upon which the directors may plan future financial policy. One of the important considerations in every day business is that such account­ ing work as is done should be done with a definite purpose and aimed at producing constructive results. Two basic principles in business organi­ zations are that the accounting and book­ keeping should be as simple as possible, in keeping with the requirements of man­ agement, and that the bookkeeping should produce figures at a sufficiently early date to make them useful to man­ agement. In clubs the same considerations ap­ ply. Perhaps people are inclined to look upon a club as something other than a business organization. It is true that the general purpose for which it is form­ ed is different, but the operation of a club for the members and the use of the members’ funds in providing facilities and services become very much of a busi­ ness and should be looked upon as such. One of the difficulties frequently ex­ perienced in clubs is that, with changing directors and chairmen, no one person is in office long enough to get the feel of the situation. Therefore, pet ideas of in­ dividuals are pushed without proper re­ gard to the over-all situation. Frequently Condensed from an address delivered before the Canadian Club Managers' and Secretaries' Association at Toronto, Can­ ada. club managers and secretaries have to de­ fer to decisions made by boards of direc­ tors which, while made in good faith, would not be considered sound if more experience in club affairs and finances existed with the individual members of the board. I believe that the failure to look upon a club as a real business venture and to recognize the need for informed experi­ ence in dealings with its financial prob­ lems is frequently at the bottom of the difficulties in which clubs find themselves from time to time. Advantages of Uniformity Most clubs are doubtless preparing monthly statements comparing operations with prior periods and with current budgets. One of the best means of checking the results of any business operation is by comparing it in dollars and percentages with a similar type of business. Various trade organizations in Canada and the United States have set up procedures for accumulating data necessary for compari­ sons and in many cases do so on a basis that does not disclose to any one parti­ cipant the figures of his competitor. Let us consider the annual reports of clubs prepared for distribution to the members. There appears to be little uni­ formity in the presentation of such re­ ports, and I feel that directors are miss­ ing an opportunity in not being able to obtain the advantages of comparison of their club’s results with those of similar clubs. One criticism of some annual reports is that the members are not given all the information they are entitled to. Some degree of uniformity of presentation, adopted generally, would tend to over­ come this criticism, provided the uni­ form treatment was in favor of adequate disclosure. 18 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 Let us look at some of the items which would be of interest in comparison of re­ sults with other clubs: Average selling price per meal. Average food cost per meal. Relationship of supplies used to sales in the bar or dining room. Relationship of wages to volume in dining-room, bar, etc. Cost of upkeep per hole on golf course. Relationship of departmental profits or losses to membership fees. General overhead expenses. Clubhouse expenses. Administration costs. Frequently it is argued that it is im­ possible to segregate or break down ex­ penses of different departments in clubs, or at least it is too expensive. I submit that with proper planning such figures can be obtained and in nine cases out of ten would justify the cost of getting them. Someone has said that you cannot sat­ isfactorily compare clubs because vari­ ous clubs have different standards to which they choose to adhere as regards service and luxuries. This presents a prob­ lem that is not insurmountable and is dealt with in the reconciliation of factors contributing to variations between clubs. You can imagine the interest that a board of directors would show if they could see their club operating results lined up, department by department, alongside figures for a number of other clubs, particularly if their figures showed wide variations in certain departments. It would take very little persuasion to have them thoroughly investigate the differences and try to satisfy themselves that their own operation was as good as other clubs, having, of course, regard to any special circumstances. In the United States the firm of hotel and club specialists, Horwath & Horwath, is producing an annual summary of club operations which present interesting com­ parisons. The names of the clubs con­ tributing this information are not dis­ closed. Some of these comparisons are IN APPRECIATION Members of the Woodhill Country Club, in Wayzata, Minn., presented this plaque to their fellow-member To'ton P. Heffel­ finger during their annual meeting to memorialize his service to golf which culminated in the presidency of the USGA during the last two years. shown as percentages of membership fees. (Note: The Horwath and Horwath report for 1952 appeared in condensed form on pages 12-13 of the November, 1953, issue of the USGA Journal.) Philosophy of Club Financing In any business organization, if one is to discuss the methods of accounting, one must first ascertain the basic philosophy of that particular business in carrying on its operations. In a manufacturing or trading concern, the philosophy may be simply stated as the carrying on of business with a view to making a satisfactory profit. Account­ ing is designed to highlight the points which are considered to be most import­ ant to the management to enable them to judge what progress is being made. In a club there is a basic philosophy which must be agreed upon before the second point can be approached. I refer to the problem frequently raised which might be stated as a question: “Should a club be operated on a year-to-year basis, USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 19 paying as it goes but leaving new mem­ bers in no better position than when the club started?” This is a troublesome ques­ tion and cannot be answered lightly. In fact, I do not propose to try to answer it. I raise it, though, as a very important point, the answer to which has an im­ portant effect on club financing and club accounting. If we attempt to attain uni­ formity in club accounting, it is necessary to reconcile our thinking on this basic philosophy of club-financing policies. This in itself will resolve the more im­ portant of the accounting problems. I would like to refer for a moment to the apparent absence of uniformity among clubs concerning the sale of capital stock, treatment of entrance fees, capital ex­ penditures, major repairs and provisions for depreciation. As you know, all clubs do not have capital stock as such, whereas most clubs do have entrance fees. Some clubs have adopted the philosophy of making capi­ tal expenditures only to the extent of funds available from entrance fees or sale of capital stock. I suspect that on occasion such a club finding itself in a very pro­ fitable situation towards the year-end might consider certain of its capital ex­ penditures as of a repair and renewal nature and thus, by writing them off to operations, reduce what might otherwise be an embarrassing surplus for the year. Such action not only distorts the opera­ tion this year but throws out the com­ parison with next year. Another situation might prevail where a club provides for moderate deprecia­ tion in profitable years and a lesser amount when operations are not so satis­ factory. I am afraid that too often the clubs’ financial policy is related to expediency and quite possibly this philosophy may be unavoidable. Another matter related to the philoso­ phy of accounting in clubs concerns the valuation of fixed properties and related provisions for depreciation. In general, it is my belief that for most clubs the in­ trinsic value of the property has little or no significance other than for pur­ poses of insurance. Even the question of depreciation becomes somewhat obscure when one starts to resolve this matter. As an illustration of this, I would mention that some clubs have seen fit to write down their properties to nominal values in order more clearly to bring out the relationship of cash position to the long-range financing. Under the conven­ tional method too often you have a sur­ plus account which is misleading to the members in that it gives the impression of wealth when in fact the club, on the basis of a cash budget, is in far from good shape financially. Possibly a reasonable course for a club to follow would be to adopt a financ­ ing policy calling for a yearly cash budg­ et coupled with a long-range plan of say five years which would make some pro­ vision for the future. If this is conscien­ tiously carried out, many pitfalls would be avoided. Earlier I referred to lack of in­ formed experience frequently being the cause of financial difficulties in which a club might find itself. An ex­ ample of this is the plight of clubs which have found it necessary to make special assessments to members, and I submit that this is proof of the short-term plan­ ning of most of these clubs. In a num­ ber of cases failure to adjust annual or entrance fees to realistic levels may have been the reason for such problems. Gen­ erally speaking, I feel that an assess­ ment to members should only be neces­ sary in the event of some form of dis­ aster, such as fire or very heavy flood damages which could not be foreseen. In closing I would like to state that uniformity in accounting for club trans­ actions merits considerable study and that even if directors are not willing to adopt a uniform presentation in their annual accounts to members the advantages of having comparative monthly operating re­ sults themselves are worth consideration. I think that the adoption of some method of obtaining comparable operations of other clubs would be welcomed by most club managements and that they would find such information extremely helpful to them. 20 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1951- THE REFEREE Decisions by the 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. “54-1” means the -irst decision issued in 1954. “R.37-7” re ers to Section 7 or- Rule 37 in the 1954 Rules of Golf. Defining Casual Water USGA 53-27 D. 8 Q: I would like an interpretation of the casual water rule: 1. If a ball is buried after a heavy rain or due to a heavily sprinkled area, can you drop the ball if water is not visible? 2. Does moving your feet up and down making water ooze up constitute casual water? Question by: Jack Koennecker Prairie View, III. A: 1. No. unless a local rule for an embed­ ded ball allows it. According to Definition 8. “Casual water is any temporary accum­ ulation of water which is not a hazard of itself or which is not in a water hazard”. An accumulation of water is visible. 2. No. not if the player makes undue ef­ fort to cause water to become visible. It would, however, be casual water if it were a temporary accumulation which arose as the player took his normal stance. Soft, mushy earth does not in itself constitute casual water. Replacing Ball On Green USGA 53-29 R. 40-lb Q: A and B are playing against C and D in a four-ball match with handicap strokes. C and D are on the ninth green in three. A is on in two and B is on in three. A putts his ball three feet from cup. marks it by making a line on the green with a tee and walks to the side of the green. C and D putt out in 5 each, and with a stroke each they have 4s on the hole. B putts and misses by an inch. C and D concede his putt giving him a 5 on the hole. A. thinking his partner had a stroke on the hole which would have halved it with C and D, begins to leave for the next hole. B asks him if he has putted out. Then A realizes that his partner doesn’t get a stroke on the hole, so he comes back, replaces his ball and makes his putt for a 4. which halved the hole with C and D. Now, C and D protest that A cannot come back and putt after walking off the green thinking his partner B had halved the hole. They also said he had to mark his ball with coin. Question by: Mel Shorey Indian Spring Country Club Silver Spring, Md. A: There is nothing in the statement of facts to indicate that there was any undue delay in play (see Rule 37-7). Inasmuch as B had lifted his ball under Rule 40-lb and had not waived his turn to putt, he was entitled to replace it, and the hole was halved in 4s. The rules do not specify the manner in which a ball's position shall be marked when it is lifted on the putting green. How­ ever. we recommend that players use coins or similar markers in order to preserve the putting surface. A player who does mark a green must do so in such a way as not to violate Rules 35-lb, c or d. USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 21 Professional As Marker USGA 53-30 D. 2, 18; R. 9-1 Q: Is there any Rule of Golf or of good sportsmanship that would prevent a club member from playing a round in a handi­ cap medal play tournament, open solely to members of the club, with the club profes­ sional as the only other player accompany­ ing him? There is no thought that the professional gave advice or instruction during the round. No prior application was made to the tour­ nament committee to designate the profes­ sional or one of the caddies as scorer. There were plenty of other members avail­ able for play at the time of starting. The usual practice at the club is to have all scores in stroke competition attested by a fellow competitor. Written notices to this ef­ fect have been published, and the practice is followed almost without exception. Would your answer be any different if two members had played the round with the club professional, each attesting the other’s score? Question by: Andrew Scharps Scarsdale, N. Y. A: The committee may appoint a profes­ sional or any other person to act as a marker in stroke play for amateurs; see Definition 18 and Rule 38. A player is not permitted to select his own marker unless the com­ mittee approves. A competitor may not ask for or take any action which may result in his receiving advice during his round; see Definition 2 and Rule 9-1. We do not recommend the appointment of a professional as a marker in competi­ tions of ths nature you cite nor do we con­ sider it good practice to permit a profes­ sional to play with certain competitors, sim­ ply as a playing companion, during a com­ petition round. "Preferred Lies" Disregarded USGA 53-31 R. 11-1; LR Q: Players A and B were scheduled to play a match in the semi-finals of men’s club championship. The afternoon before the match A asked B will it be all right with you if we repair ball marks on the putting green before putting? B said no, let us abide by the Rules. On Saturday when A and B reported to No. 1 tee. A informed B inasmuch as B wanted to play by the Rules as far as repairing ball marks was con­ cerned, the Local Rule of preferred lies would not be recognized as far as A was concerned. B in turn said inasmuch as pre­ ferred lies was a Local Rule and that the tournament was being played while this Rule was in effect, B felt that A and B were not privileged to change the Rule whether Local or USGA. B then suggested the problem be decided by the profes­ sional. A refused this request. B then in­ formed A he would play, but under protest. The matter came to my attention and I felt the question was covered by USGA Rule 4. Even though USGA does not recognize winter rules or preferred lies it does recog­ nize, however, that such adverse conditions are sometimes general throughout a golf course and that the local committee adopts Local Rules, called winter rules, to give relief. This our local committee did and the tournament is being played with the under­ standing that a ball may be lifted, cleaned and placed and from there on the Rules as laid down by USGA apply. Please give us a ruling on the above prob­ lem. keeping in mind that the problem is: Can a player or players decide whether or not a Local Rule such as above explained be disregarded by any player? Question by: D. H. Fenton, Jr. Buckhannon Country Club Buckhannon, W. Va. A: No player has right to abrogate Local Rule properly promulgated, as was your Local Rule. However. Local Rule in ques­ tion is permissive, not obligatory, so there is no question of agreement to waive Local Rule under Rule 4. Had B wanted to take advantage of Local Rule, he should either have settled matter before match or else taken advantage of Local Rule during play, with attendant risk of claim by A under Rule 11-1. B apparently took neither course to assert his rights. His protest has no el- fect under the circumstances, since Local Rule is merely permissive. A cannot be penalized for asserting his belief that Local Rule should not apply and for failing to take advantage of Local Rule. Match stands as played. Ball May Be Dropped in Front of Water in This Case USGzY 53-32 R. 33-2b Q: Player’s second shot came to rest at point just beyond water hazard. In playing third shot to green the ball hit a stone or rock and bounded back into pond. Accord­ 22 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 ing to Rule 33-2 player may (1) drop be­ hind water hazard, keeping last point of en­ try between him and hole, or (2) drop at point from which ball was struck, no closer to the hole. Does this mean he can drop a ball in this case at point just beyond water hazard from where his second stroke was played, without having to play over the pond, shooting five of course? Question by: Dr. W. H. Fredrix Cleveland, Ohio A: Yes ; see option b of Rule 33-2. Sighting Along Putter USGA 53-36 D. 30; R. 17-3 QI: Is there a Rule violation by a player who lays his putter full length behind the ball facing intended line of flight, then steps back and from a crouching position sights along putter to hole before putting? Al: Provided the player did not violate Rules 19-1, 35-lc, 35-ld or 37-7, the Rules do not prohibit such action. When Swing May Be Checked Q2: Can you clarify for us when a swing may be checked after addressing the ball with intention of striking the ball without incurring a penalty? What happens if club head tangles in a tree or bush perhaps caus­ ing leaves to fall and swing is stopped? A2: A stroke is a forward movement of the club made with the intention of moving the ball; see Definition 30. A player who voluntarily checks the swing of his club at any point before it reaches the ball and does not move the ball cannot be considered to have made a stroke. However, if a player starts the forward movement of his club with the intention of moving the ball and thereafter the club is stopped or deflected by any agency other than the player himself, he is considered to have made a stroke, whether or not he succeeds in moving the ball. A player whose club bends or breaks any­ thing fixed or growing (i.e., branches, leaves or twigs) in such a way as to improve the position or lie of his ball violates Rule 17-3 unless the breaking occurs in making the stroke or the backward movement of the club for the stroke. Questions by: Mrs. John Tyson Downey, Cal. STATEMENT REQUIRED BY THE ACT OF AUGUST 24, 1912, AS AMENDED BY THE ACTS OF MARCH 3,1933, AND JULY 2, 1946 {Title 39, UNITED STATES CODE, SEC­ TION 233) SHOWING THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION OF USGA Journal and Turf Management, pub­ lished seven times a year at New York, N. Y., for October 1, 1953. 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 ad­ dress, as well as that of each individual mem­ ber must be given.) United States Golf Asso­ ciation, 40 East 38th St., New York 16, N. Y. President: Totton P. Heffelfinger, 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: Charles L. Peirson, 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, mort­ gages, 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 trus­ tee is acting; also the statements in the two paragraphs show the affiant’s full knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and condi­ tions under which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the books of the company as trustees, hold stock and secur­ ities in a capacity other than that of a bona fide owner. J. C. DEY, JR., EDITOR Sworn to and subscribed before me this 15th day of October, 1953. (Signed) Mary A. Freeley, Notary Public, State of New York. (My commission expires March 30, 1954). USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 23 NEW NORTHEASTERN OFFICE OF USGA GREEN SECTION By JOSEPH C. DEY, JR. USGA Executive Director The Regional Turf Service of the USGA Green Section is now available to USGA Member Clubs and Courses in Connecti­ cut, New York, and northern New Jersey. They will be serviced from a Northeast­ ern Office just established at Rutgers Uni­ versity, New Brunswick, N. J., with Al­ exander M Radko as Northeastern Direc­ tor. Rutgers has long had a strong pro­ gram of turf research, at present directed by Drs. Gilbert Ahlgren and Ralph En­ gel, and the University very kindly in­ vited the USGA to have quarters there. The essence of the Regional Turf Ser­ vice is periodic visits by the USGA Re­ gional Directors to individual courses and group meetings with golf course superin­ tendents, to help them inform themselves readily on the latest and best in turf management. The visits are supplemented by written reports to the individual clubs and by Regional Turfletters dealing with the particular regions. The Service is available at annual fees which cover all work and expenses and which are based on estimated cost. A per­ centage of each fee (currently 20%) will be appropriated to research, primarily within the Region of the subscribing club. The annual fee for an 18-hole course is $100; for nine holes, $75. There are no extra charges for travel. The USGA program will be introduced to club green committee chairmen and superintendents at the following series of meetings: Saturday, February 27—10 A.M. Baliusrol G. C., Springfield, N. J. Saturday, February 27—4 P.M. Garden City Hotel, Garden City, N. Y. Monday, March 1—8 P.M. Saturn Club, Buffalo, N. Y. Tuesday, March 2—8 P.M. Rochester Club, Rochester, N. Y. Wedn9sday, March 3—3 P.M. Bellevue C. C., Syracuse, N. Y. Thursday, March 4—8 P.M. Wolfert's Roost C. C., Albany, N. Y. Friday, March 5—8 P.M. Wethersfield C. C„ Wethersfield, Conn. Saturday, March 6—2:30 P.M. Wykagyl C. C., New Rochelle, N. Y. For some years the Metropolitan a i the New Jersey State Golf Associations have sponsored turfgrass research at Rut­ gers through tournaments at their member clubs, with the entry fees being contribut­ ed to scientific work. Now that the USGA has a rounded program which provides for both direct service and research, the Metropolitan and the New Jersey Asso­ ciations have decided not to hold their turf tournaments but, instead, to co-spon­ 2- USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 sor the USGA program. Eugene L. Lar­ kin and Dr. M. E. Husted have been in­ strumental in creating an awareness of turf grass research needs in the Metro­ politan New York area and in raising funds. Mr. Radko w ill serve not only as north­ eastern Director but also, for the time being, will continue in charge of the Green Section office at Beltsville, Md. Other USGA Regional Offices are located at Davis, Cal., with Charles G. Wilson as Western Director, and at Texas A. and M. College, College Station, Texas, with Dr. Marvin H. Ferguson as Southwest­ ern Director and National Research Co­ ordinator. Locations for additional Re­ gional offices are being considered, in order to extend the Regional Turf Ser­ vice to all USGA Members. Radko was born in November, 1916, at Yonkers, N. Y. After World War II while serving as a lieutenant of infantry in Japan, he was in charge of reconstruc­ tion and rehabilitation of Japanese golf courses for the occupation forces. He was employed by the USGA Green Section in 1947. He received a B. Sc. de­ gree in Agronomy from the University of Maryland in 1951, and has served the Alexander M. Radko Green Section continuously since then as Agronomist and more recently as Act­ ing Eastern Director. FROM THE SOUTHWESTERN OFFICE By MARVIN H. FERGUSON Southwestern Regional Director, USGA Green Section The American Society of Agronomy meetings were held in Dallas last No­ vember. These meetings provide a yearly opportunity for turfgrass scientists from all over the nation to meet and discuss mutual problems. The Turfgrass Division meeting attracted approximately 80 per­ sons. Interested attendants were treated to a delightful tour of the Cotton Bowl and some of the Dallas municipal golf courses. The tour was conducted by L. B. Hous­ ton, parks director, and his associates. The Cedar Crest Golf Course was one of those visited. It is the site of the 1954 Amateur Public Links Championship. The course is being maintained well and the fairways were especially good. Wylie Moore, manager of the Stevens Park Golf Course, another of those vis­ ited, showed the group a series of test plots of various strains of bermudagrass and zoysia. Moore has conducted an ac­ tive on-the-course testing program for several years. Following up the results of his strain testing work, he has developed a two-acre nursery of T-35-A bermuda­ grass. T-35-A is a product of the research work conducted at Texas A & M College. Most of the greens at Stevens Park will be planted to T-35-A in 1954. Turf Conferences Other highlights of recent turf activi­ ties in the Southwest include the Fourth Annual Central Plains Turf Conference USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 25 and the Oklahoma Turf Conference. Both of these conferences were well planned, well attended and well worth-while. Outstanding features of both confer­ ences were the panel discussions conduct­ ed for the benefit of the various interest groups. Such discussions invite audience participation which assures keen interest. They provide opportunities for questions that would not be asked in larger groups. There is a considerable troupe of com­ mercial representatives who attend all the turf conferences and who contribute free­ ly to the educational programs. As a mat­ ter of fact, these men form the backbone of many a conference program. They are up to date on many subjects and can dis­ cuss almost any turf topic with relatively short notice if the need arises. Such men are true friends of the program chair­ man. They can be relied upon for a good performance, and they are extremely careful to exclude any hint of commer­ cialism from their remarks. These troup­ ers are doing a wonderful job, and they deserve the thanks and the appreciation of all those who attend turf conferences. Fine-leaved Bermudagrass In that part of the Southwest where bermudagrass is used for putting greens, interest in the fine-leaved bermudas con­ tinues to grow. Most superintendents recognize that these grasses require man­ agement techniques that differ from the requirements of common bermuda, but they also recognize the fact that these grasses are capable of providing superior turf when their management needs are met. The day is approaching when ber­ mudagrass greens will compare favorable with bent in putting quality. Several courses in the St. Louis area will have fairways planted to bermuda­ grass during the coming year. Bermuda­ grass is unexcelled in its ability to produce an excellent fairway turf. Furthermore it grows during the season when most of the golf is played and when weeds com­ pete seriously. Bermudagrass grows rapidly enough in hot weather to over­ come weed competition. The U-3 strain of bermudagrass is very attractive to St. Louis growers because it is cold hardy and fine leaved. It offers the disadvantage of vegetative propaga­ tion. Improved planting techniques have helped this situation, however, and vege­ tative planting can now be accomplished rapidly and relatively cheaply. Golfing conditions in St. Louis will improve re­ markably as bermuda is established on more fairways. FROM THE EASTERN OFFICE By ALEXANDER M. RADKO Northeastern Director, USGzX Green Section Many golf courses in our northern states are faced yearly with a labor prob­ lem that is difficult to compromise. During the cold winter months, many northern golf courses shut down operations, and superintendents are forced to lay off all or most of their crews. In recent years the many attractions and advantages of­ fered by industry were difficult to by­ pass in favor of seasonal employment on the golf course. It was, and still is, diffi­ cult for superintendents to compete with agencies offering employment the year around; competent, conscientious work­ ers seek nothing less than full-time em­ ployment. Superintendents are faced each year with the problem of training several new employees during their busi­ est season, and at many clubs this cycle is an endless one. About the time that a good worker gets to the point where he is an asset to the operation of a course, he is laid off. Some superintendents are fortunate in that their budgets allow them to keep a nucleus of regular employees the year round. During the busy seasons, with a few part-time employees added to the regular crew, the superintendents can reasonably’ cope with the many’ problems encountered in the maintenance and man­ agement of golf-course turfgrasses. The 26 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1951- UNIFORM COVERAGE: HERE'S HOW IT'S DONE Spray rig at Hercules Country Club. Wilmington, Del., where Superintendent Frank Tull delivers one pound of sodium arsenite to the acre with no skips or overlaps. The trailing marker delivers a slow stream of red dye through tubing from container in center of spray boom. The red dye mark is calibrated so that on the next round the tractor driver puts the left wheels directly on the mark. Weed control with this outfit is done quickly and efficiently. demands of the golfers are on the up­ grade, the requirements are becoming more rad more exacting and it follows that the golf course employee is required to be more skilled. Superintendents can­ not hope to meet the challenge unless the< are given the opportunity to train their men to meet these requirements. There are several off-season jobs that can keep a nucleus of full-time workers busy during the winter. They are: (1) Overhauling, repairing and paint­ ing equipment, (2) Preparing and sterilizing topsoil, (3) Pruning or trimming trees and shrubbery, (4) Removing old or diseased trees or planting new ones, (5) Painting benches, markers, flag poles, etc., 16) Improving drainage or other con­ struction jobs that cannot be completed without interference with play or neglect to maintenance during the regular golf­ ing season. USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 27 THE SUPERINTENDENT'S SECTION If you were to visit the Baltusrol Golf Club, in Springfield, N. J., you would not need to be told that an experienced super­ intendent is in charge. The superb condi­ tioning of a beautiful turfgrass cover gives this fact away. Meet veteran Ed­ ward J. Casey, superintendent. He has been in charge at Baltusrol since 1945. Ed Casey became interested in golf- course work in 1921 when he coaxed an old model front-end chain-drive tractor over the fairways at the Somerset Hills Country Club, in Bernardsville, N. J. In 1923 Ed moved to Westchester County, N. Y., and supervised work successively at Green Meadows Country Club, in 1923 and 1924; at Rye Country Club from 1925 through 1928; at Broadmoor Golf Club from 1929 through 1933, and at Wykagyl Country Club from 1934 until he took over the reins at Baltusrol. Ed vividly recalls the strong imported influence in American golf and golf- course management in the 1920s. In those days, he remembers, the standard recom­ mendation was to bury greens under 3/4 inch beach sand or humus each fall. The belief was that the sand or humus would work its way down through the topsoil before spring. Resultant layerings of greens were difficult to overcome at a la­ ter date when it became known, through research, that layering was detrimental to the production of good root systems of turf grasses. Ed’s experiences also brought him through the difficult 1930s when cook stoves brewed lubricating oil and kero­ sene emulsions for the control of chinch bugs and sod webworms. We have come a long way in the attempt to meet the ex­ acting demands of the increasingly popu­ lar game of golf, and Ed has moved right along with this progress. Down through the years Ed has en­ joyed close contact and an interesting association with fellow’ superintendents on local and national levels. Presently, he is a member of the New Jersey Association and the Golf Course Superintendents As­ sociation of America. Ed was President Edward J. Casey of Baltusrol of the New Jersey organization in 1951 and 1952 and was a member of the Board of Directors of the national organization in 1947. At present he is Chairman of the Turf Advisory Committee which co­ operates with the turfgrass program of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station of Rutgers University. He regu­ larly attends many turfgrass conferences and field days each year. The keen and genuine interest that Ed Casey displays in the management and maintenance of golf-course turfs is an in­ spiration to all who come in contact with him. Besides long experience in the prac­ tical side, he studied economic botany at the New York Botanical Gardens and Turf Management at the University of Massachusetts. One of the expedients that he employs to keep his sharp edge, turf-wise, is to have the challenge of a new yearly proj­ ect to work out over and above the regu­ lar maintenance and management work. This year Ed is revitalizing some turf 28 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 areas around sand traps adjoining his putting green areas. On heavily played courses, it is not uncommon for these areas to become thin, worn and sometimes devoid of turf grass cover. The constant spray of sand over the turf caused by blast or explosion shots result in sand lay­ ering; constant traffic over these areas further weakens the turf. Ed’s policy has been never to allow such problems to reach the critical stage. With good long- range programming, Ed takes such prob­ lems in stride and plans to complete the re-soiling and resodding of these areas before this spring. The project was started last fall. Baltusrol has two 18-hole courses, each one a championship lay-out. Many of the golfing greats of our time have competed there. The Amateur Championship was played there in 1904, 1926 and 1946. The Open Championship was held there in 1903, 1915 and 1936 and this year’s Open also will be held at Baltusrol. This truly is a magnificent record at a truly mag­ nificent club. Ed is taking his Open assignment in stride and well he may. When one works hard at producing fine turf every day, the ■ application of tournament regulations will perhaps be his only concern. COMING EVENTS Feb. 22-25: Seventh Annual Cornell Turf Conference. Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. J. F. Cornman. March 1-3: Mid West Regional Turf Con­ ference, Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind. W. H. Daniel. Mar. 8-10: Twentieth Annual Short Course for Iowa Greenkeepers and Turf Asso- cia'ion. Ames, Iowa. H. L. Lantz. Mar. 10-12: Minnesota Golf Course Su- perinienden's’ Association Turf Confer­ ence. Curtis Hotel, Minneapolis, Minn. Roy W. Nelson. Mar. 15-16: Ohio State Turfgrass Confer­ ence. Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. R. R. Davis. Mar. 17-19: Central Canadian Soils and Turf grass Conference, sponsored by the Royal Canadian Golf Association and Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. C. E. Robinson. Mar. 29-30: Prairie Conference, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskat­ chewan, Canada. C. E. Robinson. Apr. 5-6: Southern Turf Conference, Country Club of Jackson, Miss. Reg Perry, P. O. Box 2057, Memphis, Tenn. April 21-22: Eighth Annual Southeastern Turfgrass Management Conference. Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Sta­ tion. Tifton, Ga. Glenn W. Burton. TURFGRASS, NOT TURF Numerous persons have voiced the opinion that the word “turf” carries racetrack connotations and therefore is not the right word to characterize the turf conferences, turf research programs, turf associations and turf committees that have to do with the growing of grass. The Turfgrass Committee of the Ameri­ can Society of Agronomy, in its annual report at the Society meeting in Dallas, proposed a change in terminology. In ac­ cordance with this proposal, the word “turfgrass” would be substituted for “turf”. Thus we would have turfgrass conferences, turfgrass research programs, turfgrass associations and turfgrass com­ mittees. The Society voted to accept the report. The Turfgrass Committee of the American Society of Agronomy is now the correct name for this group. Local groups should consider this matter and decide whether or not their conferences and associations would be characterized more accurately by the word “turfgrass”, rather than “turf”. ENOUGH SAID The golf-course superintendent at a Club which entertained one of our Cham­ pionships has written to say: “The players were very good sports and took very good care of the course. In fact, they were more considerate of the course than some of our members.” Which brings to mind the fact that Canterbury Golf Club, in Cleveland, in­ curred a cost of only $25 in restoring its course after the 1946 Open Champion­ ship. USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 29 THE 25th ANNUAL-TURF CONFERENCE AND SHOW More than 900 golf course superinten­ dents registered for the 25th Annual Turf Conference and Show in Miami last month. They were treated to a week filled with golf, social activities, educational conferences, membership business meet­ ings and equipment displays. The educational conferences were high­ lights of the week’s activities. The topics discussed covered a broad range of sub­ ject matter, but all of the discussions re­ lated to the superintendent’s efforts to do a better job for his golf club. Some of the significant remarks are listed here. Leonard Strong, in opening the con­ ference, remarked that the Golf Course Superintendents’ Association had grown both in membership and in its profes­ sional standing in its twenty-five years of existence. Director Fifield, of the Florida Agri­ cultural Experiment Station, said: “. . • research has done a job for Florida agri­ culture. . . . We must get back to the laboratory . . . We can expect as many changes in the future as we have witnessed in the past.” Professor Frank Goodwin, of the Uni­ versity of Florida, provided a very enter­ taining lecture on The Value of Human Relations. Professor Goodwin said: “A formula for getting along with people will not work . . . Little things count, such as the importance of a man’s name, the value of a smile, the contagious nature of enthusiasm, cheerfulness and friendli­ ness.” Miss Patty Berg pointed out that golf­ ers like a well-kept golf course, one that permits proper play of the game, and that they want more, namely, beauty. She said: “The turf affects the game; the game affects the turf.” Miss Berg men­ tioned the importance of the average golfer and the value of a professional in making the game what it is. But, she said, the superintendent is a miracle man and one of the most important men on any golf course. Frank Dunlap discussed Developing Recognition for the Superintendent. This advice was given: (1) Form a local asso­ ciation, (2) Affiliate with the national as­ sociation, (3) Learn to write a good let­ ter, (4) Be civic-minded, (5) Form an advisory committee within your local association, (6) See that your local asso­ ciation has a regular publication. Marvin H. Ferguson, of the USGA Green Section, said: “Improved grasses and good management are both import­ ant. Neither can substitute for the other. A good manager can have good turf with a mediocre grass and superior turf with an improved grass. A poor manager will have poor turf, no matter what grass he uses. Some improved grasses require spe­ cial management techniques”. Joe Valentine, who has groomed the Merion Golf Club, in Ardmore, Pa., for seven USGA Championships, offered much advice on how such preparations should be done. A selected statement: “Do not overwater. Greens should be firm enough to offer a challenge to a skillful player. Do not keep them so soft that a poorly played shot will hold”. Dr. R. M. Schery, of the Monsanto Chemical Company, suggested that soil conditioners can be most helpful to golf course superintendents if they are incor­ porated in topdressing. Dr. Ralph E. Engel, of Rutgers Univer­ sity, concluded an excellent discussion of Thatch on Turf and Its Control by recom­ mending these practices: (1) Use lime properly, (2) Fertilize frequently, (3) Make use of mechanical devices that cut, rake and tear, (4) Cultivate frequently. Alex McKay is optimistic about the fu­ ture of bent for greens in the South, but he pointed out that exceptionally good management is required. Two panel discussions on Better Turf 30 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 Management were conducted simultane ously. One covered warm-season grasses, while the other covered cool-season grass­ es. Speakers on these panels stressed ade­ quate fertilization, adequate cultivation, good drainage and adapted strains of grass. Dr. Gene Nutter, of the Florida Agri­ cultural Experiment Station, discussed methods of developing new grasses and mentioned the following strains as possi­ bilities for use on golf courses in the South: Tiffine, Tiflawn, Everglades 1, Gene Tift, Ormond, Texas 8, Florida 50, and Florida 80. Henson Maples pointed out the import­ ance of planning and timeliness in carry­ ing out year-around maintenance. He stressed the importance of selecting good machinery and providing for its proper care. Dr. B. P. Robinson, of Tifton, Ga., says that the key to weed control is a good grass, properly managed. Dr. E. G. Kelshemmer, of the Florida Experiment Station, in discussing insect control, said: “Recognize symptoms of insect damage quickly and apply the proper insecticide. He emphasized that insect control is closely related to good management. Dr. Jim Watson, of the Toro Manu­ facturing Company, said: “Poor water re­ lationships lead to disease, thence to weak turf, thence to weeds. Waste is the even­ tual consequence”. Robert Bruce Harris, golf-course archi­ tect, pointed out ways whereby the archi­ tect can make golf-course maintenance easier. He emphasized that courses can be designed for easy maintenance without sacrifice of character from the playing standpoint. These bits of information are samples of what the superintendent gained. It should be recorded that there was ex­ ceptionally good attendance until the very end of the program. St. Louis was an­ nounced as the site of the 1955 confer­ ence. POOR MAN'S LEVEL This device is known as the "poor man's levtl." It was built by John New, engineer at the Naval Ordnance Labora­ tories, Silver Springs, Md. Employees at the Naval Ordnance Laboratories recent­ ly formed a golt association and con­ structed a nine-hole golf course on the grounds. To make the job of establishing contour, grades and slopes easier. New devised this ingenious level. It is easily used, quick and accurate. Equipment needed consists of two pieces of angle iron or aluminum approximately three feet long, iwo chemist clamps, two blocks of wood, 50 feet (more or less) of transparent plastic hose and eight screws. On the left pole is a sliding ruler which is graduated in inches. Since the device works on the principle that water seeks its own level, one-half inch on the scale is equal to one inch difference in elevation. Place both poles together, open the chemist clamps at the top (this allows water to come to a level), adjust the sliding ruler on the left pole to zero, leave one pole on that spot and move the o'her pole to the place where the grade is to be es­ tablished. When not in use, close the chemist clamps, and the water will not evaporate or leak out. USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 31 ANNUAL INDEX TO USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT VOLUME VI — APRIL, 1953 THROUGH FEBRUARY, 1954 Issue Page Issue Page AMATEUR STATUS Amateur Status in College Golf ................Apr. People Speak on Amateur Status ........... Apr. Query on Calcuttas ..................................... Sept. USGA and the Colleges ........................... June 12 5 12 15 BOOKS Tommy Armour’s Book ............................... July 4 CADDIES Loquacious Caddie ......................................... Nov. Old Tyme Caddies ..................................... Sept. Solving Caddie Problems ........................... Apr. Treat for Caddies ......................................... Nov. CHAMPIONSHIPS California Takes Over the Public Links Aug. Final Won, Not Lost ............................... Nov. How to Win the Open Four Times.........July 1955 Championships ................................... Sept. Oakmont and the Open ........................... June One Amateur Championship ................... June Open Play-off ............................................... June Plan for the Open Championship ........... Apr. USGA Competitions ,or 1955 ......................Feb. Why Trial Form of Open Was Abandoned ..................................... Nov. COURSES Architects Suggest ....................................... June Landscaping a Golf Course ................... June Raking Traps ................................................. July Who Closes the Course? ............................... Apr. Why the Low Scoring at Meadow Brook ..................................July World’s Largest Sand Bunker ................... Aug. 15 3 3 13 4 18 15 11 9 14 2 1 15 14 21 3 18 ' 3 1 ‘‘GOLF HOUSE” and GOLF COLLECTING Allan Robertson’s Putter in “Golf House” ........................................... July Color Prints of the Jones Portrait....... Nov. Gallery o. Gohing Art ................................. Feb. Golf Was Forbidden Here, Too ............... Sept. Gourlay Ball for “Golf House” ............... June Man Behind the Bench ............................... Apr. More about the Jones Portrait ............... Apr. Variety in USGA Museum ......................... Aug. HANDICAPPING Allocating Handicap Strokes ................... Apr. Best Ball of Four Handicaps ................... Sept. How the Handicap System Was Changed June HISTORICAL Amateurs and Home Pros ......................... June Big Moments in the Walker Cup Matches.........Sept. Development of Mexican Golf ............... Nov. Greenwich’s Old Trophy ............................. June How Golf Began in the Northwest ....... Apr. How the Public Links Event Developed....July Middlesborough’s Place in History ........... Feb. New Half Century ....................................... Aug. Youngest Amateur Champion ................... Sept. IMPLEMENTS AND THE BALL Attachment on Putter Face ....................... Feb. Effect of Novel Clubs ................................... Apr. Eliminate the Small Ball Here ............... Nov. INTERNATIONAL Americans in Canada ................................. Sept. British Curtis Cuppers ................................. Feb. British Lion Rampant ............................... July British Walker Cup Side ........................... Aug. Canadian Breaks Through ....................... Aug. Difference between Walker Cup Teams....Feb. Golf in Japan ........................................... Nov. Hogan’s Crowning Glory ............................. Aug. 12 10 10 10 19 12 2 10 21 4 4 10 1 13 17 2 17 16 8 3 1 1 16 11 2 2 3 7 2 15 4 5 Impressions of Golf in America................Nov. New R. and A. Captain .............................Nov. 1954 Americas Cup Match .......................July 1954 British Championships .....................Nov. Pledge .............................................................. Feb. That Last Day at Carnoustie ................... Aug. Through British Eyes ...................................Nov. United States Walker Cup Side................. July Walker Cup Match .....................................Sept. Charley Yates ................................................ June JUNIOR Advice for Juniors .......................................Nov. Junior Publication .......................................Aug. Max Payne Junior Tournament ............. rec. What Southern Hills Did For the Juniors .................................. Sept. MISCELLANEOUS Another B’ow at Poo’s ...............................Feb. Bernard Darwin Retires .........................June Bob Jones Award and Other Developments ...............................Feb. Busy Ju^e for BaBusrol................................ Feb. Census Report—1952 .................................. July Country Club Operations in 1952................ Nov. Farewell Calcuttas .........................................Nov. Forty-One Championships .........................Nov. 43 Years at Wannamoisett .......................Apr. Gentle Prod .................................................. Aug. Golf Writers’ Dinner .................................Nov. Helms Hall Golf Hall of Fame.................. Aug. How They Travel .......................................Nov. Harold W. Pierce Rmires ........................... Feo. I Was in My Wi"e’s Gallery’ ...................Sept. If You Want to Help .............................June Instruction Through the Years ............... Nov. Male Athlete of 1953 .....................................Feb. New Half-Century .......................................Aug. Opinions and Pine Valley’ .......................Sept. Secretaries Retire .........................................June Tee Markers at Oklahoma City ............... Sept. Trust for Golf Instruction .........................July Tuxedo Gives Way to “Progress” ...........Aug. Uniformity in Club Accounting ............... Feb. USGA Nominees for 1954 ...........................Nov. Versatility Beyond Compare .......................Nov. Western’s Officers .........................................Feb. WGA Sponsors Four-Ball ....................... Aug. What Makes a Senior .................................June NECROLOGY Reuben H. Bush, Jr........................................Apr. Harold Clasen .............................................. Nov. Frank W. Crane .............................................Apr. Joe Horgan .................................................... Sept. Herbert Jaques ...............................................June Lewis Family .................................................July Ralph H. Linderman .....................................Apr. Curtis W. McGraw .....................................Nov. Jerry Schramm ...............................................Aug. Marshall C. Speight .....................................Apr. George Herbert Walker .............................July PLAY OF THE GAME Ben Hogan Philosophizes .........................Aug. Driving Tests at Oakmont ....................... Nov. Ed Oliver’s 16 .................................................Feb. Expert ............................................................Sept. Foursomes: Chapman Style .......................July Golf the Curtis Way ...................................July How Great Is Ben Hogan? ....................... June Naturalness: the Key to Golf ................. Apr. Nerves in Golf Can Be Cured ................. Feb. No Trick at All .............................................Aug. "Reading” Greens .......................................Aug. Senior Member-Guest Event ...................Aug. 16 Putts for 18 Holes Again ..................... Apr. Successive Birdies Again ........................... Aug. That 35-Y'ear Span ...................................Apr. 8 4 2 2 3 20 1 5 5 1 2 4 13 20 3 3 5 14 4 12 4 3 4 4 2 4 2 1 8 4 3 1 3 2 4 4 2 16 17 14 2 4 3 7 4 1 4 2 2 4 4 4 3 4 2 1 5 1 3 14 2 5 9 11 31 11 17 1 2 3 32 USGA Journal and Turf Management: February, 1954 Issue Page Issue Page Thirty-Nine Year Span ...............................Sept. Three Holes in Six ..................................... Nov. Unfit for Play! ............................................. Sept. Weirdest Round ............................................... July RULES OF GOLF (not The Referee) Changes in Rules of Golf ........................... Nov. Rules of Golf Booklet ................................ Apr. Standardized Flagsticks ............................... July RULES OF GOLF DECISIONS Alternate in Team Match ........................... Nov. Ball Adheres to Club ................................. Apr. Ball at Rest? ................................................... Nov. Ball Comes to Rest on Ball Outside Match ....................................... Apr. Ball Dropped Nearer Hole ....................... July Ball Found within Five Minutes after Another Ball Had Been Played......... July Ball Lodges in Flag ................................... Apr. Ball May Be Dropped in Front of Water in This Case............... Feb. Ball Moved to Unplayable Lie ................... Aug. Ball Moving ................................... Aug. Ball Putted from Wrong Location.............July Ball Strikes Flagstick ................................ July Both Players Unaware Match Had Ended Aug. Breaking Obstruction ............................. June Caddie Hands Player Wrong Club............. Nov. Caddie Puts Own Club in Player’s Bag ..................................... Aug. Cleaning and Replacing Ball on Putting Green ............................... Apr. Croquet Stroke Approved ........................... July Danger from Lightning ............................. June Defending Champion in Draw ............... June Delining Casual Water ..................................Feb. Defining Undue Delay ................................Nov. Determining Who Is Away ........................Nov. Dispute Referred to Committee ........... Nov. Dropped Ball Strikes Player, Caddie, Clubs or Opponent ................... Sept. Dropping Ball from Unplayable Lie....... Aug. Fellow-Competitor and Flagstick ...........June “Hit” and a “Push” ..................................... July Hole Made by Greenkeeper Defined ....... Apr. Knocking Opponent’s Ball in Hole in Conceding Putt ............................. Sept. Lateral Water Hazards ............................... June Local Rule May Cover Retaining Wall of Gravel Path ........................................... June Loose Impediment in Hazard when Ball Is Not in Hazard........... Apr. No Measurement through Obstruction....... Nov. Penalty After Half Is Earned ................... Apr. Player May Change Clubs between 18-hole Rounds ................... Apr. Player May Enter Clubhouse ................. July Playing Two Balls when First Is in Water Hazard ............................... Nov. Position of Player Immaterial ................. Aug. “Preferred Lies” Disregarded ................... Feb. Professional as Marker ............................... Feb. Pressing Down Irregularities Permitted when Teeing Ball .......................... Sept. Provisional Ball Covers All Contingencies ................Sept. Provisional Ball is Ball in Play when Drop Renders Original Unplayable Apr. Recording of Handicaps Responsibility of Committee........................................... June Relief under Obstruction Rule Cannot Be Denied ........................... Sept. Replacing Ball on Green ............................Feb. Second Stroke Enters Water from Side Nearest Green ....................Sept. Sighting Along Putter ............................. Feb. Striking Ball with Back of Club ....... Aug. Striking Twig in Hazard on Backswing..Aug. Stroked Ball Comes to Rest Against Player’s Foot ..........................Aug. Taking Stance Fairly ..................................Sept. Tee Not Obstruction ....................................Apr. Teed Ball Not in Play until Stroke Is Made at It................... Apr. Testing Rough ................................................Apr. Testing Sand in Bunker ............................... July 4 4 4 2 20 2 3 24 24 22 23 22 23 23 21 22 24 22 24 24 22 23 22 22 22 24 23 20 24 23 22 22 24 24 23 24 24 22 23 23 23 24 22 24 23 24 21 21 23 24 21 24 23 20 22 22 24 23 23 23 24 Touching Soil in Bunker ........................... June Waiving Turn to Putt Constitutes Abandonment of Hole ............... Aug. When Swing May Be Checked ................Feo. Where Ball May Be Dropped when Deemed Unplayable ........... July 23 23 SPORTSMAN’S CORNER Joseph B. Breckel ..................................... Aug. J. B. Johns ....................................................... Feb. Curt Jacobs ........... ......Apr. Miss Ann Quast ............................................. Sept. TOURNAMENTS (not USGA) Crane Wins at 83 ......................................... July Littler Again ................................................. Nov. Two Champions ........................................... Aug. What Littler Proved ..................................... Feb. Which Are the Blind? ................................... Sept. WOMEN For Lady Chairmen ..................................... Apr. Girls Visit New England ........................... Aug. Low Scores by Women ............................... June Miss Faulk a Worthy Champion ............... Sept. Miss Meyerson’s Win ................................... Sept. Miss Rawls New Open Champion................Aug. Women’s Open ............................................. June Women’s Record ........................................... Aug. TURF MANAGEMENT 25 27 Be Sure Your New Seeding 30 Produces Turf ............................... Sept. Bentgrass Greens for the South ............... Apr. Bentgrass Putting Greens at Chattanooga ............................June Bermuda Fairways at Army Navy Country Club ....... July Chemical Crabgrass Controls in 1952....... Sept. Chinch Bug Control ................................... June From the Beltsville Office ........................... Aug. From the Eastern Office ........................... Nov. From the Eastern Office ............................... Feb. From the Southwestern Office ................... Nov. From the Southwestern Office ................... Feb. From the Western Office ........................... Nov. Green Committee Expenses Near Chicago ..................................Aug. Green Section Research Program ........... Aug. Ground Pearl Damaging Southern Turf Grasses .............Sept. 28 32 High Salt Content of Water Necessitates Perfect Drainage ........Nov. How to Repair Ball Marks in Putting Greens ....................... Apr. Irrigation, Compaction and Aeration of Fairway Turf ...................... Aug. Los Angeles Municipal Golf Courses’ Propaganda .....................................Nov. Matted Greens Contribute 32 27 30 to Poorer Golf ......... Apr. 25 Mechanical Transportation ............... Sept. National Turf Conference ......................... Nov. New Northeastern Office of USGA Green Section........... Feb. 23 New Southwestern Office of USGA Green Section ........................... July Poor Man’s Level ........................................... Feb. Preparing Your Greens for Winter Play ....................... Sept. Rates of Seeding Turf Grasses ..................July Scale Attacks Bermudagrass Putting Greens ........................... Sept. Scholarships in Turf Management ......... Feb. Superintendent’s Section ........................... Nov. Superintendent’s Section (Casey) ........... Feb. Tiffine (Tifton 127) Turf Bermudagrass ............................. June Turfgrass, Not Turf ................................... Feb. 2Gth Annual Turf Conference ................Feb. 2,