JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT Published by the United States Golf Association Permission to reprint articles herein is freely granted (unless specifically noted otherwise) provided credit is given to the USGA Journal VOL. VII No. 2 June, 1954 Through the Green----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 The Fallacy in Some Handicap Controls Thomas G. McMahon 5 Treat Him as You Would Your Son_________________________________ Francis C. Truitt 7 The Boundary That Wasn’t There-----------------.----------------------------------Joseph C. Dey, Jr. 9 Course Rating System for Women 10 Quiz: Do You Know Your Golf?-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------12 The Gutty Replaces ' the Feathery_____________________________________ John P. English 13 The Championship Picture---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------16 Developing a Junior Program Gene Andersen 17 New Meadow Brook Course 18 More Clubs of Champions in “Golf House”________________________ Edward S. Knapp, Jr. 19 Handicapping Chapman Foursomes----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 The Referee: Decisions by the Rules of Golf Committees 21 Turf Management: USGA Green Section Summer Management of Putting Greens_____________ A. M. Radko 25 Insect Control__________________________________________ John G. Mathyssee 26 Subscribers to Research and Education Fund 29 Raking Bunkers the Easy Way------------------------------------------------ T. T. Taylor 30 The Man in Charge of Turfgrass Conditioning at Los Angeles Country Club C. G. Wilson 31 It’s Your Honor: Letters---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33 Published seven times □ 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. Subscription: $2 a year. Single copies: 30c. Subscriptions, articles, photographs, and correspondence, except pertaining to Green Section matters, should be sent to the above address. Correspondence pertaining to Green Section matters should be addressed to USGA Green Section, Room 206, South Building, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Md.; to USGA Green Section Western Office, Box 241, Davis, Calif.; to USGA Green Section Southwestern Office, Texas A. and M. College, College Station, Texas; to USGA Green Section Northeastern Office, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N. J., or to USGA Green Section Southeastern Office, Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton, Ga. Entered as Second-class Matter March 3, 1950, at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 8, 1879. Edited by Joseph C. Dey, Jr., and John P. English. All 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 Closed Sectional Qualifying Rounds June 7 Championship Dates June 17-18-19 Women's Open June 21 none July 1-2-3 Amateur Public June 4* June 20-26** Links Junior Amateur July 6 Amateur July 12 Girls' Junior August 16 Women's Amateur August 30 July 20 July 27 none none Team: July 10 Indiv: July 12-17 August 4-7 August 23-28 Aug. 30-Sept. 3 Sept. 13-18 * Entries close with “ Exact date in each Sectional Qualifying Chairmen, section to be fixed by Sectional Chairmen. Venue 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. THROUGH THE GREEN The Uniform Ball? The British are becoming more cognizant of the need for controlling the distance their golf ball can be hit, if the following editorial in The Weekly Scotsman is a criterion: "Circumstances and, I think, changing opinion are hitting the golf ball more firmly into practical politics. More and more people are asking if the time has not arrived for some measure of restriction on the power of the ball in this country. "Clearly, judging from a statement made by the President of the United States Golf Association, Isaac B. Grainger, a new and solid effort will be made, in conference with the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, early next year to attain ball uniformity in the two countries. . . . "The ball reformers in this country are convinced, and their preaching has no doubt made converts, that the present British ball goes too far. "As the basic implement in the game, the pivot on which everything hinges, the ball can, of course, decide whether golf gets out of joint, becomes more expensive and reduces the pleasure for the great ma­ jority of its players. "Nobody questions that greater length of shot has come into the game and that courses have had to be stretched to meet that development, with added course main­ tenance costs and more superfluous walking for the golfer . . . "The extra 'hiking’ now involved be­ tween green and tee at, for example, Hoy­ lake and Portmarnock indicates the exten­ sion needed to meet the problem of longer- hitting. Even the Old Course at St. Andrews has had to be brought into line, and the tees set as far back as possible.” Service to the Game The forthcoming Open Championship at the Baltusrol Golf Club, Springfield, N. J., is the ninth USGA competition that Club has entertained, a record of service to the game which can be matched only by the Merion Golf Club, in Ardmore, Pa., and the Chicago Golf Club, in Wheaton, Ill. Baltusrol will have held four Open, three Amateur and two Women’s Amateur Championships since 1901. Merion has had four Women’s Amateur, three Amateur and two Open Championships since 1904, and will go ahead later this season when it entertains a tenth event, the Curtis Cup Match. Chicago Golf Club has been host to four Amateurs, three Opens, one Wom­ en’s Amateur and a Walker Cup Match since 1897. The only Club other than Baltusrol which has held as many as four Open Championships is the Myopia Hunt Club, in South Hamilton, Mass. It entertained its four in the years from 1898 through 1908. Splendor with a Purpose Those dark brown jackets you will see USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JUNE, 1954 1 during the Open Championship will be adorning members of the Golf Writers Association of America. During the past winter the golf writers adopted not only this jacket, which will bear the insignia of the organization on the breast pocket, but also a dark greert necktie embroidered with gold tees. The outfit is designed primarily for identification rather than splendor, but it does happen to be good looking, too. The golf writers held their annual elec­ tion during the Masters Tournament and renamed Lincoln A. Werden, of The New York Times, president; Charles Curtis, of the Los Angeles Times, and Desmond Sul­ livan, of the Newark News, vice-presi­ dents; and Charles Bartlett, of the Chicago Tribune, secretary-treasurer. Jones Award Commitfee The USGA announced last winter the institution of the Bob Jones Award for distinguished sportsmanship in golf, to be presented annually starting next January. Isaac B. Grainger, president of the USGA, now has named the following to the 'selection committee to pick the first winner: Messrs. Jerome P. Bowes, Jr., Chi­ cago, Ill., T. R. Garlington, Atlanta, Ga., Totton P. Heffelfinger, Minneapolis, Minn., Horton Smith, Detroit, Mich., Richard S. Tufts, Pinehurst, N. C., Lincoln A. Wer­ den, New York, N. Y., and Mrs. Harrison F. Flippin, Ardmore, Pa. For a Blind Tee Shot The sixth hole at the Tamarack Country Club, in Greenwich, Conn., calls for an uphill tee shot toward a large green which cannot be seen from the teeing ground. Unless the tee shot is extremely long, the green cannot be seen when playing the second stroke, either. In order to make intelligent position play possible, Tamarack has had a small relief model of the green reproduced in wood, appropriately painted and set table­ like on a post beside the teeing ground, with a miniature flagstick and a series of small holes in which it can be placed. When the hole is changed on the green, the position of the small wooden flagstick on the relief model is changed accordingly, and any player can determine at a glance before playing his tee shot which route will be best that day. An Artificial Aid Another device has been placed on the market in an attempt to aid golfers in con­ trolling their swings. This one is a leather- covered weight which can be strapped on either hand. The maker claims that it slows the hand action during the swing, with beneficial results. The USGA Rules of Golf do not permit the use of such a device. It is presumably designed to give a player artificial aid in making a stroke, and it is a basic tenet underlying all the Rules that a player should not receive any such artificial aid in making his stroke. The President's Green A small practice putting green has been established on the south lawn of the White House. It is a gift from the United States Golf Association to President Eisenhower,' who finds golf a refreshing diversion from his heavy duties. The green comprises nearly 3,000 square feet of polycross creeping bentgrass, a re­ cent development of Prof. H. B. Musser of the Agronomy Department of Pennsyl­ vania State College. The USGA purchased the sod from the Aronimink Golf Club, Newtown Square, Pa., which had grown it in a nursery last year. The apron of the green is sodded with Merion bluegrass. Es­ tablishment of the putting green did not entail any public expense. The green was designed and constructed under the direction of Alexander M. Radko, Northeastern Director of the USGA Green Section, and Richard Watson, turf advisor to the Burning Tree Club, Chevy Chase, Md., where President Eisenhower often plays golf. James E. Thomas, golf course superintendent of the Army-Navy Country Club, Arlington, Va., and president of the Mid-Atlantic Association of Golf Course Superintendents, assisted. The Mid-Atlantic Association of Golf Course Superintendents and the Golf Course Superintendents As­ sociation of America cooperated. 2 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT* JUNE, 1954 SPORTSMAN'S CORNER It is not always easy to be a hero in the eyes of your caddie, but Billy Joe Patton has made the grade. Two years ago Patton was a contestant in the USGA Amateur Championship at the Seattle Golf Club. He was not one of the stars of the show, being eliminated in the third round after a default and a win, but he must have won the heart of his 13-year-old caddie, John Coughlin. Last April Patton nearly won the Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club. From the time he took the driving con­ test with a swat of 338 yards until he putted for a birdie on the 72nd green in the hope of tying Sam Snead and Ben Hogan, he cap­ tured the imagination and the support of many spectators. Here was an amateur, little known outside his home state of North Carolina, play­ ing stroke for stroke with the great masters. Of the many nice happenings that befell Patton, one which touched him deeply was a telegram he received from John Coughlin. It read simply: CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST OF LUCK FROM YOUR CADDIE IN THE 1952 AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP AT SEATTLE. As Patton said, “This telegram demonstrates that the best things in this world are really relatively simple.” Bill Zongker, professional to the Seattle Golf Club, fills us in with a bit more in­ formation about young John Coughlin, who is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Coughlin of Seattle: “John was 13 at the time of the 1952 Ama­ teur and had been caddying at the Broadmoor Golf Club for two years. He has become very JOHN COUGHLIN interested in golf and extremely interested in the exploits of Billy Joe Patton, having saved every clipping from newspapers and magazines that has any mention of Billy Joe. “He has the T-shirt we supplied the cad­ dies for the tournament and the big number 196 hanging on the wall of his room to re­ mind him of something he considers quite special in his life.” We who play the game can never know when or how we may affect the heart of the boy who carries our bag. But it is a certainty that we do affect him, for good or for ill. Superintendent's Salaries The 1953 Annual Report of the Detroit District Golf Association once again con­ tains a most interesting section on turf­ maintenance practices at twenty-eight clubs in that part of the country. Among other things, it lists the results of a survey on superintendents’ salaries which, for clubs in the metropolitan area, ranged from $7,300 to $4,000, with an average of $5,400, and, for clubs out- state, ranged from $5,000 to $3,000, with an average of $4,150. Ten clubs supplied a house and eight reported extra allowances ranging from $200 to $800 in the form of Christmas bonuses, car expenses and utilities. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JUNE, 1954 3 Appraisal of Pine Valley Herbert Warren Wind, writing in the June issue of Holiday, relates the tale of Eustace Storey’s first look at the formidable second hole at Pine Valley when he re­ marked: “I say, do you people play this hole or do you just photograph it?” In addition to this and other anecdotes which have given the Clementon, N. J., course its fearsome reputation, Wind also sets down as fine an appraisal of the layout as you will read in many an evening: "The demands that Pine Valley makes on a golfer are like those of no other course. As should be fairly obvious, it is no place for a duffer or a sprayer. The man who cannot bang a straight tee shot at least one hundred and seventy-five yards on the carry should attempt the course only if he is bent on atoning for some transgression. But for the golfer of reasonable compe­ tence, it offers rare and authentic excite­ ment. The word challenge is so abused these days that one hesitates to use it, but the tee shot on every hole is a wonderful challenge to a golfer’s ability to hold his concentration in the teeth of terror and produce the solid, accurate shot necessary to reach and hold the fairway (or, on short holes, the green). If the golfer comes through with the required tee shot, the course then lavishes a magnificent bounty on him: the most dazzling succession of superb second shots available on any course ... A par on a hole is an honest prize.” Greenkeeping Exhibit Warren Bidwell, superintendent at the Seaview Country Club, Absecon, N. J., is directing a campaign among members of the Golf Course Superintendents’ Asso­ ciation of America to establish in "Golf House” an exhibit which would trace the development of the art and science of greenkeeping. The nature of this exhibit has not yet been precisely determined, and will not be until Bidwell has more information on available items. However, pictures and plastic figurines seemed destined to have a place along with actual implements and tools. Among the items he is especially seeking are a photograph of sheep grazing on a golf course, the leather boots which horses formerly wore while cutting grass in the spring, an Austrian scythe and early home-made aeration tools. Myers Park The USGA has accepted an invitation from the Myers Park Country Club, in Charlotte, N. C., to entertain the 1955 Women’s Amateur Championship. The dates will be August 22 through 27. This will be the first USGA Championship to be held, in North Carolina. 1955 British Championships The 1955 British Amateur will be held at the Royal Lytham and St. Anne’s Golf Club, Lancashire, England, starting June 4; and the 1955 British Open will be played at St. Andrews, Scotland, starting July 4. The Golf Business Once again golf equipment led all other categories of athletic and sporting goods in sales during 1953, according to the an­ nual survey conducted by Ernst & Ernst for the Athletic Goods Manufacturers As­ sociation. Measurement is in dollar volume, based on factory selling price including excise tax. Sales of golf equipment during the year were $48,707,666. Sales of baseball and softball equipment, the second-place item, were $24,911,342. Golf equipment comprised almost one third of all athletic and sporting goods sold, which reflects a slight decline in its relative position in the field. However, golf equipment sales last year increased 23 per cent over the previous year. Manufacturers who participated in the survey sold last year 4,071,245 golf clubs, 2,716,552 golf balls and 495,422 golf bags. Failed to Qualify The last time the Open Championship was held at the Baltusrol Golf Club, Spring­ field, N. J., was in 1936, and the list of those who failed to qualify for the final 36 holes included the name of Ben Hogan. He scored 75-79—154, which was three strokes too many. 4 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JUNE, 1954 THE FALLACY IN SOME HANDICAP CONTROLS by THOMAS G. McMAHON Member, USGA Handicap Committee Handicaps must be the result of actual performance on the golf course. Beginners, players with physical handi­ caps and those of advanced age should have handicaps sufficient to protect their pride and sense of economics. Some individuals, not athletically in­ clined, take a greater beating than we realize. If their handicaps are not high enough, no one wants them as a partner and they suffer the humiliation of being thrown up for grabs on the first tee every­ time they play. Practical ostracism can be the result of our failure to provide them with handicaps to fit their ability. Yet some golfers feel that a strokes-per- hole control, or limitation, on hole scores is necessary for handicap purposes. This is largely because they do not recognize the value of the controls in USGA Golf Handi­ cap System for Men. It is unfortunate that those who favor strokes-per-hole controls sometimes indulge in extravagant misrepresentation by saying that many miss shots intentionally for the sole purpose of obtaining higher handicaps. This is a serious indictment of those who play a gentleman’s game. What is the value of a strokes-per-hole control where players turn in improper total scores for handicaps? However, we do not share that lack of faith in our golfing fraternity. The handi­ cap viewpoint must assume the highest moral principles. Control No. 1 Our present general controls involve us­ ing the average of the lowest ten scores of the last fifteen rounds played. This elim­ inates the five highest scores from handi­ cap computation. This is done because the five highest may not, for many reasons, represent an USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JUNE, 1954 THOMAS G. McMAHON individual’s average ability. If six scores were listed that did not reflect one’s average ability, only one score could enter the computation. This form of control makes all handi­ caps approximately two strokes, on the average, lower than they would be if all of the last fifteen scores had been used. The steady golfer’s reduction in handi­ cap would naturally be somewhat less than two strokes, in some cases nearer to one stroke. The erratic type of golfer, how­ ever, would experience a greater reduction as a result of not using the five highest scores of his last fifteen scores posted; in some cases this reduction would be nearer to three strokes. Control No. 2 For many years it has been a custom to reduce handicaps for match-play competi­ tion, but experience gained by extensive 5 statistical investigation has proved that this practice has been unnecessary where handicap systems with adequate controls are used. Higher scores and higher handicaps pro­ vide the greatest opportunity for improve­ ment and consequently require more ade­ quate controls. Therefore, in the develop­ ment of a handicap chart such as the new USGA Handicap Differential Chart, con­ trols are set up to take care of the greater improvement potential among beginners and those who finally decide to take lessons and practice. This additional control is built into the present chart. Here are some comparisons: Differential 44 40 36 30 24 18 13 11 3 2 0 Handicap 36 33 30 25 20 15 11 10 5 3 1 Phis or Minus —8 —7 —6 —5 —4 —3 —2 —1 0 4-1 4-1 Many golfers who would limit hole scores to two over par seem to be unaware of the fact that these controls are more equitable and simple. The placing of a scratch man on the same two-over-par score per hole limit as a 36 handicap man is so obviously inequitable it does not merit discussion. However, the following should show how unfair that procedure is to high-handicap golfers: Assuming course rating and par are both 72— If he averaged two over par or more on all eighteen holes, the differential would be the maximum handicap would be 30 If he averaged one over par on five holes and two or more over par on the other holes per round, 36 the differential would be the handicap would be 31 26 If he averaged one over par on five holes and two pars per round with the balance two or more over par, 27 the differential would be the maximum handicap would be 23 Limiting a 36 handicap man to two over par on each hole, which equals 36 over par on 18 holes, with a resulting all time 'maxi­ mum handicap of 30, is the same as limit­ ing an 18 handicap man to one over par on each hole, or 18 over par on 18 holes, with a resulting all time maximum handicap of .14, or limiting a scratch man to par on each hole or par on 18 holes, with a result­ ing all time maximum handicap of 1. Control No. 3 A further control lies in the fact that handicap chairmen are required to reduce handicaps two strokes as often as is neces­ sary to assure themselves that neglect or refusal to enter all scores is satisfactorily adjusted. If this does not correct the condition, of course, the matter should be brought to the attention of the Board of Directors. If further controls are necessary, which is doubtful, they can easily be applied. SJ. # SJ. Incidentally, there is no point at all in complaining that one’s handicap is too low while accepting conceded putts. The fol­ lowing was copied from the score card of the Canterbury Golf Club, in Cleveland: “No player has the right, privilege or authority to concede any putt or other advantage to himself or to any other player whose score is to be entered in the handi­ cap dr event records of this club.” Unnecessary strokes which create un­ warranted high scores are null and void and automatically expose offenders to two- stroke handicap penalties at clubs which impose handicap penalties. Day in and day out friendly competition should be both match and stroke play handicap. All scores should be recorded immedi­ ately after play on a score sheet or score board placed in a conspicuous and con­ venient location. 6 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JUNE. 1954 TREAT HIM AS YOU WOULD YOUR SON hy FRANCIS C. TRUITT Member, USGA Junior Championship Committee At the meridian hills Country Club, in Indianapolis, Ind., we have found a wonderfully satisfactory and successful solution to the caddie problem. It works, and our membership has had a lot of fun making it go. The basic reason for the universal ques­ tion, "Any caddies today?” is a shortage of manpower. Most of us can remember be­ fore the* war when we had a much larger supply of caddie material at our clubs. However, the young men and the older men who used to be our career caddies— our regulars, so to speak—have switched to industry because they can make more money in a less seasonal type of work. We no longer have the backlog of well- trained men who serve as an influence on the younger, less experienced boys coming up. There are few who have an interest in moving up to the post of caddie-master. If they have an interest in golf as a livelihood, it is in playing, teaching or selling. Many clubs report a shortage even of young men who could be trained as caddies. At our club, we realized we had to find a new and untapped source of labor. The old source was gone. The Key to the Source Is there another source? Our faith said yes, and our subsequent experience has re­ warded our faith. There is a fundamental concept which, in many cases, may have been overlooked, one which, if we are to rebuild, must be kept in mind. Any program entered into today to insure a good and adequate supply of boys must be entered into with under­ standing, patience and cooperation on the part of the membership of the ,club. Now to our program, which is in its third year. Mind you, this is only a sug­ gestion, one which has worked for us. From my work with juniors I have a great deal of respect for their adaptability, their needs, their desires and their abilities and capabilities if given proper direction and guidance. Knowing that these boys stick pretty close together and look to someone older for their inspiration, we decided it would be necessary to find a man who would be a magnet and draw a number of these boys onto his team. Naturals for the Job Where to find such a man? In the field of athletic coaching there are men who are naturally liked and to whom the boys flock with enthusiasm. Just such an athletic coach has directed our program, and we now have a card file of some 700 boys to call on. Most high school coaches are looking for summer work to augment their incomes. Many are camp councilors. Some go into industry. They all need and are looking for summer work. They are naturals for the position of caddie-master. Many are golfers them­ selves. With only a little help from the club professional or the Caddie Commit­ tee, they are able to teach the boys what to do and how to do it. Remember, their main job is imparting knowledge of sports to boys. Proper facilities, such as shelter, toilet and shower, sandwiches and soft drinks, baseballs, horse shoes, basketball court and balls, are an added incentive to draw boys and to keep them occupied when not actu­ ally out on the course. Boys like to have a feeling of identity with a thing of importance. Give or sell at cost to those who, by their regular attend­ ance, have earned the right, T shirts which proclaim their association with the club, but make them earn the right to wear them. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT. JUNE, 1954 7 The job of caddying and the caddie yard must be made attractive in order to draw the best boys and to keep them as happy as these caddies obviously are. Such identification also helps them to get rides out to the club. If it is possible to designate pick-up locations on the way out to the club which are not out of the way for the members, it will help solve the transportation problem for the boys. If a boy comes out, spends the day and doesn’t get a job, it is our suggestion that he be given lunch money and car fare and be placed at the head of the list for the following day. He goes home with the feeling that he has been fairly treated, and he has good reason for coming back. Perhaps, by now, you realize that while these things are being done the club is get­ ting much good word-of-mouth advertis­ ing. One thing that has been most amazing to us has been the number of parents who have called us, wanting to get their boys into our program. They have heard about it, they like the supervision given to their friend’s boy and they want the same thing for their own boy. The slogan we have adopted for our program and ask our mem­ bers to follow is: "Treat your caddie as you would your son.” Our caddie-master-coach holds classes every morning on weekdays during the summer. Some of the instruction is gen­ eral, some may be quite specific. Records are kept, and he knows how each boy is doing, where he is strong and where he is weak. At the conclusion of every round mem­ bers and guests are asked to note on a card furnished by the caddie both the good and the not-so-good points about the boy. This is returned to the caddie-master and forms the basis for instruction and/or praise. An additional feature of the card is that it serves as a means of introduction of the player and the caddie. Both names are shown on the card, and the boy gives the card to the player on the first tee. At the end of the season, each member sponsors a boy at a dinner held at the club. Awards are made to the boys with the best attitude, the best attendance record and the most improvement. It’s a wonderfully fine feeling to reflect on a season of play and realize that, while you have had your fun and your share of good games, you have helped all these young fellows—who have honestly tried to be the best caddie you’ve ever had—to be­ come better citizens of tomorrow. The objective has been accomplished, you have enjoyed it and they appreciate it. You have treated them as you would your son. 8 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT! JUNE, 1954 THE BOUNDARY THAT WASN’T THERE by JOSEPH C. DEY, Jr. USGA Executive Director Champion. Suppose you are the USGA Amateur Suppose, in the defense of your Cham­ pionship, you find yourself matched in the first round against a tenacious opponent who has you all square after 36 holes, and again after 37 holes, and still square after 38 holes. You go to the 39th. And there you win the match without hitting a single stroke. No, your opponent does not expire. He is just so keen and so eager that he over­ looks some points in the Rules and the customs of the game. All this actually happened back in 1920. It was at the Engineers’ Country Club, Roslyn, N. Y. The defending Champion was S. Davidson Herron, of Pittsburgh, who the year before had defeated Robert T. Jones, Jr., in the final over Herron’s home course, the Oakmont Country Club course. Now, at Engineers, Herron is bracketed in the first round of match play against young Peter Harmon, of the Scottish- American Golf Club, Van Cortlandt Park, New York City. The first round then was at 36 holes. They have come to the third extra hole. The hole is a dog-leg to the left. Harmon has the honor. He drives deep into woods at the angle of the hole. Thinking the ball is out of bounds, he immediately stoops down, tees up another ball and drives it also far into the angle. Again he tees a ball, the third one, and again he drives into the woods. That is enough for Mr. Harmon. He extends his hand in congratulation to Mr. Herron, and the match is over. Mr. Herron has not played a stroke. The next morning Harmon goes search­ ing for the three balls he struck off the 39 th tee. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JUNE, 1954 S. DAVIDSON HERRON in 1919 He finds all three—and they are all in bounds. The Rule today, and the custom then, provides: "If a player has to play a second ball from the tee, he shall do so after the opponent or fellow-competitor has played his first stroke.” (Rule 12-3) Harmon might have (a) stepped aside after his first tee shot and allowed Herron to play, or (b) ascertained the location of his first ball or his second ball before pro­ ceeding further. Had Harmon done either, they might be playing yet. Herron’s many friends in golf will be pleased to know that he is well along the road to full recovery from illness last year. 9 COURSE RATING SYSTEM FOR WOMEN A revised edition of The Conduct of Women’s Golf is being distributed to Member Clubs and to women’s district, state and sectional golf associations. The 42-page booklet is prepared by the USGA Women’s Committee for guidance in the conduct of women’s golf in clubs and associations. This edition sets forth, for the first time, detailed recommendations for rating courses for women’s play. As these recommenda­ tions are adopted and implemented by wo­ men’s district and state associations, wo­ men’s ratings will be substituted for women’s par in computing handicaps. Course rating is a method of rating each hole, in decimals when necessary, according to the average score a scratch golfer should make every ten times she plays it, without making any poor shots or any exceptionally good ones. The total of the hole ratings, to the nearest whole number, is the course rating. This contrasts with par, in which the rating of each hole, in a whole number, is based primarily on the yardage of the hole, allowing two putts on each green. Since course ratings are more refined than par, they provide a more accurate measure of the relative playing difficulty of courses and hence a more accurate basis for handi­ caps. The USGA Handicap Committee adopted the Massachusetts Golf Association’s recom­ mendations for course ratings for men in 1947, and men’s ratings developed by men’s district and state associations have been used for some time instead of par in computing men’s handicaps in those areas. Patterned on Men's System The USGA course rating system for women is patterned closely upon the USGA course rating system for men, except for changes necessitated by the fact that wo­ men require different clubs than men to play strokes of the same distance. The Conduct of Women's Golf may be obtained from the USGA headquarters, 40 East 38th Street, New York 16, N. Y. The price is 25 cents per copy.' NEW MEMBERS OF THE USGA Regular Albertville Golf & Country Club, Ala. Clarmond Country Club, Iowa Elizabeth Manor Golf & Country Club, Ya. Graymere Club, Tenn. Highland Golf Club, Okla. Hohokam Country Club, Ariz. Hopewell Valley Golf Club, N. J. Lakeview Country Club, W. Va. Municipal Golf & Tennis Association, Del. Normandy Shores Golf Club, Fla. Paintsville Country Club, Ky. Stones River Golf & Country Club, Tenn. Watertown Golf Club, Conn. Woodstock Club, Ind. Associate Edgewood Municipal Golf Course, No. Dak. Indian Hills Golf Club, Neb. Mountain Manor Inc. Golf Club, Pa. The task of establishing course ratings is one which must be assumed by district and state associations for the courses within their areas. The USGA recommends a sys­ tem of course rating, but it cannot rate the 1,800 courses of its Member Clubs all over the country. It is necessary, therefore, for district and state associations which adopt the system to establish course rating com­ mittees, comprised of women of better than average playing ability. These com­ mittee members then share the task of rating their associations’ courses uniformly. The Conduct of Women’s Golf has been expanded in other ways, too. New sections have been prepared for detailed guidance in the conduct of match play and team events and to assist women serving as Chairmen of Rules of Golf, Handicap and Junior Golf Committees. The sections on the functions of the Golf Committee and on the responsibilities of contestants have been expanded. In the preparation of these sections, material has been adapted from the excellent booklet of the Chicago Wo­ men’s District Golf Association entitled Handbook for Golf Chairmen. The origin of this material is gratefully acknowledged. 10 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENTS JUNE, 1954 Handicap Computation The recommendations for computing handicaps remain the same in principle but the section has been reorganized and re­ written for clarification. The substance of the recommendations follows: "Each handicap should be based upon: "1. The five best scores made under USGA Rules of Golf within the current and the last previous playing seasons or calendar years, and "2. USGA course rating or par. "The handicap is figured by taking four fifths (4/5) of the difference between the average of course rating or par for the five rounds played and the average of the five best scores, a fraction of one half or more to count as a stroke, under one half to be dropped.” There has been a revision in the recom­ mendations for handicap allowances in vari­ ous forms of play, so that they now con­ form to those recommended by the USGA Handicap Committee for men. The new allowances are: "Individual Stroke Play: Allow each competitor her full handicap. "Singles Match Play: Allow the high­ er-handicapped player the full difference between the handicaps of the two players. "Foursomes (not four-ball) Stroke Play: Allow 50% of the partners’ com­ bined handicaps. (When selected drives are permitted, allow 40%.) "Foursomes Match Play: Allow the higher-handicapped side 50% of the full difference between the combined handicaps of the two sides. (When selected drives are permitted, allow 40%.) “Four-Ball Stroke Play (better-ball basis): Allow each player 85% of her in­ dividual handicap, the strokes to be taken as they come on the card. "Four-Ball Match Play: Reduce the handicaps of all four players by the handi­ cap of the low-handicapped player, the low-handicapped player then to play from scratch. Allow each of the three other players 85% of the resulting difference, the strokes to be taken by each player as they come on the card.” USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT. JUNE, 1954 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 I, 1954. Booklet, 25 cents (special rates for quantity orders). Poster, 25 cents. ARE YOUR LOCAL RULES NECESSARY? a reprint of a USGA Journal article con­ taining recommendations regarding local rules. No charge. THE RULE ABOUT OBSTRUCTIONS, a re­ print of a USGA Journal article. No charge. USGA GOLF HANDICAP SYSTEM FOR MEN, containing recommendations for computing Basic and Current Handicaps and for rating courses. Booklet, 25 cents. Poster 10 cents. THE CONDUCT OF WOMEN’S GOLF, con­ taining suggestions for guidance in the conduct of women's golf in clubs and associations, including tournament pro­ cedures, handicapping and course rating. 25 cents. ** HANDICAPPING THE UNHANDICAPPED, a reprint of a USGA Journal article explain­ ing the Callaway System of automatic handicapping for occasional players in a single tournament. No charge. TOURNAMENTS FOR YOUR CLUB, a reprint of a USGA Journal article detailing vari­ ous types of competitions. No charge. PROTECTION OF PERSONS AGAINST LIGHTNING ON GOLF COURSES, a poster. No charge. MOTION PICTURES ON GOLF (list). No charge. MOTION PICTURES RELATING TO GOLF COURSE MAINTENANCE (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 (Mc­ Graw-Hill Book Co., Inc.), the authorita­ tive book on greenkeeping. $7. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGE­ MENT, a 33-page magazine published seven times a year and containing authori­ tative information on the Rules of Golf, USGA championships, handicapping, ama­ teur status, greenkeeping methods, clubs and ball, new trends and the play of the game. $2 a year. These publications ore available on request to the United States Golf Association, 40 East 38th Street, New York 16, N. Y. 11 DO YOU KNOW YOUR GOLF? How informed are you about various phases of golf? Journal, as indicated by the page numbers. The questions below are based on information in the last issue of the USGA Answers will be found on page 17 of this issue. Scoring: All answers right—par 36. For every answer wrong—add 4 to 36. Score Page 1. The first United States citizen to win the British Ama- teur Championship was: j JlvvDvi V A • ------------ (b) Walter Travis 2. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scot­ land, is the following number of years old: z-x inn luv WO ?nn Zuu fflfl 3. Under the USGA Rules of Amateur Status, a player may accept a merchandise prize provided its retail value does not exceed $230. 4. Handicaps under the USGA system are based on the fol­ lowing number of scores: Current System: Lowest 10 of last 15 ------------ True ------------ False Basic System: Lowest 10 of last 50 5. The earliest "standard” golf ball had as its main ingredient: ivduuii. & iiiiiir (b) Feathers kjuLLa. pcrcna ------------ (d) Balata 6. Golf was at one time prohibited in Scotland. 7. On the tee, you swing and miss the ball. Then, in address­ ing it again, you accidentally knock it off its little peg tee. May you pick the ball up and re-tee it without penalty? ------------ Yes TMn 8. A fly lands on your ball. May you pick up the ball and knock the fly off, without penalty? 9. You look for your drive several minutes. In resignation, you start back to the tee, saying "I give it up—it’s a lost ball.” You reach the teeing ground and tee a second ball. As you are about to hit it, your caddie yells "I found it! I found the first ball!” It is now 4 minutes 30 seconds from the time you began to look for the first ball. Are you per­ mitted to resume play with your first ball? ------------ No ------------ Yes i JL J A Hr —- 1 A 1 V 1 ft 1 O 1 o I o _____ ---- —— h 1 Z 1 -------- ---- ■ 24 12 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JUNE, 1954 THE GUTTY REPLACES THE FEATHERY by JOHN P. ENGLISH USGA Assistant Executive Director The.first gutta percha ball is believed to have been made in 1845 by the Rev. Dr. Robert Adams Paterson from the gutta percha which had been used as packing around a black marble statue of Vishnu which had been sent from India. The statue is now at St. Andrews Univer­ sity, in St. Andrews, Scotland. The earliest balls were produced under the name "Paterson’s Patent.” They were brown in color and were made with the hand by rolling the gutta percha on a flat board. They had smooth surfaces, lined to simulate the seaming of the feather balls which they replaced and ducked quickly in flight until they had been marked and cut in play. Thus they were not introduced into the game generaly until 1848, by which time the makers had learned to apply effective permanent markings to the surface so that they would fly properly. The gutta re­ mained the standard ball until 1901-1902, when the present rubber ball replaced it. The introduction of the gutta ball occa­ sioned one of the great rejuvenations in the history of the game. Its lower cost, longer life, improved flight, truer run on the greens and the fact that it did not fall apart in the rain attracted an enormous number of new players, and the feathery was quickly abandoned despite the best propaganda efforts of its makers to protect their livelihood. The influx of new players, in turn, forced the conversion of the Old Course at St. Andrews to a full eighteen holes. Until the gutta ball was developed, golfers played "out” along what is now known as the left-hand course, until they reached the End Hole. There they turned around *From an exhibit of the development of clubs and balls in “'Golf House.” and played "in” to the same holes. If two groups approached a green simultaneously, preference was given to those playing "out.” However, as golfers multiplied with the advent of the gutta ball, the links proved too narrow to accommodate them, and about 1857 it was widened sufficiently to turn the greens .into double ones so that eighteen holes could be cut instead of nine. Gutta balls were generally as large as, if not larger than, the modern United States ball of diameter not less than 1.68 inches. They were marked 26, 26 27, 27j/z, 28, 28 Yz or 29 to designate their weight. These numbers probably referred to pennyweights in the troy weight scale. In this scale, 20 pennyweights equals an ounce. Gutta balls were far easier to make than featheries, since they consisted solely of the single lump of gutta percha, properly molded. Gutta percha is a concrete juice produced by various trees and has the prop­ erty of becoming soft and impressible at the temperature of boiling water and of retaining its shape when cooled. It is not affected by water except at boiling tem­ perature. How They Were Made Gutta percha was procured from over­ seas in long, round rods about an inch and one-half in diameter. Sufficient gutta percha was cut from this rod, with the aid of a gauge, to make a ball of the desired size and weight. This piece was softened in hot water. At first it was shaped and rolled by hand and nicked with the thin end of a hammer. Later iron molds, or ball presses, were introduced, first with plain molding surfaces and subsequently with indented surfaces to create markings on the ball. When first painted, gutta balls were given several coats, until it was noticed that this tended to fill the indentations of the mark­ USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JUNE, 1954 13 ularizing the iron clubs he used so deftly. A full range of clubs at the zenith of the gutta ball period consisted of seven woods (driver, bulger driver, long spoon, brassie, middle spoon, short spoon and putter) and six irons (cleek, mid-iron, loft­ ing iron, mashie, niblick and cleek putter). From these the golfer usually selected about eight. The range of clubs which Willie Park, Jr., had in winning the British Open Championships of 1887 and 1889 was bulger driver, straight-faced driver, spoon, brassie niblick, wooden putter, cleek, iron, mashie, iron niblick and Parks Patent putter. The increase in the number of clubs brought about another innovation in the early Nineties, that of a simple sailcloth bag in which to carry them. The introduction of the gutta ball did not change the club-makers; it simply re­ quired them to develop new designs and materials. Douglas McEwan lived until 1896 and bridged both periods of the feathery and the gutta. His son Peter in his turn became a club-maker, and was followed by his four sons, who constituted the fifth generation of club-making Mc­ Ewans. James Wilson, who had made clubs for the feather ball under Hugh Philp, set up his own shop at St. Andrews in 1852, and Philp then took in his nephew, Robert Forgan. Forgan and his son Thomas con­ tinued the business under their own name after Philp’s death and achieved their own fame. Robert Forgan was the first to appre­ ciate the merit of hickory shafts after bolts of the wood had come up the Clyde to Glasgow for conversion to handles for ings. The number of coats was then re­ duced to two. It became customary, after applying the first coat, to let the balls season on racks for weeks before finishing them off. The best-known balls were the hand- marked private brands of the clubmakers, such as the Auchterlonies, Old Tom Morris and Robert Forgan, and the bramble and patent brands, such as the Eureka, Melfort, White Melfort (of white gutta percha), White Brand, Henley, O.K., Ocobo, Silver- town No. 4, A.l, Clan, Thornton, Park’s Special and Agrippa. The Agrippa, with bramble marking, became a great favorite. The A.l floated, but all guttas did not. In the earlier part of this period, there was a rival to the gutta ball, commonly called the putty ball to distinguish it from the "gutty.” It was named the Eclipse and was made of undisclosed ingredients, pos­ sibly including India rubber and cork fill­ ings. It had a shorter carry but longer run and better wearing qualities. Effect on Clubs The gutta percha ball was harder than the feather ball and put a considerable strain on the slender clubs with which feather balls had been stroked. Thus wood­ en heads gradually became shorter and squatter in shape. Hard thorn was dis­ carded for the softer apple, pear and beech in the heads, and leather insets appeared in the faces. Hickory, which for golf orig­ inally came from Russia and later from Tennessee, replaced ash in the making of shafts. Iron clubs increased in both number and variety and became vastly more refined. The superlative play of Young Tom Morris, of St. Andrews, who died in 1 87 5 .at the age of 24 after winning four British Open Champion­ ships, is cred­ ited with pop­ Golf ball evolution {left to right): a feather ball (its leather cover holds a silk hatful of down), a gutta percha ball, a rubber-core ball, a pneumatic ball {filled with compressed air) and a modern ball. All these are displayed in "Golf House." 14 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JUNE, 1954 pick, shovel, rake, hoe and ax. Thomas Forgan produced the bulger driver and the ebony putter. Old Tom Morris, the Ander­ sons and the Auchterlonies were other noted club-makers at St. Andrews, and there were Ben Sayers at North Berwick, Willie Park of Musselburgh, the Simpsons of Car­ noustie and many more. In March, 1891, Willie Dunn, son of Willie of the famed Dunn twins of Scot­ land, arrived in the United States to lay out the course at Southampton, N. Y., for the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, and he remained to make clubs here. The trade itself was little changed. Wooden heads were cut out of a block, filed, spoke-shaved, chiseled, gouged, leaded, boned, glass-papered, sometimes stained and treated with a hare’s foot dipped in a mix­ ture of oil and varnish. Where the club­ heads used by Allan Robertson were only five-sixteenths of an inch deep, the depth gradually increased to one inch and, for a time, two inches. Iron heads were hand-forged from a bar of mild iron, heated, hammered, tempered, emery-wheeled and polished, and the socket was pierced for the rivet and nicked. Hick­ ory shafts were seasoned, then cut, filed, planed, scraped and glass-papered down to the required length, shape and degree of whippiness, which was the real art. Shafts for wooden heads were finished in a splice, glued onto the heads and whipped with tarred twine. Shafts for irons were finished with a prong to fit into the socket and holed for the iron cross-rivet. Strips of untanned leather, shaped with a chisel, were nailed to the top of the shafts, wound on spirally over a cloth foundation similarly applied, rolled tight between two polished boards and nailed at the bottom. Both ends of the grip were bound with tarred twine, and the whole grip was then varnished. Caliber of play improved greatly with the advent of the gutta ball. Allan Robert­ son, when finally won over to it, shattered all precedent by scoring a 79 at St. Andrews in 185 8, and this record stood until Young Tom Morris made a 77 in 1869. The British Open Championship was USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JUNE, 1954 MUSEUM PIECE EVOLUTION OF THE GOLF CLUB GRIP 1850 • 1953 This wall piece was prepared by J. Vidor East, of Chicago, for the Museum in "Golf House." It traces the evolution of the grip from the earliest wrappings to the most modern. instituted at Prestwick, Scotland, in 1860 and was played there through 1872. Willie Park, Sr., won the first Open with a score of 174 for 36 holes, and Young Tom Mor­ ris retired the belt, emblematic of the Championship, by winning his third suc­ cessive Championship, with a score of 149, in 1870. The first known golf in the United States was played with gutta balls, and the USGA Amateur, Open and Women’s Champion­ ships originated in 1895, three years before the invention of the rubber ball. 15 THE CHAMPIONSHIP PICTURE The tumult and the shouting during the Open Championship this month emphasize the most glamorous fraction— but only a fraction—of the competitions the USGA will conduct this season. It is well understood, of course, that the Open is but one of seven Championship and two international team matches which will occupy the Association this year. The four Championships for men and boys climax an additional series of qualify­ ing rounds at various sites all over the country.' This sectional qualifying system gives the USGA responsibility for another 164 competitions this year. The 32 elimination rounds for the Open already have taken place, and in them 1,904 entrants vied for 129 places in the field at Baltusrol. Another 33 entrants, in­ cluding 14 former Champions, were exempt from qualifying. While the galleries are not so large and the tensions not so agonizing as in the Open itself, these sectional competitions require a vast amount of volunteer assistance from friends of the game in our member clubs and they provide a multitude of capsule dramas as the line is drawn between success and failure. The 46 trial rounds for the Amateur Public Links Championship, the 48 for the Junior Amateur Championship and the 38 for the Amateur Championship are yet to be played, but lists of the sites are carried on this page. Entries for the Amateur Public Links must have been received by the sectional qualifying chairmen no later than June 4, and the trial rounds will be held between June 19 and 26. Entries for the Junior Amateur must be received by the USGA no later than July 6, and the qualifying will take place generally on July 20. Entries for the Amateur must be re­ ceived by the USGA no later than July 12, and the qualifying will be held generally on July 27. Women’s championships do not yet re­ quire sectional qualifying. However, entries for the Women’s Open must be received no later than June 21, and the Championship will be played at the Salem Country Club, Peabody, Mass., July 1 through 3. Entries for the Girls’ Junior must be in by Aug. 16. The Championship will be held at the Gulph Mills Golf Club, Bridge­ port, Pa., Aug. 30 through Sept. 3. Entries for the Women’s Amateur close on Aug. 30, and the Championship will take place at the Allegheny Country Club, Sewickley, Pa., Sept. 13 through 18. ALA. ARIZ. ARK. CAL. COLO. D.C. FLA. GA. HAWAII ILL. IND. IOWA KANS. KY. LA. MD. MASS. MICH. MINN. MISS. MO. MONT. NEB. N.J.-N.Y. N.M. Public Links Birmingham Phoenix Little Rock Los Angeles San Francisco Denver Washington Jacksonville Miami Atlanta Honolulu Chicago Peoria Indianapolis South Bend Wichita Louisville New Orleans Shreveport Detroit St. Paul Kansas City St. Louis Omaha Metropolitan Albuquerque N.Y. Buffalo Junior Birmingham Phoenix Little Rock Los Angeles San Francisco Denver Orlando Atlanta Honolulu Chicago Indianapolis Des Moines Wichita Louisville New Orleans Baltimore Boston Detroit Minneapolis Hattiesburg Kansas City St. Louis Butte Omaha Metropolitan Albuquerque Hobbs Rochester Amateur Phoenix Los Angeles San Francisco Denver Washington Miami Atlanta Honolulu Chicago Des Moines New Orleans Boston Detroit Grand Rapids St. Paul Kansas City St. Louis Lincoln Albuquerque Albany Buffalo New York N.C. N.D. OHIO OKLA. ORE. PA. S.C. S.D. TENN. TEXAS UTAH VA. WASH. W. VA. WIS. Charlotte Fargo * Cincinnati Cleveland Columbus Cleveland Dayton Toledo Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Tulsa Portland Pittsburgh Reading Charleston Portland Philadelphia Pittsburgh Columbia Cincinnati Cleveland Memphis Nashville Dallas Galveston San Antonio Salt Lake City Salt Lake City Salt Lake City Dallas Houston Lubbock Memphis Seattle Spokane Milwaukee Alexandria Seattle Spokane Parkersburg Milwaukee Richmond Seattle Huntington Milwaukee Portland Philadelphia Pittsburgh Orangeburg Sioux Falls Memphis Nashville Dal'as San Antonio • 16 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JUNE, 1954 DEVELOPING A by GENE ANDERSEN JUNIOR PROGRAM Professional, Oyster Harbors Club, Osterville, Mass. The development of junior golfers can be made a whole lot easier if an interesting program can be arranged and if the youngsters are left with the impres­ sion their activities make up an important phase of normal club operations. It is the duty of the club professional to set up a worthwhile teaching program. From there, club officials take over and see to it that junior golfers are not completely reduced to a "seen but not heard” status. My theory has always been 60 per cent fun and 40 per cent instruction for young­ sters starting out in golf. I do considerable clowning and laughing with my students, and it seems to make them eager to come back for the next lesson. It is impossible to teach a youngster as you would an adult, so I stress just the grip and the stance. The minds of young pupils are not developed to the point where they can absorb intricate instruction. Enjoyment Must Come First With the correct grip and stance, a young pupil can learn to swing the club­ head in the proper arc. By avoiding too much detail, I feel the drill does not be­ come stereotyped. Youngsters cannot de­ velop a liking for golf without enjoying it first. That is why I insist the juniors enjoy themselves while under my supervision. Early teaching should include, a lecture or two on golf’s etiquette. The juniors should be taught that golf is a quiet sport and consideration must be given to others at all times. Youngsters can do their holler­ ing and get their bodily contact in other sports but should be instructed that golf is, to a large degree, a game of concen­ tration. DO YOU KNOW YOUR GOLF? I Answers to questions on page 121 1. (b) Walter Travis 2. (b) 200 3. False. Limit is $150. 4. True. True. 5. (b) Feathers. 6. True. 7. No. See Definitions S and 30, and Rules 14 and 27-lc. 8. No. See Definition 17, and Rules 16 and 23-3. 9. Yes. See Definition 6. So much for the instruction side from the professional’s viewpoint. The best way to round out the teaching program is to have a tournament at the close of the season and award prizes for the best performances. Here’s where club officials should come into the picture. If at all possible, the youngsters should receive their awards at the same time and from the same club official handing out prizes to the club champion and runner-up. Being in a golf atmosphere such as that, the prize-winning youngsters have the proper feeling of recognition. Having been shown that club officials are interested in their activities, junior golfers begin to think in terms of a longtime association with golf. A properly enlightened young­ ster can develop into the ideal future member. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JUNE, 1954 17 NEW MEADOW BROOK COURSE Work is advancing rapidly on the new golf course of Long Island’s Meadow Brook Club on what was formerly the Middleton S. Burrell property at Jericho, N. Y. The course, being constructed by Dick Wilson, is scheduled to be planted in September and, if all goes according to plan, ready for play next summer. It will be of real championship length and design, with shorter tees for average and women’s play. The Club is using the famous old course and clubhouse at Westbury for the last season. On November 1 the property will be taken by Nassau County to make way for a cross-island parkway. Meadow Brook was formed in 1881, ac­ cording to its certificate of incorporation, "to support and hunt a pack of fox hounds in the proper season, and to promote other out-door sport.” But it was as a polo center that it became best known. Before World War II many international matches with Great Britain, Mexico and Argentina were played at Meadow Brook’s International Field, involving such famous polo-playing members as the Waterburys, J. Watson Webb, Devereux Milburn, Louis E. Stod­ dard, Tommy Hitchcock, Jr., and Winston Guest. The Board of Stewards on October 18, 1 893, authorized the formation of a Golf Committee and the laying out of a golf course. At a subsequent meeting, about two months later, the Golf Committee was em­ powered to hire a professional to teach golf to the Club members. Scene of First Women’s Amateur So, in spite of horses and hounds, golf came to Meadow Brook, and the club actually played host to the first USGA Women’s Amateur Championship in No­ vember, 1895. The turf on which Meadow Brook is situated is famous for its springy quality and ideal for golf, which assumed a more and more important place in Meadow Brook activities as the years went by. Polo in­ terest appeared to decline correspondingly. Where the Club had eight polo fields at Westbury, it probably will have no more than two at Jericho. According to latest reports, the Deep­ dale Golf Club, at Great Neck, N. Y., is to remain in its present location. The Long Island parkway will take some of its property, too, and necessitate a rearrange­ ment of the holes. What is now wooded land on the club property will be cleared and a new championship layout is planned. The architect on this project, too, is Dick Wilson. Deepdale was built in 192 5 on the prop­ erty of the late William K. Vanderbilt. The fate of Meadow Brook is shared by the Tuxedo Club, in Tuxedo Park, N. Y., which was laid out in 1889 and is the sec­ ond oldest club in the Metropolitan New York area. Tuxedo is giving way gradually to the New York State Thruway. Construction crews already have blasted their way through a part of the venerable golf course, and the members now can use only nine of the holes. The Thruway will swallow up practically all the course by the end of the season. The Club has not yet reached a final decision on a site for a new course. New officers of the American Society of Golf Course Architects are, from the left, Robert F. Lawrence, of Miami Beach, Fla., secretary-treas­ urer; William H. Diddel, of Carmel, Ind., presi­ dent; and James Gilmore Harrison, of Turtle Creek, Pa., vice-president. 18 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JUNE, 1954 MORE CLUBS of CHAMPIONS by in “GOLF HOUSE” EDWARD S. KNAPP, JR. USGA Executive Assistant It’s a poor workman who blames his tools, but golf champions cannot be poor workmen. They have a refreshing way Denny Shute, of Akron, Ohio, who was British Open Champion in 1933, presented the brassie he used then. of crediting their clubs for much of their success. The USGA wrote again recently to a group of United States and British Cham­ pionship winners, soliciting contributions of clubs which had played a part in the winning of their championships for our exhibit of Clubs of Champions in “Golf House.” Charles R. Yates, of Atlanta, Ga., the Captain of last year’s Walker Cup Team, immediately sent the driver he had used in winning the 1938 British Amateur Championship. Of it Ke wrote: “It played a very useful role in the Championship and also in the Walker Cup Match of that year. The moderate amount of loft was useful - in keeping the ball down under the wind along the seaside courses of Troon and St. Andrews.” Littler’s Wedge Gene Littler, of San Diego, Cal., sent along the pitching wedge, which he used along with his sand wedge in winning the 1953 Amateur Championship at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club. When Julius Boros won the 1952 Open Championship, his wedge and his putter received almost equal credit. The putter, a large bulbous aluminum-headed affair, has just been placed among the “Clubs of Champions.” Lew Worsham, of Oakmont, Pa., for­ warded his No. 4 iron with the explanation that he had used it in making several birdies on par 3 holes at the St. Louis Country Club, where he. won the Open Championship after a play-off with Sam Snead in 1947. Two other 1953 winners have already sent in clubs, Rex Baxter, Junior Amateur Champion, donating his driver, and, Miss Betsy Rawls, first Women’s Open Cham­ pion, her putter. In point of age, Mrs. Temple Dobell’s mashie is the oldest of the recent acquisi­ tions. Mrs. Dobell, who lives in Cheshire, England, won the USGA Women’s Ama­ teur Championship as Miss Gladys Ravens- croft in 1913, defeating Miss Marion Hollins in the final at the Wilmington (Del.) Country Club. It has been so well buffed and polished that no clue to the maker’s name can be detected on the back of the head. Of her No. 7 iron Miss Dorothy Kirby, of Atlanta, Ga., USGA Women’s Amateur Champion of 1951, writes: "—used to chip with in the national, and to my mind, played a big part in my winning. It saved me many times by getting my ball close enough to make a one-putt when I needed it.” It is the hope of the USGA that the task of financing “Golf House” will be com­ pleted this year. Approximately $7,500 is needed to reach the goal of $110,000. Con­ tributors since the last issue have been: Individuals Harold W. Glissman W. S. Hook Bill Horne Spencer L. Jones Keith Kallio Alpheus Winter, Jr. Associations Bowling Green Golf Association, Ky. Metropolitan Club Managers Association Others USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JUNE, 1954 19 HANDICAPPING CHAPMAN FOURSOMES Last july the USGA Journal pub­ lished a description of the increasingly popular Chapman-style of foursome play, developed by Mr. and Mrs. Richard D. Chapman, of Pinehurst, N. C. In this style of play, both partners drive and then each plays a second stroke with the other’s ball. After the second strokes have been played, one ball is selected to be continued in play by alternate strokes. At the time that article appeared, how­ ever, experience with the system had been too brief to provide a solid basis for de­ termining a fair handicap allowance. Chap­ man has been studying this problem for some time but has been perplexed because a fixed percentage appeared to work a hard­ ship on higher-handicapped players. Now he believes he has hit upon an improved formula for stroke play. In foursome stroke play (not four-ball) the USGA recommends that 50 per cent of partners’ combined handicaps be al­ lowed; when selected drives are permitted, 40 per cent. In the Chapman system, where selected seconds are the order of play, it is •Chapman’s recommendation that the fol­ lowing sliding scale of percentages be used for combined handicaps: Combined Combined Combined Per cent Hdcp Per cent Hdcp Combined Hdcp 10 (and under) 35. 11 35.1 35.2 12 13 35.3 14 35.4 15 35.5 16 35.6 17 3 5.7 35.8 18 19 35.9 36. 20 36.1 21 22 36.2 23 36.3 36.4 24 25 36.5 36.6 26 36.7 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 36.8 36.9 37. 37.1 37.2 37.3 37.4 37.5 37.6 37.7 37.8 37.9 38. 38.1 38.2 38.3 38.4 38.5 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 Per cent Hdcp 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 38.6 38.7 38.8 38.9 39. 39.1 39.2 39.3 39.4 39.5 39.6 39.7 39.8 39.9 40. 40.1 40.2 40.3 Per cent 40.4 40.5 40.6 40.7 40.8 40.9 41. 41.1 41.2 41.3 41.4 41.5 41.6 41.7 41.8 41.9 42. The recommended maximum handicap for any one player is 40 and the minimum scratch, under this system. Fractions of .5 and more are computed as 1. These allowances were employed for the first time this spring in the John D. Chap­ man Memorial Mixed Foursomes, which the Silver Foils and Tin Whistles conduct at Pinehurst for a trophy honoring Chap­ man’s late father, and the results were very satisfactory to Chapman. Mrs. F. S. Dick­ inson and H. B. Smith won with a gross score of 82 and a net score of .66. Of the seventy-one teams in the competition, only four had net scores under 70. The compe­ tition is at stroke play and Chapman has no basis for a recommendation for a match­ play allowance. The USGA itself has had no experience with the Chapman system of foursome play and therefore has no official recom­ mendation for handicapping it. 20 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JUNE, 1954 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 first decision issued in 1954. "R.37-7” refers to Section 7 of Rule 37 in the 1954 Rules of Golf. Movable Obstruction Defined USGA 55-55 R. 31 Q: A ball was hit from the seventeenth tee and hooked, landing in fairly heavy grass about midway between a tree and a ball washer at the eighteenth tee, the distance between the tree and the washer being about two feet. This washer is on a post like a fence post driven about two feet or more in the ground and with a piece of iron V shaped on the bottom to keep it solid. These washers are placed at every tee as a permanent fixture and have never been removed even during the winter. The player who made the shot insisted he had the right to move this washer and with the aid of caddies was able to pull it out of the ground, claiming that under the Rules it was a movable obstruction on the course. He was then able to make a clear shot to the green and tie the match, suffering no penalty for his bad tee shot. The matter was re­ ferred to the Golf Committee but they couldn’t agree as to whether the washer was or was not a movable object but did agree that it had been put there as a permanent fixture. Question by: Frank H. Reynolds New York, N. Y. A: The ball washer which you described appears to be an immovable obstruction within the meaning of Rule 31. The player may have been entitled to relief under Rule 31-2, governing immovable ob­ structions, but he was not entitled to relief under Rule 31-1, governing movable obstructions. A movable obstruction is one which may be moved only with reasonable effort, without unduly delaying play in violation of Rule 37-7 and with­ out permanently impairing proper course mainte­ nance. The penalty for a violation of Rule 31-1 is loss of hole in match play and two strokes in stroke play; in four-ball play the penalty would not ex­ tend to the player’s partner (see Rules 40-3g and 41-8). Claim Need Not Halt Play USGA 53-56 R. 11-1 Q: A and B are playing a match for which no referee was appointed. On one of the holes a dispute arises. A makes a claim before the players play from the next teeing grourtd, as required by Rule 11-1. X states that this procedure is in accordance with the Rules and that the matter may thereafter be referred to the tournament committee at an appropriate time. Y states that the dispute must be resolved on the spot, before the players play from the next teeing ground or, in the case of the 18th green, before they leave that green. Which is correct? Question by: Wilbur F. Warner San Francisco, Cal. A: X is correct. Lifting Another's Ball USGA 53-57 R. 23-1 QI: When on the putting green may a fellow­ USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JUNE, 1954 21 competitor in stroke play or an opponent in match play mark your ball after asking permission to do so? Al: Never; Rule 23-1 provides: "A ball to be lifted under the Rules or Local Rules shall be lifted by the player or his partner or either of their caddies.” Q2: If not permissible, which one incurs the penalty, if any, the owner of the ball or the per­ son who marks the ball? A2: The penalty is levied against the player responsible for the breach. In match play. If the owner consents to have his ball lifted by his opponent or his opponent’s caddie, the owner loses the hole. If the opponent or the opponent’s caddie lift the ball without permis­ sion of the owner, the opponent loses the hole (Rule 27-2a is superseded by Rule 23-1 in this case). In stroke play. If the owner consents to have his ball lifted by a fellow-competitor or a fellow­ competitor’s caddie, the owner is penalized two strokes. If a fellow-competitor or a fellow-com­ petitor’s caddies lift another’s ball without permis­ sion, there can be no penalty since they are outside agencies (Definition 22) and as such cannot be penalized. -inch or 94-inch crossrod, which keeps the chain-link wire from buckling and also supports the drag chain. A heavy chain should not be used as it tends to drag the sand up and over the lip of the bunker. Care should be exercised in determining the height at which the assembly is anchored to the tractor so that the twisted ends of the chain-link wire drag in the sand at the right pressure and so that the effect is one of continuous light furrows, such as might be obtained with a hand rake. It should be noted that a dual-tired trac­ tor has been used which supplies all the necessary power and with less tracking or depressing of the sand than might occur with a single rear-tired tractor. Bunkers at Tamarack range in size from as small as 100 square feet to as large as }4-acre, with a total area of all bunkers approximately 90,000 square feet. There has been no difficulty in accomplishing the entire operation with one man and a tractor in a half day with this attachment. THE MAN IN CHARGE OF TURFGRASS CONDITIONING AT THE LOS ANGELES COUNTRY CLUB by C. G. WILSON Western Director, USGA Green Section When our young golfing enthusiasts un­ veil their swings in the Junior Amateur Championship next August, it will be over one of the best conditioned courses in the country. No small part of the young­ sters’ satisfaction will trace to the turf­ grass manager at The Los Angeles Country Club, William Beresford, Superintendent of Grounds. In his 26 years at The Los Angeles Country Club, Beresford has received in­ creasing responsibility, from his start as Superintendent of Gardens, Trees and Greenhouses to overall Superintendent of Grounds. This gives him the job of plan­ ning and overseeing the work on two 18- hole golf courses and seven acres of gardens and greenhouses. Now that Bill is approaching the half- century mark, he can look back fondly on many accomplishments at his 309-acre plant. They include propagation and plant­ ing of 37,000 trees and shrubs, building one of the finest private orchid and Anthurium collections in the country, and 370 blue ribbons and 31 trophies for floral exhibits. Bill’s training started at the County Antrim Agricultural Technical School, William Beresford, Superintendent of Grounds, The Los Angeles Country Club, Los Angeles, Cal. Northern Ireland, where he was graduated in 1921. In 1922 he left for further tech­ nical training at the University of Southern California, where he was graduated in 1926. He accepted a position as Assistant Super­ VGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JUNE, 1954 31 intendent of the E. L. Doheny estates for one year before coming to The Los Angeles Country Club, where he has been ever since. As a keen observer of all plant life, Bill’s enthusiasm and capacity for hard work has promoted the name of The Los Angeles Country Club and the stature of his fellow superintendents far beyond the boundaries of Wilshire Boulevard. Among his extra­ curricular activities have been the presi­ dencies of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of Southern California and of the Hollywood Horticultural Society. At present he is a director of both the Southern California Golf Course Superintendents Association and the Southern California Horticultural Institute. In addition he is an active member of the Pacific Coast Rose Society and the Research Advisory Com­ mittee of the Experimental Program in Turfgrass Culture. He also has the honor, and hard work, entailed in being vice- president of the Golf Course Superintend­ ents Association of America and chairman of the Schedule Committee for the South­ ern California International Flower Show. In enjoying The Los Angeles Country Club, Junior Amateur Championship con­ testants will make special note of the supe­ rior turf on No. 13 green and the superb, weed-free fairways. In 1942, Beresford ob­ served a fine vigorous strain of creeping bentgrass, since designated Los Angeles Country Club bent, that was free from weeds and graininess and rapidly crowding other bentgrass strains in the area. From this small start enough vegetative material has been increased to stolonize No. 13 green on the North course, two greens on the South course and a sod nursery that covers three-quarters of an acre. In 1949 it was obvious to Beresford and the Green Committee, then headed by C. C. Simpson, Sr., that a major renovation program was needed on the fairways. Lack of a feeding program through the years had encouraged crabgrass, fennel, daisy, dichondra and dallisgrass to the detriment of the desired bermuda, bent and annual bluegrass. After, consultation with the USGA Green Section, C. K. Hallowell, County Agent, Philadelphia; O. J. Noer, Agronomist, Milwaukee Sewerage Commis- COMING EVENTS Aug. 3 Turf Field Day, Rutgers University, New Bruns­ wick, N. J. Dr. Ralph E. Engel. Aug. 9 Texas Turfgrass Association Field Day, Cedar Crest Golf Course, Dallas, Tex. Grover Keeton. Aug. 19, 20 Twenty-third Annual Turf Field Days, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, R. I. Dr. J. A. DeFrance. Sept. 8, 9 Turf Field Days, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pa. Prof. H. B. Musser. Sept. 15 First Annual Rocky Mountain Turfgrass Con­ ference, Colorado A. & M. College, Ft. Collins, Colo. Prof. A. M. Binkley. Sept. 17 Utah Turfgrass Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah. A. R. Emery, 721 East, 3120 South, Salt Lake City, Utah. Sept. 21, 22 Eighth Annual Regional Turf Conference. State College of Washington, Pullman, Wash. A. G. Law. Sept. 27, 28 Midwest Regional Turf Foundation Field Days, Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind. William H. Daniel. Sept. 30 Northern California Turfgrass Conference, Uni­ versity of California, Davis, Cal. R. M. Hagan. sion; and V. T. Stoutemyer, Professor of Floriculture and Ornamental Horticulture, University of California, Los Angeles, it was decided to establish acre test plots with recognized herbicides followed by fertilizer to strengthen the desired turfgrasses. Based on these findings, Bill embarked on a pro­ gram of twice-yearly treatments with sodium arsenite, organic fertilizer and turf cultivation that has resulted in some of the finest playing turf in the country. A true championship golf course is the result of many interrelated components. It must be a championship test of golf; it must have a championship turf manage­ ment committee of club officials; and it must have a championship golf course superintendent. The Los Angeles Country Club has all three. 32 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JUNE, 1954 IT’S YOUR HONOR Debt Repaid To the USGA: I am happy to enclose herewith my personal check to "Golf House” Fund which, I trust, though small, you will kindly accept since I note that you still need $7,674. Golf over the past twenty-eight years has given me a lot in terms of personal enjoy­ ment, out-door recreation and health. W. S. Hook Magna, Utah From Former Collegiate Champion To the USGA: My purpose in writing is to relate that I am declaring my intention of turning pro­ fessional and would like to use this oppor­ tunity to extend my appreciation to the USGA for the many wonderful benefits that I have gained from playing amateur golf. Thomas Nieporte Cincinnati, Ohio Wonderful Opportunity To the USGA: My superintendent, John Wysocki, Charley Baskin of the Country Club of Waterbury and I talked over at some length what we had heard at the meeting to introduce the Regional Turf Service as we drove back that night, and we agreed that no club in its right mind should pass up such a wonderful oppor­ tunity. To have the combined knowledge and skill of so many research experts behind one’s course will indeed be a comforting thought. Henry P. Sterns Chairman, Green Committee Watertown Golf Club Watertown, Conn. To the USGA: I wish to express, on behalf of the Country Club of Virginia and myself, appreciation for the many constructive suggestions that Al Radko gave us for the preparation of our course for the 195$ Amateur Championship. As a golf-course superintendent, it was a pleasure to work with Al Radko. He is in­ deed a credit to the USGA and a good friend to all golf-course superintendents. If you can Editor's Note: The USGA Journal invites comments on matters relating to the welfare of the game and will publish them if space permits. obtain the services of men like Al Radko, the Regional Turf Service will be of un­ limited value to all golf clubs and superin­ tendents. Tom Dawson, Jr. Richmond, Va. To the USGA: Charles Wilson, Western Regional Director of the USGA Green Section, has made his first visit to our course, the Olympia Country and Golf Club. We want both you and Mr. Wil­ son to know we feel his visit was extremely helpful, and we already have been amply re­ paid for the small cost of the service which is provided by your Association. Mr. Wilson was extremely helpful by his ability to explain in simple terms and lan­ guage that could be understood by all present the problems we had, his suggestions to elim­ inate these problems and why his suggestions should be followed. I have talked with so- called experts in turf culture many times, but I have never encountered one who could so capably cover it as Mr. Wilson. We are look­ ing forward to his next visit. Adolph D. Schmidt, Jr. Olympia, Wash. The Governor's Lady To the USGA: I have just been reading the last issue of the USGA Journal, which I always enjoy very much. 1 notice a list of available pub­ lications and would like to have a copy of the Rules of Golf. I would also like to have a copy of Tournaments for Your Club which you list as available. Mrs. Dan Thornton Denver, Colo. Another Vote against Pools To the USGA: I have read with interest the item about the Metropolitan Golf Association which appeared in the February issue of the USGA Journal and Turf Management. I am much op­ posed to organized gambling at golf clubs. For several years Calcutta pools have been organized in our club and each time there is considerable dissension and bitterness as a result. (Name withheld by request) USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JUNE, 1954 33 USGA OFFICERS, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN PRESIDENT Isaac B. Grainger, New York, N. Y. VICE-PRESIDENTS John D. Ames, Chicago, III. Richard S. Tufts, Pinehurst, N. C. SECRETARY Charles B. Grace, Philadelphia, Pa. TREASURER Charles L. Peirson, Boston, Mass. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The above officers and: J. Frederic Byers, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa. William P. Castleman, Jr., Dallas, Texas Thomas H. Choate, New York, N. Y. John G. Clock, Long Beach, Cal. Frederick L. Dold, Wichita, Kansas John W. Fischer, Cincinnati, Ohio T. R. Garlington, Atlanta, Ga. Gordon E. Kummer, Milwaukee, Wis. Edward E. Lowery, San Francisco, Cal. F. Warren Munro, Portland, Ore. GENERAL COUNSEL Fraser M. Horn, New York, N. Y. COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN RULES OF GOLF: Richard S. Tufts, Pinehurst, N. C. CHAMPIONSHIP: John D. Ames, Chicago, III. AMATEUR STATUS AND CONDUCT: John W. Fischer, Cincinnati, Ohio IMPLEMENTS AND BALL: Charles B. Grace, Philadelphia, Pa. MEMBERSHIP: John G. Clock, Long Beach, Cal. GREEN SECTION: T. R. Garlington, Atlanta, Ga. WOMEN'S: Mrs. Harrison F. Flippin, Ardmore, Pa. SECTIONAL AFFAIRS: Charles L. Peirson, Boston, Mass. PUBLIC LINKS: Frederick L. Dold, Wichita, Kansas HANDICAP: William O. Blaney, Boston, Mass. JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: J. Frederic Byers, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa. GIRLS’ JUNIOR: Mrs. John Pennington, Buffalo, N. Y. MUSEUM: Edward E. Lowery, San Francisco, Cal. "GOLF HOUSE” FUND: Daniel A. Freeman, Jr., New York, N. Y. USGA HEADQUARTERS "Golf House” 40 East 38th Street New York 16, N. Y. Joseph C. Dey, Jr., Executive Director John P. English, Assistant Executive Director USGA GREEN SECTION South Building, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Md. USGA GREEN SECTION^NORTHEASTERN OFFICE Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N. J. Alexander M. Radko, Northeastern Director USGA GREEN SECTION WESTERN OFFICE Box 241, Davis, Cal. Charles G. Wilson, Western Director USGA GREEN SECTION SOUTHWESTERN OFFICE Texas A. and M. College, College Station, Texas Dr. Marvin H. Ferguson, Southwestern Director and National Research Coordinator USGA GREEN SECTION SOUTHEASTERN OFFICE Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton, Ga. B. P. Robinson, Southeastern Director