USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT RECORD OF A HOBBY IN "GOLF HOUSE" Ralph A. Kennedy, of New York, N. Y., the man who has played on more courses than any other golfer, has donated his entire collection of 3,165 authenticated score cards to the USGA Museum in "Golf House." This picture was taken in 1940 after playing his 2,000th course. See story page 6. 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 X, No. 1 APRIL 1957 Through the Green..... .......................... ................................................................................................. Value of Being A True Amateur ............................................................................. George Heaney An All-Time Record Comes to “Golf House” .....................................................Miss Nancy Jupp Golf Etiquette and the Careless Breed .................................................... -......... Joseph C. Dey, Jr. Clubs of the Elite for All to See....................................................................... Paul R. MacDonald Club Dues Tax........................... Wm. Ward Foshay Golfer's Newest Trap ......... Will Bernard National Golf Show Makes Its Start.................................................................... ................................ Demand for Courses Exceeds the Supply............................................................................................ Do You Know Your Golf? .......... ...................................... ......................... ......................................... The Referee ......... _....... ............................................................................................................. Turf Management: USGA Green Section USGA’s Eight Agronomists ................................................................. .................... .................. Analysis and Planning of Green Committee Work...............................................Allan Brown Relationship Between Green Committee and Club Administration ......................................... Relationship Between Green Committee and Superintendent „............................... ................. It’s Your Honor _..... ......................... .......... ..................................................................... 1 5 6 8 10 11 12 14 15 13 19 23 24 28 30 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. Subscription: $2 a year. Single copies: 30c. Subscriptions, articles, photographs, and correspondence should be sent to the above address. Entered as Second-class Matter March 3, 1950, at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 8, 1879. Additional entry at Post office in Sea Cliff, L. I., N. Y. Edited by Joseph C. Dey, Jr., and John P. English. All articles voluntari.y contributed. USGA COMPETITIONS FOR 1957 Championships Championship or Team Match Entries Close_____ Open Women's Open Junior Amateur Amateur Public Links Girls' Junior Women's Amateur May 16 June 14 June 14 July 26 Aug. 2 Sectional Qualifying Rounds June 3 None July 2 None None — Date of Event June 13-14-15 June 27-28-29 July 17-20 July 29- Aug. 3 Aug. 12-16 Aug. 19-24 Aug. 30-31 (1) Walker Cup Match — Amateur Senior Amateur Aug. 8 Aug. 30 Aug. 27 Sept. 9-14 Sept. 17 Sept. 30-Oct. 5 •June 20 tJuly 7-13 Location Inverness Club Toledo, Ohio Winged Foot G. C. Mamaroneck, N. Y. Manor C. C. Washington, D. C. Hershey Park C. C. Hershey, Pa. Lakewood C. C. Denver, Colo. Del Paso C. C. Sacramento, Cal. Minikahda Club Minneapolis, Minn. The Country Club Brookline, Mass. Ridgewood C. C. Ridgewood, N. J. 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. •Entries close with Sectional Qualifying Chairmen. tExact date in each section to be fixed by Sectional Chairmen. (1) Walker Cup Match—Men’s Amateur Teams: Great Britain vs. United States. A Real Hogan Fan There is a gentleman in Edinburgh, Scot­ land, who has an interest in gardening and golf. By combining avocations he has pro­ duced an unusual garden highlight, cal­ culated to interest his friends. Far from be­ ing the usual garden fare, on close inspec­ tion it looks suspiciously like what it actually is—a divot. An enthusiastic admirer of Ben Hogan, the gentleman drove to Wentworth, Eng­ land, to see the visiting American golfer appear in the Canada Cup Golf Tourna­ ment last June. Following Hogan around the course, he waited patiently until a long iron shot produced the desired souvenir. Picking up the divot, he returned with it to his home and found a spot for it in the garden—a most unusual "autograph” of Ben Hogan. Caring For Your Caddies In the Annual Report for 1956 of the Detroit District Golf Association, the Cad­ die Welfare Committee recommends to Caddie Committees of each club that they include the following on their program: 1. A year-round Caddie Master be em­ ployed for the training and super­ vision of caddies. 2. A proper caddie house or shelter be provided and also adequate and rea­ sonably priced food and beverages be available on the premises. 3. A well organized and supervised sports program, including the privi­ lege of playing the course each Mon­ day, be made available to the boys. Suggested games: Basketball, hand­ ball, table tennis, softball, horseshoes. 4. Emphasize to parents and school au­ thorities the opportunities for cad­ dies to have fun, earn money, and learn how to play golf. 5. A Spring recruitment party and a final round-up Fall party to encour­ age caddies to return the following Spring. 6. Give consideration to caddies when it rains. Have a supply of raincoats available, if possible. 7. Create incentive programs to assure better caddies. 8. Create a caddie golf team to represent your club. Some clubs permit caddies to use swimming pools on off days. 9. Literature Available'. (a) Pin Pointers (a booklet for cad­ dies). (b) Recruiting and Retaining your Caddies. (c) Caddieville, USA. (d) Caddie Committee Guide and Electric Golf Car Survey. (f) Caddie Quiz. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMBMT: APRIL, 1957 , Are You A Litterbug? A golf course is a beautiful site, but not when it is defaced by selfish and lazy golfers who scatter their litter indiscrim­ inately along the fairways. The Portland (Maine) Country Club Green Committee has tried to counteract this unnecessary habit by sending out a circular to its members headed "Are You A Litterbug?” W. W. ’Bill” Greer, of Davenport, Ill., and Tom Dreier, of St. Petersburg, Fla., Tom Dreier Photo by Keep America Beautiful, Inc. have more specific ways of fighting the anti-litter campaign. Attaching litterbags to their caddie carts they pick up the trash on their round and deposit it when they get to the clubhouse. Last year the Sinclair Golf Club, in Raw­ lins, Wyo., closed its course for a week­ end while the members cleaned the fair­ ways. Another Club in Clark, S. D., sets aside an evening each spring for a spring clean. Such instances should not be necessary. Golfers would not litter their own gardens with cigarette packs, torn up cards or pop bottles, so there is no excuse for such be­ havior on the links. /Vew Putter and Grip The USGA has received several in­ quiries as to whether a new putter being marketed on the West Coast conforms to Rule 2-2 of the Rules of Golf. The shaft is attached to a swivel in the center of the head, and the lie can be ad­ justed to suit the purchaser and locked by means of a set screw. The back of the head is slightly lofted and is adaptable for chip shots. Our Implements and Ball Committee has considered this club from two separate as­ pects: (i) the use of the swivel and set screw in attaching the shaft and (2) the two faces. In accordance with precedents estab­ lished in several cases, the Committee found no objection under Rule 2-2b to the swivel and set screw, provided the set screw were locked and permanently sealed by the purchaser prior to play so that the club is not capable of adjustment during a round, as required by Rule 2-2b. However, the Committee concluded the club did not conform to Rule 2-2d inas­ much as it has two faces of differing lofts and can be used to circumvent the four- teen-club rule. The USGA also has had its attention drawn to a new grip in which the alleged- y correct hand position is molded in. As the advertisement says: "The shaping makes it difficult to hold them any way but the right way.” All grips of this type do not, of course, conform to Rule 2-2f, which provides among other things that, "The grip shall be substantially straight and plain in form, may have flat sides but shall not have a channel or a furrow or be molded for any part of the hands.” Club Managers Elect President Col. Richard E. Daley was elected presi­ dent by the Club Managers Association of America at their annual conference in New York. Royce Chaney, Northwood Club, a as, Texas, was elected vice-president and Dan Layman, Union League, Philadel­ phia, was elected secretary-treasurer. 2 USGA JOURNAL AN 3 TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 THEY RUN SOCIETY OF GOLF COURSE ARCHITECTS Officers of the American Society of Golf Course Architects elected at their Annual Meeting held at Boca Raton, Fla., are from left to right: David W. Gordon, Doylestown, Pa., secretary-treasurer; William F. Bell, Pasadena, Cal., president; Howard Watson, Lachute, Que., Canada, vice-president. Col. Daley has been vice-president of the association and is manager of the Army-Navy Country Club, Arlington, Va. More than a thousand of the 1700 mem­ bers attended the conference. Col. Daley was graduated from Youngs­ town College with an LL.B, degree and practiced law in Cleveland from 1925 to 1929. He is married and has one son, Rich­ ard B. Daley, who is manager of Kahkwa Club, Erie, Pa. iVew Record for Women The 72-hole score of 279 which Miss Mary Lena Faulk of Thomasville, Ga., made in the St. Petersburg, Fla., Open at the Sunset Country Club in February is a new all-time low for women and should be so recorded in place of the 284 scored by Miss Louise Suggs, of Carrollton, Ga., in the 1952 Women’s Open Championship at the Bala Golf Club, in Philadelphia, Pa. It is noteworthy, however, that Miss Faulk won by only three strokes, and the runner-up was Miss Suggs, who with her score of 282 also broke her old record. Miss Faulk’s scores were 71-67-73-68—279. St, Andrews Prepares St. Andrews University senate has made arrangements to advance its graduation ceremony by five days to alleviate the ac­ commodation problem which arose when the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews announced the changed venue of the British Open Championship. The Old Course, which has been closed for five and a half months, the longest period in its history, was re-opened for play on April 1. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 3 During this period of inactivity the course has undergone an extensive over­ haul. The soil has been top dressed, new tees have been laid and others improved. Many of the bunkers which were causing concern have been renovated. Two of the contestants became en­ grossed in conversation upon completion of play at the eighth green. As they walked down the ninth fairway, still conversing, they paused to ask their caddies where their drives had gone, only to be informed that they had forgotten to drive. Memorial to Dr. Lawson The Chapel Hill Country Club, Chapel Hill, N. C., reopened this spring as the Robert Baker Lawson Golf Course, re­ named in memory of the man who devoted much of his life to development and wel­ fare of the course. Dr. Lawson, for many years a member of the University of North Carolina faculty, was primarily responsible for introducing his daughter, Estelle Lawson, better known as Mrs. Julius A. Page, Jr., to the game. Mrs. Page was Womens Amateur Cham­ pion in 1937. Taking charge of the course 26 years ago, Dr. Lawson built the original course and was its guiding spirit until his death in 1952. R & A Goes Sectional Interest, both domestic and foreign, in the British Amateur Championship has in­ creased to such an extent in recent years that the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews last year reduced the maxi­ mum handicap for eligibility to two strokes and now has decided to institute sectional qualifying rounds patterned after our own system, effective in 1958. Details of the sectional qualifying sys­ tem remain to be established, but prospec­ tive entrants should note that British en­ trants for USGA Championships normally are required to undergo sectional qualify­ ing tests. Exceptions are made, of course, from time to time for foreign players of special qualifications, such as members of visiting Walker Cup Teams. Cham pionship Form The South African Golfer, in reporting a Women’s Championship, came up with this story: For Your Library Prentice-Hall has published Book II of Tips From The Top, a collection of articles contributed by leading professionals and reproduced from the magazine Sports Il­ lustrated. Like its predecessor, the new volume has been compiled by Herbert Warren Wind and illustrated by Anthony Ravielli. Add it to your collection for $3.95 or purchase the two books neatly boxed together for $6.90. A novel dollar’s worth of instruction is Milt Rappoport’s Oh, No! published by Simon and Schuster. Designed principally for the longer handicap golfer, it incorpo­ rates ten detachable cards covering the cures for golf’s most prevalent ills. Golf and Be Damned by Lawrence La- riar, which pokes fun at a golfer from every known angle, would be a dangerous weapon in the hands of any golf widow! It is a book designed to make one laugh and forget at the nineteenth, but not to be inwardly digested (Prentice Hall, $2.95). Mr. Lariar has also edited You’ve Got Me in a Hole, a compilation of golfing cartoons (Dodd, Mead, $2.95). Necrology It is with deep regret that we record the deaths of: Earle F. Tilley, Chicago, Ill., well known golf historian and collector of an­ cient golfing literature. He had contributed to the USGA Journal on several occas- sions. An attorney for the past forty-six years, Mr. Tilley played most of his golf at the Olympic Fields Country Club. Mrs. J. H. Faulk, Thomasville, Ga., mother of Miss Mary Lena Faulk, Wom­ en’s Amateur Champion of 1953. 4 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 THE VALUE OF BEING by A TRUE AMATEUR GEORGE HEANEY Professional, Brookside Golf Courses, Pasadena, Cal. ^|1HE United States Golf Association de- fines an amateur as ". . . one who plays the game solely as a non-remunerative or non-profit-making sport.” A true amateur plays golf for sheer en­ joyment—because he loves the game. He loves its challenges, its competition; he loves being out under the sky amid the beauty of the green fairways. He loves the friendships and the comradeship of his fel­ low players. He thrills at a good shot and suffers dis­ appointment at a poor one. Each shot of an opponent either encourages or disheart­ ens him. Yet, all this is in an atmosphere of sociability and good fellowship. Golf presents more challenges than any other sport. Every course, every hole, each shot and each putt is a challenge. There is competition from the first tee to the last hole. If a player is not compet­ ing against an opponent or against the field, he is competing with par or his own course record. He is always competing against some­ thing. And while the competition is very keen, it is not a life or death struggle—it is friendly and it is fun, and is beneficial to his mental and physical well being. The challenge of golf is just as keen to a player trying to break 100, as it is to one trying to break 70. Golf is for everyone. It was not designed for only the low scor­ ers. Had it been there would be no courses. The value of golf is not found in a low score. While the ability to score well may bring a certain satisfaction, it is the striv­ ing which brings the thrills and the joys of playing the game. There is an inner satisfaction from playing the game by its Reprinted by permission of The Junior Golfer, published by the Junior Golf Association of Southern California. GOLF PROVERBS He's an unwise pro that beats his only pupil. The hole is greater than a half. The longer the grass, the shorter the temper. Never say "Dead." Up all night, down all day. Putt in haste and repent at leisure. All holes are blind to those who cannot play. Gerald Batchelor Rules, and as a gentleman and sportsman— regardless of the ultimate score. Missing the Boat As one plays golf—so is he. If an ama­ teur plays with an ulterior motive—if he plays for any reason other than the joy of playing—if he is so concerned with win­ ning a dollar or so, that he will make a sharp wager, or, if to win he will violate the Rules or the Spirit of Golf (which is the spirit of fairness), he has "missed the boat.” If he can do those things and live with himself, he not only has a poor roommate, but he will never get from golf the many things it offers. He is not a true amateur, and certainly not a credit to the game, and golf would be better off without him. Golf opens many doors to an amateur— but if he plays for the sole purpose of opening doors, he will find them closed. The true amateur plays because he loves golf; he would rather contribute to it than take something from it. The professional also loves golf. But it is his business, it is his work. Golf is not the business of the amateur. To him it is a release from his occupation. I firmly be­ lieve, that to be a professional in the full­ est meaning of the term, he first must have been a true amateur. The true amateur status is valuable and its rewards are many and gratifying. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 5 AN ALL-TIME RECORD COMES TO "GOLF HOUSE” by MISS NANCY JUPP THE United States Golf Association Mu­ seum in "Golf House” has become the richer by 3165 exhibits in one fell swoop! The donation was made by Ralph A. Kennedy, of New York, N. Y., who has handed over his entire collection of score cards, signed, dated and numbered, from every course he has played in 43 years of golf. It was not simply a generous gesture. It was a truly magnanimous gift, a triumph of sentiment over sentimentality. To open one of the four safe deposit boxes was, for him, to unleash the genii of memory. Five cards grouped together from Peoria, Ill., represented one day’s golf; four from different counties in Ark­ ansas reminded him of an all-day dash that started at 5 a.m. and ended in pitch dark­ ness with six fore-caddies endeavoring to locate the balls. His most vivid recollec­ tion of that day was holing out from the side of the green at the 18th for a par 5. Early the next morning he replayed the hole in daylight and took an 8! These were not isolated instances. In 1933 he took in the eight Bermuda courses in two days. A seven day visit to Chicago the following year added twenty- one new cards to his collection. On a trip to Maine in 1935, Kennedy played thirty- one courses in nine days, averaging 87. The Real Significance But statistics can never get to the core of this unique achievement which may well stand for all time. This quietly spoken New Yorker, a founder member of the Winged Foot Golf Club, in Mamaroneck, N. Y., is no fanatic. He is a man who loves golf, and who made it his medium for recreation and a quest in life. The story of how he started out to bet­ ter the record of a British music-hall actor, Charles Leonard Fletcher, in 1919 has often been told. The real significance of Mr. Kennedy’s story lies deeper than that. He and his wife had always wanted children. They were never blessed with any. Instead they found a mutual and lasting interest in golf. Now at the age of 75, Mr. Kennedy’s eyesight is failing. Three years ago he was forced to lay aside his clubs, and it is per­ haps appropriate that card number 3165 in his collection belongs to New York State (Hamilton Inn Golf Course, in Lake Pleas­ ant) as does the initial one (Van Cort- landt Park). He knows the intervening numbers as well as any philatelist knows his stamps. Hearing that my home club was Long- niddry, in Scotland, he reached for the keys to one of his boxes. 'Til make you feel homesick”, he said, producing card 3007 almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Not merely did he remember his round there, but also a story of the sheep which were put to graze on the course during the war. Memory Is Bright Although he has bequeathed the tang­ ible evidence of his golfing travels, jour­ neys which have taken him through the forty-eight states besides thirteen other countries, nothing can dim his legion of memories. Foremost of all was his 3000th venture over the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland. Typical of his modesty, he was ready to step aside to let a celebrity, for whom photographers and a gallery had turned out, tee off before him. His knees shook and his hands trembled when fellow-countryman, Ellis Knowles, also of New York, pointed out to him that he was the man they had come to see. Mr. Kennedy had paid St. Andrews a high compliment. The folk of 6 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 MR. KENNEDY'S MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT Mr. Kennedy keeps a stiff upper lip as he drives off from the first tee on the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, his 3,000th course. Flanked by a battery of cameras and in the presence of former British Walker Cup players, John B. Beck and Leonard Craw!ey, he hit a fine drive down the middle. The player on the right is Ellis Knowles, of New York. St. Andrews had turned out in acknowledg­ ment. He was the celebrity. When he visited two sand courses laid out by an oil company in Peru, he had to sail into a bay and be ferried ashore by lighter to the Talara course. From there he went by truck through a tunnel in a mountain to neighboring Negretis. On the lighter side Mr. Kennedy found himself placed astride a donkey to be transported up to the first tee at Union­ town Country Club, Uniontown, Pa. Less docile animals he encountered were the young bear at Jasper Park, Alberta, Can­ ada, who mistook his ball for a mushroom and stood sniffing anxiously, and the stags at Cypress Point Club, Pebble Beach, Cal., who reared their magnificent heads and stood menacingly until their does and fawns had had time to escape. His reflections are not confined to his own activities. He values the time he has spent in the company of Bob Jones. He warms when he recalls the showmanship of Walter Hagen and the likeable personality which he still enjoys from time to time. He classes the late Harry Vardon, former Brit­ ish and United States Open Champion, among the finest stylists he ever saw, and as a lover of children his mind goes affec­ tionately back to the day he played with a little Georgian 6 year old who grew up to be one of the biggest names in women’s golf, Miss Louise Suggs. Ralph Kennedy is already a legend in the golfing world. Now the testimony of his intensive crusade is on show for all to see. If any reader thinks he has played on a fair number of courses, he may get a shock to find that he will have to multiply that number by fifteen to reach Mr. Ken­ nedy’s total. Check and see for yourself. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMBNT: APRIL, 1957 7 GOLF ETIQUETTE AND by THE CARELESS BREED JOSEPH C. DEY, JR. USGA Executive Director THE tender turfgrass of a golf course has many natural enemies in the world of bugs and worms and fungi. To the list of costly opponents must, unfortunately, be added a careless breed of the genus golfer. He is the fellow who doesn’t replace divots on fairway and tee — who plows through the sand of a bunker without a thought of smoothing his marks — who fails to repair ball marks on the green after his group has holed out—who leaves a trail of trash in his wake for someone else to pick up. If the careless golfer did what he should, he would save himself and his fellow-play­ ers a repair bill of about five million dollars a year—somewhere around five per cent of what it costs to maintain all the courses in the country. There are 5,358 courses, and they spend from $80,000,000 to $100,000,000 a year for course upkeep to please America’s 3,680,000 golfers. But there are other important costs of negligence. What golfer’s pleasure has not been spoiled by the excavations of some preceding player? The offending player, too, has been hurt, for who can be negli­ gent of the rights of others without losing something good in himself? A strange change of personality comes over some otherwise respectable citizens when they embark on golfing pleasure. They become largely unmindful of any game and any interests but their own. It is, in minor degree, much the same sort of personality quirk that takes charge of some of us when we get behind the wheel of an automobile—a change that accounted in large measure for the 37,800 needless deaths in motor accidents last year. The thoughtless breed is found every- A lady golfer demonstrates what NOT to do in a bunker. This photograph was taken from the USGA film "Etiquette", an excellent reminder of golf's courtesy code. where, from first-class private clubs to the most simple public courses. At one fine club which has entertained USGA Champ­ ionships, more than 50 per cent of the members do not replace divots on fairway and tee, according to the course superin­ tendent. Still more do not repair ball marks on greens after they have holed out; many don’t know how to do it without causing further harm to the greens. To counteract such human failings, golf has a written code of manners. The first thing in the Rules of Golf is a section on Etiquette. It covers two principal subjects—the re­ lation of the player to his fellow-golfers, and the relation of the player to the course. 8 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 Here is a quick summary of how to behave though a golfer: i. When someone is playing, don’t move, talk or stand near or directly behind the ball or the hole. 2. Don’t tee your ball until it’s your turn to play. 3. Don’t play until players ahead are out of range. 4. Play without delay. 5. Invite other players to play through when: (a) You are looking for a balk (b) Your group falls a hole behind the players in front, and the group behind is waiting on you. (c) They are playing a full round and you are playing a shorter round. (d) You are playing alone (a single player has no standing, golf being a sociable game). 6. Fill up all holes you make in a bunker. 7. Replace divots on tees and fairway and in rough. 8. Repair carefully any damage to putt­ ing greens made by your ball or you; do this after your group has holed out, but be sure to do it then. 9. Don’t drop your bag or the flagstick on the green. to. Don’t damage the hole by standing close to it or in handling the flag­ stick. Replace the flagstick care­ fully, and in its normal position, before leaving the green. 11. When play of the hole is over, your group should leave the green promptly. 12. Teach your caddie these things. Contrary to report, it honestly isn’t true that golfers operate under rough-and- tumble laws such as "Don’t pick up an­ other players’ ball until it stops rolling.” You can wrap up golf’s code and any other code of etiquette in one word—cour­ tesy. Despite our faults, that’s really what most golfers believe in, and that’s one rea­ son why golf is a delightful game. But let’s have more of it. USGA PUBLICATIONS OF GENERAL INTEREST THE RULES OF GOLF, as approved by the United States Golf Association and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scot­ land. Booklet, 25 cents (special rates for quan­ tity orders, more than 500). THE RULES OF AMATEUR STATUS, a poster. 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, contain­ ing suggestions for guidance in the conduct of women's golf in clubs and associations, in­ cluding tournament procedures, handicapping and course rating. 25 cents. HANDICAPPING THE UNHANDICAPPED, a reprint of a USGA Journal article explaining the Callaway System of automatic handicap­ ping for occasional players in a single tour­ nament. No charge. TOURNAMENTS FOR YOUR CLUB, a reprint of a USGA Journal article detailing various types of competitions. No charge. PROTECTION OF PERSONS AGAINST LIGHT­ NING ON GOLF COURSES, a poster. No charge. MOTION PICTURES: "Play Them as They Lie", an official USGA film (16 mm. color, with sound, runs 16^6 min. Rental $15.) Descriptive folder. No charge. "Inside 'Golf House'," an official USGA fi’m (16 mm. black and white, with sound, runs 27 min. Rental $15.) Descriptive folder. No charge. "The Rules of Golf—Etiquette," on official USGA film (16 mm. color, with sound, runs 17V^ min. Rental $15). Descriptive folder. No charge. These three films available in combination at $25 for two or $35 for three. List of films on golf available from other sources. No charge. List of films on golf course maintenance available from other sources. No charge. HOLE-IN-ONE AWARDS. No charge. GAMBLING IN GOLF TOURNAMENTS, a reprint of a USGA Journal article by Richard S. Tufts. No charge. MISTER CHAIRMAN, a reprint outlining the duties of the Chairman of the Green Commit­ tee. No charge. TURF MANAGEMENT, by H. B. Musser (Mc­ Graw-Hill Book Co., Inc.), the authoritative book on greenkeeping. $7. USGA CHAMPIONSHIP RECORD BOOK. De­ tailed results of all USGA competitions since their start in 1895. $2. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT, a 33-page magazine published seven times a year. $2. a year. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 9 CLUBS OF THE ELITE FOR ALL TO PAUL R. MACDONALD USGA Executive Assistant THE Clubs of Champions collection in "Golf House” has now reached the gratifying total of eighty-eight. It repre­ vantage around the greens and out of that very tough rough at Somerset Country Club, St. Paul, Minn.” sents players who have won their titles both here and abroad. Notable additions recently acquired in­ clude the No. i iron Byron Nelson used in winning the 1939 Open at the Spring Mill course of the Philadelphia Country Club, Pa. It was this club that Nelson used to hole his second shot for an eagle 2 on the par 4, 453-yard fourth hole, in the sec­ ond play-off against Craig Wood. Nelson originally gave the set of iron clubs he used during this championship to Harry Scott, Superintendent of the Reading Country Club, Pa., where he had been pro from 1937 through 1939. Subse­ quently, John S. Bleecker, Jr., of Indianapo­ lis, Ind., obtained them and presented the No. 1 iron to the Museum. An aluminum-headed putter used by the late S. Davidson Herron in the 1919 Ama­ teur Championship at the Oakmont Coun­ try Club, Oakmont, Pa., where he defeated Robert T. Jones, Jr., 5 and 4 in the final, has been contributed by Mrs. S. Davidson Herron, of Sewickley, Pa. The renowned name of Auchterlonie is now represented in the "Golf House” col­ lection. D. Laurie Auchterlonie, of St. An­ drews, Scotland, has presented a putter used by his uncle, the late Laurie Auchterlonie, in winning the 1902 Open at Garden City (N. Y.) Golf Club, and a driving iron with a Stewart head used by his father, Willie Auchterlonie, who was British Open Champion in 1893. Frederick J. Wright, of Watertown, Mass., the 1956 USGA Senior Amateur Champion, has contributed his No. 11 iron, which, he says: "I used to good ad­ A No. 12 iron has been presented by J. Wood Platt, of Philadelphia, the first USGA Senior Amateur Champion who won his title at the Belle Meade Country Club, Nashville, Tenn., in 1955. A mallet-headed putter which was in­ strumental in helping James H. Buxbaum, of Memphis, Tenn., gain the 1956 Ama­ teur Public Links Championship at the Harding Park Golf Course, San Francisco, Cal., has also been added to the collection. The oldest club in the collection is a putter made by the famous Scottish club maker, Hugh Philp. The club is believed to have belonged to Allan Robertson, who was born in St. Andrews, Scotland, in 1815. Robertson never was beaten in a stake match on level terms, according to legend. Perhaps the most famous club in the collection is Calamity Jane II,” the put­ ter Robert T. Jones, Jr., used in winning the last twelve of his thirteen champion­ ships. It is a blade putter with a hickory shaft. The great triumvirate — Harry Vardon, H. Taylor and James Braid—are repre­ sented by a jigger, niblick and brassie re­ spectively. Each club has a unique story Walter Hagen s mashie, Gene Sarazen’s sand iron, Ben Hogan’s 4 wood, Mrs. Glen- na Collett Vares spoon, and the late Mrs. Babe Didrikson Zaharias’s driver are but a few of the American champions whose clubs are represented in the collection. The Association is grateful to those who have so generously contributed clubs to the collection. We feel sure they will be a source of constant interest to visitors at "Golf House.” 10 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 CLUB DUES TAX by WM. WARD FOSHAY General Counsel THE USGA Executive Committee has authorized a special committee and the General Counsel to follow in detail de­ velopments in respect of the Federal club dues tax. In the April, 1956 issue of the USGA Journal and Turf Management, there was an article of our former General Coun­ sel discussing this tax and the status of various matters under it at that time. Since then, there have been several ad­ ministrative developments of interest: Club Cleaning and Storage — The Internal Revenue Service recently issued a ruling (Rev. Rul. 56-620) to the effect that payments for the service of cleaning and storage of golf clubs are not subject to the tax if those payments are made by the members to the professional golfer as an independent contractor or concession­ aire, even though collected for him by the club as a matter of convenience. On the other hand, if the professional performs such service as an employee of the club, payments for the service for a period of more than six days, whether made to the club or to the professional as a collection agent of the club, are subject to the tax. Valet Service—The Internal Revenue Service also recently ruled (Rev. Rul. 56- 621) that a charge made by a club to its members for valet service is not subject to rhe tax. Minimum Charges for Food and Beverages—It has been brought to the attention of the Internal Revenue Service that some clubs have adopted or contem­ plate adopting, a minimum charge for a specified period against which members may eat or drink, and that to the extent the member does not use up the charge, he is billed by the club for the difference. The Service has ruled informally that the entire amount of the minimum charge is subject to the tax even though the member more than uses up the charge. In a report, dated December 31, 1956, of the Subcommittee on Excise Taxes to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, there were two recommended changes in the club dues tax which will be of interest to our members: Assessments for Capital Construc­ tion—Under one of these, there would be exempted from the tax any assessment paid for the construction or reconstruction of any social, athletic or sporting facility (or for the construction or reconstruction of any capital addition to, or capital improve­ ments of any such facility). Such assess­ ments would be exempt only if paid after the effective date of the bill for construc­ tion or reconstruction begun on or after such date. Life Memberships — Under the other recommendation, it would be provided that, in the case of life memberships, an annual tax could be paid by the member equivalent to the tax upon dues paid by other members having similar privileges to those of the life member, or, at the elec­ tion of the life member, a single tax could be based upon the amount paid for the life membership. The life member would be required to make the election to pay either the annual tax or the single tax at the time of the first payment for the life member­ ship, or in the case of those who are al­ ready life members, within six months after the effective date of the bill. The President of our Association has written to the Chairman of the House Sub­ committee and has endorsed these recom­ mendations, advanced suggestions for the elimination or amelioration of the applica­ tion of the tax to charges for such volun­ tary services as locker rentals and club storage and cleaning, and recommended reduction in the rate of the tax. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 11 GOLFER’S NEWEST TRAP by WILL BERNARD golfers: MEMO to America’s five million There’s a new kind of trap on the links these days. Even though you can’t see it, it’s staring you in the face every time you shoot. It won’t hurt your score, but it can fracture your bank roll. Because of it, you can now golf your way into sudden pov­ erty. They call it a "damage suit”—and you’re lucky if you haven’t found out about it the hard way. Plenty of hapless golfers have. And with courses never more crowd­ ed (and verdicts never more generous), your chances of a disastrous trip to court are at an all-time high. I don’t mean that you should park your clubs in the ash can and take up tiddly­ winks. But I do mean you should do a little thinking, while you pull on those spiked shoes, about something else beside the high price of golf balls and whether to try lofting over the tree on that dog-leg 13th. As a starter, reflect on this shocking statistic: more than 10,000 people will get hurt—badly hurt, with shattered bones and concussions and blinded eyes—on our golf courses this year. Then tuck a few tips into your subconscious. These aren’t my sugges­ tions. I’m just another duffer who can’t break 90 (and will never quit trying). These tips are based on the official, mel­ ancholy proceedings of the courtroom. 1. Obey golfing etiquette. The reason isn’t politeness. The reason is that, if you disregard the rules of eti­ quette, you’ll have two strikes against you at the bar of justice. An impatient North Carolina golfer teed off without waiting for the twosome ahead to take their second shots. He figured he had plenty of room, but he was wrong. His ball clipped one of the twosome in the kneecap. The affair wound up in court, where the golfer’s breach of etiquette set him back $500 in damages. In Pennsylvania, a golfer watched with disgust as his tee shot sailed out of bounds. He pulled a second ball out of his pocket for a Mulligan. This time his shot trickled a measly 40 yards out from the tree. Grimly he marched over to his bag, took out an­ other ball, and fired once more—even though the other players had already start­ ed walking ahead. This time he drove a screamer—right into the side of a com­ panion’s head. In the lawsuit that followed, the judge bore down hard on etiquette: ' The defendant violated a rule of the game and a custom known to all golfers, namely, that he had to play his second drive and was not permitted a third ball.” The tab: $5000. On a course in Virginia, a golfer felled his companion with an approach shot. The victim had been some distance ahead in the rough, searching for his lost ball. Sued for damages, the golfer protested: "I was lying farthest away from the green, so it was my turn to shoot. He had no business walking out ahead of me.” Maybe not,” conceded the victim, "but when I couldn’t find my ball, that changed the picture. Instead of taking his shot, he should have come up to help me hunt. At our club that’s the etiquette.” Result: the defendant golfer was nicked for $5000. II. When in doubt, always holler "Fore.” Z Reprinted from Esquire, May, 1956. Copyright by Esquire, Inc., 1956. O.K., so you’re sensitive. You’d feel like a yokel, bellowing "Fore” at somebody way 12 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 over yonder. You’re not that cockeyed a shot. Well, when you get trotted into court to face a damage claim, don’t say you weren’t warned. Here is the warning: In front of every golf ball there’s a zone of danger. You’re an optimist, and you should be by all means. It’s good for your game. So you visualize that danger zone as a practically straight corridor, stretching a beautiful 250 yards right down the middle of the fairway. But the law is a pessimist. The law sees slices and the law sees hooks. It sees the zone of danger as a wide V spreading out on both sides of the ball. How wide is the V? One authority has suggested 33 degrees as the "angle of danger.” That is, if anyone’s within 33 de­ grees to left or right of a straight line, you’ve got to cry out. But even that may not be enough cau­ tion to satisfy the law. In a Pennsylvania case a golfer swung at a tee shot, barely tipping the ball and squirting it off to the right at almost a 90-degree angle. A cad­ die got hit and sued, and the court held the golfer liable—to the tune of $1000— for having failed to holler "Fore.” The Ohio Court of Appeals wrapped the whole thing up in a blunt sentence: "It is a matter of common knowledge that the performance of a golf ball is completely unpredictable.” Should you yell after the ball’s in the air, if you see some­ one in danger? That’s really touchy. If you do, you might still avoid an accident. But you also might—as the New York Supreme Court and the St. Louis Court of Appeals have warned—cause the victim to turn, face the ball and thus get hurt a lot worse. When there’s any question at all, holler—and loud—before you swing. III. Keep a special lookout for absent­ minded caddies. Sounds unfair? Well, when the chips are down in court, it’s the caddies—at least, the younger ones—who walk off with the most verdicts. The main reason is that, because of their tender years, the law gives them an extra break (at your expense). "Youth is impetuous,” explained the Missouri Court of Appeals, "and not al­ ways inclined to pay strict attention to the matter in hand.” IV. Never forget this: you’re playing with deadly weapons. Did you know that a well-hit golf ball travels faster than 250 miles an hour? All courts agree that a golf ball, by vir­ tue of its speed and hardness, calls for an extraordinary degree of care. The same thing goes for the head of your club, which (at a swinging 200 m.p.h.) also packs plenty of menace. A cocksure girl golfer watched with scorn as a fellow player topped her drive. "Look here,” she announced, “I’ll show you how.” So saying, she gripped her driver and took a healthy swipe at an imaginary ball. Her form was perfect. The club whipped around in a perfect arch, conked her girl friend on the noggin, and laid her out cold. "But I never dreamed she was standing right behind me,” protested the girl when sued. Nevertheless the court held her liable, saying she had no business brandishing such a dangerous instrument without first making sure the coast was clear. How can you guard against the danger of a lawsuit? For one thing, by all means take out comprehensive personal-liability insurance—before you ever dig a divot. This policy gives you cheap, broad cover­ age specifically tailored for the purpose. But that’s just a second-best safeguard. The best protection is to stay on the friendly side of the law. As a rule, that’s not hard to do. All it takes is a bit of mental conditioning, an honest, sober look at the sport. Golf is a grand game, but it’s not for daredevils and show-offs. Do you think— on the level, now—do you think safety is sissy stuff? Does it cramp your style to be careful? Then golf isn’t your cup of tea. The rest of us five million golfers will thank you kindly if you’ll get off the links. But if you can have fun and still play fair with the other fellow, then don’t wor­ ry too much about damage claims. The law has no quarrel with good sportsmanship. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 13 NATIONAL GOLF SHOW MAKES ITS START Sponsors' Enterprise Rewarded A seed sown a year ago in the minds of two enthusiastic young golfers — David Lupton, merchandising executive, of Philadelphia, Pa., and John Eaton, adver­ tising executive, of New York, N. Y., came to fruition last month with the first National Golf Show. The Show was held at the Armory, in New York, and created considerable inter­ est from the point of view of both exhibi­ tors and spectators and, according to the promotors, will become an annual event. The principal feature was the putting green, complete with sand bunker, design­ ed by Robert Trent Jones. Two thousand pieces of turf were brought in from the Bayside Golf Club, Bayside, N. Y., to cover the 4,000 square foot area which was turfed and moulded. The green was the site of a competition in which participants pitched five wedge shots, the score being the total distance of the balls from the hole. The shot was far from easy. Played off a mat surface, the competitors were required to pitch over the bunker. The ultimate winner was Maurie O’Con­ nor, Belleville, N. J., with a total of 15 ft. 10 in., followed by Doug Ford, Mahopac, N. Y., and amateur Charles Bohmert, Mamaroneck, N. Y. Well known players who took part included Jack Burke, Tommy Bolt, Craig Wood, Gene Sarazen, Jimmy Thomson, Harry Obitz, George Bayer and Don January. Commentaries were given by Paul Hahn, who also ex­ hibited his own trick shots. The Professional Golfers’ Association displayed the Ryder Cup which the Uni­ ted States has held since 1935. Many visi­ tors took advantage of the style analysis offered by the several teaching profession­ als in daily attendance. The merchandising booths displayed various golfing wares from golf spikes to motorized carts and embraced indoor tar­ get golf, golfing resorts and fashion shows. In all eighty-five exhibitors took part in the Show. Golf in all its various aspects has never before been so coordinated. John Eaton has stated that both he and David Lupton are pleased with the attendance figures and that the exhibitors were delighted to be showing to a one hundred per cent golfing public. The USGA booth staged in conjunction with the Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio, and the Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, N.Y., venues of the 1957 Open and Women's Open Championships. The two Open trophies and the Walker Cup are featured center. To the right is a montage Of Robert T. Jones, Jr.'s "Grand Slam" with current National Champions; to the left, clubs of the feather and gutta percha ball era from the "Golf House" Museum. 14 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 DEMAND FOR COURSES EXCEEDS THE SUPPLY Construction An Enormous Project JVFEW golfers are pouring into golf, J- creating a constant demand for new courses which for years to come will far outweigh the supply. Golf course architects and construction firms are assured of perpetual work in the immediate and even distant future, and they are working wholeheartedly to try and cope with the demand. The Annual Report on Golf Course De­ velopment put out by National Golf Foundation, Inc., states that more new courses have been opened for play in 1956 than in any similar period since 1931. If these completed courses are added to those currently under construction, the total of 612 reaches an all time high by as much as 100 over the previous figure. Even the boom in short course develop­ ment is being maintained, the number scheduled or under construction being half as many again as the 175 already in exist­ ence. At the turn of the century there were only 982 courses in the United States. By 1923 that number had been doubled. The steady increase reached its peak in x934 when the total climbed to 5,727, but then the depression years took their toll of over 500, and just when the graph was beginning to climb once more, the war in­ tervened. When the country’s golfers returned seriously to the game, 900 of its courses had gone by the board. In the past decade more than half that number has been replaced. But it is a slow process. A golf course from its actual conception to its opening day goes through approxi­ mately three years of incubation. The average golfer is apt to take his course completely for granted. Only oc­ casional founder members can remember what the terrain looked like before the course existed and appreciate the fore- sightedness and artistry of the architect in converting the raw material But before the architect is even called in it may take months before committees decide on which of alternative sites, if they are lucky enough to have a choice, pro­ vides the best value for money, and the land is acquired. The architect has many headaches to overcome even on a relatively flat area. Armed with maps of the property, topo­ graphical maps and aerial surveys, he has to try and incorporate as many of the ac­ cepted good features as is comparable with the material at his disposal. If it is essential that the clubhouse be at one end of a long narrow rectangle, then it may not be possible to include two loops of nine. The area may have one or two natural features which determine the layout of cer­ tain holes. The rest of the course may have to be juggled around these permanencies. It is a fascinating jig-saw that has many alternative routes to the final solution. It is only when the construction work gets underway that the pioneers can really begin to feel that their venture has been worthwhile as the blueprint is slowly trans­ formed into tangible and practical form. The work of the construction firm varies according to the terrain. Land that needs heavy drainage and felling and crop­ ping of many trees will naturally take longer to complete than the rolling, sandy linksland that is found around the shores of Britain. The accompanying pictures of construc­ USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 15 tion work on three different types of courses may convey a clearer idea of what an architect starts out to achieve. Of the course at Gatlinburg, Tenn., the designer, William B. Langford, of Chicago, says: "I have designed what I believe is the most unusual golf course in the world at the foot of the Great Smokies. It certainly is the strangest one I have had to create in my over forty years of golf course architecture. "The tee shot on the first hole drops 100 feet at the 240 yard mark. The tenth hole goes down hill 90 feet in 470 yards. An un­ derpass was necessary between the ninth green and the tenth tee to avoid an irk­ some climb. The eleventh hole in 540 yards climbs 110 feet and the twelfth hole drops 170 yards in 150 yards. "Fatigue in playing the course is oc­ casioned principally by climbs from green to tee which can be ameliorated by ski lifts.” William F. Gordon of Bala-Cynwyd, Pa., was responsible for the 36-hole layout at the Dupont Country Club, Newark, Del. Here we show two excellent illustrations of the initial clearing through a forest which finally resulted in the 14th hole on the Louviers course. It seems beyond the com­ prehension of the layman that a particular hole—or indeed a course—could be en­ visaged from a forest of trees. Robert Trent Jones of New York, oc­ casioned work of a different nature when he decided to build a green jutting out into the ocean at the new Eleuthera course in the Bahamas and sent amphibious bull­ dozers into the Caribbean. COURSES ARE CARVED FROM MOUNTAINS ANDR From twelfth tee to green at the Gatlinburg course, in Tennessee, at the foot of the The two pictures above she Great Smoky Mountains. This hole has a drop of 170 feet in 150 yards. Country Club, in Delaware ,, USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 CONSTRUCTION WORK IN THE CARIBBEAN Bulldozers take to the water when it comes to grading a green in the ocean. The course in question is on Eleuthera, in the Bahamas, designed by Robert Trent Jones. JESTS he fourteenth hole on the Louviers course, Dupont •efore" and "after." A fine example of ingenuity. In the picture above the bulldozers are shaping the beach to allow the water to en­ gulf the green, the banks of which have already been graded. The site was a natural, with a neck of land jutting out into the water and sur­ rounded on three sides. The hole which Jones has designed is a real tiger of 600 yards from the back tee, 480 yards from the women’s tee. It is a dog-leg to the right with ample fair­ way for the faint-hearted to play safe but allowing the more ambitious player to carry across the water with his approach. Typical of the master hand, it comes at a point, the sixth, where any self-respect­ ing player should have played himself in and have run out of alibis. Golf courses are one commodity which can not be mass produced. You would not like to play them if they were. So next time you have a slow round, or have to rise to get a round when the hands of the clock have not yet had time to stretch themselves, spare a thought for the tre­ mendous project that made your round possible and count your blessings. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMBNT: APRIL, 1957 17 DO YOU KNOW YOUR GOLF? Answers to questions below will be found on page 27. Scoring: Answers right: 4 {par 36). For every answer wrong: 5 1. Which of the following have won both the Women’s Open and Amateur Championships: (a) Miss Betty Jameson............ (b) Miss Betsy Rawls............ (c) Mrs. Jacqueline Pung........ ............ Score 2. How often has the United States lost the following international trophies: (a) Walker Cup ................ (b) Curtis Cup .................. (c) Ryder Cup .................... ............ 3. Can you name the three British professionals known as the "Great Triumvirate”? Which is still alive?...................................................... 4. Has anyone played on both United States Walker and Ryder Cup Teams? 5. Great Britain has already named its captain for the Walker Cup at Mini- kahda Club, Minneapolis, Minn, on August 30-31. Can you name him? 6. A road is a hazard True................ False................ .......... 7. Can a player, standing on the tee at a short hole, send his caddie forward to attend the flagstick, or must he be on or near the green? 8. Can you name a husband and wife who have captained the Walker and Curtis Cup teams, respectively?................................................................................... 9. Can you name the order in which Robert T. Jones, Jr., won his "Grand Slam” events in 1930? ................................................................................................ 18 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 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. "57-1" means the first decision issued in 1957. "D" means definition. "R. 37-7" refers to Section 7 of Rule 37 in the 1957 Rules of Golf. Ball Lifted By Opponent USGA 56-30 R. 23-Pre., 27-23, 40-36, 40-ic Q1: A and B were both on the green, A being away. No request was made to mark B’s ball, so she turned her back on the play momentarily and then saw A roll her (B’s) ball away from its location, after marking the ball. B claimed A should be penalized one stroke under Rule 27-23. Al: B was within her rights in making the claim. The preamble to Rule 23 provides: "A ball to be lifted under the Rules or Local Rules should be lifted by the owner or his partner or either of their caddies. For ball lifted by opponent or fellow-competitor, see Rule 27-23 or 27-3.” A player may authorize some one other than himself or one of his side to lift his ball, but the player must take the responsi­ bility. “Equipment” Does Not Include Ball Q2: In a mixed four-ball match, a play­ er’s ball played from just off the green struck the ball of the player’s partner on the green; the ball when played was with­ in twenty yards of the other ball. Does the ball come under the heading of equipment under Rule 40-36, and is any other rule involved? A2: Rule 40-ic applies; there is no pen­ alty. In Rule 40-36 the term ''other equip­ ment’’ does not include a ball. Questions by: Harry L. Moffitt Heather Downs Country Club Toledo, Ohio Touching Sand in Bunker USGA 56-31 D. 14a, R.33-1 Q: During the Mississippi Open Tour­ nament, a professional requested a ruling. He stated that in the backward movement of the club for the stroke, the clubhead touched the sand in a hazard. The Rules Committee ruled that he had incurred a two-stroke penalty in accord­ ance with Rule 33-ib. The player took the penalty in stride, but requested that I write you, telling you the details. His clubhead touched the sand on the backward movement of the club about twenty to thirty inches from the ball. He claims that he did not actually sole the club. Under Definition 14a which reads in part: ''A 'bunker' is an area of bare ground, USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 19 often a depression, which is usually cov­ ered with sand,” player claims that he did not touch the ground but the sand cover­ ing same. Player also wants to know if he would be penalized if, in making the backward movement of the club, the wind blows sand that touches the clubhead. QI: Was the Rules Committee in order by invoking a two-stroke penalty? Q2: Is the sand in a bunker considered part of the hazard? Q3: Would wind-blown sand touching the clubhead in a hazard be a penalty? Questions by: C. H. Stewart Great Southern Golf Club Gulfport, Miss. Al: Yes, under Rule 33-1. A2: Yes. A3: No. Teeing Ground Precisely Defined USGA 56-32 D. 32 Q: In interpreting Definition 32, is the rectangle two club-lengths in depth mea­ sured from the line of the nearest inside points of two tee marks lengthwise at ground level? How about widthwise? Is it the line from the inside or outside edge points of the two marks? Question by: S. Takahata Hirono Golf Club Kobe, Japan A: The outside line, from the front of each mark, is the front boundary of the teeing ground. The outside lines, from the outer points of each mark, are the side boundaries. In at least two USGA Championships, players have been permitted to tee on the tee marks and have been considered to have teed within the teeing ground. Weighted Head Cover Does Not Violate Rules USGA 56-33 Misc. Q: My driver, instead of having a nor­ mal head cover, was equipped with a weighted cover which I swung on eacn tee prior to addressing the ball. It was, of course, removed and was not employed when I actually took my stance. It is my opponent’s contention that this constitutes an artificial aid, whereas it is my conten­ tion that inasmuch as it is not used in ac­ tual play, it has no relevance to any equip­ ment rule. Question by: Frederic M. Comins Newark, N. J. A: Your contention is correct. Referee Handling Rail And Placing Before Dropping USGA 56-36 D. 26, R. 22-2, 31-2 Q: In the final of the 1956 Spokane city championship the following occurred: On the second extra hole one player’s second shot rolled off the back righthand side of the green and came to rest in a coil of hose on top of a retaining wall behind rhe slightly elevated green. The referee ruled the ball could be lift­ ed out of the hose and within two club­ lengths away from the retaining wall, which he ruled was an immovable obstruc­ tion. The referee picked up the ball and placed it within the two club-lengths. The player on order from the referee picked up the ball again and placed it once more at a spot designated by the referee. The player then played the ball onto the green. We would like answers to the following questions: 1. Did the referee break a Rule by lift­ ing and placing the ball? 2. Can the referee arbitrarily rule that a ball may be placed before it is first dropped in the prescribed manner to determine whether it would roll into a hazard or out of bounds? 3. Is it permissible, under any circum­ stances, for a ball being played through the green to be placed before it has first been dropped in a manner prescribed by the Rules? Question by: Bob Johnson Spokane Daily Chronicle Spokane, Wash. 20 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 A: 1. A referee should not handle a bail in play. See the last paragraph of Defini­ tion 26. However, no penalty can attach to the player because of the referee’s ac­ tion; the referee’s decision is final, under Rule 11-2. 2 and 3. Although referees are allowed some discretion, there was no justification for ruling that the ball should be placed in this case. Apparently the referee felt that Rule 31-2 applied. However, Rule 31-2 re­ quires that the ball be dropped (through the green). Dropping is necessary to re­ solve any doubt as to whether it is impos­ sible to prevent it from rolling into a haz­ ard, out of bounds or nearer the hole, be­ fore permitting it to be placed under Rule 22-2. Since a retaining wall is an obstruction, if artificial, by Definition 20, the referee would appear to have been acting in ac­ cordance with Rule 31-2 in granting the player relief. A hose, however, is normally a movable obstruction, and relief from that alone would have been governed by Rule 3i-i- Ball Moved Off Tee By Stroke and Re-Teed USGA 56-35 R. 16 Q: A group of women were playing in a match. One of the women teed up her ball, executed her stroke and in doing so tipped the ball off the tee onto the ground. She insisted on reteeing the ball over the protest of her companions and finished the play of that particular hole. In match play, was she disqualified for that hole? In stroke play, would she be disquali­ fied? Also, in stroke play, if she played her original ball as it lay on the ground and teed and played a second ball under Rule 11-5, what would be her score for the hole? Question by: Charles B. Cleveland Miami Beach, Fla. A: Since the woman made a stroke, the ball was in play (Definition 5). When she then moved it purposely, she violated Rule 16 and lost the hole in match play. If the same circumstances had occurred in stroke play, she would have incurred a penalty of two strokes. If, in stroke play, she had played her original ball as it lay on the ground and also had teed and played a second ball un­ der Rule 11-5, her score with the original ball would be her score for the hole. “Outside” As Used In Obstruction Rule USGA 56-37 R. 31-2 Q: The rule says that if an obstruction interferes with your stance or the back­ ward or forward movement of your swing in the direction you are going, and you are within two club-lengths of the obstruction, you drop the ball within two club-lengths of that point on the outside of the obstruc­ tion nearest which the ball originally lay, not nearer the hole. Some argue that the word outside means to the side of this particular screen or ob­ struction so that you get a free shot at the green without interference of the screen. I tell them that the screen is not in the direction of their swing, as they have a shot to the side on the fairway and the screen will not interfere with their swing. If they go back ten club-lengths they still can’t clear the screen and have to shoot to the side for the fairway. I say they can’t move their ball. Question by: B. Chesney Carnegie, Pa. A: The word "outside”, as it is used in Rule 31-2, means the vertical plane which would form the outer limit of an obstruc­ tion such as a shed. It is not used in a sense which would permit a player to drop his ball to one side of an obstruction so that he will necessarily have a clear line of flight to the hole. Rule 31-2 provides that a player shall have relief from an immovable obstruction if his ball touch it or if it is within two club-lengths of his ball and interferes with his swing in the direction he wishes to play. In the diagram you submitted, the ball lies four feet behind the center of the pro­ USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 21 tective screen, and it is assumed that the screen would interfere with his swing in the direction of the hole. Therefore, the owner is entitled to limited relief. He must drop the ball, however, behind the screen, within two club-lengths of the point on the back of the screen nearest which the ball originally lay. Therefore, in his particular circumstance, the Rule would afford him very little prac­ tical relief. He would, presumably, still be unable to play toward the hole. Recall Does Not Affect Order of Play USGA 56-44 R. 12-2, 13-1 Q.: A and B are partners against C and D in a four-ball match. If player A plays a ball from outside the teeing ground, what action may C and D take? A.: Under Rule 13-1, they may immedi­ ately require A to replay the stroke, with­ out penalty; "immediately” here means that the opponents, if they wish to recall the stroke, must so state before anyone else has teed off. Thereafter Rule 12-2 applies, and A’s second ball is played after the opponents have played their first strokes. Caddie May Demonstrate If Play Not Delayed USGA 56-46 D. 2, R. 9 Q.: One player in a match permitted her caddie to take one of her clubs and swing it to show her how to make a cer­ tain shot. I feel, as do others, that "counsel or suggestion” as the words are used in Definition 2 should be limited. It does not seem right that a person may be given a playing lesson by his caddie during a match. Question by: Mrs. D. T. Rogers Summit, N. J. A.: Neither Definition 2, which defines advice, nor Rule 9 limit the type of advice which a caddie may give. The Rule would, however, prohibit physical assistance in the play of a stroke, as distinguished from "counsel or suggestion.” If a caddie takes an undue amount of time in giving advice to his player during „ a competition, the opponent or fellow­ competitor would be within his rights in invoking Rule 37-7, which stipulates a penalty of loss of hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play for undue de­ lay. In case of repeated offense, the penalty is disqualification. Recalling Caddie To Lift Flagstick R & A 56-79 R. 34 Q.: Is a player putting with the flag un­ attended in the hole allowed to recall the caddie to lift the flag after he has played his stroke and before the ball has come to rest. A.: The player may have the flagstick removed at any time if he considers that it interferes with his play. Rule 34-1. The player is entitled to recall the caddie to lift the flagstick as indicated in your letter. Ball Enters Water From Back of Green R & A. 56-52-12 R- 33 Q: It often happens that a player pitches over the green. On playing his second shot the ball rolls over the green and into the water hazard. From where should he play his next shot? A: In the circumstances which you de­ scribe, assuming that the player does not elect to play from the water hazard (which he may do without penalty), he may either: (a) Proceed under Rule 33-2a, drop­ ping a ball on the side of the water hazard farther from the hole, keep­ ing the spot at which the ball crossed the margin of the hazard between himself and the hole (so that in his next stroke he must play over the hazard); or (b) proceed under Rule 33-2b, drop­ ping a ball as near as possible to the spot from which the original ball was played. Under either (a) or (b) a penalty of one stroke is incurred. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 THE USGA'S EIGHT AGRONOMISTS We present the men of the Regional Turf Service now advising member clubs throughout the country. Top left CHARLES K. HALLOWELL: Mid Atlantic Director. Joined the USGA in 1955 on retirement from the post of Philadelphia County Agricultural Agent. Top center T. T. TAYLOR: Recently joined A.M. Radko at the Northeastern Office. Holds an M.S. degree in Agronomy and sits on the Turf Adivsory Committee of Rutgers University. Top right ALEXANDER M. RADKO: Joined USGA in 1947. Graduated from Maryland University in 1951 with B.S. in Agronomy. Is now Director of the Eastern Region. Above WILLIAM H. BENGEYFIELD: Graduate of Cornell College of Agriculture, N. Y. Joined the the USGA in 1954 and is now Director of the Western Region. Right DR. MARVIN H. FERGUSON: Mid-Continent Regional Director and National Research Coordi­ nator. Received his Ph.D. from University of Mary­ land. Below left JAMES M. LATHAM, JR.: Has recently joined the Southeastern Office at Beltsville, Md. He obtained an M. S. degree in Agronomy from Texas A. and M. College. Below center JAMES B. MONCRIEF: Fellow gradu­ ate of Texas A. and M. College. Was with City of Dallas Park Dept, before joining Dr. Ferguson in the Southwestern Office in January. Below right JAMES L. HOLMES: Took over new Mid-Western Office in Chicago last month. Holds a B.S. degree in Agricultural Chemistry at Rhode Island University. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 23 ■< ‘ Better Turf for Better Golf TURF MANAGEMENT from the USGA Green Section WORK OF A CLUB GREEN COMMITTEE The Green Section Committee of the Lnited States Golf Association conducted an Educational Program at the Williams Club, New York, N. Y., on January 25, 195/. The coordinator was Edwin Hoyt, of the Wee Rum Country Club, Darien, Conn., and the program proceeded in three parts: 1. An introduction to green committee work by Allan Brown, Chair­ man of the Green Committee, Montclair Golf Club, Montclair, N. J. 2. A panel discussion of the relationship between the Green Com­ mittee and the Club administration, moderated by Dr. Marvin H. Ferguson, Mid-Continent Director and National Research Coordi­ nator of the Green Section. 3. A panel discussion of the relationship between the Green Com­ mittee and the golf course superintendent, moderated by Alex­ ander M. Radko, Eastern Director of the Green Section. A transcript of the proceedings follows: Analysis and Planning of Green Committee Work By ALLAN BROWN Chairman, Green Committee, Montclair Golf Club, Montclair, N. J. HPHERE are approximately 5,000 golf -* courses in the United States, and nearly 3,000 of these are private clubs. The chances are that somewhere today, at this very moment, the president of one of these clubs is trying to enlist the serv­ ices of a club member as Chairman of a Green Committee. The member probably knows very little about agronomy or the normal problems of golf course mainten­ ance. Furthermore, it would be rare in­ deed if he had any written record of the previous Chairman’s plans. This is due to the fact that most clubs do not have a long­ term program of golf course maintenance. The handicap of not having a perma­ nent record of such a plan is best illus­ trated by an incident that occurred a few 24 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 years ago up in Manchester, Vermont. We had difficulty with drainage after heavy rainstorms on the low holes at the Ekwa- nok Country Club. We tried to locate the position of hidden drains to see if they were plugged, and we failed to find any map or similar record in our files of the course which would enable us to locate the position of these drains. Furthermore, the Superintendent had passed away a short time before, and there were no rec­ ords in his effects which would show us the location of these drains. In the course of exploring these low holes in an attempt to locate the drains, we lowered the level of the brooks that ran alongside of the fairways and in front of the greens, and at a depth of several feet exposed the ends of 20 drains, all of which had been plugged by seepage of silt, with the result that water was backing up into the fairways instead of draining into the brooks. As a result of this discovery, we under­ took a complete survey of the course, hav­ ing maps made of each and every hole, and A close-up of erosion of the banks of the brook at the fifth hole, third nine, Montclair Golf Club, Montclair, N. J. Members are often unaware of erosion and de­ terioration because it is out of sight or below the surface of the ground. A sunken drain across the middle of a fairway at the Montclair Golf Club caused this depression to appear at the fifth hole, third nine. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 25 locating all features of each hole to scale, such as water lines, drainage ditches, bridges, conduits and so forth. Last year, the President of the Montclair Golf Club of which I am a member, asked me to serve out the term of the late Ken Burns, who had been Chairman of the Green Committee. I accepted this assign­ ment because it gave me an excellent op­ portunity to compare the problems at Ekwanok with those at Montclair. Ekwanok is a short season club, lo­ cated in the Green Mountains of Vermont, where they have fairly warm summers and extremely cold winters. The course is rela­ tively flat, with the exception of one or two holes. It is also one of the oldest courses in the country and, architecturally, is typical of many courses designed around the turn of the century. The Montclair course, on the other hand, is a 36-hole affair, with the four nines starting and ending at the clubhouse. Part of the course was built in the 1890s, and another part in the 1920s, so that, architecturally, there are some antiquated features, as well as those that require a considerable amount of labor. Some of the features of the course have been neglected for a number of years be­ cause money has been diverted into other things, such as tennis courts, additions to the clubhouse and so forth. Many of the members were not aware of erosion and deterioration that had taken place because it was out of sight or below the surface of the ground. Again, we had scale drawings made of all the holes, and we plotted every feature of every hole, so that we could have a permanent record for the Green Commit­ tees of the future. We then indicated what needed to be done to the course to put it in excellent playing condition and esti­ mated the cost of each job with the order of priority for each hole. Some of these projects called for the re­ design of some of the more antiquated boles, the removal of bunkers that were no longer hazards and the elimination of some of the features that required excessively high maintenance costs. We were fortunate in having Robert Trent Jones, a prominent golf architect, as a member of the club, and we therefore had expert counsel in redesigning certain feat­ ures of the course. We also had the benefit of Carl Treat’s advice. He had been Superintendent of Montclair for many years. After a number of meetings, we selected certain projects which we recommended be completed in the current year and ad­ ditional projects to be undertaken next year and in the future. We recorded this information in a manual called "A Long-Term Maintenance Program for the Montclair Golf Course.” The purpose of this plan was: 1. To provide a permanent reference record of all features of each hole for the Green Committee. 2. To indicate "jobs-to-be-done” as part of a long-term golf-course mainten­ ance program. 3. To provide maintenance-costs history by all features covered in cost studies. 4. To identify course parts requiring ex­ tra maintenance and repetitive re­ pair. 5. To promote better planning and budgeting and provide work stand­ ards based on experience. 6. To promote better worker efficiency and more accurate cost accounting. 7. To provide standard procedure for: a. Defining the authority and duties of all responsible for golf course maintenance. b. Architectural changes in the course. c. Purchase of machinery and sup­ plies. d. Hiring of labor. e. Establishment of a research pro­ gram to investigate latest develop­ ments in golf-course maintenance. We also set forth procedures to follow in making architectural changes in the course, systems for the maintenance of equipment and so forth. We also included a section on account­ ing procedures, showing the cost trends over five-year periods for labor, machinery, materials. By this method, we were able to make comparisons with other clubs throughout 26 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 the country to see how our maintenance cost compared with theirs and to deter­ mine whether there was any way in which we could operate more efficiently. In closing, I should like to offer the sug­ gestion that the USGA Green Section appoint a committee to carry out addi­ tional research work for the benefit of its member clubs to determine such things as: i. A uniform accounting system so that we can have the same basis for com­ parison among all clubs. 2. A uniform nomenclature for all those highly specialized features that are peculiar to a golf course. 3. A definition of golf course mainten­ ance, so there will be a clear distinc­ tion between that and club ground maintenance. 4. A standard depreciation practice. 5. A determination of the latest and most successful maintenance proced­ ures, such as the painting of ma­ chinery, flagsticks, benches, ball washers and so forth. Such a committee could no doubt de­ termine from its members’ requests many other phases of golf course maintenance to study, and this information, in turn, could be disseminated to the members of the USGA for the benefit of all. Q. What is the best way to prevent brook erosion? A. Cut the banks back at an angle and put riprap in it. Q. What is the best way to drain a wet area? A. The USGA should determine the an­ swers to these problems for its member clubs. Just the other day, I witnessed an entirely new method for installing a drain. Tile and loose stones were not used. It is still in the experimental stage. It may be the solution to this problem. Q. Before planning these repairs, did you consider the possibility of doing the work with the aid of aerial scale photos? (This chairman got a scale map of his course from the United States Department of Ag­ riculture, Aerial Photographic Service). DO YOU KNOW YOUR GOLF? {Answers to questions on page 18) 1. Miss Betty Jameson 2. (a) Once, 1938. (b) Twice, 1952, 1956. (c) Twice, 1929, 1933. 3. James Braid, Harry Vardon, J. H. Tay­ lor. J. H. Taylor lives in Devon, close to his native Westward Ho! 4. Fred Haas played in the Walker Cup of 1938 and the Ryder Cup of 1953. Tom­ my Armour had the distinction of play­ ing for Britain in the unofficial amateur international of 1921 and for the un­ official United States professional team in 1926. 5. Gerald Micklem. He has represented in all the post-war matches except 1951. 6. False (see Definition 14). 7. A player may send his caddie forward (see Rule 34-1) but he risks the wrath of his fellow golfers. 8. Mr. and Mrs. John B. Beck, of England. Mr. Beck captained the British Walker Cup Teams in 1938 and 1947. Mrs. Beck captained the last Curtis Cup Team to visit this country in 1954. 9. British Amateur, British Open, U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur. A. No. (In discussion, it was proposed that a committee of the Green Section should be appointed to carry on research for a uni­ form accounting system, uniform nomen­ clature, maintenance costs by unit of meas­ ure definition of golf course maintenance, differences between course maintenance and ground maintenance, standard depre­ ciation practice, latest and most successful maintenance procedures, best methods of drainage, and preventing erosion, and that the USGA should distribute this type of information). Q. In allocating money for a monthly budget, is your budget flexible enough to provide for an emergency? A. Yes. The budget includes a reserve fund for emergencies. Q. Do you keep individual cost records of equipment, such as tractors? USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 27 A. Yes. In this way we know when to trade or junk it. There are two methods of purchasing equipment. (i) Charge it off against expenses. (2) Set it up as a capital investment and depreciate it at an accepted rate, setting aside reserves to re­ place equipment when worn out. Q. On your drainage project, did you take advantage of engineering and technical knowledge available from other sources than golf clubs such as the government? A. Yes. Al Radko advised us. Relationship between Green Committee and Club Administration Panel discussion moderated by Dr. Marvin H. Ferguson, Mid-Continent Director and National Research Coordinator, USGA Green Section. Charles G. Chapman, Member, Green Committee, Country Club of Detroit, Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich. William G. Harding, Chairman, Green Committee, Dedham Country and Polo Club, Dedham, Mass. Dr. Andrew P. Virtuoso, Chairman, Grounds Committee, Whippoorwill Club, Armonk, N. Y. Elmer J. Michael, Superintendent, Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, N. Y. Charles K. Hallowell, Mid-Atlantic Director, USGA Green Section. David H. Halle, Chairman, Green Committee, Suburban Club, Pikesville, Md. Mr. Halle (enacting the role of new­ ly appointed chairman of a green com­ mittee) : How long a sentence should I serve? What is the best method to use in choosing members of the green commit­ tee? Dr. Virtuoso: There should be at least one individual on the committee who is not chosen by politics. The Chairman should be a man who is willing to learn. He should know his limitations. He should have some knowledge of agronomy. He chould have time to do some reading of agronomy journals and pamphlets. He should live near the golf course. He should visit the course while the men are work­ ing so that he can understand their prob­ lems. He can never give sound answers un­ til he understands the problems. If the su­ perintendent plays golf, it is good policy to play a few rounds a year with him. It makes it easier for the superintendent to understand the importance of correct rak­ ing of bunkers, correct cutting of fairways and greens, filling divot holes and marks left by maintenance equipment. There are a great many turf problems, and some of them are caused by green committee chair­ men. The chairman should not become an agronomist. The superintendent is hired for that. The chairman should know his work, but not try to be an expert. Often the chairman becomes a busybody. Mr. Michael: It is to the benefit of both the club and the superintendent for the superintendent to get firmly acquainted with the green committee chairman. For this reason, the chairman should serve a fairly long term. It takes time for them to get to know each other, how to get along, how each thinks, how to produce for the Individuals you work with. There should be an understanding through the years. In this way, the club will benefit and the staff will benefit. Mr. Halle: I have no knowledge of agronomy. Most green committee chair­ men don’t. Is there any way to get basic knowledge of the problems I will face? Is there any written material I could study? Mr. Hallowell: It is possible for the chairman to get information. The USGA book, "Turf Management,” is an excellent source. The chairman can attend turf conferences. The Golf Association of Philadelphia sponsors a chairman-superin­ 28 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 tendent meeting every summer. The USGA Regional Turf Service and the county agri­ cultural agents can advise and help. Dr. Ferguson: What are the func­ tions of a green committee? Perhaps get­ ting a proper budget for the upkeep and management of the golf course is one of the important ones? Mr. Halle: Yes. How do you arrive jit a budget? Should you work with anyone in preparation? Mr. Harding: Get together with your superintendent and make a list of your equipment. Determine how old each piece is, what the balance of life is, how much it will cost to replace each piece and how much money is spent to maintain each piece annually. Work out with your super­ intendent a set of financial figures based on the previous year’s expenditures. Mr. Michael: Records should be Jxept on all operations. In this way, one can determine with reasonable accuracy the pudget for the coming year. We keep rec­ ords of troubles we run into. We list the following items that have to be taken into consideration in the preparation of a budget: All salaries Equipment Repairs Gasoline and oil Replacement (watch for labor saving machines) Supplies Fertilizer Seed Fungicides Insecticides Herbicides Poles, flags, ball cleaner, tee towels, etc. Sand for traps Composting materials such as top soil, humus or other organic materi­ als and sand Irrigation Cost of water and power Maintenance of the system Revamping of the system or additions Drinking fountains Drainage Tile, stone ditching, etc. Roads and foot paths Providing new ones Patching and resurfacing Club grounds and landscape Flower seeds, bulbs and plants Shrubbery, trees and other planting material Building maintenance Shops Garages and storage sheds Storm shelters Tennis Supplies such as surfacing materials, water if separated Maintenance of buildings and fences Practice or driving range Mowing equipment Seed fertilizer and composting ma­ terials Long term planning New construction, remodeling, etc. Taxes and insurance including unem­ ployment insurance Fertilizer is the biggest item. Most courses neglect this. Fungicide costs can be determined by keeping records of disease incidence in your area. Insecticide costs vary with the number of trees on the course. Trees should be sprayed at least three times a year and spot-sprayed oc­ casionally. There should be turf treatment for worms and grubs. Herbicides for grass and weed-control programs are other fac­ tors to be considered. This is a never-end­ ing job. Those are the main essentials vzhich must come into your budget. Dr. Ferguson: The green commit­ tee chairman must stand between the su­ perintendent and the members of the club. This is another of the important functions. Mr. Halle: I would like to know about handling complaints. Mr. Chapman: The chairman should receive any complaints and handle them through his committee. The Green Com­ mittee should contain a continuing nu­ cleus of men possibly not Board members, IjSGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 29 who have an appreciation of maintenance problems or who are willing to learn, and who will undertake to serve indefinitely. While such committeemen would serve under the chairman and at his pleasure, they could be reappointed by succeeding chairmen and supply the know-how that an inexperienced chairman is bound to lack. I know instances where that procedure works with satisfaction to all concerned. Such committeemen, how­ ever, are usually willing to serve continu­ ously only if spared the unpleasantness of dealing with complaints from members. The chairman, being a member of the club’s governing board, should be the one to stand between the membership and both the other committee members and the su­ perintendent. He definitely should assume the responsibility of receiving and dealing v ith complaints. Relationship between Green Committee and Superintendent Panel discussion moderated by A. Al. Radko, Eastern Director, USGA Green Section Rear Adm. John S. Phillips, USN (Ret.) Chairman, Green Committee, Army Navy Country Club, Arlington, Va. Malcolm E. Stone, Chairman, Green Committee, Rhode Island Country Club, W. Bar­ rington, R. I. Edward J. Casey, Superintendent, Baltusrol Golf Club, Springfield, N. J. Eberhard R. Steineger, Superintendent, Pine Valley Golf Club, Clementon, N. J. William H. Bengeyfield, Western Director, USGA Green Section. David H. Halle, Chairman, Green Committee, Suburban Club, Pikesville, Md. Mr. Radko: Four very important of­ ficials of any club are the chairman of the green committee, the manager, the profes­ sional and the golf course superintendent. The pro and the chairman talk the same language where golf is concerned. The manager and the chairman also find com­ mon ground in business talk. But there is something of a "turf language” barrier when it comes to the relationship between the superintendent and the chairman. This is further complicated by the fact that just about the time they begin to understand each other, the chairman re­ linquishes his position to his successor. And TURF MANAGEMENT The book "Turf Management," sponsored by the United States Golf Association and edited by Prof. H. B. Musser, is a complete and authoritative guide in the practical de­ velopment of golf-course turfs. This 354-page volume is available through the USGA, 40 East 38th Street, New York 16, N. Y., the USGA Green Section Regional Offices, the McGraw-Hill Book Co., 350 West 42nd Street, New York 36, N. Y., or local bookstores. The cost is $7. so it is usually with these major disadvant­ ages that the superintendent and the chair­ man of the green committee attempt to fulfill their important assignments. Of course, there are other pressing problems, and these are now to be discussed by the; panel. Mr. Halle (enacting the role of a newly appointed chairman of a green com­ mittee) : Would you define the duties of the superintendent? To whom is he re­ sponsible? Adm. Phillips: The superintendent must be responsible for everything on the property that grows. He should be respon­ sible for the shrubbery, plants and trees. He must maintain the course, greens, tees and fairways. He should take orders from only one person. The natural person is the green committee chairman. Mr. Halle: How does the green com­ mittee chairman go about hiring his staff? Mr. Casey: The difficulty in hiring arises from the job’s unattractiveness. The wage level is below average. There are no fringe benefits. Sixty per cent of the labor can be assured of only nine months work. There is no pension plan. Throughout the 30 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 season there is competition with the full employment and fringe benefits of indus­ try. Mr. Radko: Labor is normally one of the main headaches for any superintendent. It is especially difficult to find and keep good men near industrial centers. The failure to attract many good young men in recent years may prove to be a serious drawback in the years ahead. Mr. Halle: How many do you need to run an 18-hole course? Mr. Bengeyfield: The National Golf Foundation conducted a survey two or three years ago on a course in Los Angeles. It investigated how long it took a man to rake bunkers, mow fairways, and so forth. It concluded that fifteen or more men are required to operate the course properly twelve months a year on a 40- hour work week, with vacations and sick leaves. Mr. Radko: To the best of my knowl­ edge there are no 18-hole courses in the Northeast that employ fifteen men at any time during the season. It would appear therefore that if the Los Angeles survey would hold in other areas that golf course workers must really produce in order to keep the course in condition. In thinking of the staff and hiring, we must consider fringe benefits that the club offers its employees—retirement, hospital­ ization and such—and the period of time the staff is kept on — a twelve month period as compared with eight or nine months. Adm. Phillips: Hiring is becoming a challenge if it is not one already, par­ ticularly in industrial areas. Too many members look upon the maintenance men as farmers or common laborers. This is not true. They are skilled laborers. The superintendent is a scientist. Golf is a lux­ ury. Luxuries arc expensive. Clubs must meet the challenge of industry or the play­ ability of courses will depreciate to a marked degree. With respect to a proper maintenance force, and particularly when you are in competition with industry, it is not a question of being able to afford good men. You just cannot afford to be SUBSCRIBERS TO USGA GREEN SECTION RESEARCH & EDUCATION FUND E. I. duPont de Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Del. M/Sgt. James Roche, San Francisco, Cal. Watson Distributing Co., Houston, Texas Western Pennsylvania Golf Association, Pittsburgh, Pa. without them—hence, an increased pay scale must be faced. Mr. Radko: What about incentives for the staff? Mr. Stone: The green committee chairman and the superintendent should get together at least once a month. Peri­ odically, the chairman, superintendent, and green committee should get together with the president, manager and pro and coordi­ nate their ideas. Mr. Steineger: The success of my job depends on an efficient maintenance crew. It is up to me to produce a good crew. Every golf club has different condi­ tions and its own problems. At Pine Val­ ley, we employ a steady crew of eleven men all year round. That we are able to keep this crew is due to a well-worked-out budget, a carefully planned year of work and a very understanding chairman. In the wintertime, besides our regular course work (repairing machinery, preparing top­ dressing, cleaning firelanes, etc.) we have enough work to keep our men busy—even w hen there is ice and snow, there is plenty of inside work that needs attention. Dur­ ing the summer, we record all necessary repairs to buildings and ground that do not need immediate attention and when the bad weather comes along these repairs ate made. Our crew does any kind of work (plumbing, electricity, carpentry, and so forth.) One of the main reasons why we keep our crew all year round is that we feel we just can’t afford to lose well- trained men by giving them only eight or nine months employment a year. We expect hard work and long hours from our men and we want them to have an interest in their work. We are in the highly industrialized center of the Dela­ USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 31 ware Valley and we can’t compete with the high wages paid in factories. We offer them other benefits. We promise a steady job. After six months of employment they are eligible to join Blue Cross and Blue Shield. After six months they are eligible for a life insurance policy which is entire­ ly paid for by the club. We have in ef­ fect a pension plan which is run by the club. The club’s contribution is $3 for each $1 contributed by the employee. Em­ ployees have paid vacations based on length of service. All outside men receive a bonus at the end of the year which is computed on a percentage scale and based on length of service. We printed a little booklet which we give every new man. It tells about what we expect from him and what we have to offer. Mr. Halle: There are many problems in running a course that don’t exist in normal business. In what ways do you cope with these special problems, like Sat­ urday and Sunday work? Mr. Casey: This is an unattractive facet of a golf-course laborer’s job. He works Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. We schedule Saturday as a regular workday in 4-hour periods and pay time-and-a-half after that. The same principle is applied on Sunday, but we schedule work for 2 1/2 hours and pay double time. It is essential that the laborer show up on Saturday and Sunday. The course must be in its best condition for week-end players. Adm. Phillips: The superintendent resorts to volunteers for Sunday work. If there is a 44-hour week, he can work five days at eight hours and four hours on Saturday and pay double time for Sunday. The Army-Navy Country Club works a 47-hour week—five days at eight hours, Saturday four hours and Sunday three l ours. The members could contribute to the efficiency of the labor force if they were informed of the importance of watering greens regularly. The USGA could put out a bulletin to inform club members of the wilt problem and of the necessity for greens to be irrigated, as well as a num­ ber of other cardinal maintenance items that are musts if the course, and particu­ larly the greens, are to be saved when ad- COMING EVENTS APRIL 8-9 11th Annual Southeastern Turfgrass Manage­ ment Conference Tifton, Georgia APRIL 12 Dr. Glenn W. Burton Truro Turfgrass Conference Nova Scotia Agricultural College Truro, Nova Scotia Dr. George Smith verse weather conditions exist. Members will look up to the USGA and give cre­ dence to what it says. Q. What will happen when the unions get to golf-course labor? A. (Dr. Virtuoso) : The Metropolitan New York area is already largely union­ ized. Every other year we negotiate, wheth­ er we like it or not. The union has been fair. Q. What are the rates? A. (Dr. Virtuoso) : They vary from $1.52 tb $1.77 for our club. The union is the Building Service Employees Interna­ tional Q. How many labor grades are there? A. (Dr. Virtuoso): Two, foreman and groundsman. We have a 44-hour week. The USGA might give its members copies of contracts to give them an idea of what is coming. Q. When using nine men for a seven or eight month period, is work arranged on a daily basis? Do they come in every morn­ ing to find out what they have to do? Or is it planned by the week? Should we de­ velop a couple of men to handle greens, a couple to mow, according to what they are best suited for? A. (Mr. Casey) : Work can be scheduled short-term or long-range. Close schedules run up against weather and play inter­ ference. There must be compromise in planning. Three or four days to a week ahead is enough. Men should be put to the job they are most capable of doing. Some men show adaptability in maintenance of greens, others in handling equipment and so forth. Major assignments should be made in accordance with these talents. 32 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 IT’S YOUR HONOR Green Section Tribute To the USGA: I want you to know what a fine job Charles K. Hallowell has done here at the Spotswood Country Club, at Harrisonburg, Va. When I first came here a little over a year ago, all of the greens were gone, practically bare. I had had some experience of keep­ ing greens before coming here, but 1 was completely baffled because of too much sand on the greens (2 ins. or more—100% sand). After following Mr. Hallowell’s instructions our greens are better than they have ever been. The members here have so often told me what a fine job I’ve done on the greens, bur I always tell them that when the patient goes to the doctor and certain remedies or prescriptions are given him, the patient is not given credit for getting well. The same ap­ plies to your Green Section. I want personally to tell you what a fine job Mr. Hallowell has done at this Club. He has often written me and asked if I was able to do this or that, and I’m sure that his job does not require writing to see how the weather has been and how finances are to get the job done. To me, he is a person who is interested in his job and mak­ ing a fine job of it. I have not known Mr. Hallowell long, but I think credit should be given when due. Norwood Thompson, Supt. Spotswood Country Club Harrisonburg, Va. An Albatross To the USGA: If you will pardon an old hacker for crowing, at the Furnace Brook Golf Club in Quincy, Mass., of which club I am a member and in the good company of Russell Williams, Alice Bartlett and Richard Manning on the morning of February 17, 1957 I made a 365 yard hole-in-one. It’s true, the course was hard and fast with a strong following wind on a down sloping hole, but nevertheless the fact remains forever more—I made it. William T. Byrne Dorchester, Mass. Kenwood Honors Its Pro To The USGA. On April 27, 1957, the members of Kenwood Golf and Country Club are having a testimonial banquet for its golf professional, George Diffen- baugh. George has been a golf pro­ fessional in the Washington area since 1923. He has been a member of the PGA for thirty-five years. His first start as a pro was in 1923 at Clifton Park Country Club in Baltimore. He moved from there to Washington in 1925 where he was pro at the Rock Creek Golf Course. The following year George took over the Indian Springs Golf and Country Club, Kenwood, Md. George has been a booster in junior golf activities in and around Wash­ ington for the past twenty years and has received much acclaim in this field. I would appreciate it if you would make some recognition in your USGA Journal. I might add that -we will present George with a new auto­ mobile, along with many tributes. Lew Worsham, former open Champion and a long standing friend of George’s, will be on hand at this ceremony, along with many other notables. Worsham was formerly at the Burning Tree Club which neighbors Kenwood. Raymond J. Briscuso Secretary Kenwood Golf and Country Club Kenwood, Md. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: APRIL, 1957 33 USGA OFFICERS, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN PRESIDENT Richard S. Tufts, Pinehurst, N. C. VICE-PRESIDENTS John D. Ames, Chicago, III. John G. Clock, Long Beach, Cal. SECRETARY Charles L. Peirson, Boston, Mass. TREASURER J. Frederic Byers, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The above officers and: C. W. Benedict, White Plains, N. Y. Emerson Carey, Jr., Denver, Colo. William C. Chapin, Rochester, N. Y. John W. Fischer, Cincinnati, Ohio Richmond Gray, Richmond, Va. Stuart A. Heatley, San Francisco, Cal. Gordon E. Kummer, Milwaukee, Wis. William McWane, Birmingham, Ala. F. Warren Munro, Portland, Ore. John M. Winters, Jr., Tulsa, Okla. GENERAL COUNSEL Wm. Ward Foshay, New York, N. Y. COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN RULES OF GOLF: John M. Winters, Jr., Tulsa, Okla. CHAMPIONSHIP: John D. Ames, Chicago, III. AMATEUR STATUS AND CONDUCT: John W. Fischer, Cincinnati, Ohio IMPLEMENTS AND BALL: Charles L. Peirson, Boston, Mass. MEMBERSHIP: Gordon E. Kummer, Milwaukee, Wis. GREEN SECTION: William C. Chapin, Rochester, N. Y. WOMEN'S: Mrs. Charles Dennehy, Lake Forest, III. SECTIONAL AFFAIRS: F. Warren Munro, Portland, Ore. PUBLIC LINKS: Emerson Carey, Jr., Denver, Colo. HANDICAP: Richmond Gray, Richmond, Va. Handicapping Procedure: William O. Blaney Boston Mass JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: J. Frederic Byers, Jr., Pittsburgh Pa SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: John G. Clock, Long Beach, Cal. GIRLS' JUNIOR: Mrs. John Pennington, Buffalo, N. Y. MUSEUM: C. W. Benedict, White Plains, N. Y. BOB JONES AWARD: Totton P. Heffelfinger, Minneapolis, Minn. FINANCE: J. Frederic Byers, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa. 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 EASTERN REGION Northeastern Office: Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N. J. Alexander M. Radko, Director, Eastern Region T. T. Taylor, Northeastern Agronomist Mid-Atlantic Office: South Building, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Md. Charles K. Hallowell, Mid-Atlantic Director Southeastern Office: South Building, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Md. James M. Latham, Jr., Southeastern Agronomist MID-CONTINENT REGION Southwestern Office: Texas A. and M. College, College Station, Texas Dr. Marvin H. Ferguson, Director, Mid-Continent Region and National Research Coordinator James B. Moncrief, Southwestern Agronomist Mid-Western Office: Room 241, LaSalle Hotel, Chicago 2, III. James L. Holmes, Mid-Western Agronomist WESTERN REGION Western Office: 1709 West Eighth Street, Los Angeles 17, Cal. William H. Bengeyfield, Director, Western Region