U S G A JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT CHAMPIONS ALWAYS SMILE Photo by The Pontiac Daily Press, Pontiac, Mich. Happy with their lot are Miss Mickey Wright, the Women’s Open Champion who set a record aggregate at the Forest Lake Country Club, Bloomfield, Mich., and Dan Sikes, winner of the Amateur Public Links Championship at Silver Lake Golf Club, Orland Park, Ill. (See stories pages 8 and 12). IS«A JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT Published by the United States Golf Association Permission to reprint articles here is freely granted (unless specifically noted otherwise) provided credit is given to the USGA Journal VOL. XI, No. 4 AUGUST, 1958 Through the Green 1 Veterans Comprise Americas Cup Team ._________________________________ 5 Miss Mickey Wright Adds Open to PGA Title__________ by Joseph C. Dey, Jr. 8 Tough Test Awaits Amateurs at Olympic------------- ------ by Nelson Cullenward 10 Silver Lake’s Standard for the Public Links ____________ by John P. English 12 Man of a Thousand Courses ----------- -------------------------- by Miss Nancy Jupp 14 A Scottish Trophy for a USGA Title ___________________________________ 16 Junior Program at a Club _______ 17 The Referee __________________________________________________________21 The Handicapper _____________________________ 23 Turf Management: USGA Green Section Fairway Renovation at Seattle Golf Club____________ by Ken Putnam 25 Poison Information Centers ___ ________________________ ___________ 27 Disease Control Recommendations___________ _ by William Klomparens 28 Keeping Bentgrass Pure ----------- ----—................. . by James L. Holmes 30 Golf Course Measurements ______________________________________ 31 It’s Your Honor _____________________________________________________ 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 Pinehurst, N. C. Edited by Joseph C. Dey, Jr„ and John P. English. Managing Editor: Miss Nancy Jupp. AU articles voluntarily contributed. USGA COMPETITIONS FOR 1958 Championship or Team Match Girls' Junior Women's Amateur Entries Close Closed Closed (b) Americas Cup Match — Sectional Qualifying Rounds Dates of Event Location None None — August 11-15 August 18-23 September 5-6 Greenwich C. C. Greenwich, Conn. Wee Burn C. C. Darien, Conn. Olympic C. C. San Francisco, Cal. Amateur Closed Aug. 26 Senior Amateur Aug. 29 Sept. 16 September 8-13 Olympic C. C. Sept. 29-Oct. 4 Monterey Peninsula San Francisco, Cal. (c) World Amateur Team Championship October 8-11 Country Club, Pebble Beach, Cal. Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland Dates entries close mean last dates for application to reach USGA office. For possible ex­ ceptions in dates of Sectional Qualifying Rounds, see entry forms. (b) Americas Cup Match—Men’s amateur teams: Canada vs. Mexico vs. United States. (c) World Amateur Team Championship—Men’s teams, stroke play. Beginner's Ace Have you ever swung a left-handed club and felt how awkward it is—assum­ ing, of course, that you are right-handed? Now multiply that awkwardness by two and you have some conception of how a beginner feels when she finds herself on a public links for the first time with an ancient set of left-handed clubs. That was the plight of Miss Sofie Turko, of Yonkers, N.Y., when she re­ cently stepped onto the first tee at the Dunwoodie course, in Yonkers, with three friends. Laughing off her embarrassment at the antics of a beginner, she ploughed her way round to the seventh tee, a hole of 150 yards. There, disdaining a wood, she pulled out a mashie—no new-fangled numbers for her—and without further ado holed out in one. Whether Miss Turko will ever brave the links again or whether she will be content to rest on her laurels is in the lap of the gods. Watering of "Open" Greens Reports on the 1958 Open Champion­ ship from various sources gave readers to understand that greens at the Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Okla., were watered at regular and frequent intervals. In explaining exactly what was done, John M. Winters, Jr., President of the Southern Hills Country Club, states: “Because of the extreme heat and high wind on Thursday, the first day, of the Open, several of the greens showed defi­ nite signs of wilt around 1 to 1:30 p.m. Those greens, which showed signs ot w^t and might not go through the day until they could be watered, were given a quick syringing, which is nothing more than very light fast sprinkling to let them go a few hours longer. “When this was done, play was mo­ mentarily stopped and for 30 minutes af­ ter that time everybody teeing off on the hole was advised of that fact. The amount of water was almost negligible and with­ on there in 20 minutes after putting in moisture was no evidence of any surface on any green. “On Thursday, five greens were so syringed as a whole and two greens were partially syringed. The whole operation as to any one green did not take over three to four minutes. “On Friday somewhat the same condi­ tions prevailed and four greens were syringed in whole and one of them par­ tially syringed. “Other than above, there was no water­ ing of greens during play and I do not believe it can be said that the greens were watered at regular and frequent intervals. In my opinion, the syringing of the greens could not affect play measura­ bly.” More and More Golf A 5.7 per cent increase in rounds of golf played is expected this year, accord­ ing to the latest report from the National Golf Foundation. This would bring the total rounds played on both private and public courses in 1958 to 75 million, as compared with 71 million in 1957 and 67% million in 1956. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 19S8 1 Caddie Unemployment Tax Litigation The Southern California Golf Associa­ tion recently issued the following report on caddie unemployment tax litigation: “The big news of the past month was the decision of the California Supreme Court, which, by a unanimous opinion of all seven Judges, reversed the decision of the Los Angeles County Superior Court (which had been affirmed by the District Court of Appeal) and held that assessment of unemployment insurance taxes against eight ‘guinea pig’ golf clubs in Southern California was improper and that caddies are not employees of the clubs under the unemployment insurance law. As a result of this decision more than $100,000 in such taxes, paid under protest, is expected to be refunded to Virginia, Inglewood, Brentwood, Hill­ crest, Los Angeles, Wilshire, Bel-Air and Riviera. “This decision supplements the legis­ lation enacted last year to correct the uncertain language of the unemployment insurance law which resulted in the as­ sessments with new wording which clear­ ly exempted caddies from unemployment insurance. This legislation stopped the assessments still being levied by the De­ partment of Employment. Now the Su­ preme Court, in effect, orders repayment of taxes paid under protest. This gives a sweeping victory vindicating the posi­ tion taken by the SCGA for the past several years.” He Scored His Age It is some time since we published an article “Can You Score Your Age?” in the September 1956 issue, listing the many names and unique stories which had come to our notice in this direction. Now we hear that W.R. “Dusty” Millar recently marked fifty years’ membership of the Los Angeles Country Club, Los Angeles, Cal., by shooting his age with a 75 on the South course. There would appear to be something of a Shangri-La about the Los Angeles Coun­ try Club, five other members having achieved similar feats. Fred Barrows was 77 when he shot a 73 on the South course; James Byrnes came through with a 70 at age 71 and the late J.J. Quin equalled Mr. Millar’s feat with a stroke- for-age 75. Two other members went further afield to achieve the distinction. Willard Salisbury was 67 when he scored 67 on the O’Donnell Course, Palm Springs, Cal., and W.P. Reid returned a 73 at age 73 over the same course. Aces High at Salem There was plenty to celebrate at Salem Country Club, Peabody, Mass., recently when three of its members registered aces on the same day. With the customary prerogative of ladies, Mrs. Ralston Pickering holed out first at the 136-yard third with a No. 5 wood. Second came Paul Cameron, who holed out at the 156-yard twelfth with a No. 6. Lastly, Ralston Pickering, still chuck­ ling over his wife’s ace, watched as one of his fellow players, Lionel MacDuff, sank his tee shot at the twelfth with a No. 7. No Tortoises Here Who says it takes three and a half hours to play a single, four hours for a four-ball? In the final of the District of Columbia’s Junior championship at the Columbia Country Club, Chevy Chase, Md., Ronnie Righter, of the Prince Georges Country Club, defeated Dave Voris, of the Manor Country Club, 1 up in 2 hours and 10 minutes. The second flight finalists, following behind, were equally speedy, completing the 15 necessary holes in an hour and a half. When He Was Good . . . The most spectacular round in the 1958 series of USGA championships probably was played in the Amateur Public Links event at the Silver Lake Golf Club, in Orland Park, Ill. Even though the returns for the year are not all in, we submit the case of Bo Faulkenberry, 32, who sells advertising space for the Daily Oklahoman and Times in Oklahoma City, Okla. After a 76 in the first qualifying round, he scored in the second 47-31—78. This got him in by a stroke, and he went to the quarter-finals. 2 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 This was the scene sixty years ago at the Fairfield County Golf Club, Greenwich, Conn., instituted in 1897. Today, known as the Greenwich Country Club, it is enter­ taining the tenth USGA Girls’ Junior Championship. From Long Skirts to Shorts It is a far cry from the days of long skirts and straw hats, pictured above, to lhe shorts and tanned limbs which players in the USGA Girls’ Junior Championship are displaying at the Greenwich Country Club, Greenwich, Conn., this month. The Greenwich Country Club was in­ augurated in 1897 as the Fairfield County Golf Club under a seven-man committee composed of Messrs. Julian W. Curtiss, John H. Boswell, James McCutcheon, Ed­ ward K. Willard, James Pott, Jr., Edwin B. Curtiss and George P. Sheldon. One of the older clubs in the country, it had a membership of 163 in its second year, one of whom was Findlay S. Douglas, the 1898 Amateur Champion and later USGA President. Its initial enthusiasm was indicative of the spirit which has been handed down from generation to generation. One of the Club’s proudest possessions is the Victoria Diamond Jubilee Chal­ lenge Cup, a silver mug with four bone handles which has been in continuous competition since 1897 and ranks as one of the longest standing golf trophies in existence in the United States. It was donated by an Englishman, F.E. Vivian Bond, a member of the first Executive Committee of the Club, while he was temporarily in this country. The Cup features several interesting names among its many winners, includ­ ing Findlay Douglas, but perhaps the most remarkable feat was that of Sam Graham, who won the trophy for the second time just 50 years after his first victory. Irish View of British Badge Subsequent to the withdrawal of Miss Philomena Garvey, of Dublin, Eire, from the British Isles Curtis Cup Team on the grounds that she felt unable to wear the Union Jack on her Team blazer, Miss Daisy Ferguson, the Team’s non-playing Captain and President of the Irish Ladies’ Golf Union, issued the following state­ ment: “The Executive Council of the Ladies’ Golf Union has decided that the Teams representing the British Isles, including the Curtis Cup Team, shall wear the Union Jack as their Badge. The Badge previously worn embodied the emblems of the four countries. “Like the Walker Cup and Ryder Cup Matches, the rules for the Curtis Cup, French and Belgian Matches include Eire players on the Ladies’ Golf Union British USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 195t 3 Isles Team. The Walker and Ryder Cup Teams and the British Rugby Football Teams all wear a Red Lion Badge to which players from Eire have no objec­ tion. “As President of the Irish Ladies’ Golf Union and Chairman of its Central Coun­ cil, I consider that the choice by the Ladies’ Golf Union of the Union Jack as the Badge for the British Isles Team has made it difficult, if not impossible for any golfer from Eire to play for the LGU British Isles Team, now or at any future date. “In many sports such as hockey, rugby football and golf, Ireland plays as one country. Any action which tends to com­ plicate this situation will be deplored by all Irish golfers both North and South of the Border and the greatest sympathy and understanding will be felt for Miss Garvey in the impossible situation in which she has been placed.” Be Courteous, Beware! It is not sufficient, it would seem, for a golfer merely to obey golf’s code of etiquette and allow players following to come through when he has lost his ball. He must then also take sufficient care to safeguard himself against the oncoming players. That was the verdict meted out by the Circuit Court of Appeals to William V. Boynton, Jr., a 25-year-old Milford, Conn., golfer, who had sued for $50,000 damages, having lost the sight of his right eye as a result of being struck by a golf ball at the Valley Forge Golf Course, Valley Forge, Pa. In giving his decision Judge Herbert F. Goodrich stated: “A player who has waved another to go through shows a lamentable lack of care for his own safety if he puts himself in a position where he cannot take precautions against being hit.” Scholarships for Junior Golfers The Moon Brook Country Club, James­ town, N.Y., has devised a novel scheme to provide college scholarships for boys who win the individual flights in their recently instituted Junior Invitational Tournament. The scholarships will start in 1959. The tournament embraces all clubs in the Chautauqua Lake area, covering southwestern New York and northwest­ ern Pennsylvania. Each has been asked to impose a 5c levy per round on all mem­ bers to finance the scholarship fund, which will be administered by a board of trustees drawn from the participating clubs. All clubs contributing to the scheme are eligible to send teams of four boys to compete. The tournament takes the form of 54 holes stroke play for both team and individual awards. Locke Advocates Wimbledon of Golf Bobby Locke, four time winner of the British Open Championship in the last decade, wants to make the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, the Wimbledon of Golf. In other words he would like to see the British Open played annually over the same venue. Writing of the Old Course he said: “Its hazards, traps, uneven fairways and huge greens present difficulties that change almost every hour in the variable winds, thus presenting a test of more than en­ durance and tolerance. It demands a keen brain as well as more than ordinary skill. “In fact it needs everything the cham­ pion of the year should have.” Pace of Play In order to further the USGA’s anti- Slow Play Campaign, posters have been sent out to Member Clubs, through the USGA Sectional Affairs Committee, for display in prominent places. They read: “The average time for a round has gradually increased to the point where it does injury to the game and its popu­ larity. “Slow play is a bad habit and does not in itself benefit the competitor. “Please be observant, reach decisions quickly and execute shots promptly.” Books BETTER GOLF THROUGH BETTER PRACTICE by Jules Platte, with Herb Graffis (Prentice-Hall, Inc., $3.95). The title of this book is self-explanatory. 4 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 VETERANS COMPRISE AMERICAS CUP TEAM William J. Patton To Captain Team at Olympic C.C. The United States will rely on experi­ enced international players to defend the Americas Cup in the fourth series at the Olympic Country Club, San Francisco, Cal., in the week preceding the Amateur Championship in September. The Team will comprise: William J. Patton, Morganton, N.C., Captain. Rex Baxter, Jr., Amarillo, Texas. Charles R. Coe, Oklahoma City, Okla. William Hyndman, III, Philadelphia, Hillman Robbins, Jr., Memphis, Tenn. Dr. Frank M. Taylor, Jr., Pomona, E. Harvie Ward, Jr., San Francisco, Pa. Cal. Cal. The Americas Cup Matches, started in 1952 and played biennially among ama­ teur golfers representing the Royal Ca­ nadian Golf Association, the Asociacion Mexicana de Golf and the United States Golf Association, have completed the first cycle, one match having been played in each country. The first three series have all been won by the United States, but not with­ out a fight. In 1952 at the Seattle Golf Club, Seattle, Wash., Canada made a very strong showing. The result: United States, 12; Canada, 10; Mexico, 5. In 1954 in Canada, the home team again ran us so close that the result was in the balance to the last and was re­ solved by a single point: United States, 14; Canada, 13; Mexico, 0. On home soil in 1956 the Mexicans not only proved genial hosts but sprang a big surprise when they ousted Canada from second position. With an altered format the result read: United States, 29^; Mexico, 13; Canada, 11^>. The matches are played over two days with the Teams playing three 18-hole three-ball “sixsome” matches in the morning and six 18-hole three-ball matches in the afternoon on each of the two days. Each match won is scored as one point. Matches which finish all square are counted as half a point for each side. The perpetual trophy, a sterling silver cup bearing the flags of the three com­ peting nations in colored enamel, was donated to the three ruling bodies by Jerome P. Bowes, Jr., of Chicago, a for­ mer president of the Western Golf As­ sociation, who laid the foundation for the tripartite matches. The inscription on the cup states the purpose of the international competition, which has been fully amplified in the first three encounters. It reads: “To­ wards greater international understand­ ing through the sportsmanship and good will of friendly competition among the amateur golfers of the Americas.” The members of the three Teams, who are exempt from qualifying, all are ex­ pected to compete in the Amateur Cham­ pionship which will follow on the same Olympic Country Club course in San Francisco. This year’s Amateur will be vital for candidates for the first United States Team to compete in the new World Ama­ teur Team Championship over the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, in Octo­ ber. The four nominees to travel under the non-playing captaincy of Robert T. Jones, Jr., of Atlanta, Ga., will be selected at the Olympic Country Club. Thus 1958, which also saw the tenth Curtis Cup Matches at the Brae Burn Country Club, West Newton, Mass., becomes the first year in the history of the USGA to re­ quire three international amateur teams. This is the first time that Patton, who played on the 1954 and 1956 Americas Cup Teams and the 1955 and 1957 Walker Cup Teams, has acted as a Captain. Although his record weighs heavily in favor of stroke play—he was first ama­ teur in the 1954 and 1957 Opens and in the 1954 and 1958 Masters—it was he who inspired last year’s Walker Cup victory when he fought back from a five holes USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 5 CHARLES R. COE, 1949 Amateur Champion, played on the 1949, 1951 and 1953 Walker Cup Teams and was non­ playing captain in 1957. He captained the first Americas Cup Team in 1952 and played again on the 1954 Team. He was Trans-Mississippi Amateur Champion in 1949 and 1956 and this year was leading amateur in the Open. Mr. Coe, an oil broker and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, lives in Oklahoma City, Okla. He is 34, married and has three children. WILLIAM HYNDMAN. Ill played on the 1957 Walker Cup Team. He reached the final of the Amateur in 1955 and was run­ ner-up in the North and South Amateur in 1956. Last year he was a semi-finalist in the North and South and second ama­ teur in the Open. Mr. Hyndman, who was graduated from Penn State College, owns an insurance agency in Philadelphia, is married and has three children. lunch-time deficit to defeat the British Champion, R. Reid Jack, on the 36th green. All members have had previous experi­ ence on Walker or Americas Cup Teams. Biographical briefs on the United States players follow: REX BAXTER, JR. REX BAXTER, JR., a member of the 1957 Walker Cup Team and first alter­ nate on the 1955 Walker Cup and 1956 Americas Cup Teams, is the youngest member at the age of 22. Last year he won the Trans-Mississippi and the Na­ tional Collegiate Championships and reached the semi-finals of the Amateur. He was a quarter-finalist in the 1956 Amateur. He was the USGA Junior Ama­ teur Champion in 1953. A graduate of the University of Hous­ ton, he is married and lives in Amarillo, Texas. WILLIAM HYNDMAN, III WILLIAM J. PATTON, finished first amateur in the 1954 and 1957 Opens and the 1954 and 1958 Masters. He played on the 1955 and 1957 Walker and the 1954 and 1956 Americas Cup Teams. He won the North and South Amateur in 1954 and reached the semi-finals in 1956. Mr. Patton, a 36-year-old lumber broker from Morganton, N.C., and former Presi­ dent of the Mimosa Hills Golf Club, is a USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1»5« CHARLES R. COE South last year. He has twice won the California Amateur and been runner-up on three occasions. A graduate of the University of Southern California, Dr. Taylor spent five years in the Army. He is 41 and married. DR. FRANK M. TAYLOR, JR. E. HARVIE WARD, JR., won the Ama­ teur in 1955 and 1956, and the British and Canadian titles in 1952 and 1954. He played on the 1953 and 1955 Walker Cup Teams and the 1952, 1954 and 1956 Americas Cup Teams. He finished as second amateur in this year’s Open. Mr. Ward, a graduate of the University of North Carolina, is 32, married with one son, and lives in San Francisco. WILLIAM J. PATTON (Captain) graduate of Wake Forest College. He is married and has three children. HILLMAN ROBBINS, JR., a lieutenant on active service in the Air Force, won the Amateur Championship at The Coun­ try Club, Brookline, Mass., last Septem­ ber. He had been a semi-finalist in 1955. He won the North and South Amateur in 1956 and reached the final last year. He was on the 1956 Americas Cup Team and the 1957 Walker Cup Team. Lt. Robbins is a native of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Memphis State College. He is 26, married, and has one son. HILLMAN ROBBINS, JR. DR. FRANK M. TAYLOR, JR., a den­ tist from Pomona, Cal., capped his debut on the 1957 Walker Cup Team by reach­ ing the final of the Amateur. He also reached the final of the California Ama­ teur and the semi-finals of the North and E. HARVIE WARD, JR. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1951 7 MISS MICKEY WRIGHT ADDS OPEN TO PGA TITLE BY JOSEPH C. DEY, JR. USGA Executive Director This will be a year to remember in women’s professional golf, largely because of the doings of Miss Mickey pionship is in very capable and charming hands. Miss Fay Crocker’s Record 68 Wright. She has won the big double—the USGA Women’s Open and the Ladies’ PGA Championships. In them she has made the remarkable scores of 290 and 288, respectively. Consider it again—two over 4s for 144 holes of the two national cham­ pionships. Her 290 was a new record for the USGA event; the old one was 291 by Mrs. George (Babe Didrikson) Zaharias four years ago. Mickey Wright’s score this year was two under par for the Forest Lake Coun­ try Club, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. It is an easy matter to continue in statistical ecstasies about Miss Wright’s play in the Open. She led at the end of every round, playing them in 74-72-70-74, against par of 73. She did not have a 6 on any hole. She won by five strokes. Miss Wright is the youngest holder of the USGA Women’s Open title—she was 23 last Valentine’s Day. She is a prodigi­ ous hitter, having won a number of driv­ ing contests; she is said to average better than 230 yards off the tee. Mickey Wright used to be Mary Kathryn Wright when she first appeared in na­ tional competition. In 1950, three years after starting golf, she came from her native San Diego to be runner-up in the USGA Girls’ Junior Championship at Buffalo. Two years later she won that title. She earned another USGA medal in be­ ing low amateur in the 1954 Women’s Open, and yet another later that year in being runner-up for the Women’s Ama­ teur Championship. Then she debated between studying medicine and becoming a professional golfer; the decision was made in Novem­ ber of 1954. Miss Wright is a lovely young lady— tall (5 feet 8*6 inches), blonde, and af­ fable. The USGA Women’s Open Cham­ Miss Louise Suggs was the runner-up at Forest Lake with 295, thanks to a closing 71. Next came Miss Fay Crocker with 297, followed by Miss Alice Bauer, 300. Miss Crocker, the Champion in 1955, created a new single-round record of 68 Courtesy of Wichita Eagle Miss Fay Crocker set a new record with a 68 in the second round. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 for the USGA Open. She had seven birdies. The previous low figure was 71, made by a number of players, as follows: Miss Patty Berg in both 1953 and 1955; Mrs. Zaharias in 1954; Miss Crocker and Miss Barbara McIntire, amateur, in 1956. Miss Crocker’s record 68 as compared with par reads: Par, out ______ 44345553 4—37 Miss Crocker, out ____ 43256443 4—35 Par, in _______ 34444453 5—36—73 Miss Crocker, in _____ 34344443 4—33—68 Miss Crocker’s 68 at Forest Lake came in the second round and put her within one stroke of Miss Wright at the 36 hole juncture. But Miss Wright picked up six strokes in the third round with a 70. Low amateur honors went to Miss Anne Quast, of Marysville, Wash., whose 307 tied her for eleventh place in the Cham- Miss Wrighfs Record 290 Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Yards 320 315 175 400 535 420 435 170 355 — 3,125 140 365 355 395 325 370 485 200 480 — In 3,115 Totals 6,240 Par 4 4 3 4 5 5 5 3 4 ■ 37 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 3 5 . ... 36 73 1st 4 4 3 4 5 5 5 5 4 . . ■ 39 2 5 3 4 3 4 5 4 5 35 74 2nd 4 4 3 4 5 4 5 3 5 37 3 4 4 4 4 3 5 4 4 35 72 3rd 3 5 3 4 5 4 4 3 3 .. 34 4 4 3 4 4 4 5 4 4 .. - 36 70 4th 4 4 4 4 5 4 5 3 5 — 38 3 4 4 4 4 3 5 4 5 ■ . 36 74 pionship. Miss Quast, a Stanford student, had earlier won first amateur honors in the Women’s Western Open. Second amateur at Forest Lake was Miss Barbara McIntire with 312, and third was Mrs. Paul Dye, Jr. Total prize money for professionals was $7,200; the winner’s share was $1,800. Forest Lake’s committees were most hos­ pitable; the General Chairman was Blaine Eynon, with Mrs. Virgil Boyd as Co-Chair­ man. leaders stood after Here is how the each round: 18 Holes Miss Mickey Wright _ 74 Mrs. Jacqueline Pung 75 Miss Louise Suggs 75 Miss Betty Jameson _ 75 Miss Alice Bauer 76 Mrs. Marlene Hagge 76 Miss Vonnie Colby 77 Miss JoAnn Prentice 78 Miss Patty Berg__ 78 Miss Joyce Ziske __ 78 36 Holes Miss Mickey Wright 146 Miss Fay Crocker _ 147 Miss Louise Suggs _ 149 Mrs. Jacqueline Pung __ 152 Miss Vonnie Colby _ 153 Miss Alice Bauer_ 153 Miss Kathy Cornelius ____154 •Miss Anne Quast _ 155 Miss Mary Lena Faulk 155 Miss Betty Jameson 155 Mrs. Marlene Hagge 155 54 Holes Miss Mickey Wright 216 223 Miss Fay Crocker Miss Louise Suggs 224 Miss Alice Bauer_ 228 Miss Vonnie Colby .. 228 Mrs. Jacqueline Pung 229 Miss Betty Jameson 229 Miss Wiffi Smith 230 •Miss Anne Quast 231 Miss Beverly Hanson 231 Mrs. Marlene Hagge 231 Mrs. Kathy Cornelius______ 231 * Amateur. Miss Mickey Wright’s winning aggregate of 290 bettered the record set by Mrs. George Zaharias in 1954 by one stroke. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 72 Holes Miss Mickey Wright 290 Miss Louise Suggs 295 Miss Fay Crocker 297 Miss Alice Bauer 300 Miss Betty Jameson 303 Miss Betsy Rawls _ 304 Miss Wiffi Smith .. 305 Mrs. Jacqueline Pung __ 305 Miss Vonnie Colby _ 306 Miss Patty Berg _ 306 •Miss Anne Quast - 307 Miss Mary Lena Faulk . . 3C7 Miss Beverly Hanson 307 TOUGH TEST AWAITS AMATEURS AT OLYMPIC BY NELSON CULLENWARD Golf Editor, San Francisco Call-Bulletin The nation’s best amateur golfers will be playing on a course made tough by San Francisco’s built-in air conditioner when the 58th Amateur Championship is held at the Olympic Country Club. And it can be mighty tough. Any amateur doubting the veracity of this statement need only compare notes with his nearest professional. The pro­ fessionals went home talking to them­ selves after playing in the 1955 Open Championship, which was also held over the Olympic Country Club’s Lake Course. The same cooling fog which gives San Francisco its comfortable summer weather in the 60s is the factor making the Olympic course one of the toughest. Each night and morning during the summer a cool blanket of fog descends on the golf course and keeps it in a constantly moist condition. This means that the grass growth is lush—so is the growth of rough—and the golfer gets little, if any, roll on his shots. Just how exacting the length and haz­ ards of the Lake course can be is clear from a perusal of the records of the 1955 Open, and from the remarks of the rue­ ful stars after their exposure to the lay­ out. Jack Fleck was the winner of the Open after his memorable play-off with Ben Hogan. In an era of record-breaking scoring, Fleck and Hogan tied at 287, seven strokes over par for the 6,700-yard course hard by the banks of Lake Merced. Fleck won the play-off with a 69 to Hogan’s 72, six of Ben’s strokes coming on the final hole. What makes it more impressive is the fact that Sam Snead and the current Open Champion Tommy Bolt, who were deadlocked for third at 292, were twelve strokes over par. I’m sure our best amateurs will be anxious to try this course which repulsed the best efforts of the nation’s profes­ sional golfers. io LINES TO A RABBIT (With apologies to Robert Burns) Wee man in baggy flannel trews And jumper bright wi' gaudy hues Wi' reds and greens and pinks and blues An' aiblins yella.' Ye'll never mak' a gowfin' star Ye're no the sort that holes in par Ma granny wad ootdrive ye far Wi' her umbrella. from “The Fun of the Fairway" Campbell Ross One of those who will be on familiar ground is the 1955-1956 champion, E. Har- vie Ward, Jr., a San Francisco resident and one of the best-liked golfers in the area. Despite his knowledge of the course, Ward shot 74-70-76-76—296 to become leading amateur and enjoy a seventh­ place tie in 1955 Open. “This is one of the tougher tests of golf,” admits the twice-in-a-row Amateur Champion. Statistics show that Bill Thornton was the only other amateur to survive the 36-hole cut in the 1955 Open, and he finished fifty-seventh in a 58-man field with 317. This marks the first visit to California by the Amateur since it was held at Peb­ ble Beach in 1947. It also marks the first time San Francisco has ever played host to the Amateur Championship. All Olympians are proud to have been chosen as hosts and welcome the chance to entertain the greatest amateur golfers. What is the Olympic Club? And what is the Olympic Country Club? Club Dates from 1860 The Olympic Club is the oldest athletic club in the states, having been formed on May 6, 1860. Last May the Club cele­ brated its ninety-eighth birthday. Five years before its origin, two brothers, Arthur and Charles Nahl, had taken the first steps toward the organi­ zation of the Club by erecting a gym­ nasium in the rear of their home which USGA JOURNAL ANO TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1950 Scene at the 18th green during the 1955 Open Championship. The bank below the clubhouse was cleared of bushes in order to make a natural grandstand. became a meeting place for young athletes. After the formation of the Club the name Olympic Club was chosen, after the mythical Mount Olympus, home of the Greek Gods. By-laws were adopted and the winged “O” became the Club’s emblem. The Olympic Country Club, an offshoot of the original Club, came later, much later. We’ll let one of the men who was in­ strumental in the founding of the golf club tell it in his own words. Back in 1935 Con T. Shea, writing in the Olym­ pian magazine, said: “Back in the summer of 1918 a few Olympians, probably not more than six, with a great deal of foresight and vision, suggested an innovation, which was then thought a rather rash and bold one, that The Olympic Club add to its curriculum of athletic activities the royal and ancient game of golf. It took a brave soul with a world of courage to be seen in public with a bag of golf clubs, much less be adorned with plus-four knickers, as it was certain invi­ tation to a great deal of kidding. “After looking over many sites, some far out of the city, the Club was finally asked to take over the facilities of the then Lakeside Golf and Country Club for a period of two years for the insignifi- cent cost of maintaining the premises. “Many months of negotiating between the two clubs brought forth an oppor­ tunity that led our directors unanimously to recommend it to the consideration of all Olympians, who promptly passed it. “The underwriting problem of pur­ chasing, with the additional cost of erect­ ing two golf courses, was easily solved by the creation of a class of ‘contributing members,’ numbering 1,250. “Finally, the summer of 1924 saw the completion of two of the finest courses in America.” Golf Added to Curriculum “Most of you will remember that in those days, for one to play golf was a sure sign of many things, viz., feeble­ mindedness, old age or a wanton lack of something better to do with one’s time. That was the beginning of the Olympic Country Club, an integral part of the nation’s oldest athletic club. This is the place we welcome you golf­ ers to for the 58th Amateur Champion­ ship. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 19SS 11 SILVER LAKE’S STANDARD FOR THE PUBLIC LINKS BY JOHN P. ENGLISH USGA Assistant Executive Director Public links golf in the Chicago area reaches its highest level not on municipal, county and state courses as in most major cities but on a series of some twenty-five privately owned daily-fee courses scattered through the suburbs from the north shore to the south. The owners of these courses, while grouped loosely together in two daily-fee course operators’ associations, compete vigorously for the patronage of Chicago’s unaffiliated golfers strictly on the quali­ ty of their courses and clubhouses. The results of this competition are NEW MEMBERS OF THE USGA Regular Antelope Valley Women's Golf Association Carolina Golf Club, Dogwood Knolls Golf Club, Fostoria Country Club, Four Hills Country Club, Glasgow Country Club, Green Oaks, C. C., Greensburg C. C., Hatch Bend Country Club, Lander Haven Country Club, Litchfield Country Club, Sunrise Golf Club, Warrington Golf & Country Club, Women's Golf Association of Lander Haven Country Club, Ohio astounding. Their tees are for the most part spacious and rich with the finest turf­ grasses, perhaps Merion. Their greens are shaped, undulating and protected with carefully raked bunkers. Their grounds are beautifully landscaped, and their clubhouses compare favorably with those of many private clubs. Several have 36 holes. At some of these courses, the regular golfers have banded together in clubs for social and competitive purposes and in order to assure themselves of special privileges offered to “members.” While standards are uniformly high, none offers finer golf, a more comfort­ able clubhouse or greater eye-appeal through landscaping than the Silver Lake Golf Club, in open, rolling farmland some 15 miles below Chicago’s South Side. Silver Lake has two fine 18-hole courses and an outstanding superintendent in Norm Kramer, who keeps them per­ petually green and lush despite the fact that up to 1,000 persons play there for a fee of $3.50 on any nice Saturday or Sunday. It was at Silver Lake that Chicago en­ tertained last month its first USGA Ama­ teur Public Links Championship, and it seems likely that the Association will not want a lengthy period to elapse before re­ turning again. The only danger at Silver Lake lies in the possibility that it may n Associate Blue Stone GoH Course, Brentwood Golf Club, Laurels Hotel & Country Club, Montauk Downs Golf Club, spoil golfers for other public courses. While all the players thrived in such surroundings and made gratifying expres­ sions of admiration, the principal bene­ ficiary was Dan Sikes, of Jacksonville, Fla. Sikes, who is 27, an Army veteran and now a senior at the University of Florida Law School, took away the Standish Trophy emblematic of the Cham­ pionship. The victory was, perhaps, over­ due; he was trying for the fifth time and always had been impressive. Study Comes Before Golf As the Amateur Public Links Cham­ pion, Sikes earned an invitation to play in the Amateur Championship at San Francisco in September and an exemp­ tion from sectional qualifying, but he waived the privilege to return to his law books. A spectator at a public links champion­ ship might conclude that these men love the game more than any other single group and yet have more difficulty in finding opportunities to play. Take Sikes as an example. He normally plays only about once a week, and as a result he started “cold” with 76 and 79, which landed him in a play-off with fifteen others at 155 for the last nine USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 qualifying places. One player, Clifford Brown, of Cleveland, made a birdie 3 on the 409-yard first hole. Sikes was one of ten who made 4s and continued on for the eight remaining places. On the 438- yard second hole, Sikes made a birdie 3 and took the second place. At this point he seemed a long way behind young Don Essig, III, of Indiana­ polis, the 19-year-old defending champion who was vacationing from Louisiana State University. Don won the qualifying medal comfortably with scores of 71 and 73 for 144, two below the rigorous par, three strokes better than anyone else could do and, more specifically, eleven strokes better than Sikes. Bo Faulkenberry, 32, of Oklahoma City, Okla., who sells advertising space for the Daily Oklahoman and Times and who was a qualifier for the fifth time. Albert L. Kelley, Jr., 23, of Orlando, Fla., a draftsman and a qualifier for the first time. Ron Luceti, 21, of San Francisco, Cal., who is starting a dental course at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in San Francisco, also a qualifier for the first time. Harry Mussatto, 37, of Macomb, Ill., a supervisor of grade-school student teach­ ers in the laboratory school at Western Illinois University and a qualifier for the second time. The Turning Point However, Sikes began to improve with play, and in the third round he beat Essig, 5 and 4, playing the fourteen holes in one under par. Sikes had the upper hand from the start and was 2 up ap­ proaching the ninth hole, in part because of his own stronger play and in part be­ cause Essig’s putter was misbehaving. However, when Sikes left his brassie shot deep in the rough at this par-5 ninth and Essig pitched his third quite close to the hole, it appeared the tide might turn. It did—but with the reverse twist charac­ teristic of golf. Sikes exploded from the deep rough into the hole, the ball run­ ning down the flagstick for an eagle 3 which extended his lead to three holes and seemed to give him the impetus not only to dethrone Essig but eventually to succeed him. Sikes’s opponent in the final was Bob Ludlow, another veteran of five Ama­ teur Public Links Championships who was trying gamely to keep the trophy in Indianapolis after Essig had been eli­ minated. A 31-year-old junior high school teacher and physical education instructor, he played to the very best of his ability and courage but succumbed, 3 and 2. Sikes’ morning 72 put him 4 up, and while he slacked off on the last nine he was only three over par when the final ended. The losing semi-finalists were: Junie Buxbaum, 40, of Memphis, the 2956 Champion; and Bob Patterson, 37, of Portland, Ore. Buxbaum is an automo­ bile salesman and Patterson foreman of a stevedore gang. The losing quarter-finalists were: Harding Trophy to St. Paul In the public links family, the sectional team competition for the Harding Trophy is an annual highlight, and it was won by three men from Minneapolis who, curi­ ously enough, were representing St. Paul because the latter city happened to be the site of the sectional qualifying round this year. Chet Latawiec scored 75-72— 147. Gene Hansen shot 74-73—147. Dayton Olson did 75-78—153. They succeeded Honolulu as Team Champion with a score of 447, and it was the first victory for either of the Twin Cities. The runner-up was Peoria, Ill., with 455, followed by Chicago and Seattle with 456 each. The Team Championship is conducted simultaneously with the 36-hole qualify­ ing round, which fully revealed the met­ tle of Silver Lake’s 6,866-yard, par 73 North Course. Essig’s 71 matched the lowest single score in either round. Five tied at 147 for second honors—Bill Arakawa of Honolulu, Hansen, Latawiec, Ed Petri of Austin, Texas, and Lawrence Robertson, of Minneapolis. Essig was the first de­ fending champion to take the medal since the late Carl F. Kauffman of Pittsburgh turned the trick in 1929 en route to his third successive championship. In the two stroke rounds, the 150 com­ petitors made 3,080 pars, went under par 510 times and went one over par 1,540 times. The Association is again indebted, as always, to the loyal members of its Pub­ lic Links Committee who turned out eighteen strong from as many scattered sections of the country and conducted the play with efficiency and good humor. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 13 MAIN OF A THOUSAND BY MISS NANCY JUPP GOLF COURSES There is no accounting for the curious hobbies which some men take up and which in the long run take possession of them. Take the case of A.O. Nicholson, of Dallas, Texas, one of the “big three” in the number-of-courses-played category. Mr. Nicholson has now played 1,079 different courses and is running neck and neck with John B. Ryerson, of Spring­ field Center, N.Y., who at the end of last year gave his total as 1,112. Neither, however, is ever likely to disturb the fantastic-but-true total of 3,165 courses established by Ralph A. Kennedy, of New York, N.Y. Mr Nicholson embarked on his quest of courses in his early twenties on a strictly family basis. His father, the late O.T. Nicholson, a Shamrock, Texas, banker, was a keen and avid golfer. He was the first president of the Tri-State Golf Association and chair­ man of the board at the time of his death in 1955. Delighted that his son had gained the Texas A. and M. College golf team, and in particular had captained the 1926 team which had captured the first South­ west Conference title and tied for it in 1927, he challenged “Little Nick” to a father-son contest to determine who could play the greater number of dif­ ferent courses. The battle was keen and furious up to the 500 mark when ill health caused the father to bow out of the two-man con­ test. By that time the incentive to seek pas­ tures new was flowing too strongly in the son’s veins for him to call it a day. He continued on his campaign alone, reaping the satisfaction of something achieved as each new card was added to his collection. He set himself one target and this he achieved. Ralph Kennedy had played his 1,000th new course on his fiftieth birth­ day; Mr. Nicholson bettered this by ten months and five days, selecting the Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Okla., A. O. NICHOLSON recent site of the Open Championship, for the memorable occasion. There the battle with Mr. Kennedy ended. The New Yorker, whose work took him traveling throughout the coun­ try, played his 2,000th course eight years later. Mr. Nicholson, as vice-president of the Merchantile National Bank in Dallas, does not have the same opportunity and has exhausted the supply of new courses in Texas. He is now dependent upon his two-weeks vacation and the odd week-end plane trip to augment his collection. To the average golfer a couple of rounds a week-end at his local club is adequate, but the Texas banker has been known to catch the 6 a.m. plane on a Saturday, play a round on each of two different courses, conclude the day with a ball game under the lights, take in a third course at daybreak and be back home by 2 p.m. Sunday, having com­ USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 195» pleted an 800-mile round trip. Such is the life of a golf course collector! This incident is not unique; it is but one of many. He has added as many as ten new courses in three days while on vacation in Oklahoma; one day he added three courses in Maine, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. On several occasions he has played four courses in a day. In his most intensive period he added 38 courses in 15 days. If you stop to think of these achievements for a moment, it makes you quite breathless! The obvious conclusion is that Mr. Nicholson’s golf must have dealt in quan­ tity rather than quality, but that has not been the case. As mentioned earlier he captained the Texas A. and M. golf team in his college days and for ten years held the amateur record of the Cole Creek Country Club, Shamrock, Texas, with a 67. Today, at the age of 52 he is still playing off a 10 handicap. Mr. Nicholson played his first shots on Christmas Day, 1919, on the then six-hole, sand-green course of the Shamrock Golf Club, his father having given him a set of youth’s clubs as a gift. His first ten years of golf did not take him too far afield for in that time his “bag” was a mere 32 different courses. The following year he doubled his total and so the craze caught on. World War II saw him serving for four years as an Army finance officer in the Middle East which gave him the oppor­ tunity of playing both in Egypt and French Morocco. Mr. Nicholson has turned out in all extremes to further his goal—from 20° in Stillwater, Okla., to gruelling mid-day heat in Needles, Cal.; by dawn’s early light to finishing by flashlight in the dark. From Canada to Mexico, from British West Indies to the West Coast, he has walked thousands, of miles, hit about 100,000 shots and traveled the North American continent. Mr. Nicholson has in mind to visit the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, one day. But once on British soil, with 1,500 golf courses tucked into that tight little island, an area a mere fraction of the size of Texas, and the daylight extending to 11 p.m. on June evenings, there is no knowing where his record may end! 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). USGA GOLF HANDICAP SYSTEM FOR MEN, containing recommendations for computing USGA Handicap and for rating courses. Book­ let, 25 cents. USGA Slide Rule Handicapper, 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 procedure, handicapping and course rating. 25 cents. USGA Slide Rule Handicapper, 25 cents. Poster, 10 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. PREPARING THE COURSE FOR A COMPETI­ TION, a reprint of a USGA Journal article by John P. English. No charge. LETTER AND SPIRIT OF THE AMATEUR CODE, a reprint of a USGA Journal article by Joseph C. Dey, Jr. No charge. PROTECTION OF PERSONS AGAINST LIGHT­ NING ON GOLF COURSES, a poster. No charge. HOLE-IN-ONE AWARDS. No Charge. GAMBLING IN GOLF TOURNAMENTS, a re­ print of a USGA Journal article by Richard S. Tufts. No charge. WORK OF A CLUB GREEN COMMITTEE, a re­ print of panel discussions conducted by the USGA Green Section Committee. No Charge. HOW TO MEET RISING COSTS OF GOLF COURSE MAINTENANCE, PARTS I & II, re­ prints of panel discussions conducted by the USGA Green Section Committee. No charge. MISTER CHAIRMAN, a reprint of a USGA Journal article outlining the duties of the Chairman of the Green Committee. No charge. ARE YOU A SLOW PLAYER? ARE YOU SURE? A reprint of a USGA Journal article by John D. Ames. No charge. A JUNIOR GOLF PROGRAM FOR YOUR CLUB AND DISTRICT, a 16-page booklet con­ taining details in organizing and developing junior golf programs at different levels. No charge. TURF MANAGEMENT, by H. B. Musser (Me Graw-Hill Book Co., Inc.), the authoritative book on turf maintenance. $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. These publications are available on request to the United States Golf Association, 40 East 38th Street, New York 16, N. Y. Please send payment with your order. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 15 A SCOTTISH TROPHY FOR A USGA TITLE Edinburgh Businessman only Foreign Donor of a USGA Trophy The USGA Women’s Amateur Cham­ pionship Trophy, as we know it to­ day, dates from 1896. The first Cham­ pionship, however, a hastily arranged 18- hole stroke play event, was held in 1895 at the old Meadow Brook course, in Hempstead, N. Y., and was won by Mrs. C.S. Brown, of New York. In order that the winner’s effort should not go unrecognized, a silver pitcher for outright possession was presented by two Meadow Brook members, R.D. Winthrop and William H. Sands. Just a few years ago that trophy was presented by Archi­ bald M. Brown, son of the winner, to the USGA Museum in “Golf House” and is now on display there. The permanent trophy, a two-foot high silver vase of Etruscan design, is the only USGA prize donated by a foreigner. One look at the cup is sufficient to pin­ point the country of origin of the donor, Robert Cox, of Gorgie, Edinburgh. It is a most unusual trophy, encrusted with thistles, surmounted with plaid enamel and cairngorm stones and bearing panels of St. Andrew’s Castle and “The Pends,” a pre-Reformation arch guarding a mona­ stery in South Street, St. Andrews. Mr. Cox was a well-known figure in Scotland in the latter half of the last century although he died at the com­ paratively early age of 54. He was educated at Loretto, one of the best known Scottish Public Schools, which overlooks the old Musselburgh links, where he no doubt learned his golf. He completed his education at Edinburgh and St. Andrews Universities, being graduated from the latter with an M.A. degree. He joined the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and used to spend the best part of each summer playing the Old Course. Robert Cox became the proprietor of a firm of glue and gelatine manufacturers known as J. and G. Cox which still func­ tions in Edinburgh today. The USGA Women’s Amateur Champion­ ship trophy which has been played for since 1896. Fifty-seven Championships have produced thirty-nine different win­ ners. Over and above his business interests, he was twice elected to the House of Commons, first for a Fifeshire con­ stituency and then for the Edinburgh South Division, for which he was sitting at the time of his death. He was a mem­ ber of the Queen’s Bodyguard, the august Scottish equivalent of the Gentlemen at Arms; he was a Fellow of the Royal Society, a trustee of the Royal Geogra­ phical Society and vice president for eight years of the Philosophical Institute. On the legal side he was a Justice of the Peace and Deputy Lieutenant of Edin­ burgh. Mr. Cox, a man of means and many parts, spread his capital and his interests. He acquired property in both Kansas and Minnesota, and it was while on a visit to the United States in 1895 that he was inspired with the idea of donating a trophy “to be the perpetual insignia of the Women’s Championship.” it USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 195> JUNIOR PROGRAM AT A CLUB Text Prepared by USGA Junior Championship Committee A 16-page booklet entitled “A Junior Golf Program for your Club and District” has been prepared by the USGA Junior Championship Committee and has gone out to USGA Member Clubs. We feel, however, that the subject is of such vital interest to all who have the future, welfare of the game at heart that we reproduce the text dealing with a Junior Program at a Club. An active junior program can be sched­ uled and supervised so that it will in­ terfere little, if any, with the enjoyment of the course by adult club members. It is essential that the program be guided by an adult committee set up for the purpose. The members should be in­ terested in juniors and have time to de­ vote to the program. The size of the committee depends up­ on the scope of the program and the number of juniors participating. The golf committee and women’s committee should be represented on the junior committee so that close liaison may be maintained. The club professional and parents of some juniors should work with the com­ mittee. Also, there should be at least one boy and/or girl representative. In planning the program, the follow­ ing aspects should be considered: a. Whom to admit to the program. b. Registration. c. Organizing juniors into a club. d. Instruction in playing. e. Instruction in Rules and etiquette, f. Playing privileges. g. Handicaps. h. Conduct. i. Tournaments. j. Financing. k. Prizes. 1. Caddie programs. Whom to admit to the program is up to the club and depends entirely upon the local situation. As a rule, children of members are eligible and some clubs also permit grandchildren, nieces, nephews or wards of members to take part. “Outside” juniors who have been recommended and sponsored by a mem­ ber and caddies sometimes have been per­ mitted to participate. Clubs doing this consider they are rendering a communi­ ty service. Registration should be required early in the year by means of postcards to all juniors. Name, address, telephone num­ ber and birth date should be included on each card. Membership cards may be distributed to stimulate interest. Juniors and parents may be invited to an evening of golf movies and a report on plans for the coming year or season. Prominent golf personalities might talk on how junior golf helped them. Organizing juniors into a club often makes the program easier to conduct and more successful. By assuming certain re­ sponsibilities, juniors develop an added interest and gain valued experience. A junior club involves framing an ob­ jective and a Constitution and By-laws, providing for a name, officers, meetings, committees, membership, and so forth. Some By-laws stress the need for showing courtesy at all times to the adult club members and for allowing them priority on the course. By-laws should conform to local club and association by-laws. Should Conduct Their Own Meetings Juniors can be of great assistance with many phases of the program, such as keeping their own handicap records and communicating with other juniors regard­ ing meetings. They should preside at their meetings, keep the records, award the prizes and make their reports, under the supervision of the club’s junior commit­ tee. As a unit, juniors are extremely inter­ ested in seeing that their privileges are not jeopardized through the carelessness of any member. This helps greatly in maintaining a high standard of conduct. Instruction in playing can usually be USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 17 arranged quite easily with the club pro­ fessional. Group instruction, particularly to beginners, is often given at a reduced rate. This instruction may be augmented by shot-making clinics conducted by visit­ ing professionals and by films of famous players. The United States Golf Associa­ tion can provide a list of available films and the sources from which they may be obtained. Instruction in Rules and etiquette is most important. At each meeting of juniors, some time should be devoted to a discussion of the Rules. The discussion should, of course, be conducted by a per­ son who is well versed in them. Instruction on the Rules A series of comparatively short ses­ sions about the Rules can be made in­ teresting and stimulating. A USGA Rules of Golf booklet should be furnished to each junior and he should be shown how to use it. The United States Golf Association has sponsored a series of films on the Rules of Golf which may be rented from Na­ tional Educational Films, Inc., 165 West 46th St., New York 36, N.Y. In discussing the Rules, it should be brought out that: There is only one code of Rules governing golf wherever it is played. The Rules are the result of genera­ tions of golfing experience and are made to insure fair play; a knowl­ edge of them will help the player. Unless the game is played by the Rules, it ceases to be golf but is something else. The two basic principles of the game are: play the ball as it lies and play the course as it is found. While formerly the Rules gave the player relief from very few situa­ tions, they now give relief from many things; some of the relief is free and some entails a penalty. Situations from which a player may have relief, such as a ball lost, out of bounds or unplayable, in a water hazard, in ground under repair, and so forth, should be discussed, with the proper procedures in taking re­ lief. Attention should be paid to the Definitions and to the most common violations of Rules, such as asking advice, cleaning or changing the ball on the green, improving the line of putt, and so forth. Etiquette should be stressed, par­ ticularly the replacing of divots, smoothing footprints in bunkers and repairing ball marks on the green after putting. Giving the juniors a problem involving the Rules, to be answered in writing by a certain date with prizes for the best answers, creates added interest. Oral quizzes also are popular features of meet­ ings at some clubs. For these purposes the official decisions of the Rules of Golf Committee, appearing in the USGA Journal, may be used. An understanding of the Rules and etiquette will prove of great benefit to the junior. Playing Privileges Determined by Skill Playing privileges must be offered in addition to instruction on the practice tee, else the program will not long sus­ tain interest. Beginners usually are not allowed on the course (except in the company of an adult) until they have attained a certain degree of skill and knowledge of the Rules and etiquette. Proficiency rather than age usually is the determining fac­ tor. The committee determines whether a junior shall have playing privileges. A handicap card or a membership card in the junior club may be used as evidence of such privileges. Very young juniors who possess certain skill and yet, because of their youth, play slowly, may be al­ lowed limited playing privileges, such as playing only a few holes. When juniors have been approved for play, they should be permitted the privi­ leges of the course at times when they will not interfere with the adult members. One effective means of handling junior play is to establish a definite morning of each week during school vacation as “junior morning,” just as another morn­ ing may be established especially for women’s play. If it seems feasible, a club may also permit juniors to have guests without green fees on one of these morn­ ings each month. Other privileges may include special clubhouse facilities such as a separate room where golf periodicals and other 18 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 The importance of playing according to the Rules cannot be too strongly emphasized. This simple notice brings this point home forceably to a junior competitor in a Minneapolis tournament. reading matter are available and where meetings are held. Handicaps may be useful in some club events. The USGA Handicap System can be used, with adaptations, for juniors. Nine-hole scores may be accepted until a handicap has been established, then only eighteen-hole scores. Nine-hole handicaps are not recom­ mended for juniors who play eighteen- hole rounds. However, for juniors who cannot play eighteen holes, it is reason­ able to issue nine-hole handicaps. It is our suggestion that nine-hole handicaps be based on the playing diffi­ culty of the nine holes on which the scores are made. In other words, if one nine of a course is harder than the other, scores made on the harder nine should be related to the playing difficulty of that nine. This same principle applies to eighteen-hole scores, where the rating of one course may be 73 and another 63. A nine-hole handicap should never be doubled for eighteen-hole play, nor should an eighteen-hole handicap be halved for nine-hole play. The Importance of Etiquette Conduct must, of course, be supervised. If a junior forgets to smooth his tracks in a bunker, to repair the ball marks on the green, to replace divots or breaks some other rule of etiquette or good con­ duct, a friendly chat with him generally will remedy the situation. However, should the conduct require stronger cor­ rective measures, suspension of playing privileges for a definite or indefinite period and possibly informing his par­ ents will work wonders. However, the juniors as a whole conduct themselves USGA JOURNAL ANO TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 19S8 RESEARCH "Research" is a high-hat word that scares a lot of people. It needn't. It is rather simple. Essentially, it is nothing but a state of mind— a friendly, welcoming attitude toward change. Going out to look for a change instead of wait­ ing for it to come. Research, for practical men, is an effort to do things better and not to be caught asleep at the switch. The research state of mind can apply to anything: personal affairs or any kind of business, big or little. It is the problem-solving mind as contrasted with the let-well-enough-alone mind. It is the composer mind instead of the fiddler mind. It is the "Tomorrow" mind instead of the "Yesterday" mind. —Charles Kettering American Industrialist on a par with their elders, and more of­ ten than not their conduct is exemplary and little disciplinary action is neces­ sary. Tournaments are big events in the life of a junior, and the crucible of competi­ tion is a fine experience. A junior pro­ gram is not complete unless it includes competitions. Most clubs with active junior programs have frequent events such as blind bogey, match play vs. par or bogey, and, of course, junior championships for boys and girls. A ladder event can be con­ ducted throughout the season. The United States Golf Association can furnish a list of varied and interesting events. Father-and-son or daughter and mother-and-daughter or son events ’also are popular. Such competitions bring-par­ ents into close contact with the program. Some clubs finish the junior season with such an event, followed by a dinner at which the prizes are awarded. Junior competitions may be in age or handicap flights. Common age flights are 16-17, 14-15, 12-13 and 11 and under. There can be a “pee-wee” flight for the extremely young. Competitions should be conducted strictly by the Rules of Golf. Local Rules should be examined to insure that they are not in conflict with the Rules of Golf. In areas having several junior pro­ grams, an invitation junior tournament is an exciting and enjoyable event. It is usually a one-day stroke play competition with flights by ages. Unless entrants have established handicaps at their clubs, there should be prizes only for gross scores. Such a competition should be con­ ducted in the same manner as an adult event. It must be planned well. The com­ mittee should be on hand to start the juniors on the first tee; to assure that the cards are checked, signed and at­ tested before being turned in; to see that refreshments are available; to decide questions of Rules; and to look after all the other details. Some invitation events also include putting contests and driving contests for distance and accuracy. Transportation problems will arise in an invitation junior event, and the com­ mittees from each club will have to work them out. Financing will be required, but a junior program need not be expensive. The cost of prizes and refreshments will be the chief expenses. Methods of financing the program have included the following: Appropriation by the club. Donations by individual members. Proceeds from a club event. Junior club dues. Prizes for the girls’ and the boys’ sec­ tions of a tournament and for various flights should be on a par with each other. To avoid too much emphasis on the material gain of winning, prizes should be modest. Although at first juniors prefer trophies, they soon come to appreciate a useful prize of a lasting nature. Caddie Schemes Should Be Considered Caddie programs are an important as­ set to any club, and the junior commit­ tee should not overlook the boys who carry the clubs. The character of the caddie-master, the well-being of the cad­ dies, the cleanliness and adequacy of the caddie yard, the supervision of the boys, and their opportunities to learn to play and to understand the Rules are all pro­ per subjects of concern for the junior committee even though specific remedies for any inadequacies may be the function of another committee. The junior committee might organize a tournament, a clinic, a dinner or a whole program for caddies if such activities do not already exist. The Western Golf As­ sociation, Golf, Ill., devotes its entire ef­ fort to caddie welfare programs and can guide and assist in this field. Through its Evans scholarship program, it offers college scholarships for deserving cad­ dies. 20 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 Example of Symbols: “USGA” indicates decision by the United States Golf Association. “R & A" indi­ cates decision by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland. “58-1” means the first decision issued in 1958. “D” means definition. “R. 37-7” refers to Section 7 of Rule 37 in the 1958 Rules of Golf. Free Drop from Artificial Road Unwarranted USGA 58-14 R. 36-7; L. R. Q: A state road crosses at right angles our tenth and eighteenth fairways. Inas­ much as this road cannot be deemed an obstruction, is not the local rule incorrect which allows dropping a ball from it without penalty? Question by: Garland R. Jones Portsmouth, Va. A: It is the general policy of the USGA that relief without penalty not be given from an artificial road. If abnormal conditions exist, it is up to the club concerned to determine whether a local rule is necessary (Rule 36-7), but the USGA will not endorse a local rule giving relief without penalty from an artificial road. Attested Card May Not Be Altered USGA 58-15 R. 25-1, 38-2, 38 3 Q: The marker stated the player had putted and missed the hole and had stroked the next putt before the ball had stopped moving, thereby incurring a two- stroke penalty; some time after the score had been posted the marker discovered the score for the hole in question had been posted without the penalty. Marker stated he would not attest the card as posted. Player claimed when asked about the matter that he had not putted the ball while moving and there should be no penalty. Who made the change on the card has not been determined. Marker had at­ tested the score for the hole in question with the penalty. There were no other persons present at the time of the alleged infraction. How should it be determined which of the two scores should be accepted? Question by: S. A. Greer, President Bowling Green Golf Association Bowling Green, Ky. A: We cannot reply definitely until the facts have been determined. The local committee must evaluate all available evidence and determine whether the competitor putted while his ball was moving in violation of Rule 25-1. This question should have been resolved be­ USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 21 fore the card was returned, in accordance with Rule 38-2. The penalty for playing while a ball is moving is two strokes in stroke play. A penalty for a Rules violation in stroke play may be applied at any time until the results are officially announced (and even thereafter if the competitor had given wrong information). The committee also must determine who changed the score card after it had been attested, signed and returned to the committee in accordance with Rule 38-2. If a member of the committee changed it, the score should be corrected. If the com­ petitor changed it, he should be disquali­ fied under Rule 38-3. Player Entitled to Change Club in Hazard USGA 58-17 R. 33-1 Q: Is there any rule which would pro­ hibit a player from changing clubs in a hazard? Must he play the ball with the club he enters the hazard with? Question by: Mrs. Sherman D. Baker, Sr. Tampico, Mexico A: No. The player must not do any­ thing which would improve the lie of the ball or assist him in the subsequent play of the hole or otherwise violate Rule 33-1. Ball Knocked in by Fellow Competitor Must be Replaced USGA 58-18 R. 27-3, 35-3c Q: Player A drove his tee shot within several feet of the cup. Player B, in the same group, approached the green with his second shot and B’s ball knocked A’s ball into the cup. B was not A’s partner or opponent. Has A scored a hole in one? Is there a penalty? Question by: Mrs. Dan E. Webster Oxford, Ohio A: Assuming the competition was stroke play, A has not scored a hole in one. Rule 27-3 provides for stroke play: “If a competitor’s ball be moved by a fellow­ competitor, his caddie, clubs, ball or other equipment, no penalty shall be in­ curred. The competitor shall, through the green or in a hazard, drop the ball, or on the putting green place the ball, as near as possible to the spot from which the ball was moved.” If, before B’s stroke, both balls were within twenty yards of the hole and neither was in a hazard, Rule 35-3c ap­ plies and B incurs a penalty of two strokes. A must replace his ball. Player Responsible For Caddie's Action USGA 58-19 R. 16, 21-1, 37-2 Q: A and B are playing a match. On a par 3 hole, A is on the green while B’s drive goes out of bounds. B plays a pro­ visional ball which stops on the green. B’s caddie finds the first ball and, with­ out B’s permission, substitutes it for the second ball, because, as he explained, the first ball was a new ball. Does B lose the hole? Question by Mrs. C. J. Morosini Scranton, Pa. A: Yes. B violated Rules 16-1 and 21-1. Rule 37-2 requires that B assume re­ sponsibility for her caddie’s action. Bird's Nest an Immovable Obstruction USGA 58-20 R. 31-2 Q: A player’s ball came to rest in a bird’s nest in the rough. He feels that he is entitled to a drop according to Rule 32-1 but the Rule does not specify a bird’s nest. Will you please give a ruling? Question by: John Barnum, Professional Blythefield Country Club Belmont, Mich. A: The nest should be regarded as an immovable obstruction and the ball dropped under Rule 31-2. Player May Have Flagstick Attended at Any Time USGA 58-16 Def. 25; R. 34-1 Q: Three men of a foursome were on the green. The fourth man was on the apron of the green with his caddie. One of the caddies of the other three men was standing approximately 5 to 7 feet from the pin; he was not attending the pin. The man who was on the apron of the 22 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 green hit his ball. After he had done so he asked the caddie who was standing 5 to 7 feet from the pin to pull the pin. The caddie automatically did same and the ball went into the cup without striking the pin. a. Is there a two-stroke penalty for asking the caddie to pull the pin after the ball had been struck? b. If you are not on the green, do you have to declare whether or not you want the pin pulled before striking the ball? c. If you are on the apron of the green, are you considered to be on the putting green? Question by: D. W. Jarke, President Jarke Manufacturing Co. Niles, Illinois A: a. No. Rule 34-1 gives the player playing the stroke sole control of the flagstick, and he may have it attended or removed as he chooses. b. No. Under Rule 34-1, the player may have the flagstick attended at any time. c. No. The “putting green” is all ground of the hole being played which is specially prepared for putting or otherwise defined as such by the Commit­ tee. See Definition 25. THE HANDICAPPER Decisions by The USGA Handicap Committee Scoring for Picked Up Holes Handicap Decision 58-6 References: Men: Sections 4-3, 7-2 Women: Sections 14-3, 17-2 Example of symbols: "58-1" means the first decision issued in 1958. References: "Men" and "Women" relate respectively to the USGA Golf Handicap System for Men and The Conduct of Women's Golf. turned and entered in the player’s scor­ ing record as “No Card” (or “N.C.”) so that the handicap will still be based on the best 10 of the last 25 rounds played. If it is the practice of the club for players to return full cards, it is recom­ mended that the player leave an open space or insert X for such pick-up holes, as the rule provides that on such oc­ casional holes “the handicapper may re­ cord scores as follows,” etc. However, if scores are returned in total, as the Sys­ tem authorizes, and not recorded hole by hole, the player should make the adjust­ ment. Q: We are having one minor problem in the interpretation of the word “oc­ casional” in your statement “For oc­ casional holes where a player has picked up without concession, the handicapper may record scores as follows: “a. Two over par if the player’s handicap is 18 or less. “b. Three over par if the player’s handicap is 19 or more.” Would you please give us a more ela­ borate explanation of how often “oc­ casional” is in a golf sense? Also, do you recommend the player leave an open space or asterisk “on the occasional hole” and let the handicapper do the adjusting? Question by: Mrs. Frederick N. Adams Birmingham, Mich. A: The provision quoted was included in the USGA Golf Handicap System to prevent loss of 18-hole scores which give a fairly accurate picture (for handicap purposes) of a player’s ability. When pick­ up holes exceed two in a round, that bene­ fit is lost, and the score should be re­ Eye Operation Warrants Temporary Physical Disability Clause References: Men: Sect. 8-2c; Sect. 14— Handicap Decision 58-7 Note Women: Sect. 18-2c; Sect. 23—Note Q: A member formerly played at seventeen (17) handicap. He stopped playing last August because of eye trou­ ble. He has since been operated on for cataracts on both eyes and has started to play again. A cataract operation involves USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 23 USGA FILM LIBRARY "On the Green," a 17 minute, full color 16 m.m. presentation filmed at the Mid-Ocean Club, Bermuda, illustrating correct pro­ cedures under the Rules of Golf governing situations arising on the putting green. "Golf's Longest Hour," a 16 m.m. full color production running for 17’/j minutes depict­ ing the closing stages of the 1956 Open Championship. Filmed at the beautiful Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, N.Y., it shows the eventual winner, Cary Middlecoff, set a target at which Ben Hogan, Julius Boros and Ted Kroll strive in vain to beat. "Play Them As They Lie," a 16 m.m. color production, running for I6V2 entertaining minutes in which Johnny Farrell, the Open Champion of 1928, acts as intermediary be­ tween Wilbur Mulligan, a beginner of un­ impeachable integrity, and Joshua P. Slye, a past master in the art of breaking the Rules. The film was made at the Baltusrol Golf Club, Springfield, N. J., where Farrell is professional. "Inside Golf House," gives the viewer an opportunity to see the many interesting ex­ hibits in "Golf House," USGA headquarters in New York, and to re-live golf triumphs of the past with many of the game's immortals. The film is a 16 m.m. black and white pro­ duction and runs 28 minutes. "The Rules of Golf—Etiquette" also has proved popular. The film stresses the im­ portance of etiquette by portrayal of vari­ ous violations of the code in the course of a family four-ball match. Ben Hogan ap­ pears in several scenes, and Robert T. Jones, Jr., makes the introductory statement. A 16 m.m. color production, the film has a running time of 17’/i minutes. The distribution of all five prints is handled by National Educational Films, Inc., 165 West 46th Street, New York 36, N. Y., which produced the films in cooperation with the USGA. The rental is $20 per film; $35 for two; $50 for three, $60 for four and $~0 for five, in combination at the same time, including the cost of shipping prints to the renter. the loss of side vision and makes objects and distances 30 per cent larger or longer. His five scores since starting to play again have been 98, 108, 104, 100, 102. However, these scores were made with taking only two over par which is all his former handicap would allow. What is the proper procedure to take so that he may be handicapped properly? Question by: Harold L. Mack Cypress Point Club Pebble Beach, Cal. A: The player seems to qualify for special treatment by the local committee under the “temporary physical disabili­ ty” provisions of Section 8-2c of the USGA Golf Handicap System. He should be assigned a provisional handicap until he can turn in five new unadjusted scores as a start in compiling a fresh scoring record for handicap pur­ poses. The stroke controls you mention are not a part of the USGA Handicap Sys­ tem. All Scores Must Be Returned To All Clubs Concerned Handicap Decision 58-8 References: Men: Sec. 4-1, 7-8 Women: Sect. 14-1, 17-8 QI: In the USGA Golf Handicap Sys­ tem for Men, there is one section which does not seem to be clear, namely Sec­ tion 7, No. 8, “Player Belonging to More than One Club, (a) Return of All Scores to All Clubs.” If a player turned in all scores to all clubs together with the course rating, his handicap, I should think, would be the same at all clubs, but in (b) the ruling is that if a player be­ longs to more than one club and has a different handicap at the clubs, he should use his lowest handicap. We have several players who belong to two clubs using the USGA Handicap System and do not know whether they should turn in scores made at one club to that club’s handicap committee or whether we should request that scores made at both clubs be turned in to the handicap committee of each club. Al: As indicated in Section 7-8a, a player who belongs to two clubs should turn in to both clubs all his scores. Section 7-8b, which provides that a player should use his lowest handicap, is a safety measure which has application when players do not turn in all their scores to all the clubs to which they be­ long. Q2: Occasionally we have Sweeps Tour­ naments where players are only allowed to use irons. It would be my interpreta­ tion that these scores should not be used for handicap purposes because Section 4, No. 1 states that scores must be made under Rules of Golf. A2: Scores made under conditions limit­ ing the use of types of clubs (such as a competition in which players are permit­ ted to use only iron clubs) should not be accepted for handicap purposes. Questions by: K. Sturges Sturges Union-Tribune Publishing Co. San Diego, Cal. 24 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 Fairway Renovation at Seattle Golf Club BY KEN PUTNAM, SUPERINTENDENT In the Pacific Northwest, Paul Bunyan is famous for his great schemes and accomplishments. Paul was a super lum­ berjack, not a golf course architect. No one could blame him for failing to realize that cleared timberland would not pro­ duce smooth riding fairways. In fact, we had few complaints until the electric cart era gave rise to comments that we had “rough riding” fairways. The Seattle Golf and Country Club was built on virgin fir timberland in 1906. After logging, the stumps were “blown” and the holes and depressions filled by horse drawn scrapers. No attempt was made to settle or compact the filled areas. With the march of time, golfers and the elements, the stump holes settled deeper and deeper. Finally the fairway mowers could not cut the bottom of some depressions. Water and fertilizers col­ lected in the sunken areas and the flourishing grass intensified the mowing problem. Then came the carts and some­ thing had to be done. Futile Attempts — Then a Plan Many futile attempts were made at truing the fairways by patching individual sinks.” It was soon decided that a more complete job would be necessary. Mr. Ed Dunn, Green Chairman and USGA Green Section Committeeman, tried to obtain information on costs and methods of fairway renovation from other clubs throughout the United States. Apparently a job of the type and size we contemplated had never been done be­ fore. No records were available. To com­ plicate matters, members wanted to keep the course in play (if possible) during the renovation work. We considered and decided to try re­ sodding. Maybe it was the influence of Paul Bunyan that encouraged us to take on this extraordinary task. Since the big cost would be in handling sod, a system had to be developed to eliminate as much handling as possible. The solution came in the form of pallet boards and a trac­ tor with fork lift. A heavy duty power sod cutter and 200 pallet boards (40” x 78”) were purchased and work began. A Sea of Sod The sod was cut from 1” to ly<” thick, 15” wide and 36” long. It was piled by hand on the pallet boards to a height of about four feet and the top few rows were layed crosswise to help tie the pile together. With the fork lift attachment on our tractor, the sod loaded boards were moved to the rough. The sod along the first ten or twelve feet on both sides of the fairway was placed directly on the rough grass. This made it possible to get by with fewer pallet boards. A layer of organic matter two inches thick was found under the fairway sod. It was so tight, our disc would not touch it and cultivators had to be used. We USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 25 A worth while job well done. The finished product after lifting the sod, cultivating the organic matter, discing, levelling and returfing. cultivated to a depth of ten to twelve inches, then disced twice and finished leveling with a Roseman Tiller Rake and a float. During this operation, the rest of the crew were picking up rocks and piling them for later removal. After leveling, an application of lime (3 tons limerock flour per acre) and fer­ tilizer (1000 lbs. 6-20-20 per acre) was worked lightly into the soil. The area was then rolled, the pallet boards returned and the sod replaced, followed by an­ other rolling. Up on Monday — Down on Friday We found it inadvisable to lift more sod than could be replaced in one week. The area to be done depends on the size of the crew. The first fairway we at­ tempted was three acres in total size, but we split it down the middle and tackled only IV2 acres. Sod cutting started on a Monday and it was back on a leveled fairway by Fri­ day afternoon. We found this to be about the maximum work load for nine men if the weather is favorable. We later tried three acres at one time with the same crew. It took ten days and the sod was quite discolored when replaced. Sod on pallet boards ready to be lifted over to the rough. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1951 Our Fact* and Figures To date a total of ten acres have been renovated. Through experience and the use of proper tools, our original cost of $490 per acre has been cut to $450 per acre. Experience has also taught us that one man will need 7 hours to cut acres of sod; nine men require 12 hours to lift this sod on and off the pallet boards; two men require 16 hours to cul­ tivate and level the IVi acres. We feel the results more than warrant the expense and club officials plan to continue this long range program until all fairways have been corrected. It is hoped that an average of three fairways a year will be so treated by our regular crew. It has been a big job but we become more efficient with each start. Although our progress is good, work could surely be speeded if only Paul Bunyan would jeturn and give us a hand! Sod back in position ready for light rolling. Poison Information Centers As the use of chemically complex pesti­ cides has increased, the need for ready sources of reliable information has mation Centers. The physician will then be able to provide prompt treatment. grown. The Green Section can furnish mimeographed lists of Poison Informa­ tion Centers upon request to USGA Green Section, Southwestern Office, Texas A. and M. College, College Station, Texas. The Poison Control Centers listed keep pertinent information concerning symp­ toms, antidotes, and clinical procedures for all the economic poisons which are used. The chemical materials used on golf courses may be used safely if the manu­ facturer’s directions are followed. There is always an element of danger, however, when toxic materials are being handled. Agricultural chemicals for pest con­ trol are often compounded from rather complex materials. Many of them are commonly known only by trade names. Because of these facts, physicians may be unable to determine immediately the proper clinical procedure to be followed. Should a man on your golf course be­ come ill after handling a chemical ma­ terial, take him to a physician, tell the physician the trade name of the chemical, and give him this list of Poison Infor­ COMING EVENTS August 4-8 August 26 Annual Meetings American Society of Agronomy Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind. L. G. Monthey, Executive Sec., Madison, WIs. Rutgers University Turfgrass Field Day New Brunswick, N. J. Dr. Ralph E. Engel September 3, noon to September 4, noon Penn State Turfgrass Field Days University Park, Pa. Prof. H. B. Musser September 8-9 Cornell University Field Days Ithaca, N. Y. Dr. John F. Corman September 11-12 University of Rhode Island Field Days Kingston, R. I. Dr. Jesse A. DeFrance September 15-16 Midwest Turfgrass Foundation Field Days Department of Agronomy Purdue University Lafayette, Ind. September 16-17-18 University of Florida Turfgrass Conference McCarty Hall, University of Florida Gainesville, Fla. Dr. Gene C. Nutter September 30 St. Louis Field Day Clayton, Mo. October 15-16-17 Central Plains Turfgrass Conference Manhattan, Kansas Leo S. Bauman Dr. Ray A. Keen USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 27 . d e t a t s i e s w r e h t o s s e n u l s n o i t a d n e m m o c e r s ' r e r u t c a f u n a m o t g n i d r o c c a e b o t d e m u s s A 28 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 6 5 9 1 e g e l l o C f f e l t r u h S . C e t a t S . M . r D a w o > t n e B r o y r u c r e M s e d i r o l h c y r u c r e m l y n e h P USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 29 Bob Williams (left), President of the Golf Course Superintendents’ Association, presents an Award of Merit to Norman Kramer, superintendent of the Silver Lake Golf Club, Orland Park, Ill., in recognition of his meritorious work in preparing the course for the USGA Amateur Public Links Championship last month. Keeping Bentgrass Pure BY JAMES L. HOLMES Mid-Western Agronomist, USGA Green Section It is becoming increasingly apparent that a sod nursery is extremely im­ portant in the maintenance and upkeep of the present day golf course. The nursery is often referred to as an “in­ surance policy.” Sod nurseries are maintained for dif­ ferent purposes. Most superintendents maintain a nursery of turf for use in re­ pairing putting greens, and a nursery for such use is no doubt of prime importance. It is, however, becoming more of a gen­ eral practice to maintain nurseries for replacement of turf on tees, and occasion­ ally a fairway turf nursery is found. There are many different methods and practices used in maintaining bentgrass nurseries. The fact that bent seedlings are usually not like the parent, presents one of the major problems encountered when working with this grass. If any giv­ en strain is to be kept pure, it must not be allowed to “go to seed.” Mr. Clem Coble, golf course superin­ tendent at Broadmoor Country Club, Indianapolis, Indiana, for 35 years, has been maintaining the same strain of Washington bent since he obtained it from the Green Section at the Arlington Turf Gardens in 1924. Mr. Coble maintains a sod nursery un­ der putting green conditions. Sod is re­ moved for various uses on the course from year to year. One of Mr. Coble’s 30 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 195( primary interests is to be certain that he has a supply of his true Washington bent to restolonize the area from which the sod has been removed. During the early part of September an area approximately 50 feet long and 25 feet wide is tilled. Four rows of stolons obtained from the previous year’s growth are sprigged into the area. The rows are 50 feet long and 4 feet apart. Fifty pounds of a mixture of 50% milorganite and 50% 6-12-12 are applied to the area and it is thoroughly watered. The area is roped off and receives very little attention until the following Sep­ tember. It receives water only under ex­ treme drought conditions. The following September and prior to seed head formation, the four rows of stolons have almost grown together. A sod knife is run under each row and all the previous year’s growth is thoroughly removed. The stolons are pulled apart by hand and any foreign growth such as crabgress is discarded. Selected vigorous stolons are planted into rows, following the same pattern of the previous fall. The remainder of stolons is used to replenish the sod nur­ sery, to stolonize a new green or part of a green, or the excess material is given to a club member. By following this pattern for the past 30 odd years, Mr. Coble believes he has been able to maintain his original plant- SUBSCRIBERS TO U.S.G.A. GREEN SECTION RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FUND, INC. Augusta National Golf Club, Catto & Putty, Floyd Farley, Georgia Florida Turf Association, Lionel MacDuff, Metropolitan Golf Writers' Assoc., National Golf Fund, New England Golf Augusta, Ga. San Antonio, Texas Oklahoma City Okla. Winter Park, Fla. Lynn, Mass. Manhasset, N. Y. Dunedin, Fla. Boston, Mass. Association, Connecticut State Golf Association Maine State Golf Association Massachusetts State Golf Association New England Golf Association New Hampshire State Golf Association Rhode Island State Golf Association Vermont State Golf Association Bernard H. Ridder, Jr., Duluth, Minn. ing stock—unchanged. Needless to say he has a beautiful strain of bent. An odd characteristic of this grass is that when a new area adjacent to an older established area is stolonized it will take up to five years for the two areas to develop the same color. The newly stolonized area usually retains a lighter shade of green for a few years. Doubtless there are other good methods for maintaining a pure stock of a grass suited to a particular use. This method, as practiced by Mr. Coble, is successful and time-tested. It is described here with the thought that it may be helpful to some who may wish to have a pattern for nursery maintenance. Golf Course Measurements When the week-end golfer finds him­ self lying “two” on the green of a 500 yard hole, he is likely to glow with pride about the way he is hitting the ball. But if he is perfectly honest with himself and is inclined to be realistic, he may be just a little skeptical about how the dis­ tance was measured. His skepticism might be well-founded because there seems to be a diversity of opinion concerning the proper way to measure the distance be­ tween teeing ground and putting green. It is important to the golf course super­ intendent to know also the area of his greens, tees, bunkers, etc. Only by having accurate measurements of such areas can he determine the rates of application of fungicides, fertilizers and other materials. The distance of golf holes should be the “air line” distance from one point to another. In other words the contours of the ground line should not enter into the computation. Such measurements may be obtained by use of a surveyor’s transit with range finder, by using a steel tape held horizontally so that it is not affected by contours, or by the use of a map or photo made to scale wherein a scale rule may be used to determine yardage from point to point. The last mentioned method has many points in its favor. By the process of re­ conciling previously measured distances between recognizable objects appearing in an aerial photograph, it is possible to produce a photograph or a map to a pre­ cise scale, so that distances between two given points may be measured easily and accurately. Measurements of golf hole yardages USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 31 Turf Management of today. Arthur Anderson, Superintendent, Brae Burn Coun­ try Club, West Newton, Massachusetts, and James M. Latham, Jr., Agronomist, USGA Green Section, inspect sod of C-l Arlington and C-19 Congressional creeping bentgrass turf at Mr. Anderson’s nursery site at Brae Burn. From a nursery area of 6,000 square feet, enough sod was grown to plant more than 40 greens in the Boston area. must have a definite starting and stop­ ping place. It is a general practice at clubs where yardages are taken seriously to fix some sort of permanent marker at just about the middle (relative to dis­ tance) of the teeing ground. This repre­ sents the starting place for measurements and it serves as a reference point when tee markers are placed in front of or be­ hind this point. Measurements are made from this permenently fixed point to the center of the putting green. The line of measurement follows generally the cen­ ter line of the fairway. On dogleg holes, the line of measurement follows the fair­ way as the hole was intended to be played and does not take into account the ability of some golfers to cut across the dogleg thereby lessening the distance. Area measurements of a golf course can also be nude from a scale map or aerial photo. While this measurement does not allow for differences caused by uneven topography, it is considered to be accurate within 1/10 of 1 percent. This degree of accuracy is sufficient for all practical purposes. A very useful instru­ ment in computing areas shown on a map or photo is a planimeter. In using a planimeter, the operator simply traces the outline of the area concerned and the area measurement is automatically com­ puted. The alternative method is to di­ vide the areas into squares, rectangles, triangles and other easily measured shapes and find the sums of these areas. The cost of an aerial photograph and scale map is nominal when it is considered that this can be used as a permanent record and that it will simplify greatly any measurements that may need to be made in the future. 32 USGA JOURNAL ANO TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 195« IT’S YOUR HONOR Well Conducted Open To The USGA: After seeing my first National Open at Tulsa, I want to say that I never saw a more beautifully con­ ducted tournament, with the good spirit of the marshalls all over the course and the attendants as a whole. I think the Tulsa people are a mighty fine people to know. Adolph Skinner Nashville, Tenn. Educating the Beginner To The USGA: I have just read your article in the June, 1958, edition of the USGA Journal “Are you a Slow player? Are you sure?” This should be put on heavy cardboard and posted on every golf club. However, I would like to add that I also agree with Harold Sargent, president of the PGA, that the prob­ lem is one of education. This I would like to suggest be in the form of part of the beginners’ course. Each train­ ing professional should include in the curriculum how to rake a sand trap, replace a divot, smooth a ball mark on a green and behave on a golf course. When I took my first golf lesson some twenty years ago from Glen Hunnell at Oakmont Country Club here, he cautioned me that I was to stay away from the golf course for six months, that it would take that length of time to groove a swing and learn the etiquette of golf. He said I would enjoy my game better and not be a load on my playing com­ panions. He told me about replacing divots, raking bunkers, erasing ball marks on the green, letting groups through if we wasted too much time looking for a lost ball, getting ac­ quainted with the rules and so forth. If every pro were cautioned not to let a beginner on the golf course un­ til he has completed a course in this type of instruction, in a few years golfers would do all of these things automatically. “What we learn today—we should profit by tomorrow; but the lesson isn’t learned unless it’s practiced to­ morrow.” Joseph A. Piuma, President Oakmont Country Club Glendale, Cal. Gambling and Golf To The USGA: I have your circular letter of May 28th in which you reiterate the As­ sociation’s policy on gambling. I am heartily in accord with same. As a matter of fact, I have never permit­ ted organized gambling, Calcutta auc­ tion pools, pari-mutuel betting, lot­ teries, or any other type of gambling in connection with the tournaments which I have sponsored or have been the co-sponsor. In my opinion, golf just doesn’t loan itself to gambling. Everyone connected with the game should do everything in their power to keep it clean. Rorert A. Hudson Portland, Ore. Players Post Own Scores To The USGA: You will be interested to know that our Women’s Association at Western Hills in Cincinnati is very pleased with the new handicap system recom­ mended by the Women’s Committee of the United States Golf Associa­ tion. The procedures, once mastered, are relatively simple and the need of compute a per­ 25 posted scores to bringing about handicap is manent posting of scores by the routine players! Mrs. H. Cincinnati, Ohio Scott Marshall USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1958 33 USGA OFFICERS, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN PRESIDENT John D. Ames, Chicago, III. VICE-PRESIDENTS John G. Clock, Long Beach, Cal. Charles L. Peirson, Boston, Mass. SECRETARY John M. Winters, Jr., Tulsa, Okla. 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. Wm. Ward Foshay, New York, N. Y. Richmond Gray, Richmond, Va. Hord W. Hardin, St. Louis, Mo. Stuart A. Heatley, San Francisco, Cal. William McWane, Birmingham, Ala. F. Warren Munro, Portland, Ore. Bernard H. Ridder, Jr., Duluth, Minn. GENERAL COUNSEL Wm. Ward Foshay, New York, N. Y. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Joseph C. Dey, Jr., New York, N. Y. John P English, Assistant Executive Director USGA HEADQUARTERS "Golf House", 40 East 38th Street, New York 16, N. Y. COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN RULES OF GOLF: John M. Winters, Jr., Tulsa, Okla. CHAMPIONSHIP: Charles L. Peirson, Boston, Mass. AMATEUR STATUS AND CONDUCT: John G. Clock, Long Beach, Cal. IMPLEMENTS AND BALL: C. W. Benedict, White Plains, N. Y. MEMBERSHIP: Hord W. Hardin, St. Louis, Mo. 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. Handicap Procedure: William O. Blaney, Boston, Mass. JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: J. Frederic Byers, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa. SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: William McWane, Birmingham, Ala. \ GIRLS' JUNIOR: Mrs. John Pennington, Buffalo, N. Y. MUSEUM: C. W. Benedict, White Plains, N. Y. BOB JONES AWARD: Wm. Ward Foshay, New York, N. Y. FINANCE: Charles L. Peirson, Boston, Mass. 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: Connor Hall, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga. 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 Office: P. O. Box 567, Garden Grove, Cal. William H. Bengeyfield, Director, Western Region WESTERN REGION