USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT GOLFERS' SUMMIT MEETING The United States Team which won the World Amateur Team Cham­ pionship at Merion Golf Club, was invited to The White House. President Eisenhower greeted his fellow golfers and had a look at the Eisenhower Trophy. The trophy goes to the winning team. Golfers and officials, from the left are: Players William Hyndman, III, and Robert W. Gardner; USGA President John G. Clock; President Eisenhower; Team Captain Totton P. Heffelfinger, Players Deane R. Beman, Jack W. Nicklaus. NOVEMBER, 1960 USSA JOURNAL TURF MANAGEMENT Published by the United States Golf Association AHO 1960 by United States Golf Association. Permission to reprint articles or material In the USGA © Journal and Turf Management is granted to publishers of newspapers# periodicals and books (unless specifically noted otherwise), provided credit is given to the USGA and copyright protection Is af­ forded. Neither articles nor other material may be copied or used for any advertising, promotion or commercial purpose. VOL XIII, No. 6 NOVEMBER, 1960 Through the Green __________________________________________________ 1 New Records Set in Amity and Scores in World Golf_______Joseph C. Dey, Jr. 4 Beman Wins Amateur, Internationals Compete ________ Sterling G. Slappey 9 Is Golf Getting Soft? ________ _________ ._______________ Richard S. Tufts 12 Cestone, Mother Nature Share Senior Laurels ________ P. J. Boatwright, Jr. 14 Costly Fires in Golf Club Properties ___ __________________ T. Seddon Duke 16 JoAnne Gunderson Wins Her Second Amateur __________ Robert C. Renner 20 The Referee: Decisions Under the Rules of Golf ________________________ 22 Turf Management: Forty Years of Green Section Activity __________________________ 25 Meeting of the Green Section _________________ t________________ 26 ' Dear Bill Letter______________________________________________ 29 Questions and Answers ___________ .___________________________ 31 It’s Your Honor: Letters ____________________________________________ 33 Published seven times a year in February, April, June, July, August, September and November by the UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 40 EAST 38th ST., NEW YORK 16, N. Y. 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 the Post Office in Pinehurst, N. C. Editor: Joseph C. Dey, Jr. Managing Editor: Stealing G. Slappey. All articles voluntarily contributed. Championship or Team Match Open OSGA COMPETITIONS FOR 1961 Entries Close Qualifying Rounds Dates of Event Location May 3 Local: May 22 Sect!.: June 6** June 15-16-17 Women’s Open June 14 None Amateur Public Links •June 1 tJune 18-25 June 29-30, July 1 July 10-15 Junior Amateur June 28 July 18 Aug. 2-5 Girls’ Junior July 28 None Women’s Amateur Aug. 2 None Walker Cup Match*** —_ —— Aug. 14-18 Aug. 21-26 Sept. 1-2 Amateur Aug. 9 Aug. 29 Sept. 11-16 Senior Amateur Aug. 30 Sept. 19 Oct. 2-7 Oakland Hills C.C., Birmingham, Mich. Baltusrol Golf Club, Springfield, N.J. Rackham Golf Course, Detroit, Mich. Cornell University Golf Course, Ithaca, N.Y. Broadmoor Golf Club, Seattle, Wash. Tacoma Country & G.C.: Tacoma, Wash. Seattle Golf Club, Seattle, Wash. Pebble Beach Course, Del Monte G. & C.C., Pebble Beach, Calif. Southern Hills C.C., Tulsa, Okla. ** Open Championship: Sectional Qualifying Championships date may be changed to Monday, June 5 if local authority in charge deems advisable. Amateur Public Links Championship: * Entries close with each Sectional Qualifying Chairman. t Exact date in each Section to be fixed by Sectional Chairman. ***Walker Cup Match: Men’s amateur teams—Great Britain vs. United States. A Good Sign Sign over the door leading from the locker room of the Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Oklahoma: ‘‘The game ceases to be golf when the rules are broken at leisure.” A Captain's Enjoyment The wisdom of a brilliant legal mind and the humility of Every Golfer were merged when Lord Cohen described his reaction to playing himself into office as Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews in September. “I enjoyed it very much,” he said, “— after I had hit the ball.” A crowd of 1,000 saw the 72-y ear-old English judge go through the ceremony of driving from the first tee, as an ancient cannon boomed to let the folk of St. An­ drews know there was a new R. and A. Captain. The traditional scramble by a host of caddies for the ball was won by 47-year- old Stewart Rodger, who was rewarded with a golden sovereign by Lord Cohen. The Open Helps the Course The idea that a major tournament such as the National Open brings great damage to the golf course is unfounded. The USGA system of roping each hole as a unit preserves the playing area by keep­ ing off the spectators. Now we have the testimony of Ted Rupel, Golf Course Superintendent of the Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver, where the 1960 Open was played. Writing in “The Golf Course Reporter” he said: “As for the condition of the grass, nothing could be better for the actual playing area. It must be considered that there are only 150 players in the tourna­ ment, and that they hit the ball so few times that the course gets a rest. The big­ gest factor in the recovery of the grass was that the use of golf carts was sus­ pended ten days before tournament time, and that was very favorable to the grass from a growing standpoint. The gallery, of course, did the real damage. As one newspaper described it, ‘worse than the morning after New Years? Even with the heavy gallery traffic we were able to re­ cover from its beating very well. We watered heavy for about a week in the trampled areas, and the grass, being fer­ tilized and healthy, soon recovered.” Washer-Vines Philippe Washer, Waterloo, Belgium, has repeated the Elsworth Vines act. Vines, an American tennis star of the first magnitude 20 to 30 years ago, turned to golf and has continued his sports suc­ cess. Now Washei’ also has turned to golf. Washei' represented Belgium in 50 Davis Cup tennis matches. He was a member of Belgium’s team at the World Amateur Team Championship at Merion. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 1 Ouimet Tree 7 Then, 14 Now A young oak tree has been planted in honor of Francis Ouimet, appropri­ ately enough, at the Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, N. Y. The Ouimet tree and those honoring other players, are on The Hill of Fame. The first trees on the Hill were planted four years ago. At the base of each is a bronze plaque citing achieve­ ments of the honored golfer. Mr. Ouimet, now 68 and living in Brookline, Mass., won the 1913 National Open Championship and the National Amateurs of 1914 and 1931. His victory in the Open came after a play-off with the British stars, Harry Vardon and Edward Ray. Shoots Age at Pine Valley At last a golfer has scored the equiva­ lent of his age at the Pine Valley Golf Club, Clementon N. J.—but it took the President of the Club to do it. John Arthur Brown recently had a 76 —and 76 is his age. Mr. Brown, a Philadelphia lawyer, has been Pine Valley’s President for 32 years. He formerly was a member of the USGA Executive Committee. John Arthur Brown ’’What is the biggest difference in golf today from what it was in 1890,” Willie Auchterlonie, the 1893 British Open Champion, was asked recently? “The fact that they use so many clubs,” the charming old Scot from St. Andrews replied. “What does any man want with 14 clubs? I won the (British) Cham­ pionship (at Prestwick) with seven: a driver, a spoon, grass club, cleek, iron, mashie and a putter. That’s enough for anybody. “How many of the golfers today can play half shots, and come to think of it, how many of them can put on a grip? “The golfers today don’t think enough about the shots. Half of them depend on their caddies. They’re automatic, that’s what they are and it’s not good for the game.” Willie, now 88 and still living near the Old Course in St. Andrews, gave his opinions to Tom Scott, Editor of “Golf Illustrated,” of London. The interview was the basis of a fine article in a recent issue of the magazine. “Golf Illustrated” is 70 years old, making it one of the world’s oldest golf publications. California Hall of Fame Members of the California Golfwriters Association have selected five California players for charter membership in the California Golf Hall of Fame. The five: Lloyd Mangrum, the 1946 U. S. Open Champion; Lawson Little, 1940 U. S. Open Champion who also won both the U. S. and British Amateur Championships in 1934 and 1935; Marvin Ward, 1939 and 1941 U. S. Amateur Champion; Olin Dutra, 1934 U. S. Open Champion, and the late Charles Ferrara, winner of the National Public Links Championship in 1931 and 1933. The Ezinicki Era There are now 50 states in the Union and Bill Ezinicki is the Open Golf Champion in four of them. In order, during the season, the Massachusetts professional won the Open Championships of Maine, New Hamp­ shire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. 2 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 Bill took the Massachusetts Champion­ ship at the Country Club of Pittsfield, in September, by scoring a 70 and a 69 on the final day for 213 — one stroke better than amateur Ted Bishop and professional Ed Rubis. The Boston Herald called Bill “The Poor Man’s Arnold Palmer.” Besides numerous examples of fine silverware which he has won, Bill also accumu­ lated $1,770 in prize money. His home is Hillview, Mass., and he formerly played ice hockey in the Na­ tional Hockey League. WARREN ORLICK Warren Orlick, of the Tam O’Shanter Country Club, Orchard Lake, Mich., has been named PGA Golf Professional-of- the-Year for 1960. Mr. Orlick is chairman of the PGA Rules Committee. Necrology It is with deep regret that we record the deaths of: Darsie L. Darsie, Los Angeles, a golf writer and the feature editor of the Los Angeles Evening Herald Express. Sir Guy Campbell, Scotland, golf course designer, golf writer and a fine player. Books Reviewed Golf is My Game, by Robert T. Jones, Jr., (Doubleday, $4.50). Bob Jones opens his fine book by say­ ing, “ x x x I have written my book as a learner, rather than as a teacher. I am not ambitious to teach teachers to teach, but if I can help learners to learn, I shall consider my reward sufficient.” From there he goes on to review his career and his beliefs. His reminiscences in prose are nearly as good as his golf was between 1916 and 1930 when he scored the only Grand Slam—the winning of the British Amateur and Open and the United States Amateur and Open. The forward portions of Mr. Jones’s 255-page book have to do with method, swing and technicalities. He eases into this phase by writing, “It seems obvious to me that writing about the golf swing has become too technical and compli­ cated, and even the most earnest teach­ ing professional presents the game to his pupil as a far more difficult thing than it really is. It is equally obvious that what the game needs most if it is to con­ tinue to grow in popularity is a simplifi­ cation of teaching routines which will present a less formidable aspect to the beginner and offer to the average player a rosier prospect of improvement.” Mr. Jones graciously tries to make his efforts sound second best. His modesty adds to the book in which he early quotes Jim Barnes as telling him, “Bob, you can’t always be playing well when it counts. You’ll never win golf tournaments until you learn to score well when you’re playing badly.” Mr. Jones adds, “I think this is what I learned to do best of all.” Fine details are given on each of the Grand Slam Championships and doubt­ lessly these details will be appreciated by future golf historians. Much of the material is new to print. One of the outstanding chapters in the book is No. 18, entitled, “The Stymie— Let’s have it back!” Resistance to changes in the Rules of Golf is applauded by the author. How­ ever, the elimination of the stymie was “a real mistake.” USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 3 NEW RECORDS SET IN AMITY AND SCORES IN WORLD GOLF By JOSEPH C. DEY, JR. USGA Executive Director The wonderful East Course at the Merion Golf Club at Ardmore, in the Philadelphia suburbs, seems to have a sure fascination for both the spectacular and the meaningful. There Bob Jones completed his Grand Slam in 1930. There Ben Hogan won his great come-back vic­ tory in the 1950 Open. Early this autumn, as the stage for the second World Amateur Team Champion­ ship, Merion provided fresh ultimates in both the spectacular and the meaningful. The bare bones will always point to two unbelievable records in the competi­ tion for the Eisenhower Trophy: First, a victc ry for the United States by 42 strokes, in a field of 32 countries. Second, Jack Nicklaus’ score of 269 for 72 holes—eleven under par—over a great course. As for significance, the World Cham­ pionship meant the spread of good will and seeds of peace. Now good will and peace are scarcely measurable, in the way that a golf score can be measured. But to every one present at Merion, these imponderables were very present, ani­ mating the entire proceedings. It was as if the unseen became the most clearly ap­ prehended. At the time of the World Champion­ ship, most of the nations of the world were opening a General Assembly at the United Nations, scarcely a hundred miles away. One wishes the political representa­ tives had followed the diplomatic line of the golfers. What happened at Merion? A few examples give clue: .... Of the 126 players, 71 came to know Americans better as guests in the homes of members of Merion and other clubs. Private housing was provided for all players who requested it, as well as for a number oi players’ wives and offi­ cials. .... Every competitor played with eight others from eight different coun­ tries, with a few exceptions. .... Merion hospitality was warm and generous. Merion ladies furnished private transportation, from early morning until night. All players were provided free cad­ die service and lunches, with breakfast for early starters, thanks to a Hospitality Fund of more than $18,000 contributed by eight American business companies and more than 250 USGA Member Clubs. (Amateur status rules permit acceptance of expenses in such international events.) . .. . The Pine Valley Golf Club invited all players for a day of informal fun over its world-famous course after the Cham­ pionship. Now plans are already being made for chartering airplanes for groups of teams from the European-African and the American zones to the 1962 Champion- ARTISTRY Jack W. Nicklaus plays one of the 269 strokes which gave him the individual low score in the World Championship. 4 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 ship in Tokyo. This year teams from Nor­ way, Denmark, Sweden and Finland came in a chartered plane with a number of rooters, 86 persons in all: a fine inter­ national interchange. The events of Merion in that week end­ ing October 1 will not, of course, change the tide of world history. But the spirit of Merion is the same quiet, pervasive force which has always brought man closer to man. That was the meaning of Merion. Fantastic Scoring The first World Championship at St. Andrews in 1958 was notable for close­ ness of competition—Australia defeated the United States in a play-off of a tie. The second World Championship was memorable for the fantastic scoring by the United States team—Deane Beman, aged 22; Robert W. Gardner, 39; William Hyndman, III, 44; Jack Nicklaus, 20. Their non-playing Captain was Totten P. Heffelfinger, former USGA President. Merion’s par is 70. It was broken eight times, all by the Americans; half of their 16 rounds were sub-par. Only Hyndman had played the course before. A team’s score consists of the best three individual scores in each round. The Americans’ total was 834. Even without Jack Nicklaus, they scored 860, compared with Australia’s second-place 876, and 881 for Great Britain and Ireland, which was third. Here is how the United States’ score was made; the best three individual scores in each round make up the team total: Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Rd. 3 Rd. 4 Total Beman Gardner Hyndman Nicklaus 71 71 71 66 67 71 76 67 69 68 67 68 75 79 75 68 Best 3 208 205 203 218 282 289 289 269 834 RUNNERS-UP Australia won the World Team Championship in 1958 at St. Andrews and finished second at Merion. From the left the Australians of 1960: Edward Ball, Jack Coogan, Bruce W. Devlin and Eric G. Routley. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 5 It was a miraculous coincidence that the four United States players happened to be at their peak simultaneously. There is no other way to account for the fact that they took four of the first five in­ dividual places among the best amateur golfers in the world, including Joseph B. Carr, three-time British Champion; Bruce Devlin, of Australia; Robert Charles, of New Zealand, and Henri de Lamaze, of France. Ironically, in the third round Deane Beman, the National Amateur Champion, did not make the American team even though he had a 69. Hyndman was the pace-setter with 67, including five con­ secutive 3s starting at the ninth and a back nine of 31, thi ee under par.. Gardner and Nicklaus had 68s. To those who know Merion, this sort of play was incomprehensible. Ten years ago the best score in the Open there was 287, by Ben Hogan, Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio. It is true that for the Eisenhower Trophy event, Merton’s fair­ ways were wider, the rough shorter and the greens much softer than for the Open. But the course was very wet and slow the first two days, play was tiresomely slow, there was a strong wind the last day, yet there was an 18-stroke difference between 269 in 1960 and 287 in 1950. Nicklaus’ Great Play Jack Nicklaus’ rounds were 66-67-68-68. His 133 for the first 36 holes compares with Dutch Harrison’s 139 for the same stretch in the 1950 Open. In this year’s Open at Cherry Hills in Denver, Mike Souchak set an all-time Open record for the first two rounds with 135. Nicklaus was second at Cherry Hills with 282, two strokes behind Arnold Pal­ mer and two under par. Thus, for 144 holes of stroke play in the best of com­ petitions over two Championship courses, he was 13 below par. Nicklaus at Merion had a putt at a 64 in the first round; had he made it he would have equaled Lee Mackey, Jr.’s record single round in the Open at Merion in 1950. Nicklaus three-putted for a 66, a new amateur course record. Here are his scores with par: 1 23456789 Out 453544443 36 Hole Par 1st Rd. 4 5 2 6 3 4 4 3 3 34 2nd. Rd. 43354444334 3rd Rd. 4 6 3 5 3 4 4 4 3 36 4th Rd. 4 4 4 4 5 4 4 4 3 36 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 Hole 4 34—70 Par 1st. Rd. 334344425 32—66 2nd. Rd. 344344434 33—67—133 3rd. Rd. 4 32—68—201 4 32—68—269 4th Rd. To the outsider, just how did Merion shape up? Here is the unsolicited view of CoL A. A. Duncan, former British Wal­ ker Cup Captain: 4 4 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 5 3 3 4 4 3 3 “I thought the course was superb. It is such a splendid thing to find a test as severe as that without having to resort to excess in yardage. It is surely a tac­ tical masterpiece. The American play left us all speechless. What a performance!” There is no official competition for in­ dividual low score; the World Amateur Golf Council feels that the Champion­ ship should be strictly a team event, and that no man can serve two masters—his team and himself. It is not hard to imagine a player confronted with a situa­ tion where he should play safely for the sake of his team but boldly for his per­ sonal glory. Even so, the status of the individual leaders should be recorded: Nicklaus 269, Beman 282, Devlin of Australia 288, Gardner 289, Hyndman 289. Was the Americans’ sterling play apt to discourage other countries in future? The answer given at Merion was that the others were inspired, not discouraged. It has always been so—a high standard is a magnet and a challenge. All worthy athletes respond to it, for it is the life­ blood of sport. Not many years ago Mexi­ co was not prominent in amateur golf. Then in 1952 the Canada-Mexico-United States series for the Americas Cup was started. Under the stimulus of this and other events, the quality of golf in Mexi­ co has been steadily rising until, at Merion, Mexico stood second to the United States after the first round. Flag-Raising The Championship was preceded by a flag-raising ceremony, in which the Fourth Naval District Band and a de­ tachment of Marines played colorful parts. The USGA entertained at dinner in honor of the players and the delegates at the Philadelphia Country Club, with John G. Clock, USGA President, pre­ siding. Livingston T. Merchant, Under Secretary for Political Affairs in the De­ partment of State, brought a message 6 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 JACK W. NICKLAUS This fine photographic study of a great golfer was made at Merion during the World Championship. from President Eisenhower to the 301 guests. Robert T. Jones, Jr., was principal speaker and was presented with a scroll signed by all the players. The next day, 30 years to the day after he completed his Grand Slam at Merion, the Club dedi­ cated a granite tablet to the left of the 11th green, where Bob had closed out the final of the 1930 Amateur Championship with Eugene Homans, Jr. The tablet is inscribed: On September 27, 1930, and on This Hole, Robert Tyre Jones, Jr., Completed His Grand Slam By Winning the U. S. Amateur Golf Championship. The World Championship field span­ ned all ages from 16 to 57. Oldest was I. S. Malik, of India. He and his son Ashok were one of two father-and-son pairs; the others were the Visconde de Pereira Machado and Nuno Alberto de Brito e Cunha, of Portugal. There were two pairs of brothers—James A. and Richard Pearman, of Bermuda; Jean Pierre and Patrick Cros, of France. Before the Championship there was a 36-hole handicap competition for the Delegates and Duffers Cup, at the Gulph Mills Golf Club. Winner was Hord W. Hardin, St. Louis member of the USGA Executive Committee, with a net score of 148. Winner of the guest division was Eugene G. Grace, Jr., of Philadelphia with 144. The Biennial Meeting of the World Amateur Golf Council accepted an invi­ tation from Japan to hold the 1962 Cham­ pionship at Toyko, from October 10 through 13. John G. Clock, USGA Presi­ dent, and Henry H. Turcan, of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland, continue as Joint Chairmen of the Council; Joseph C. Dey, Jr., United States, continues as Secretary; and the following Administrative Committee was re-elected: The Joint Chairmen and Dr. W. D. Ackland-Horman, Australia; T. C. Harvey, Great Britain; Eduardo H. Mag- lione, Argentina; Shun Nomura, Japan; Bernard H. Ridder, Jr., United States; USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 7 Francesco Ruspoli Duca di: Morignana, Italy; Douglas O. Mbyte, New Zealand. Merlon’s warm hospitality and excellent planning were produced by an outstand­ ing committee headed by Dean Hill, Jr., as General Chairman. It is impossible to assess the contribution to international understanding which they made, along with Jerome B. Gray, President, and other officers and members. The final scene was played at the White House. President Eisenhower kindly received the American and the Australian teams, their wives, and a group of officials in his office two days after the Championship ended. On seeing Jack Nicklaus and the other Americans, the President remarked that he had just put his clubs away in a closet. Following are the scores of the 32 par­ ticipating countries after each round: 18 United States ------------- -— 208 219 Australia _____ ____ _ 218 Great Britain & Ireland _ 220 South Africa ------------------- 217 New Zealand —- --------------- 230 Canada ---------------------------- 217 _________ —-___ Mexico Rhodesia & Nyasaland — 224 Argentina ----------------- - — 225 227 Sweden ---- --- --------------------- 227 Italy ------- ------------------------- 226 France 236 Germany ------------------------- 230 Philippines -------- ------------- 230 Denmark ____________ _ ___ 237 Japan -------------------------------- 231 Belgium ____________ _ ___ 245 Venezuela ----------------------- 235 Brazil ------------------------------- 233 India ---- ------------------------- 237 Republic of China ------------ 238 Switzerland ------------- -- ------ 239 Norway ------------------- -- ------ 242 Peru ------ --- --------------------- 243 Bermuda ------------------------- 244 Austria ---------------------------- 250 Netherlands ______________ 246 Finland __________________ 250 Portugal __________________ 263 United Arab Republic ....... . 263 Malaya ____________________ 271 Ceylon ------------------------- --- 36 413 439 433 445 442 450 442 450 453 455 456 458 466 459 461 468 473 476 479 477 477 486 482 500 495 491 495 505 509 518 534 536 54 616 654 654 660 662 672 669 673 677 684 689 690 692 691 704 713 717 714 718 722 717 729 722 745 743 739 747 769 756 774 816 818 72 834 876 881 893 895 906 909 914 917 923 935 937 940 942 952 954 960 962 972 975 977 977 979 999 1001 1005 1008 1023 1035 1045 1099 1104 (Pictures of Mr. Nicklaus by James Drake, Sports Illustrated) HANDICAP DECISION HANDICAP PICK UP PROVISIONS USGA Handicap Decision 60-3 References: Men-—Section 4-3a, 4-3b, Note to 14 Women—Section 14-3a, 14-3b, Note to 23 NOT APPLICABLE TO HOLE NOT PLAYED QI: Under “The Conduct of Women’s Golf,” Section 14-3, if you have more than two pick-up holes you record the score as “No Card” (“N.C.”) (a) Is it then correct to assume that 16 holes can constitute a round of golf for handicap purposes? (b) Is it then correct to assume that the two pick-up holes may fall anywhere within an 18-hole round, including “in succession?” Example: “X” for the first and second holes. Al: Sections 14-3a and 14-3b of The Con­ duct of Women’s Golf should be applied to holes on which the player picks up, but not to holes which she does not play at all. A full round of 18 holes must be played before the score may be used for handicapping purposes. Pick-up holes may come consecutively. NOT TO BE USED FOR LOWERING SCORE Q2: Some members (handcaps 18 and under) upon completing and totaling 18 holes look at their score card and, for example, see a 9 on a par 5 and a 7 on a par 4. They then decide to X out these two holes and the handicap committee counts 7 for the par 5 and 6 for the par 4. However, these two holes were com­ pletely holed out and scored accurately. The ball was not picked up at any point. Thus, their total score becomes—as an example—79 instead of 82. Is this per­ missible under the USGA Handicap Sys­ tem? A2: No. The provisions in Sections 14-3a and 14-3b cannot be applied to holes that have been completed. They apply only when a player actually picks up and has no score for the hole. Players who cross out actual scores in order to get their handicaps lowered through use of Section 14-3 cease to have USGA handicaps. A note to Section 23 provides: “Under the USGA System, a score for any hole may not be reduced to a specified number of strokes over par for handicap purposes (except on pick-up holes—see Section 14- 3). Such a control is unnecessary in view of the other balancing factors in the USGA System.” Questions by: Mrs. Joseph F. Dempsey, Jr. Islip, Long Island, N. Y. 8 USGA JOURNAL. AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1940 BEMAN WINS AMATEUR, INTERNATIONALS COMPETE By STERLING G. SLAPPEY USGA Assistant Director The playing was finished, the Champion­ ship was won and officials, finalists and spectators were gathered for the prize giving. It was a pleasant September afternoon in St. Louis and there was contentment for all because the 60 th National Ama­ teur Championship had gone off smooth­ ly and well. USGA President John G. Clock, after paying.his respects to the host St. Louis Country Club, called on Deane Beman for the usual few words as the new Champion. Deane came up with about as fine a capsule description as anyone ever pro­ duced of how a new Champion feels after a long, hard competition. “I feel,” he said, “very much like that old flag flying from the pole over there —limp, tired, tattered but proud and flying high.” He had every reason to feel all of that. He had played his way cautiously and well in 10 rounds on the rather short but extremely deceptive St. Louis Country Club course. He had defeated some of the best men in the Championship, and just a few moments before, he had been an extremely busy young man in his final match against Robert Gardner. The score was 6 and 4 but it had been a far tighter match than it would appear from those cold figures. The Beman-Gardner finale, Beman’s semi-final victory over John Farquhar by 5 and 4 and his quarter-final 19th hole victory over William Hyndman, III, were three of the outstanding matches of the week. Beman became the ninth player to win both United States and British Amateur Championships. The group he thus joined is made up of E. Harvie Ward, Jr.; Wil­ liam P. Turnesa; Richard Chapman; W. Lawson Little; Robert T. Jones, Jr.; Jess W. Sweetser; Harold H. Hilton and Wal­ ter J. Travis. Beman won the British Amateur at St. George’s, Sandwich, in 1959. Play on the greens usually proves to be one of the predominant factors in deciding a Championship and at St. Louis green play was as important as ever. The greens there are small and rather fast. Deane found them to his complete satisfaction. Ordinarily he is a fine putter and at St. Louis he was better than that. It was a putt which was the decisive stroke, if any one move in a golf match can be called such a thing. The putt came on the 26th hole of the final against Bob Gardner. Deane had completed the morning round three up and he made it four up on the 21st. Bob pulled it back to three up on the 23rd and appeared to have a rally in the making. The 26th, or 8th, is a 347-yard hole which bends to the right. The green is a beauty, nestling in a circle of trees. Deane played up to the green well and got down a difficult 15-foot putt for a birdie three. Bob got his par but that let Deane go four up again and from then on the tide was turned. Other sizable putts dropped for him on the 3rd, 13th, 18th and 22nd. The runner-up was putting nearly as well and his green work would have been good enough to win against a lesser man than Beman. The new Champion was approximately seven under par for the week and the best golf he played was saved for last. In their quarter-final, Beman and Hyndman were out in 32’s and against Gardner, Beman came home in 32 in the morning round. Here are the Beman-Gardner cards: Morning Par out Beman out Gardner out Par in Beman in Gardner in x-Conceded Hole Round 433 454 345-35 532 454 346-36 533 454 444-36 443 545 344-36—71 433 544 333-32—68 443 544 3x3 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 9 THE NEW CHAMPION AND MRS. BEMAN Afternoon Round Beman out Gardner out Beman in Gardner in 433 454 335-34 434 444 345-35 443 44 443 55 The showing by Bob Gardner was his best in a national event. However, he had won the 1958 and 1960 Metropolitan Amateur and he was runner-up last year. Both Beman and Gardner were so im­ pressive at St. Louis that they were named to the four-man United States team which competed at Merion Golf Club in the World Amateur Team Cham­ pionship for the Eisenhower Trophy later in the autumn. Beman, who is 23 years old and lives in Silver Spring, Md., was a member of the 1959 Walker Cup team and the 1960 Americas Cup team. Winning the Ama­ teur Championship topped off a fine year in which he also won the Trans-Missis- sippi, the Eastern, was runner-up in the Colonial Invitational and semi-finalist in the NCAA. Gardner is a native Californian who now lives in New York City. He is 39 and played in eight previous Amateur Cham­ pionships, going as far as the fourth round in 1955 at the James River Course of the Country Club of Virginia. His loss in the finals provided a rare coincidence, the last time the Amateur Championship was played at the St. Louis Country Club the runner-up was named Robert Gardner also. The two Gardners are not related. By playing to the semi-finals two others at St. Louis got further than they ever have before in a national championship. Charles F. Lewis, of Little Rock, lost to Gardner 2 and 1 and John Farquhar, of Amarillo, Texas, lost to the Champion 5 and 4. Among Lewis’s victims was Jack Nick- laus, defending champion from Colum­ bus, Ohio. Nicklaus had been fancied by many as having outstanding chances to repeat. But in the fourth round, Lewis ended such thoughts by 5 and 3. Lewis is 29 and has 140 pounds dis­ tributed over a six foot frame. His swing is not quite classical but he is a good competitor. His father is a profes­ sional and so was his grandfather. Farquhar also is the son of a profes­ sional. He is 24 and in the grain business. io USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 His most notable victim was Charles R. Coe, Walker Cup captain in 1959 and an Americas Cup player this year. Coe, who recently had an attack of pneumonia, lost to Farquhar in the third round. The 60th Amateur saw, in addition to Coe, several other Walker Cup and Americas Cup players lose in early rounds. They included Billy Joe Patton, Ward Wettlaufer and Thomas D. Aaron. There was a fine group of foreign players entered. Most of the visitors were champions of their countries who later played in the World Team Cham­ pionship at Merion. They included: Bruce Devlin, Australia; Captain P. G. Sethi, India; Juan Estrada, Mexico; Augustin Cocscolluela, Jr., TM Philippines; Walter M. Grindrod, South Africa; Carlos Raffo, Peru; Jorge C. Ledesma, Argentina; Phillip Brownlee, Canada; Glenn L. Gray, Canada. Captain Sethi won two matches be­ fore losing to Gardner, 4 and 3. That was the best showing by a visitor. In September, St. Louis can be a blazer and mid-continent heat adds another dimension to golf. But this year, during the Championship at least, the weather was kind. There was little rain in the three weeks period, the course was hard, fast and long, and there was none of the usual high humidity or high temperatures. Preparations for the championship were excellent and committees under F. Crunden Cole and T. Randolph Potter functioned expertly. Besides the Nation­ al Amateurs of 1921 and 1960, the Open Championship of 1947 also was played at the St. Louis Country Club, and all three of these Nationals proved again that the Country Club knows how to handle itself during a big occasion. Amateur Championship week annually is a merry one and this year’s was a bit merrier as interest arose over the fate of three players with names oftentimes ap­ plicable to golf. The names were Wild, Paine and Spray. John Spray, Des Moines, Iowa, played to the quarter-finals where he lost to Bob Gardner; Frederick Paine, Jr., Oak­ mont, Pa., lost in the fifth round to Deane Beman, and Claude S. Wild, Jr., Bethesda, Md., lost in the quarter-finals to Charles Lewis. USGA FILM LIBRARY "Famous Golf Courses: Scotland," is a 18- minute film in full color. Famous holes were photographed at Troon, Prestwick, Carnous­ tie, St. Andrews, North Berwick and Muir- field. "Walker Cup Highlights," is a 16-mlnute film tracing the early history and play for the first international golf trophy. Bob Jones, Francis Ouimet and other Walker Cup stars are shown. The latter half of the film is in color. "St. Andrews, Cradle Of Golf," is a 14- minute, full color, 16mm travelogue of his­ toric St. Andrews, Scotland, its Old Course and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club club­ house. "First World Amateur Team Champion­ ship for Eisenhower Trophy," is a 14-minute, full color, 16mm film of the first World Ama­ teur Team Championship at St. Andrews. Twenty-nine countries compete for the Eisenhower Trophy. "On the Green," a 17-minute, full color, 16mm presentation filmed at the Mid-Ocean Club, Bermuda, illustrates correct procedures under the Rules of Golf governing situations arising on the putting green. "Golf's Longest Hour," a 14mm full color •production of 17’/a minutes, depicts the clos­ ing stages of the 1956 Open Championship. Filmed at the beautiful Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, N.Y., it shows the eventual winner, Cary Middiecoff, set a target at which Ben Hogan, Julius Boros and Ted Kroll strive in vain to beat. "Play Them As They Lie," a 16mm color production of 16’/i minutes in which Johnny Farrell, Open Champion of 1928, acts as in­ termediary between Wilbur Mulligan, a be­ ginner of unimpeachable integrity, and Joshua P. Slve, a past master In the art of breaking the Ryles. The film was made at the Baltusrol Golf Club, Springfield, N. J., where Farrell is professional. "Great Moments in Golf," lets the viewer see the many interesting exhibits In "Golf House," USGA headquarters in New York, and re-live golf triumphs of the past with many of the game's immortals. The film is a 16mm black and white production and runs 28 minutes. "The Rules of Golf—Etiquette" stresses th® importance of etiquette by portrayal of various 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 state­ ment. A 14mm color production of 17Vi minutes. The distribution of prints is handled by National Educational Films, Inc., 165 West 46th Street, New York 36, N. Y., which pro­ duced the films in cooperation with the USGA. The rental is $20 per film; $35 for two; $50 for three; $60 for four and $70 for five, in. combination at the same time, in­ cluding the cost of shipping prints to the renter. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 11 IS GOLF GETTING SOFT? By RICHARD S. TUFTS USGA Rules of Golf Committeeman Is golf getting soft? The most direct method of finding an answer to this question may be to ask another. What particular feature of ama­ teur sport may be said to offer the great­ est attraction to its devotees? The second question is not difficult to answer. Un­ questionably there is one common factor present in all those participant amateur activities which have firmly established their popularity over a period of time. It makes no difference whether it be golf, yachting, tennis or lawn bowling, in order to endure, any sport must offer a challenge; there must be a test of the skill and the fortitude of those who par­ ticipate in it. It is, of course, true that the tests which any sport offers are artificial. They are created by the rules which establish the conditions under which the sport is played. There must be a sense of equity in these governing rules and there must be the opportunity for reward through superior performance. But, since amateur sport activities are indulged in for plea­ sure and not for profit, there is no need to provide reward for the less fortunate and less skilled. In sport, learning how to lose is as important as knowing how to win. In the game of civilized living, all the competitors are entitled to some share in the winnings whereas in. ama­ teur sport, win or lose, the important return comes from the playing of the game. Since, in amateur sport, the return to the individual lies in the pleasure of participation, it should follow that the keener the test of skill and fortitude the greater should be the popularity of that particular sport. The record of our lead­ ing sports serves to indicate that this is true. The continued performance of those things which are easy to do becomes a bore. Since the turn of the century there has been a great upsurge of interest in sports. With this growth of interest have come two great changes. First, more money is being made from participation in sport than ever before and second, the general spread of the welfare atti­ tude of caring for the less skilled and less fortunate has created the false con­ ception that a sport is improved by making it easier. These twin influences tend to destroy the two basic features which give strength and popularity to participant sports. A new and a foreign element is introduced when an amateur sport is indulged in for the prime purpose of making money. It can no longer be played, win or lose, for pleasure alone. Again, a new and a different factor is introduced when the attempt is made to favor the less skilled by making a sport easier. Any game loses its challenge when it is softened to accom­ modate the tastes of the majority of its participants. These influences, commercialization and. the softening process, have affected both the spirit and the rules governing sport­ ing activities. Both have worked in the same direction; toward the lowering of the standards of amateur sport. Unfortunately along with all other amateur sports, the game of golf has also suffered from these influences. There are many manifestations. The use of carts by so many of those quite able to walk two rounds a day. The insistence on play­ ing winter rules when course conditions are only slightly short of perfection. The interest to make money from golf through Calcuttas and other organized forms of gambling. The attitude of condoning and even encouraging violation of the Ama­ teur Status regulations by subterfuge. These indications and many others, show that all is not healthy in the game of golf. But unquestionably the most serious situation concerns the constant pressure to deprive golf of its character by changes in the Rules. There is, of course, no con­ scious effort to destroy the game of golf by these means, even though this may be the ultimate result. The difficulty is 12 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 that those who advocate easier Rules, do not have either the skill or the fortitude to face the conditions which may occur under the present code of Rules. Their solution is to make the game easier. By way of example, in 1960 the repair of ball marks on the green became legal. This was a change strongly advocated by the “friends of golf” and time may prove it to be an improvement. However, this new Rule makes a greenkeeper of each golfer and for the first time there has been a breach in the principle that the golfer must play the course as he finds it. At least to a limited extent, the course may now be adjusted to suit the conven­ ience of the golfer. A further danger lies in the fact that it is only a little step from the repair of the green to the repair of such conditions as divot holes on the fairway. One by one the challenges which have made the game great can be removed. If there is to be a reward in golf it belongs to the player with the skill necessary to play from dif­ ficult situations. We must not make golf too easy. The stymie is another example of a Rule change dictated by popular demand. Perhaps its demise was justified by the occasional time it produced a truly un­ fair situation, but with it the game lost the requirement for a skillful and drama­ tic shot and the need for wise and alert play around the hole. And finally, the experimental changes for 1960 in Rules 29 and 30, have brought us to the threshold of another change dictated by the demand for softer Rules. In this case the final decision has not yet been made. There is, therefore, no more appropriate time for all golfers to ask themselves the question, is golf getting soft? Have the 1960 experimental Rules made golf a greater game or will they weaken the principles which have made it the most popular of all amateur par­ ticipant sports? USGA PUBLICATIONS 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 15 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. 35 cents. USGA Slide Rule Handicapper, 25 cents. Poster 15 cents. COURSE RATING REPORT, a form for rating a course hole by hole; for association use, size 4)4 x 7 inches. 10 cents, $7.50 per 100. COURSE RATING POSTER for certifying hole by hole ratings to a club; for association use, size 814 x 11 inches. 5 cents. $3.50 per 100. 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. No charge. FIRE PROTECTION—GOLF CLUB PROPER­ TIES, reprint of a USGA Journal article by T. Seddon Duke, No charge. PROTECTION OF PERSONS AGAINST LIGHT­ NING ON GOLF COURSES, a poster. No charge. HOLE-IN-ONE Awards. No charge. LETTER AND SPIRIT OF THE AMATEUR OF GENERAL INTEREST CODE, a reprint of a USGA Journal article by Joseph C. Dey, Jr. 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. GOLF COURSE REBUILDING AND REMODEL­ ING-FACTORS TO CONSIDER, a reprint of talks delivered at the 1959 Educational Pro­ gram 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 on organizing and developing junior golf programs at different levels by the USGA Junior Cham­ pionship Committee. No charge. TURF MANAGEMENT, by H. B. Musser (Mc­ 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: NOVEMBER, 1960 13 CESTONE, MOTHER NATURE SHARE SENIOR LAURELS By P. J. BOATWRIGHT, JR. USGA Assistant Director polis, after he had qualified for the Championship flight with a 79. Mr. Espie withdrew because carts were to be per­ mitted on the double-round day, contrary to the published conditions of the tour­ nament. He has always been firm in his belief that carts are improper for compe­ titive golf. The Committee urged him to see its viewpoint and remain in the Championship, but Mr. Espie stood by his convictions and left the scene. This second “first” created by Mother Nature had a direct effect on the Cham­ pionship, as Mr. Espie had a record second to none in the USGA Senior event, having been winner twice and runner-up once. Mother Nature can at times have an im­ portant bearing on the outcome of a golf championship, especially if it is at stroke play. For example, two players are tied for the lead. One plays in the morn­ ing in bright sunshine with no wind; the other plays in the afternoon and en­ counters a violent rainstorm and high winds. In such cases, Mother Nature may settle the issue almost by herself. She played quite a part in the 6th USGA Senior Amateur Championship at the Oyster Harbors Club, Osterville, Mass., in September, won by Michael Cestone, of Montclair, N. J. But she did it in a little different way. First, Hurricane Donna, which preceded the event by about a week, ripped across this small island on Cape Cod carrying salt spray which darkened the leaves of the trees and eliminated the lovely fall colors which normally would have been at their peak. This, of course, had nothing to do with the play of the Championship. But Mother Nature did not quit when the hurricane blew over. She came back with a steady rain on the day scheduled for qualifying and continued it into the following day, causing cancellation of play both days. The USGA Senior Cham­ pionship Committee extended the Cham­ pionship one day — to Sunday — and scheduled a double round on Saturday for quarter-finals and semi-finals. This double round brought about two “firsts” in USGA historj. Senior golfers had never before been required to play 36 holes in one day in the USGA Senior event; many of them will not attempt it, some on doctors’ or­ ders. The Committee decided to permit the use of automotive transportation on the double-round day only. This was the first “first,” as automotive transportation had never before been allowed in a USGA Championship. The second “first” came as a result. It was the withdrawal of the defending Champion, J. Clark Espie, Jr., of Indiana­ Champion Mike Cestone and Runner-up David Rose. Michael Cestone is an entirely deserv­ ing Champion. In the rain on the origi­ nally scheduled qualifying day, Mr. Ces­ tone was four under par for 15 holes be­ fore the deluge forced cancellation. In his first two matches he played the first nine in 33 and 34, respectively, against par of 36. This definitely established him as the man to beat. 14 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 Playing in his first Senior Champion­ ship, Mr. Cestone, -aged 55, displayed a more than adequate long game, but his putting and chipping were mostly re­ sponsible for his success at Oyster Har­ bors. A striking example of his skill around the greens occurred in the final match in which he defeated, on the 20th hole, David Rose, 56, of Cleveland, Ohio, a leather goods dealer. With the match even at the 17th hole, a 173-yard par-3 surrounded by bunkers, Mr. Cestone pulled his tee shot wide of the left bunker. This left him a shot over a large bunker from a sandy lie, with the hole cut only about 20 feet from the bunker. He deftly flicked the ball onto the green, about 15 feet from the hole, and dropped the putt to gain a half with Mr. Rose. On the final hole, the second extra, a 509-yard par-5, both players were just off the green in 2, about 50 feet from the hole. Mr. Cestone barely missed chipping in—his. ball stopped about one inch from the hole. Mr. Rose chipped strongly and missed a five-footer coming back. In the semi-finals, Mr. Cestone de­ feated W. B. McConnell, Kennett Square, Pa., 2 and 1, and Mr. Rose defeated Ed­ ward E. Lowery, of San Francisco, Calif., 2 up. The medalist was S. S. Rockey, Los Angeles. Mr. Rockey came in late in the day with a 74 to edge out Mr. Lowery, by one stroke. On this cold, windy day, 34 players returned scores of 82 or better. However, for the first time in the history of the Championship, a play-off for the Championship flight of 32 was not neces­ sary because of Mr. Espie’s withdrawal and the withdrawal of Leonard M. Elliott, Denville, N. J., who left for business reasons. The Championship attracted a record field of 517, 126 more than the previous high. After sectional qualifying, 120 were eligible to play at Oyster Harbors. Despite the unkind weather, the Seniors thoroughly enjoyed the Championship, largely because Oyster Harbors is an ideal spot for it. Most were housed in the clubhouse, and this is conducive to the social aspect . of a Championship, es­ pecially for the veterans. Oyster Har­ bors is a delightful club with an atmo­ sphere all its own. The golf course is a masterpiece. De­ signed by the late Donald Ross, the well- bunkered 6,597-yard layout—it can be stretched to around 6,700 yards—was in excellent condition. Some participants felt that the putting surfaces were the best they had seen. Credit for the fine condition of the course must go to Mike McDonough, Green Superintendent at Oyster Harbors. Mr. McDonough was tireless in his ef­ forts to have the course in perfect condi­ tion. Additionally, the USGA’s sincere ap­ preciation goes to Edward M. Mauro, General Chairman of the club’s commit­ tees, and to Donald Church, Manager of the club, both of whom did far more than was necessary to make the Cham­ pionship a success. There were three consolation flights of 16 and a consolation stroke play event for all first-round losers. The consolation stroke play event was won by Thomas M. Green, Seattle, Wash., with 77. The re­ sults of the finals in the consolation flights were: First Flight—George Edmondson, Tam­ pa, Fla., defeated C. R. Nies, Beverly, Mass., 4 and 3. Second Flight—R. A. Henry, Spring­ field, N. J., defeated L. T. Harriman, Sharon, Mass., 4 and 2. Third Flight—M. R. Gray, Houston, Texas, defeated J. A. Swink, Alexandria, Va., 3 and 2. Oyster Harbors Club is very near the Hyannis, Mass., home of John F. Ken­ nedy who, only a few ■ weeks after the Senior Championship, was elected Presi­ dent of the United States. NEW MEMBERS OF THE USGA REGULAR Ariz. Ariz. Conn. Fla. III. Ind. Mass. Mich, Okla. Pa. Pa. Pa. W. Va. Meadowbrook Recreation Club Encanto Men's Golf Club Moon Valley Country Club Washington Golf Club King's Bay Yacht & Country Club Metropolis Country Club Elks Country Club Eastward Ho Country Club White Lake Golf Club Quail Creek Golf & Country Club Laurel Valley Golf Club Montrose Club Out Door Country Club ASSOCIATE Fla. Fla. S. C. Ocean Reef Country Club Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club Hillandale Golf Course USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1940 15 COSTLY FIRES IN GOLF CLUB PROPERTIES By T. SEDDON DUKE Chairman Board of Directors National Fire Protection Association In the September 1959 issue of the USGA Journal and Turf Management, an article was published under the title “Fire Protection—Golf Club Properties.” Reprints of this article were made and distributed to golf clubs throughout America. The writer felt that it would be of interest to golfers, nation-wide, if a survey was made to determine fires reported in Country Club properties since September 1959. In the list that follows, the individual golf clubs and their location are naro ed, after which the aggre­ gate loss is given. Some of the causes of the fires are also outlined in the hope that those responsible for fire safety of golf club properties will take cognizance. Inverness C. C. Henderson C. C. Charleston C, C. Stanton Heights G. C. Ridgeway C. C. Olympia Golf & C. C. Alcoma C. C. Country Club Goose Creek C. C. Orange Hills C. C. Columbia Edgewatej C. South Shore C. C. Palatine, Ill. Henderson, N. C. Charleston, Ill. Pittsburgh, Pa. Memphis, Tenn. Olympia, Wash. Pittsburgh, Pa.. Marrysville, Ky. Leesburg, Va. Orange, Conn. Portland, Ore. New York City Plum Hollow G. C. Fox Meadow C. C. Ridgeway C. C. Deepdale G. C. Valley C. C. Kirksville C. C. Steubenville C. C Coosa C. C. Old Lyme C. C. Municipal G. C. C. C. C. of Fairfield Ashtabula C. C. C. C. of Little Rock Spencer G. and C. C. Greenwich C. C. Haverhill C. C. Natick C. C. (Queensborough) Southfield, Mich. Memphis, Tenn. Memphis, Tenn. North Hills, L. I., N. Y. Hazelton, Pa. Kirksville, Mo. Wintersville, Ohio Rome, Ga. Old Lyme, Conn. Fairfield, Conn. Fairfield, Conn. , Ashtabula, Ohio Little Rock, Ark. Spencer, Iowa Greenwich, Conn. Haverhill, Mass. Natick, Mass. Before discussing the monetary loss in these properties, it should interest you to know that in three of the instances above listed, no dollar loss could be secured despite the fact that in one case the club­ house property was entirely destroyed. The actual physical fire damage in dol­ lars involved in the instances listed amounted to $4,494,450. Understand, this is the actual physical fire damage. Probably if the intangibles were con­ sidered, the losses would be at least three or four times this amount. We call particular attention to the Greenwich Country Club which was de­ stroyed September 5, 1960. Forty-two per­ sons were driven from sleeping quarters when fire destroyed the clubhouse dur­ ing the early morning hours. Three fire­ men were injured when a wall of the basement blew out as they were search­ ing for the source of the fire; six other firefighters were overcome by smoke. You can see that in this instance, many precious lives could have been lost. In the Greenwich Country Club were some practically priceless trophies. You can well appreciate that no insurance in the world can pay for the destruction of such valuable artifacts. You can insure against theft and you can insure against.fire but there is no replacement of trophies bear­ ing names that are hallowed in tradition. More and more automatic sprinklers are protecting our heritage in historic buildings, museums and libraries through­ out America. As an indication of the fore­ sight and realization that these historical places and treasures cannot be replaced, we name a few of those so protected: Independence Hall The Library of Congress Corcoran Gallery of Art National Gallery of Art Tiie Smithsonian Institute Carnegie Library and Philadelphia, Pa. Washington, D. C. Washington, D. C. Washington, D. C. Washington, D. C. Pittsburgh, Pa. Museum These are but an important few of the literally hundreds of others. Country clubs should give serious con­ sideration to the protection of their pro­ perties with automatic sprinklers. There were two fires in one country club, extinguished by automatic sprink­ lers. In one instance, kitchen, rags had been laid on the steampipes around the basement heating boiler and when they became ignited, the fire spread to paper in boxes nearby. The sprinkler system was fed by a 30,000 gallon gravity tank and it operated to extinguish the fire with a loss so negligible that it was not reported. Within less than three months, there was another fire in the same club and this was also extinguished by the automatic sprinkler system with a damage 16 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 COOSA COUNTRY CLUB, ROME, GA. This $300,000 unsprinklered, one-story, unprotected steel frame building with masonry and glass walls and a pre cast “Tectum” slab roof had been erected less than a year. The building was essentially non-combustible. Drapes had been flame-proofed but due to the material used (linen,rayon and nylon) had not absorbed sufficient flame- pi oofing liquid. Several occupants noticed a dried-out Christmas tree in the ball­ room, afire, and called the fire department. Meanwhile, the fire had spread to the drapes and when the fire department arrived, fire had spread to the lounge and foyer involving foam rubber and plastic-upholstered furniture. to the $325,000 clubhouse of only $750. In this latter instance, an electric hot plate came in contact with and ignited a tablecloth. The fire was discovered by an employee who promptly telephoned the alarm to the fire department. How­ ever, the fire was also detected by the automatic sprinkler system which op­ erated and extinguished the fire before the arrival of the fire department. In view of the sour record of fires as listed, it is certainly in order to take an­ other look at your fire prevention and fire protection. The deadly march of fire with its destruction of life and property receives only a glance in the passing parade of events. In an ordinary day in the United States, there will be 5,550 out­ breaks of fire. Of these, 2,600 will be in buildings and 1,500 in one and two-story homes. Thirty-two lives will be lost to fire each day and the monetary loss, daily, will be three-and-one-half-million dollars. The intangible losses are generally many times the actual physical fire dam­ age to any property. Golf club properties are particularly vulnerable due in many cases to their isolation, lack of water and lack of pro­ tection. However, no golf club needs to be destroyed by fire—automatic sprinkler systems are available. Even where the clubhouse is out in the country, beyond city water, it can be protected by a reli­ able and effective type of system sup­ plied by a pressure tank. There may be those among the membership who would object to automatic sprinklers on the ceiling. Although pipes on the ceiling are used in industrial plants and warehouses USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 17 where appearance is not of major im­ portance, in a country club, pipes are al­ ways located to be inconspicuous and sprinklers are put at the sides of rooms. If some members object to the artistic effect of automatic sprinklers on the ceil­ ing of the country club, just remind them that there isn’t anything very sightly about a pile of ashes that was formerly the clubhouse. A survey of over two-hundred fires in Country Club properties, by the National Fire Protection Association, brought forth the following known causes of fire: KNOWN CAUSES PER CENT Electrical Fires 28.3 Wiring Motors Appliances 21.7 3.3 3.3 Smoking and matches Heating equipment fires Overheated or defective equipment Sparks from fireplace Defective chimneys Grease on stove Incendiary, suspicious Sparks on wood shingle roof Lightning Misuse of flammable liquids Miscellaneous known causes 11.8 4.1 3.3 Proper fire protection through 26.7 19.2 7.5 5.9 4.1 3.3 2.5 2.5 100.0 all the means at our disposal is a MUST but cer­ tainly of equal importance is the necessity for fire prevention. In the line of fire prevention, the first thing that should be done is to have the Board of Directors appoint one of its members with the re­ sponsibility for fire matters. The indi­ vidual selected should not be one con­ nected with fire insurance, the sale of fire extinguishing equipment or even a fire fan. Let fire matters be settled by a hard-headed member with no axe to grind. This individual can impress the club manager with the fact that the Di­ rectors want the club property safe­ guarded on a day to day basis. The saying “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” applies to golf club properties. There should be plenty of ashtrays and good, substantial wastebaskets around the clubhouse. No cigarette ever started a fire by itself—someone was careless. Rubbish and trash serve no useful pur­ pose—they are merely fuel for a fire. Regular arrangements should be made for the collection and disposal of rub­ bish. Covered metal cans should be pro­ vided for rubbish which must be tem- COUNTRY CLUB OF FAIRFIELD, CONN. The fire that practically destroyed this three-story wooden building had been burn­ ing more than an hour before discovery by a passing motorist. Originating in the basement, it had spread throughout the first story by the time firemen arrived. The building was protected by a rate-of-rise type automatic fire alarm system but due to the fact that it was not connected to the Fire Department and had no outside alarm, its performance at this crucial time was of no value. 18 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 porarily stored on the premises. The kitchen can be a danger spot and the kitchen range ventilating system in particular has been the cause of grease fires. Grease fires in a kitchen range ven­ tilating system are a sign of pretty sloppy operation and these fires are need­ less. If there is an incinerator located in the property, this should have frequent inspection to see that the breeching into the chimney is tight, that the doors are tight, etc., so that no fires can be caused by this unit. The janitor’s equipment, mops and cleaners, which cause spontaneous com­ bustion, should be kept in proper con­ tainers. A metal paint storage locker is needed if paints are kept about the pre­ mises. Electrical wiring and electrical equip­ ment should be subject to fairly frequent inspections—the motors in particular, of which there are always a great many around a clubhouse, can start fires if al­ lowed to get dirty or overloaded. Heating equipment should receive periodic inspection and clubs should make very sure that the chimneys are tight without regard as to whether they are fireplace chimneys or those used for the kitchen or incinerator. The things enumerated are the causes of many fires but fire prevention should extend to all possible sources that would cause fire damage. Fire extinguishers should be provided in the clubhouse and the equipment barns and insofar as the equipment barns are concerned, they should receive the same type of inspection and fire prevention as would the clubhouse. For the clubhouse and other important buildings, a system of lightning rod protection may be needed in many locations. If, on the clubhouse, there is a television aerial of any con­ siderable height, it should have a sub­ stantial grounding down-conductor in or­ der that lightning could be properly grounded. We cannot over-emphasize the fact that no rubbish should be allowed to accu­ mulate. Pre-fire planning should be done and arrangements are needed to attack the fire, particularly if the golf club property is seriously isolated from public fire department protection. Day and night employees should be required to know how to call the fire department, particu­ larly if the department has to be called by telephone. It is a comparatively simple matter to develop extra sources of water for fire­ fighting from streams or ponds, if there is no public water supply available. How­ ever, it must be realized that a fire de­ partment, to approach a pond, a stream or a swimming pool with a pumper, must have a road on which the equipment can travel. There is usually a watering system and if some outside hose is kept avail­ able, it could help save the property. Attention to these items can prevent the destruction of golf club property and the terrific loss and inconvenience that would be caused the members. Don’t be deluded if someone tells you that this or that is “fireproof” whether it applies to interior, exterior, or even decorations. The word “fireproof” is the most abused word in the English language. No building is more fireproof than its contents. The best illustration of this is that a stove is fireproof but built to burn its contents. You can see that in approximately nine months, a tremendous amount of golf club property has been destroyed by fire. It will pay you to heed this warning and not ignore what has happened to other golf club properties—it CAN happen to YOU! LIGHTNING PROTECTION FOR ELECTRIC CARTS Electric carts may reasonably be protected against lightning by either of the following two methods sug­ gested by the National Bureau of Standards: 1. A whip antenna, similar to that used on most passenger cars, of a length that will reach above the heads of the riders. 2. A metal top or canopy. Steel- topped automobiles are practically lightning-proof. USGA JOURNAL ANO TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 19 JOANNE GUNDERSON WINS HER SECOND AMATEUR By ROBERT C. RENNER USGA Tournament Relations Manager It is a strong statement when a golfer says, “Don’t beat me once because you may never do it again.” But, Miss JoAnne Gunderson said it and she has made it stick. Miss Gunderson won her second Wo­ men’s Amateur Championship at the Tulsa Country Club, Tulsa, Okla., August 22-27, and besi des making her point about not losing to the same player twice, she also joined Mrs. Edwin H. Vare, Jr., in a rarified record bracket. They are the only two recent women golfers who won National Champion­ ships, were defeated in later playings, and then came back to win again. Mrs. Vare, who was Glenna Collett during many of her great years, won the Cham­ pionship five times in the 1920’s and 1930’s and came back to win again in 1935. JoAnne won her first Championship in 1957, defeating Mrs. Ann Casey John­ stone, 8 and 6. This year she defeated Miss Jean Ashley, 21-year old school teacher from Ctanute, Kansas, by 6 and 5 for the title. After the victory, JoAnne said, “No one beats me twice. At least, they never have.” This is exemplified by her victory in the semi-finals over Miss Judy Eller. “Judy had beaten me in the Trans-Missis- sippi and I just could not let it happen again,” she explained. The Champion from Kirkland, Wash., also recalled that Miss Sandra Spuzich defeated her in the Women’s Western. The two met again in the fourth round at Tulsa but JoAnne turned the tables. In her seven Championship matches at Tulsa, JoAnne was 17 strokes over par for 122 holes. Miss Ashley was 44 strokes over par for her 133 Championship holes. Miss Eller was 20 strokes over par for 98 holes while Mrs Johnstone was 29 over prescribed figures for 95 holes. This points up the fact that JoAnne Miss JoAnne Gunderson was playing better than anyone in the field. She consistently outdrove her opponents, averaging above the 220-yard mark. The 6,150-yard Tulsa Country Club course played to her liking, as the beauti­ ful Bermudagrass fairways served as a cushion and discouraged ball roll. Her tremendous start in the second round against Miss Marjorie Burns, of Greensboro, N. C., displayed what her long-distance hitting does for her. She birdied the first three holes (measuring 397,553, and 350), parred the next two and then birdied the sixth hole to go four under par after only six holes. This splurge of under-par golf is typical of JoAnne’s style of play. While watching her play, one gets the 20 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 definite impression she is enjoying the game. Instead of the usual serious atti­ tude of many tournament players, Jo- Anne displays a refreshing manner. She constantly applauds an opponent’s good shot, and pulls for her opponent’s bad ones to take a good bounce or for their putts to drop in the cup. While the outstanding performance of Miss Gunderson was the high point of the tournament, the tremendous play of Miss Ashley certainly was another high­ light. Here was Miss Ashley in her first USGA Women’s Championship, pitted against the best in the nation. Her home course is the Chanute Country Club, a nine-hole course without a single sand bunker. Her only victories had been the Kansas State Women’s Amateur and the Broadmoor Invitational. Her closest scrape with national fame came earlier this year in the semi-finals of the Na­ tional Intercollegiate Tournament when she carried Judy Eller to the 19th hole before losing. Practically no one mentioned the name of Jean Ashley until the third round when she sent Miss Polly Riley, six-time Curtis Cup player, to the side­ lines on the 21st hole. Miss Ashley moved further into prom­ inence in the quarter-finals when she upset the defending Champion, Miss Barbara McIntire, by dropping in a 15- footer for a birdie three at the tight 17th hole and then sinking a six-footer for a par and a one up victory on the final hole. Miss Ashley proceeded to oust Mrs. Johnstone in the semi-finals by gaining control with a par-birdie - birdie combination on holes 10, 11. and 12 and holding on for a one up victory. This win put her in the final against Miss Gunderson, her third straight cur­ rent Curtis Cup member. Miss Ashley won the first hole of the finale but went 18 more before winning another. Evidently attempting to keep up with JoAnne’s booming drives. Miss Ashley began to stray off line and lost five holes on the first 18. Thus, JoAnne took a four-hole lead before lunch, and she increased it to five by winning the opening hole with a birdie three, in the afternoon. It was here that Miss Ashley began a comeback as she won the next two holes to cut the margin to three. After halving the next five holes, JoAnne pushed it back to four up at the turn by winning the 27th hole. Miss Gunderson then won the 95-yard 291 h bole with a birdie two to assume a live up lead with seven holes to play. The 30th hole was halved and ahead lay the 360-yard 31st hole which both played in true championship style. Miss Ashley just missed her 22-foot birdie try by inches and then watched as JoAnne calmly stroked her 14-foot putt into the cup for a birdie and lhe 6 and 5 victory. There were five Curtis Cup players among the quarter-finalists: Mrs. Johns­ tone, and the Misses Anne Quast, Gunderson. Eller, and McIntire. In an all­ Curtis Cup team match. Miss Quast, the 1958 National Champion, lost to Mrs. Johnstone. Miss Gunderson defeated Miss Natasha Matson, and Miss Eller de­ feated Miss Andrea Cohn. Miss McIntire, the defending ('hampion and the winner of the 1960 British Championship, lost to Miss Ashley. In the Champion's march to the title. JoAnne defeated Miss Betsy Cullen, of Tulsa, 6 and 5 in the first round; Miss Burns. 6 and 5, in the second round: Miss Lorraine Abbott, Toledo, Ohio, 6 and 5 in the third round: Miss Spuzich, one up in the fourth round: Miss Matson of Wichita, Kansas. 7 and 6, in the quarter­ finals; Miss Eller in the semi-finals, and Miss Ashley in the finals. Miss Ashley's path to the final was spectacular. She defeated two current Curtis Cup members and a former mem­ ber, Miss Riley. She defeated Mis. Sam Schwartzkopf, of Lincoln, Nebraska, 5 and 4 in the opening round; Mrs. Harton S. Semple, of Sewickley, Pa., 3 and 2, in the second round: Miss Riley on the 21st hole in the third round; Miss Diana Hoke, of Pittsburgh, Pa., 4 and 2, in the fourth round; Miss McIntire in the quarter-finals, and Mrs. Johnstone in the semi-finals. The Tulsa Country Club did a superb job as host for the Championship, under the very able guidance of Mr. Bud Woods, the general chairman, and the honorary chairman, Mr. Frank Gray. All of the committees functioned perfectly and everyone agreed it was a wonderful Championship USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 21 THE REFEREE Decisions by the Rules of Golf Committees 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. “60-1” means the first decision issued in 1960. "D” means definition. “R. 37-7” refers to Section 7 of Rule 37 in the 1960 Rules nf Golf. PRACTICE: PROHIBITED ON GREEN IF HOLE TO BE PLAYED AGAIN DURING ROUND USGA 60-26 R. 8-2 Q: In a 36-hole stroke play tournament, a player played a practice stroke on the second hole immediately after com­ pleting play on this hole. This hole is al­ so hole number 11 on the back nine. Should a penalty be assessed under Rule 8? Question by: W. V. Bush Las Cruces, N. M. A: The player is subject to penalty un­ der Rule 8 2 if he played a practice stroke from any hazard, or on or to the putting green of hole number 11. OBSTRUCTIONS: CONSTRUCTION WHICH IS PART OF THE COURSE USGA 60-28 D. 20c, R. 31-2 QI: Under the definition of obstruc­ tions as revised for 1960, “any construc­ tion which is an integral part of the course” is not an obstruction (Definition 20c) and Rule 31 gives no relief from it. Please point out the difference between such construction and artificial objects erected on the course which are still classed as obstructions. Al: Construction which is an integral part of the course refers primarily to such things as retaining walls used to shore up the bank of a water hazard or the side of a teeing ground. The playing problem presented by such a wall would be substantially the same whether the area were covered with turf or with masonry; the fact that it is covered with masonry does not justify relief from it under the rule for obstructions (Rule 31- 2). The same is true of concrete beds of water courses which serve to prevent erosion. Obstructions still include artificial ob­ jects such as water outlets; covers for water outlets, whether they be made of wood, concrete or metal; drain tiles; pipes; drinking fountains; and shelters. There has been no change in the classi­ fication of such items. The local com­ mittee should publish its determination of the status of doubtful obstructions. OBSTRUCTIONS: BRIDGES, ABUTMENTS AND PIERS Q2: Definition 20c provides that “Bridges and bridge supports which are not part of water hazards are obstruc­ tions.” Consider a metal bridge that starts at the edge of a fairway and crosses a water hazard. Against each bank of the 22 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 water hazard the bridge is supported by a vertical concrete abutment which serves the addtional purpose of being a retain­ ing wall to shore up the bank of the water hazard and prevent it from caving in. Between the two abutments the bridge is supported by several wooden piers in the water hazard. Please explain whether the bridge, the abutments and the piers are obstructions. A2: The bridge and the piers are ob­ structions. The abutments are not ob­ structions since they are integral parts of the water hazard, and free relief may not be had from them. Questions by: Mrs. Polly Erickson Madison, Wis. CONCESSION OF PUTT—FOUR-BALL OPPONENT CANNOT REFUSE TO ACCEPT Revised USGA 60-21 R. 35-2d, 40-3i Note: This supersedes Decision 60-21 dated May 9, 1960 Q: In a four-ball match with A and B partners against C and D, all four balls are lying on the green. A and B have almost identical putts, with A’s ball being away. A has used so many strokes in reaching the green that he is no longer in conten­ tion on the hole. Obviously, B will bene­ fit from watching the line A’s ball takes towards the cup and he is therefore very much interested in his partner’s putt. Just before A putts, C walks over and knocks A’s ball away and concedes the putt, freely admitting that he does not want A to putt so that A can show B the line to the cup. A replaces his ball and says that he has a right to putt in turn and that there is nothing the oppos­ ing partners can do to prevent him from playing when it is his turn to play. (1) Is A correct in his position that he is entitled to play if he wishes to? (2) If A is not entitled to play, what is the penalty if he does play? Questions by: Herbert B. Brand Washington, D. C. A.l: No. Rule 35-2d provides: “When the opponent’s ball has come to rest, the player may concede the opponent to have holed out with his next stroke and may remove the opponent’s ball with a club or otherwise.” A.2: A and B lose the hole. See Rules 35-2d and 40-3L FLAGSTICK: PLACED ON GREEN BEHIND HOLE USGA 60-29 R. 31-1, 34-2a, 34-4a, 35-lj Q: The player removes the flagstick and places it on the green behind the hole. He then putts firmly past the hole. His opponent, seeing that the ball is go­ ing to strike the flagstick lying on the green, picks up the flagstick, allowing the ball to roll on past. Does the opponent lose the hole under Rule 35-lj-—exerting influence on the ball? Question by: J. Walter McGarry Vero Beach, Fla. A: Yes. The opponent would lose the hole either under Rule 35-lj or under Rule 31-1 (last paragraph). The princi­ ple is the same as in Rule 34-2a prohibit­ ing the opponent from attending the flag­ stick without the knowledge and authori­ ty of the player. If the opponent had not removed the flagstick and if the player’s ball had struck it, the player would have lost the hole under Rule 34-4a. WRONG BALL (1) PLAYED FOR SEVERAL HOLES IN PAR COMPETITION (2) NOT IF PLAYED FROM TEEING GROUND INTO HOLE USGA 60-30 D. 5, R. 1, 21-1, 21-3, 39-1, 39-3b Q: In a par competition, when pre­ paring for third shots on the fairway of the ninth hole, it was discovered that two of the participants were playing each other’s ball. The third contestant im­ mediately questioned whether a penalty should be imposed. It was definitely established that the balls the two- concerned contestants were playing were those they had hit off the ninth tee and played for their second shots. Where the mix-up had occurred prior to that point could not be deter­ mined. As they could not resolve the mat­ ter, they continued to play each other’s ball to the conclusion of the hole. The balls were then exchanged. What is the proper ruling? Question by: E. W. Briggs, President Rolling Hills Country Club Dhahran, Saudi Arabia A: We understand that the competition was a par competition as defined under Rule 39-1 of the Rules of Golf. The Committee should try to deter­ mine at which point the exchange of balls USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 23 took place. If it occurred during the play of a hole, the players concerned ap­ parently were in violation of Rule 21-3, and should have been disqualified for the hole in question, under Rule 39-3b. The players cannot be penalized for playing balls owned by each other on the hole where the exchange was dis- coveredj as a ball which is played from., the teeing ground into the hole is not a wrong ball even though it may not be­ long to the player. See Definition 5, and Rules 1 and 21-1. DROPPING BALL: FROM OBSTRUCTION IN APRON OF GREEN USGA 60-31 R. 31-2 Q. A ball is lying against a. sprinkler head located in the apron of the green about two inches from the putting sur­ face. Under Rule 31-2, the ball could be dropped two club-lengths from this ob­ struction no nearer to the hole and wind up on the putting surface. In fact, it is conceivable that .a situation could arise where the only possible place the ball could be dropped, within two club- lengths and no nearer the hole, would be on the putting surface. May a player drop a ball on the putting green when confronted with a situation like this? Question by: Robert W. Goldwater Phoenix, Arizona A. Yes. As the ball lies “through the green,” (Definition 34), it may be dropped as provided in Rule 31-2. It may not be placed on the putting green in these circumstances. DAMAGE TO PUTTING GREEN: (1) NOT NECESSARY TO ANNOUNCE INTENTION TO REPAIR (2) WHEN BALL MARKS MAY BE REPAIRED WITH FOOT USGA 60-33 R. 11-3, 35-lc Q.l: Does a player have to announce to his fellow-competitor or opponent that he is about to fix a ball mark? This question has been asked as the result of an argument caused by a player fix­ ing an impression on the green he claimed was made by a ball. His opponent claimed the impression was made by someone leaning too heavily on a putter. In another instance, the player used a tee to smooth a place on the green which he said was caused by a ball scuffing the grass. His opponent claimed it was caused by shoe cleats. As I see the Rule, it is a question of fact whether or not an impression is caused by a ball. A.l: Rule 35-lc does not require the player to announce his intention before repairing damage to the putting green caused by the impact of a ball. It is a question of fact whether damage to the putting green was caused by the impact of a ball or by some other means. Al­ though ball marks usually are easily dis­ tinguishable from other damage, in some cases there may be doubt as to the origin of damage. Q.2: If a ball mark is not in the line of play, may a player fix it and then step on it without penalty? A.2: No. The provisions of Rule 35-lc, including the prohibition of stepping on the damaged area in repairing it, apply anywhere on the putting green. Questions by: Jennings B. Gordon President, Southern Golf Association Rome, Ga. BALL UNPLAYABLE: PROCEDURE WHEN IMPOSSIBLE TO DROP BACK AFTER SWING AND MISS USGA 60-34 R. 11-4, 29-2b Q: A player’s ball is in a bush next to a fence defining out of bounds. He swings at the ball and misses it, and then declares it unplayable. He cannot drop back of the unplayable position under Rule 29-2b(i) as this would put the ball out of bounds. He cannot play at the spot from which the original ball was played under Rule 29-2b (ii) as the ori­ ginal ball was played from exactly the same place at which the ball now lies unplayable. What is the correct proce­ dure for this player? Question by: Leon Kaplan Waltham, Mass. A; Since it is impossible for the play­ er to drop a ball under either option of Rule 29-2b, the Rule of Equity—Rule 11- 4—may be applied. The player should be permitted to play his next stroke as nearly as possible at the spot from which he played the stroke which originally sent the ball to an unplayable position, adding a penalty stroke to his score for the hole, in accordance with the principle of Rule 29-2b (ii). 24 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 I FORTY YEARS OF GREEN SECTION ACTIVITY “Resolved, That a Green Section of the United States Golf Association be and is hereby created for the purpose of collecting and distributing among members of the Section information of value respecting the proper maintenance and up­ keep of golf courses.” By these words, the Green Section came into existence on November 30, 1920. This is the first paragraph of a resolution adopted by the United States Golf Association on that date. On this fortieth anniversary of the Green Section’s founding it is of interest to review some of the writings which appeared in the Bulletin of the Green Sec­ tion of the USGA during the first year of its publication. Such a review reveals the aims and thoughts of some of those who guided the Green Section in its formative years. Some excerpts from Volume I are reproduced in these pages. The reader will perceive that the Green Section purposes are still the same as in the beginning. In the short notes, he will observe that the questions being discussed in 1921 are in many cases still being asked in 1960—and in some cases the answers are the same. He will also note the areas of discussion, such as disease control, where vast progress has been made. The letter from Chauncey to “Dear Bill” is an example of the letters written to an imaginary green committee chairman in a humorous attempt to advise chairmen of their responsibilities. (The Green Section currently has in prepara­ tion a “Guide for Green Committee Members of Golf Clubs”). Another article deals with the need for standardized accounting procedures. This problem is still unsolved and the Green Section is now conducting a study in cooperation with more than 100 golf clubs in an attempt to further the cause of standardized accounting. Despite the fact that purposes are unchanged and that many old and difficult problems still exist, the reader will observe that tremendous progress has been made in the art and science of golf course maintenance. The photograph of a sod cutting operation and such questions as “What do you consider the best horse- drawn mower?” and “What is the best way to destroy dandelions on putting greens?” are sharp reminders of the changes that have occurred. It is hoped that our readers will enjoy reminiscing with us. USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 25 Meeting of the Green Section Washington, D. C., July 21, 1921 During the Twenty-Fifth Open Golf Championship, which was played at the Columbia Country Club, Chevy Chase, Maryland, members of the Green Section present in Washington at the time held an informal meeting on the evening of July 21 in the grill-room of the Wardman Park Hotel. There was an attendance of about 60. Prof. C. V. Piper, Chairman of the Green Committee of the United States Golf Association, presided. In the opening address President How­ ard F. Whitney, of the United States Golf Association, presented a brief outline of the history of the USGA, and discussed in considerable detail the facts and fac­ tors that led up to the formation of the Green Section cf the USGA. Mr. Whitney spoke in part, as follows: “It appears from authentic records that Dr. W. S. Harban was the first golfer who went to the U. S. Department of Agri­ culture for technical assistance in regard to green turf problems. This was in 1906, when he first met Messrs. Piper and Oak­ ley. Two years later when Mr. Charles B. MacDonald was building the National Links near Southampton, Long Island, he encountered such serious problems in at­ tempting to grow satisfactory turf on the old sand dunes that he applied to the De­ partment of Agriculture for help, which was of course accorded. In studying the difficult turf problems at the National Links, the Department scientists came to the realization that the existing knowl­ edge on the subject was very far from adequate and that extensive experimental investigations were necessary. Unfortu­ nately, no funds were available for the purpose; but in cooperation with many golf clubs a considerable amount of in­ vestigation was undertaken by the De­ partment men. Much of the information thus garnered formed the basis for a long series of articles in the golf journals by Messrs. Piper and Oakley. The first ap­ peared in January, 1913. These articles were immensely helpful, but in the mean­ time the needs of the golf clubs for infor­ mation and advice were increased enorm­ ously. In the spring of 1915 the Execu­ tive Committee of the USGA waited on . the then Secretary of Agriculture, Hon. David F. Houston, and requested addi­ tional help in solving the problems of greenkeeping. The committee pointed out that about $10,000,000 a year was being spent on the establishment and mainte­ nance of turf by golf clubs, and it was believed that through ignorance half of the money was wasted. As a result of the appeal the turf experiments were begun at Arlington, in the spring of 1916, the results of which having already been of the highest value. An indirect response of the committee’s appeal was the publica­ tion in January, 1917, of Turf for Golf Courses, by Messrs. Piper and Oakley, a work that has been of enormous assist­ ance “About the time when the Executive Committee waited on Secretary Houston, the Committee was urged to establish some sort of information bureau, and per­ haps publish bulletins by which needed and timely assistance could be rendered to golf clubs. The Executive Committee considered the matter but did not deem the time auspicious for undertaking ad­ ditional responsibilities. In 1920 Mr. E. J. Marshall, of the Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio, became strongly impressed with the great need of doing something to help out in the various turf problems confronting golf clubs. His earnest and dynamic per­ sonality influenced many promiment golf enthusiasts, in particular, Mr. Hugh I. Wilson, and through their efforts the Executive Committee formally establ­ ished the Green Section November 20, 1920. The first number of The Bulletin of The Green Section was issued Febru­ ary 10, 1921. The eager welcome with which it was received leaves no doubt that this new undertaking was one for which there was urgent need. So far as I can discern this is the first time in the history of sport that its devotees have established a journal purely to promote its growth and welfare. We feel that it marks an important landmark in the pro­ gress of golf.” Following President Whitney, Mr. W. D. Vanderpool, Secretary of the Association, made a brief address mainly in reference to the ravages of the brown-patch disease on fine putting-green grasses. This prob­ 26 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 lem he characterized as the most serious that confronts the golf courses of the United States. Mr. Vanderpool described how they had checked the severe spread­ ing of the disease at the Morris County course, in New Jersey, by spraying with Bordeaux mixture and by applications of sand and charcoal. His observation led him to the conclusion that the disease was more virulent on greens which had not the advantage of a free circulation of air, such as those near woods or in hol­ lows. On the suggestion of their green­ keeper they were about to experiment with applications of flowers of sulphur at Morris County in an effort to check the disease. All present were urged to conduct similar experiments on their own initiative and report the results to the Green Committee of the USGA for the benefit of all concerned. The Chairman of the Green Committee, Prof. C. V. Piper, then addressed the meeting as follows: “It seems fitting that on this occasion there should be presented a brief report on the progress thus far made by the Green Section and of the more important problems with which it is confronted. The evident record of its activities are the seven numbers of The Bulletin already issued. In the future, as heretofore, The Bulletin must be the chief medium of a mutual educational campaign that must necessarily be a continuous one. We must not underestimate the amount of repetition necessary to get the ordinary man to understand and to act intelli­ gently. The work of preparing The Bulle­ tin involves much time, and the Service Bureau entails a very large and increas­ ing correspondence. Many letters of warm approval of The Bulletin and the Service Bureau have been received and seem to confirm the Committee’s ideas as to the great need of the help it is furnishing. “There are numerous requests from golf clubs for visits to advise them in reference to their turf problems. At the present time such requests can not be fulfilled, excepting as a member of the Committee may chance to be in the place. It would be highly desirable if the Green Section could afford the services of one or more competent specialists to travel and to assist golf clubs in reference to turf matters, but this is out of the ques­ tion until its revenues are far greater COMING EVENTS November 17-18 Arizona Turf Conference University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona November 30-December 1-2 15th Annual Oklahoma Turfgrass Conference Oklahoma State University Stillwater, Okla. December 5-9 Fifty-Third Annual Meeting of American Society of Agronomy Morrison Hotel Chicago, III. December 12-13-14 15th Annual Texas Turfgrass Conference Texas A. & M. College College Station, Texas 1961 January 8-9 Mid-Atlantic Turfgrass Conference Lord Baltimore Hotel Baltimore, Md. January 16-19 Rutgers-New Jersey Turfgrass Conference Rutgers University New Brunswick, N. J. January 27 USGA Green Section Educational Program New York, N. Y. January 29-February 3 32nd International Turfgrass Conference and Show—Golf Course Superintendents of America Royal York Hotel Toronto, Canada February 27-28 Southern Turfgrass Conference Peabody Hotel Memphis, Tenn. than at present. “Besides the problems limited to grass turf there are many others that confront green committees. Among them are golf machinery, greenkeepers, buildings, golf architecture, landscaping golf courses, cost of construction, golf course manage­ ment methods, training greenkeepers, golf courses at minimum costs. “There is a large amount of knowledge based on experience in the possession of most golf clubs. It is proposed that this information be gathered by appropriate questionnaires and the data tabulated for the benefit of all interested. In addition it is becoming evident that in certain types of machinery at least we shall need careful comparative tests to determine the relative merits of each make. “Cornell University has established a 4-year course to train men to be superin­ tendents of parks, golf courses, large pri­ vate estates, and the like. It may in addi­ tion provide a 2-year course to train greenkeepers. This action was taken in USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 27 response to a memorial from the Green Committee pointing out the great need that exists. There is reason to believe that some other colleges will establish similar courses of study. “In this informal meeting there is op­ portunity to discuss many things of in­ terest to all. Everyone is urged to present any matter of interest that pertains to greenkeeping. At the present moment we are all keenly aware of the menace of brown-patch, the greatest' single problem with which greenkeeping is confronted. It may be well to include it in our dis­ cussion. “Until the Green Section enrolls every golf club in the United States, it can not exert its greatest influence. It is recog­ nized that many of the clubs are poor financially, but even so we believe it will be true economy for them to join the Green Section. Manifestly we must make every reasonable effort to secure the en­ rollment of each golf club, for every one of them has something to teach the rest of us, as well as much to learn.” The speaker then invited those present to inspect, while in Washington, the ex­ perimental turf plots ' which had been established by the Department of Agri­ culture at Arlington, where among other things, treatments of brown-patch were being conducted and efforts were being made to condition soil so that it would not grow white clover, which had a marked tendency to displace creeping bent in putting greens. He alluded also to experiments under way to circumvent the ravages of brown-patch by seeding on the greens an annual grass, like crab-grass but with finer leaves, which is killed with the first frost but thrives on the greens during the period that the bents and fescues have succumbed. Five or six such annual grasses were being tested. In referring to crab-grass he called attention to the fact that it was not altogether a nuisance. “Imagine the fairways at Co­ lumbia at this time with the crab-grass omitted” Professor Piper said, “and you would see only bluegrass languishing during the dry, hot weather of summer.” As regards the eradication of crab-grass, though it would not thrive in shade and. is killed by frost as well as artificial re­ frigeration, no practical or economical methods had been devised for the appli­ cation of such remedies. Neither would it withstand salt. With this in view, the De­ partment was testing certain grasses that would grow in strong alkali soils for use on putting greens where by applications of salt the alkali grasses would thrive but the crab-grass would perish. Alluding to the invaluable work of Mr. E. J. Marshall in the organization of the Green Section, the Chairman then intro­ duced Mr. Marshall, who pointed out the great benefits that could be derived from the coupling together of the experience of the thousands of practical greenkeep­ ers throughout the country, with the tech­ nical knowledge rendered immediately available by the scientific men belonging to the Department of Agriculture who were whole-heartedly lending their sup­ port to the movement. The mediums for the dissemination of this knowledge were The Bulletin of the USGA Green Section and meetings of the delegates to the Green Section. Of great value also were the district green sections and joint meetings of such district green sections, including visits of the delegates and greenkeepers to the various golf courses and discussing on the grounds the many turf problems involved. Such district green sections had already been organ­ ized in Detroit, Philadelphia and New York. The good that could be accomplish­ ed in this way had already been demon­ strated particularly in the case of the Detroit Green Section. It was decided that meetings of the delegates and green­ keepers should be held from time to time, first at one golf course and then at another. The meeting was then thrown open, to general discussion. From Vol. 1, No. 8 August 22, 1921 TURF MANAGEMENT The book "Turf Management," sponsored by the United States Golf Association and edited by Prof. H. B. Musser, is a complete and authoritative guide in the practical de­ velopment of golf-course turfs. This 354-page volume is available through the USGA, 40 East 38th Street, New York 16, N. Y., the USGA Green Section Regional Offices, the McGraw-Hill Book Co., 350 West 42nd Street, New York 36, N. Y., or local bookstores. The cost is $7. 28 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 DEAR BILL LETTER Richland Center, N. Y. Aug. 14, 1921. SUBSCRIBERS TO U.S.G.A. GREEN SECTION RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FUND, INC. Augusta National Golf Augusta, Ga. Dear Bill: A dog chasing his tail is making real progress compared with you. There’s no sense in getting all “het up” just because your greenkeeper does not recognize you as the fountain-head of all knowledge. You must remember that you are about twenty-fifth in the line of chairmen that he has had to do with. He has seen them come and go like other animal pests, and without doubt he looks upon you as some­ thing to be endured with the best grace possible. You’ll have to serve two or three years at least before you amount to anything; and he knows it. So don’t get yourself all covered with lather be­ cause things don’t go to suit you right off the bat. After you’ve lived with your green­ keeper a year or so you will have a better notion of what he is up against and how he is trying to solve his problems; and on the other hand if you show that you really have the goods and know a little of what you are talking about he will commence to get your viewpoint and you two will get along fine. When the chronic kicker on your board lets out his regular howl that ex­ penses must be cut and it is all nonsense to spend so much money on the course, you’ll feel there is no one on earth who has any sympathetic interest in you and your work except your greenkeeper, and you’ll talk things over with him and get loaded up with facts and be prepared to floor your kicker friend at the first op­ portunity. They’re all more or less alike, Bill, and you must get to understand them and think the way they think before you’ll accomplish much. Don’t forget your greenkeeper has probably forgotten more than you’ll ever know; and when it comes to the practical end of the work, such as employing and handling men, lay­ ing out and completing work, getting the work done some how or other in spite of weather and what not, you will always be more or less useless. There’s lots you can do to make yourself useful if you’ll only set about it. It’s a ten-to-one shot your greenkeeper is chock full of preju­ dices, whims, and fancies, and it’s more Club, Catto & Putty, Clapper Co., Bob Dunning, Floyd Farley, Donald Harradine, San Antonio, Tex. West Newton 45, Mass. Tulsa, Okla. Oklahoma City, Okla. Magliaso Tessin, Switzerland Lionel MacDuff, Lynn, Mass. Metropolitan Golf Writers' Association, Manhasset, N. Y. National Golf Fund, Inc., New England Golf Association, Dunedin, Fla. Boston, Mass. 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., St. Paul, Minn. J. H. Watson, Marietta, Ohio than likely he would refuse to recognize a scientifically proven fact if he met it with a cow bell on it. While you are learning the game, see that he comes along with you; and when you think you have discovered something entitling you to a niche in the hall of fame, talk it over with him and find out how many holes he can blow through it. I’d be sus­ picious if he agreed with you about any­ thing. If he does, you can make up your mind it’s some fool thing that will not. cost much and do little harm,. After awhile you’ll get on a working basis with your man so he’ll really discuss the problems with you and try out his views on you. When you each begin to recog­ nize that the other knows something and when you can scrap out your questions and troubles in a friendly way, then you’ll be on a sound basis and you’ll both be rendering real service to your club. In­ stead of going blindly along in the old- fashioned way, according to the old prejudices and fancies, you will be at least trying to reason things out, and you may find that two heads are better than one. Another thing, Bill. Don’t insist on carrying the flag over the ramparts. Don’t try to get out in the spotlight. You may have helped ' create some praiseworthy result or condition, but the real work was done by the practical man. And see that he gets the credit due him, • USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 29 This “how-to-do-it” photo appeared in Volume 1 of the Green Section Bulletin in 1921. The picture was taken at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. The caption explained how the team of horses can be operated at right angles to the direction in which the sod is being cut. Thus the ingenious use of a plank and a pulley overcomes the neces­ sity of having the horses walk on the sod which is to be cut. You must remember also that your man has been tied down to his job for year after year and he has had no chance to get about and find out what others are doing. You get a line every day on your competitors; and it keeps you up-to- date and keen. There’s every reason in the world why ycur man should get in a rut; but it’s up to you to get him out and to keep out yourself. There’s more to learn about this business than either of you realize; and if you’ll both wake up to the fact and go at it together you’ll make a great team and you’ll both enjoy it. Take him with you to Washington some time and show him the grass plots at Arlington, and you’ll both see more different kinds of grass and strains of grass than you supposed were in exis­ tence. Go together to some nearby city and spend a couple of days looking over the other fellow’s course, and you’ll both learn something. Try to understand that science has long ago demonstrated many facts, and that if you can learn the truth and apply it in a practical way you’ll get results and save money. If some slick talker comes along and wants to spray your turf with an assortment of bacteria, you’ll show7 him the gate instead of fall­ ing as a victim of conversation you don’t understand. I never met a greenkeeper yet who didn’t know something worth learning, though some of them seem to think their secrets should be zealously guarded and be handed down to their sons. You’ll en­ joy listening to the “bunk” and stuff you’ll get in response to your questions, and you two will enjoy many a laugh when you compare notes. Why, I had one top-notch greenkeeper solemnly tell me that a certain weed was grass turned foul from over-watering—and the melancholy part was that he believed it. Bill, I’m getting awfully sick of wasting good advice on you. The soil is too barren to respond to the topdressing of the wis­ dom you ought to find in these letters. Hereafter instead of belly-aching to me 30 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 about your troubles, go out to the barn and sit down on a box and figure them out with your partner. If you two are going to spend from $15,000 to $25,000 a year of your club’s money, it’s up to you both to work to­ gether and hold directors’ meetings —just the two of you—back of the barn or out around the course, so you can both understand and thrash out your problems; and if you can’t agree, for the love of Mike don’t call in an “expert.” The expert will solve ' your problems without the aid of spectacles or a crutch; but if you set on his eggs your expected chickens will be ducks; or more likely the eggs will turn out to be China door­ knobs. Bill, don’t 'bother me any more. I have trouble enough making my wife believe I know something without taking you on too. When you have served your novitiate and can think like a real greenkeeper we’ll consider you as an applicant for the first degree; but you’ve got to choose your course, Bill, and do it quickly. You can either be an ornamental chairman and content yourself with pretty raiment, or you can learn the work and amount to something. I hope these few words will find you well. Yours, Chauncey. P. S.—Do all the clubs in your town belong to the Green Section of USGA? You ought to take it upon yourself to see that they do. Do it now! From Vol. 1, No. 8 August 22, 1921 Removal of Grass Clippings Nothing is quite so nasty near an other­ wise perfect green as the usual pile of grass clippings. They become rotten and malodorous, and while we sympathize with the poor golfer who steps into the slimy mess, we think the greenkeeper de­ serves criticism. Incidentally such grass heaps are breeding places for many in­ sects. Why not require clippings from greens to be emptied in burlap sacks which can be hauled away to use in a compost pile? This involves very little extra labor and is worth while in every way. From Vol. 1, No. 9 September 16, 1921 Questions and Answers Q. How can we keep our tees in good condition? They are always ragged or cut­ up? E. J. M. A. If tees were given a fraction of the attention devoted to putting greens they could be enormously improved over the present average. Practically total neglect or else good attention once a year is the usual treatment given, to tees. It is not enough. One little scheme that will pre­ serve the grass on the tee for those who wish to use it is to have the tee plates at the extreme front and have the first yard of the tee bare. Ninety per cent of the players to gain this yard will tee on the bare place, and thus reduce divoting to a minimum. Perhaps the best way to cover bare spots formed in the turf on the tee is by inserting a piece of sod when necessary. Indeed resodding all or most of a tee every spring is a method used on some courses. If any one has discovered how to keep grassed tees perfect, we want him to give us his method. From Vol. 1, No. 3 March 23, 1921 Q. Our club is a very small one and we have only a small course. Do you feel it would pay us to belong to the Green Section? W. D. B. Massachusetts. A. We think your club is just the type that will benefit most by participation in the Green Section, as you no doubt wish to get the best results from the least expenditure of money. We are confident that you will find hints and suggestions in the Bulletin alone which will save you many times the cost. We propose to give just as much, or more, attention to the numerous small courses such as yours as to those which are large and rich. From Vol. 1, No. 4 April 22, 1921 Q. The writer would like to know whether you have had any experience in building greens with sterilized soil in a manner similar to what the tobacco growers use? Roughly speaking, they steam the soil under a pan until a potato will bake about 6 inches below the sur­ face. This is done to eliminate all weed seeds and to kill any fungus and bacteria which may be in the ground. It would seem as though this might save a very USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 31 considerable amount of work after the greens are seeded and come up, in keep­ ing the weeds out; but I would like to know whether you have had any experi­ ence with greens handled that way, and, if so, what your opinion of it is? V. W. B., Connecticut. A. Sterilization of soil for tobacco beds, which, after all, is only partial steri­ lization, was primarily for two purposes, one to destroy weed seeds and the other to destroy fungus diseases, insects, nem­ atodes, etc., which might be present in the soil. The oldest plan for doing this was simply by burning trash piled over the seed bed, a plan still used in some re­ gions. The plan now generally adopted by progressive tobacco growers is by means of a steam pan, under which hot steam is kept in contact with the soil for some time. In the Connecticut valley con­ tractors sterilize soil for 50 cents to $1.00 per 100 square feet, that would mean $100 to sterilize a large putting green. Still, another method of sterilizing soil is by using formaldehyde; using 1 gallon of formaldehyde to 50 gallons of water and then applying 2 quarts of this to each square foot. Before applying this the soil should be prepared for seeding, and it is better to apply the liquid in several applications than in one. After applying the liquid the surface needs to be covered with wet bags or blankets so as to con­ fine the gas for 24 hours. After these bags or carpets are removed the soil must be allowed to air for 8 to 10 days so the formaldehyde can evaporate. The cost of the formaldehyde treatment is very con­ siderably greater than that of the steam­ pan treatment. All of these methods are described in detail in U. S. Department of Agriculture Farmers Bulletin No. 96. In our judgment the expense involved is vastly greater than any possible bene­ fits that can accrue. Temporarily it may be helpful, but not to a degree to justify the expense. Sooner or later organisms that live in the soil are sure to return and weed seeds are carried to the greens by the feet of golfers, and by other means. Notwithstanding this adverse opinion, it would be an extremely interesting thing if your club could see its way clear to try out the scheme on one or more greens and give us all the benefit of the results you secure. After all, a real ex­ periment is the only way to get the right answer. From Vol. 1, No. 6 June 20, 1921 Q. The robins are damaging our putt­ ing-green badly by picking holes in and scattering the turf. Can you suggest a remedy? E.B.K., Massachusetts. A. This indicates the presence of abundant earthworms, white grubs, or other larvae. Visits by robins and other birds seem to be general wherever putt­ ing-greens are highly infested with in­ sects that will serve as feed for the birds. The remedy, of course, is to get rid of the worms and other vermin which are attracting the birds. It would be well first to find out just what the insect is. From Vol. 1, No. 11 November 15, 1921 Standardized Accounting At present it is very difficult to com­ pare the maintenance costs of golf clubs because accounts are not kept according to any definite system and a great variety of work items are included that have nothing to do with maintenance. The Committee hopes to put out in the future suggestions as to accounting which, if followed, will afford a basis for compari­ son of costs. If one 18-hole course is main­ tained for, say, $15,000, and another for $25,000 the difference should be accounted for, and if both accounts were kept.on the same basis it would be easy to see where the differences occur. The first thing to be considered is the classification of accounts and the distri­ bution of maintenance items into as many classes as are practicable. Some of the classes are seed, fertilizers, new machin­ ery, repairs to machinery, supplies, water, horse feed, contingencies and labor. The committee will welcome sugges­ tions along these lines. The work will be greatly facilitated if each member club will send in a copy of its last year’s statement, showing its distribution, with any suggestions that may be considered pertinent. When we can establish a standard sys­ tem of bookkeeping we will be in a fair way to eliminate useless expense. From Vol, 1, No. 8 August 22, 1921 32 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1M0 IT’S YOUR HONOR The World Championship The USGA has received a number of communications following the World Amateur Team Championship at Merion. Below are extracts from a few. “It has been an eye-opener and will set a standard of efficiency and hospitality which may be equalled but certainly never surpassed. Our lads, though not good enough—who could be? —■ enjoyed themselves thoroughly, and the motto of Friend­ ship-Sportsmanship was never seen in better light.” Dr. W. D. Ackland-Horman Australia “How much we all appreciated the many kindnesses and most generous hospitality that seemed almost un­ imaginable.. We expected something pretty good in the States, but this tournament was quite out of this world. All but about a dozen golfers go away cursing their bad golf but I can’t tell you how much I, and everybody else, I’m sure, enjoyed ourselves.” R. K. Pitamber India “All of us in our hearts have a great wish that we shall soon have the opportunity of meeting again our friends from all over the world.” Mogens Bredfeldt, President Danish Golf Union “The fact that nobody shot him­ self after the many heart-breaking disasters at Merion is proof of the almost humble sportsmanship of your amateur golfer! May that never change! . . . (With reference to the 1962 tournament:) I hope I may com­ pete in this great tournament for the third time. It will be great meeting all the old faces again at Tokyo.” Joan F. Dudok van Heel Netherlands To The USGA: While I no longer play golf I made my first attempt at surveying a golf club in 1892 and up to a few years ago played all my life. At one time I was a student of the rules and watched the various phases which finally resulted, to my intense re­ gret, in the elimination of the stymie. I write you now to enquire what is the purpose of the present rule which stipulates that when both players in a match are on the green only the player furthest from the hole can decide whether or not his opponent’s ball shall be lifted. Why? On occasions it can result in the opponent’s ball being of material benefit to the player particularly when the ball nearer the hole is very close to it and its position is such that it creates a target considerably larger than the 4V4” hole. I have put this query to many eminent golfers on both sides of the international boundary of the north­ west and none of them has been able to answer it except by saying the rule exists. Further, from time immemorial when on the green the flag could be removed or attended at the player’s option but the player was penalized if he hit it. Under the present rule something has been removed from what was so long normal practice and flagsticks have been reduced substantially in diameter so that there is additional insurance that a player may hit the stick and drop in the cup. Golf as I understand it is a game crowded with adventure and chance which are almost synonymous. I have grave fears that further endeavors will be made to eliminate those very essential qualities. If it were possible to make it completely equitable, which would seem the tendency, the game will become quite unrecog­ nisable. A. Vernon Macan Victoria, B. C. Canada USGA JOURNAL AND TURF .MANAGEMENT: NOVEMBER, 1960 USGA OFFICERS, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN ' \ '■ - PRESIDENT John G. Clock, Long Beach, Calif. VICE-PRESIDENTS Clarence W. Benedict, White Plains, N. Y. John M. Winters, Jr., Tulsa, Okla. SECRETARY Wm. Ward Foshay, New York, N. Y. TREASURER Bernard H. Ridder, Jr., St. Paul, Minn. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The above officers and: Fred Brand, Jr.. Pittsburgh, Pa. William C. Chapin, Rochester, N. Y. ■ Charles C. Clare, New Haven, Conn. Edwin R. Foley, Oakland, Calif. Harry L. Givan, Seattle, Wash. Hord W. Hardin, St. Louis, Mo. Robert K. Howse, Wichita, Kans. Harold A. Moore, Chicago, III. Henry H. Russell, South Miami, Fla. A. Vinton Stegeman, Jr., Ft. Thomas, Ky. ' HONORARY MEMBER J. Frederic Byers, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa. GENERAL COUNSEL Philip H. Strobing, Philadelphia, Pa. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Joseph C. Dey, Jr., New York, N. Y. ASSISTANT DIRECTORS: P. J. Boatwright, Jr., and Sterling G. Slappey 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: Bernard H. Ridder, Jr., St. Paul, Minn. AMATEUR STATUS AND CONDUCT: Charles C. Clare) New Haven, Conn. IMPLEMENTS AND BALL: Clarence W. Benedict, White Plains, N. Y. MEMBERSHIP: Edwin R. Foley, Oakland, Calif. GREEN SECTION: William C. Chapin, Rochester, N. Y. WOMEN'S: Mrs. Henri Prunaret, Natick, Mass. SECTIONAL AFFAIRS: Hord W. Hardin, St. Louis, Mo. ' PUBLIC LINKS: Charles C. Clare, New Haven, Conn. HANDICAP: Clarence W. Benedict, White Plains, N. Y. Handicap Procedure: Herman M. Freydberg, New York, N. Y. JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: Harry L. Givan, Seattle, Wash. SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: Harold A. Moore, Chicago, III. GIRLS' JUNIOR: Mrs. John Pennington, Buffalo, N. Y. MUSEUM: Harold A. Moore, Chicago, HI. < BOB JONES AWARD: Wm. Wart Foshay, New York, N. Y. FINANCE: Bernard H. Ridder, Jr., St. Paul, Minn. . ■ USGA GREEN SECTION EASTERN REGION Northeastern Office: Lipman Hall, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N. J. Alexander M. Radke, Director, Eastern Region T. T. Taylor, Northeastern Agronomist Mid-Atlantic Office: 711 West Ave., Jenkintown, Pa. Charles K. Hallowell, Mid-Atlantic Director Southeastern Office: Conner Halt, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga. James B. Moncrief, Southeastern Agronomist Southwestern Office; Texas A. and M. College, College Station, Tex. Dr. Marvin H. Ferguson, Director, Mid-Continent Region and National Research Coordinator MID-CONTINENT REGION W. Wayne Allen, Southwestern Agronomist Mid-Western Office: Room 241, LaSalle Hotel, Chicago 2, 111. James L. Holmes, Mid Western Agronomist Western Office: P. O. Box 567, Garden Grove, Cal. : William H Bengeyfield. Director, Western Region : WESTERN REGION