Swinging around golf ByHERB GRAFFIS News of the Golf World in brief C lubhouse tickets for the 1966 Na- claimed more of the Collegiate cham- tional Open at Olympic Club, San Fran- pion than pro golf . Maybe matri- cisco, June 16-19, sold out early . mony is easier work. Masters tickets also were gone early this James L. 0'Keefe, president, Chicago year . Not much chance of any of District GA and former president, the other tournaments this year coming Western GA is subject of a sparkling close to the Crosby tournament atten- tabloid biography Charley Bartlett wrote dance ... Bing's Clambake drew 120,000, in the USGA Journal-Father Bartlett 43,000 on the concluding Sunday . told of 0'Keefe's versatility as a collegiate Mattrie Luxford, general chairman, Golfs champion swimmer and diver, golfer, Golden Circle, which raises for the Jay- musician, singer and dancer with White- cee-sponsored Los Angeles Open, hopes mans and other bands, and successful to have the kitty up to $100,000 for lawyer. The 0'Keefe story moved Bing 1967 . Luxford also busy already on Crosby and buddies to telephone Jim— plans with Bing and Everett Crosby and Los Angeles to Chicago—early one morn- other teammates for 1967 Crosby event. ing saying "We've read about great Twenty-fifth anniversary tournament of things youve done but to settle an Womens Collegiate Golf Association, argument weren't you also the first guy June 19-24 being played where the to break the 4-minute mile?" event was started, on Ohio State uni- Seems there's been a record set this versity s Scarlet course . Miss Gladys year in delays of PGA tournament E. Palmer and faculty of Women's rounds because of weather, but what division of Ohio State physical education hasn't been in the papers has been dept. organized and ran the initial murderous effect of spring bad weather event which had 38 players and on pro shop sales in many areas . was won by Eleanor Dudley, U. of Superintendents in some localities also Alabama . The championship was have been given ulcers by soaking rains suspended during war years 1942-1945 preventing spring work on courses . Now the championship is eonducted Rains, according to one worried superin- by the Tripartite Committee on Golf, tendent, stopped only long enough to which includes representatives of the allow a few eager addicts to tramp on National Association of Physical Educa- soggy greens and start what'll be trouble tion for College Women, the Athletic next summer. and Recreation Federation for College Big turnover in jobs has a lot of Women, and the Division for Girls' and new ones in professional and superin- Women's Sports of the American As- tendent posts but not so many changes sociation for Health, Physical Education in managers' connections . Jim Wright and Recreation . Maids who've be- at Inwood, Jack Doss at Elwood and come famous in amateur and pro golf Jerry Pittman at Creek Club are three made their debuts as major champions new pro assignments in the New York in the Womens collegiate . Matrimony Metropolitan district . Doss replaced Continued on next poge HERB GRAFFIS merce sports committee, now on the Continued from preceding poge business staff of Nordic Hills CC, Itasca, Phil Turnesa and Pittman succeeded III. Shell Oil's "Wonderful World Bert McDougall when Phil and Bert re- of Golf" announces that its sixth year tired after many years of service to of eleven one-hour color TV shows will their clubs. start in January, 1967, with Jimmy De- Leading clubs gradually are working maret joining Gene Sarazen for talking. out decent retirement plans for faithful Jimmy will be general announcer and and diligent employees who never have Gene will continue with comment on been overpaid . Seasonal nature of the courses and players' techniques . golf club operations, frequent changes Gordon Biggar, Shell's vp of public re- of officials and non-union employment, lations, says Peachtree GC at Atlanta plus so many of the private clubs' op- will be U. S. course on the 1967 Won- erating in the red, have delayed estab- derful World program with Boh Jones lishment of retirement plans by the as honorary referee . Among the 1967 clubs . A few of the older pros who WW of Golf stars will be Ben Hogan have partially retired have gone to small- . Contests will be filmed in Mexico, er clubs where the work isn't heavy . Venezuela, Bermuda, Morocco, Italy, And what a great break that has been Wales, France, Germany, Netherlands for members of those smaller clubs in and Canada as well as at Peachtree . getting expert pro service. Shells show is so far ahead as the most Cape Cods oldest club, Cummaquid interesting, best-selling television show in GC at Barnstable, Mass., opened this golf that any one of the rest could be spring with a new automatic irrigation second without viewers caring much. system on its nine-hole course and a Masters as golf TV news gets lots of rehabilitated clubhouse . Cummaquid eyes and ears because it comes at a was organized Aug. 17, 1895 and is be- time of the year when millions of golfers lieved to be the second oldest club in Mass. north are inside . USGA did a nice . John Reid, one of the organizers of thing for women's golf in picking up an the USGA and a founder of St. Andrews NBC charge of $15,000 for the first at Yonkers, had a summer home in telecast of the USGA Womens Open . Cummaquid . Darrell Sheperd, presi- NBC couldnt sell that event to a com- dent, and Alhert S. Cross, green chair- mercial sponsor . Hence USGA man, got the improvement program go- knocked the $15,000 off the $70,000 ing . Bill Edlund is superintendent NBC has contracted to pay for telecast- and Bill Spratt is professional . Warren ing USGA championships . Nobody Lafkin, who died recently in White wants to pay for the other USGA cham- Plains, N. Y., was one of the veterans pionships (except, of course, the U. S. who built the Toro distribution system Open) . Shows how amateur golf . He was hired by J. S. Clapper to has dropped as a competitive attraction work in Indiana, then started the New . Joe Dey recently recalled that in York Toro company in Yonkers, later 1930 when Jones completed his Grand moving to Scarsdale then to White Slam at Merion there were 3,109 season Plains . He was VP of the O. J. Noer (six days) and 16,796 daily tickets sold, Turf Research Foundation . Mrs. and at Canterbury for the 1964 National Lafkin (Matty) and Warren were a Amateur there were 1,065 season and merry and hospitable pair, widely 792 daily tickets sold. known in golf business . She survives Ladies PGA tournaments are steadily him. increasing their draw . Most sponsors Grant Wardlaw, now pro-manager, are repeating and increasing purses for Cottonwood CC, Glendive, Mont. 1967 . Robert Bruce Harris, owner His wife Lou, also experienced in golf of the Delray Beach (Fla.) CC where club work, also will be at Cottonwood a decidedly successful LPGA tourna- . They came from Silver Hills CC, ment was held this past winter, will be Novato, Calif. Hugh Egan, formerly host to the girl pros again next year . head of the Junior Chamber of Com- Harris, one of the top golf architects Continued on page 60 HERB GRAFFIS range pros have tremendous teaching Continued from poge 10 responsibility in these boom times and teaching golf manners and fast play is and owner of several courses, says the no small part of the job . Sonnys been way some of the girl pros read golf teaching at Dave Felders Golf Center in courses in determining playing tactics is suburban Minneapolis since 1959 . sure to have a great deal of educational He's lost count of the number of people influence on women's golf . He thinks he has started in golf. that pros who are doing fine jobs of New Hampshire GCSA is figuring on a teaching girls and women how to play questionnaire service between members golf shots have plenty of room for teach- to handle problems that come up be- ing the ladies how to play better golf tween meetings . Robert Flanagan, by learning to see and solve the architec- Cocheco CC, Dover, N. H., superinten- tural problems of courses . Most dent who is N. H. vp and publicity chair- women playing at clubs and at public man, says the mail order experiment in courses haven't the slightest idea of golf pooling the members' genius ought to be course design. worth a lot to the states clubs . Looks like the Tennessee amateurs get Getting tougher for superintendents in in the habit of winning . Curtis Per• metropolitan areas to hire course workers son, Sr., now 55 and winner of 20 senior now that landscape gardeners are paying events in the past 12 months, has won much higher wages for labor. more than 80 tournaments . Lew Jimmy Crossan, at 73, still getting on Oehmig has won the Tennessee Amateur the teaching tee at 7:30 a.m. and keeping championship six times; 1937-49-51-52- on the job until dusk . Crossan has 55-62 . Lew is president First Flight been in range instruction work in the Co. William (Sonntj) Rijan says Los Angeles area for years since leaving Continued on page 62 GOLF CLUB FUTURUS CARPET TILE GUARANTEED THREE YEARS AGAINST ALL TRAFFIC! HANDSOME, LASTING FLOORCOVERING ECONOMICAL TO INSTALL—MAINTAIN Check FUTURUS with ALL others: • Absolutely SAFE and SKIDPROOF — wet or dry.