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GOLFDOM JANUARY

THE BUSINESS JOURNAL of 1961

Handle Only Routine Matters at PGA Scottsdale Meeting

Lou Strong is new president • Adopt 'Hands Off' policy on real estate deals • Keep Caucasian membership requirement • Announce revision in conduct of Matches • Give Martin rights to televise circuit tournaments

IT OU Strong has two new jobs this year. A five-year renewal of the contract with One is that of professional at the Oak Tom Crane, PGA executive sec. and coun- Hill CC, Rochester, N. Y., and the other sel since 1943, was among the actions that as 13th pres. of the PGA. the organization's members, and those who Strong was elected to the PGA post at do business with them, rate as a major the association's 44th annual meeting. The accomplishment of the meeting. Crane's delegates from the PGA's 34 sections at ability and judgment are invaluable to the Valley Ho hotel in Scottsdale, Phoenix, PGA. Sprogell's contract as PGA course Ariz., suburb, played safely over numerous pro-supt.-mgr. also was renewed. traps and, while not setting any records, Delegates voted to maintain the Cau- handled routine affairs for the good of casian membership requirement. The de- the cause. cision was based on the fact that Negroes A proposal to get the PGA to be the have only about half a dozen private clubs shill for a course-real estate operation at employing Negro professionals. Delegates West Palm Beach was turned down. The said that the matter is one of business executive committee didn't look favorably judgment and not of color prejudice. Ad- on the deal and the delegates, without mission of Negroes to the PGA depends having time or data for examination of the on Negroes' capacity to establish first class venture, were of the opinion that the PGA clubs of their own as white groups do, ac- had more urgent duties and problems than cording to pros who were active in getting to speculate in the real estate business. Negroes PGA tournament cards. Dunedin in Top Shape Membership at 4800 The decision to go along on a status quo PGA announced that its membership of basis on the real estate issue was influ- all classes had reached an all-time high enced considerably by reports out of of 4800. Figures were not detailed to show Dunedin that had the PGA what percentage of Class A pros are at National course in better condition than U. S. golf clubs. The PGA, unlike the ever before and, with the revision of the USGA, does not make public the financial first 9 by Dick Wilson, the PGA now has a statement of general and tournament op- course worth bragging about. erations. But it did disclose that the 1960 PGA championship, staged at the Fire- Two PGA Business Schools Are stone CC, Akron, with the co-sponsorship and work of the local Junior League, Jay- Scheduled for January, February cees, major rubber companies and Jack , and A1 Knight's newspaper with sports editor, Watrous head an impressive group of pro- Loren Tibbals, as the tourney's chief en- fessionals who will serve as instructors and gineer, netted a record profit of $43,000 lecturers at the fifth PGA Business School for the PGA. to be held at the Hotel Ft. Harrison, Clear- Ryder Cup Revisions water, Fla., Jan. 22-28. Others on the This year's PGA championship will be teaching staff include John Budd, Bill played at Olympia Fields CC, south of Hardy, George Aulbach and George Daw- Chicago, July 21-24. The 1961 Ryder Cup son. Emil Beck is chmn. of the Business matches will be played at Royal Lytham School. and St. Anne's course, St. Anne's-by-the- Fundamentals of teaching, club repair- Sea, Eng., Oct. 13-14. For the first time ing, merchandising and general shop oper- all matches will be played at 36 holes ation are among the subjects that will be with two sets of singles and two sets of covered in the 40-hour course. The PGA Scotch each day. There has has sent out nearly 5,000 folders describ- been some moaning among several Rritish ing the school, along with application players about this revision, made in the blanks, to pros and clubs throughout the belief that it gives the British a good break U. S. Last year nearly 250 pros and assis- and should give the event a tight competi- tants attended the Clearwater courses. Ap- tive complexion which it has lacked in the prentice pros can earn credits toward full past. The British have won but one of the membership in the PGA by attending the last eight Ryder Cup affairs. Business School. The 1963 Ryder Cup matches will be A second Business School course will be played at East Lake CC, , Ga., Oct. offered at the Ambassador Hotel in Los 11-13. East Lake is the club of Harold Angeles, Feb. 14-17. This is the third Sargent, who was succeeded by Strong as year for this school and at least 100 stu- PGA pres. Sargent and his wife, Mary, dents are expected to be on hand when it were voted a trip to the 1961 Ryder Cup is convened. Practically the same course is matches. He has been a member of the offered at L. A. as at Clearwater. George PGA executive committee for 11 years. For Lake, pro at Recreation Park GC, Long Sargent that has meant a considerable sac- Beach, is director of the school. rifice of time and money and for his wife a mountain of unpaid secretarial work as well as the added responsibilities of seeing to it that his club job is handled properly and retiring chmn., PGA national advisory when the boss pro is away. committee. Other long-time officials in local and Honored at Dinner national PGA work were elected with Strong. They include Wally Mund, Mid- Goldwater was honored at the annual land Hills CC, St. Paul, who was elected PGA president's dinner as were Warren sec. and George L. Hall, pro at Cornell's Orlick, PGA golf-professional-of-the-year; University GC, Ithaca, N. Y., and Cornell , the association's profession- golf coach who was named treas. al golfer-of-the-year, and three new pros in the PGA Hall of Fame, Fred McLeod, New vps and members of the executive and . Jay He- committee are Frank Commisso, Ironde- bert, 1960 PGA champion, was hailed in quoit CC, Rochester, N. Y.; Don Wary an, absentia. He was attending a Hebert Woodhill CC, Wayzata, Minn.; and Bud brothers party in Lafayette, La. Oakley, Palos Verdes GC, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. Glen Sisler, pres., Northern Steel Co., Six cities have extended invitations to , was elected chmn. of the PGA the PGA for the 1961 meeting. Names of advisory committee. Harry Radix, sec. of these cities were not disclosed by the PGA. the committee for many years, was made vice chmn., and Robert Leacox, Kansas The choice will be made at the commit- City, Mo., was named sucessor to Radix 's mid-year meeting this spring. Which- as advisory committee chmn. ever one it is will have a difficult job beat- ing the arrangements and program present- William D. Schaffner, pres., National ed for the 1960 meeting by Bob Gold- PGA Distributors, Inc., and William D. water, Phoenix department store executive (Continued on page 68) that of diffusion with disposal of all water telling him to look at the ball and not over field capacity. around it so as to stay over it longer. 3. Design and Principles of Contouring Palmer's Secrets Greens — Design will insure surface Arnold Palmer answering a request to drainage in many directions and not in reveal the "secret" of being the "best just "several or two or three directions." driver" replied that a good deal depends Surface water will escape from the green on the grip. He keeps his left elbow to the nearest outlet on all sides or in straight and high right elbow in. He says every direction. It will be carried only a that he squeezes the grip if he finds his short distance to the nearest outlet at the drives getting off line. When he moves perimeter of the green. Methods of con- his left hand a bit more on top of the struction and principles of contouring grip to keep from hooking he doesn't have greens have been published and are avail- to hold the club so firmly. For longer shots able, including multiple pin positions .or he takes the club away quite slowly. His cup cutting areas to save greens by pre- driver has a 12 degree loft and the venting wear and tear. This combination, is stiff. He takes the driver back from 6 including location, will cover drainage in to 12 inches before his wrists start cocking. five phases: surface, internal, lateral, by Warren Orlick conducted a useful ses- diffusion and by air. sion on the rules, illustrating with diagrams Irrigation Design and Engineering — some of the puzzling matters that pros are By having the necessary phases of soil asked to settle. Orlick also made illumin- mixture, construction methods and design, ating comment on the 1961 changes. Or- it is now possible to combine fully auto- lick, a leading student of the rules and matic multiple sprinkler systems to obtain probably the No. 1 practical authority on the ultimate in maintenance efficiency their application, is a severe critic of the that was previously impossible. It will change that permits keeping the flagstick save the U. S. courses millions of dollars in the hole. in maintenance when proper construction TV Rules Violations in all phases is combined with automatic sprinkling systems. A three to four hour He cited violations of rules in the TV watering job is completed in 15 minutes. matches as showing that tournament pros need considerably more education in the Watering is the greatest labor cost on rules or risk losing public standing as the course. What do you get in return? authorities. His remark recalled to several Now this loss can be channeled to produc- persons a comment made tive activities. A course never needs to be during the 1960 National Open when a closed because the greens are too wet. pro sent in from the course for a rules Golf courses have never had the oppor- committee decision on a simple case. Said tunities that now are offered. Certainly The Haig: "A man who plays golf for a the objective of our older courses should living shouldn't have to ask an amateur be toward more efficient management by for the answer in a case like that." making use of the many advancements de- veloped in recent years. PGA Meeting (Continued from page Penick's Teaching Is A Hit 20) Rogers of the law firm that unraveled the (Continued from page 21) legal intricacies that led to the PGA brand There were more applicants for the course of equipment being put on the market, re- than could be admitted. ported to the delegates. Schaffner dis- She emphasized that the job of fitting cussed the progress made with the PGA women's clubs is tremendously important line in 1960 and revealed merchandising and that pros must be losing considerable plans for the current year, while Rogers club business by not making women aware brought the delegates up to date on the of this factor. latest legal developments. told of starting in golf by Other business transacted included ar- caddying for his father, then getting into rangements made between the PGA and fast amateur competition around International Golf Sponsors Assn. and Wil- and being tutored by Dallas pros before liam A. Martin and Associates, Chicago, he decided to turn pro himself. He said for TV tournament coverage. Miscellane- that the great lessons circuit pros get are ous circuit details also were worked out from fellow performers. He said Gary by the tournament advisory committee Player gave him valuable assistance by with co-sponsors.