' 'A Change of Headgear9 9
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GREENKEEPING MANAGEMENT ' 'A Change of Headgear9 9 BY FRED HAWTREE It may have escaped your are from the profane world in sadness strongly through his heavenward ex- notice, locked up as you are in and loneliness, golf architects dress tention by a Homburg of majestic your ecological struggle with soberly, although when the American proportions. Nature, machines and the Society of Golf Course Architects Across the Atlantic, A.W. Till- adopted Dornoch's son, Donald Ross, inghast, who designed most of the members; that three months builder of several hundred US courses, USA's favourite championship have elapsed since Cardinal as their patron saint they uniformed courses, often penetrated the jungle Joseph Malula passed on to themselves in blazers from the red and wearing just the same headgear. higher things from amongst his black Ross tartan woven in Scotland. Two photographs in my family flock in Zaire. A hundred of these at their annual album confirm the Distinction. The His chief legacy was an adaptation banquet can be trying on unshaded group at an exhibition match at Sun- of the rites of the Mass to African cir- eyes, though easily distinguishing dridge Park before 1914 shows J.H. cumstances. Certainly Pope John Paul members from visitors. Taylor (umbrella), James Braid, Alex II will not forget his 1980 visit to Kin- In this country, after 1900, a sar- Herd and Harry Vardon, ALL capped. shasha in a hurry, when twenty torial watershed also divided early The founder of The Golf Zairian priests danced to the Gloria professional golfer/designers from Greenkeepers Association (on dressed in gold robes, rocking those amateurs quietly inflitrating the Taylors right) is also capped. But in rhythmically from side to side in front brotherhood. ALL wore caps upon the 1920 in The Open Exhibition Tent at of the Peoples Palace; nor the crescen- links and the professionals continued Deal, having embraced golf course ar- do of tom-toms as they thundered to do so while architecting golf chitecture, he has also embraced the across the square on the cue: "Let us courses. But the amateurs — turned — Homburg hat. pray!'1. Eight more years were never- designers changed their style to The Capped ones were not deterred. theless needed before the Vatican match. They donned the felt Homburg They counter attacked strongly, led by gave approval to the Cardinals localis- hat of commerce. There was obvious- four Open Champions with one Sher- ed litergy, and then with a firm pro- ly money in it. wood Forester at the rear. viso — leopard skins will not be worn! The 1913 photograph shown of their Willie Park Jnr., still on the active By contrast The Holy Diocese of St. leader, Harry S. Colt, planning St. list, produced the first serious writing Andrews has never laid down rules Cloud near Paris illustrates this on golf architecture in 'The Game of appropriate to the rig appropriate to change. Holding a plan unfurled Golf' (1896). Between 1900 and 1919 golfing or its designers. Restrictions (photographers still require this) his tall he built 50 courses in Britain and 5 in are unnecessary, for set apart as they figure dominates the group still more France. Another 40 in the USA includ- ed the Grove Park Inn Course at Asheville N.C., recently pared down because the Inn seems to be getting bigger than the golf course. After James Braid's first Open in 1901, he was designing as well as win- ning again in 1905/6/8/10. Henley, Northampton, Oswestry, St. Austell and West Hove belong to this period. John Henry Taylor, five times Open Champion and six times runner-up, was not far behind with Clevedon, Eastbourne Downs, Heaton Park, Queens Park, Bournemouth & Seaford. Harry Vardon won one U.S., and six Open titles. His earliest designs includ- ed Letch worth, Little Aston, Mendip, Sandy Lodge and Saffron Walden. He might have done much more, but his health slowed him down. Lastly, in 1919, a circle within a 40 mile radius of Nottingham would con- tain only one course NOT designed by Tom Williamson, pro/greenkeeper at the Notts. Golf Club. Harry S. Colt at St Cloud, France, circa 1913. But the Homburgs were coming. Aspect! of Design stop completely between 1914 and 13 points not in book form, but when 4 1918; it slowed to a trickle. Only lecturing to the Northern Section of They donned the MacKenzie and Alison were young the Golf Greenkeepers Association. felt Homburg hat of enough to join the Army. But in 1920, Greenkeepers First — The World both sides returned to the offensive. Second! He obviously got his priorities commerce" The amateurs struck first. Colt & right. Alison produced one book, 'Some In case you have forgotten what he Essays on Golf Course Architec- said up there, we shall start in the next They too put up a team of five, cap- ture', and Alister MacKenzie produc- issue where we leave off — with those tained by Harry Colt, R. & A. Rules ed another. He included in his book a 13 points, and a few extra for good Committee, Cambridge Captain, list of the 13 features essential in an measure. Incidentally, his book, 'Golf Lawyer, Sunningdale Secretary, and ideal golf course, this catching the Architecture', costs about &350 now, finally No. 1 course architect of the readers imagination, as simple so you might as well wait and get his amateurs. He scored 20 layouts in his summings-up often do, despite what points for nothing. first eight years, finally leaving Sun- they leave out. Historians have FRED HAWTREE ningdale in 1913 to go solo. His mistakenly quoted from this book ever associates Dr. Alister MacKenzie, the since, but I can now reveal for the first A Homburg behatted forebear of The Leeds medical practitioner, and Hugh time that MacKenzie first outlined his Alison, Secretary of Stoke Poges Author. followed his lead. J.F. Abercromby was not a profilic designer, but was highly respected. His new course at Addington was a gem, stolen now by housing needs, though the Old Course is fortunately still there. He checked out the opposi- tion by working with Park earlier at Coombe Hill. Herbert Fowler, who had designed Walton Heath, co-operated with Aber- cromby at Cowdray Park and West Kent (now moved to Downe). All three were involved in the early days of Worpledon. Fowler started playing golf at the late age of 35 and planned Walton Heath because of a family con- nection. He then completed five British courses and one in Los Angeles before the 1914 war. On quantity, The Caps halved one game and won the rest, even giving a stroke a hole. But if we assess quality in the results, I should say it was honourably halved. The flood of new courses did not Caps well to the fore at Sundridge Park, cir- ca 1913. .